A Tail of Two Dog Friendly California Cities

              

We woke up early Saturday and as we were perusing Facebook with coffee - we came across some information that changed our plans for the day. Jessi and I live outside of downtown Sacramento, just a quick 10-minute drive to central downtown or a five-minute walk to the river, depending on what we are looking for. Today, we decided to head out to the neighboring city of Davis because the college was having their popular (at least locally) plant sale. Their student nursery is right next to the U.C. Davis Arboretum, a place I’ve wanted to explore, but never made the time. Today was the day.

We jumped in the car and took the 20-minute drive out to Davis, stopping for coffee at the local Dutch Bros (a favorite West Coast coffee stop) where Jessi got lots of attention, much to her excitement. When we arrived at the plant sale it was mildly busy and incredibly well organized.

 

Like most of Davis, the campus is very dog friendly and Jessi and I walked around looking for some new and interesting plants for the yard. After making a couple of selections we walked back to the car and tucked away our purchases. With the shopping done, it was now time to play!

The Arboretum is right next to the nursery so we walked on over and were amazed! The paths are a mix of tiny crushed rock and paved options with gazebos, tree groves, gardens and several big expanses of lawn. Lots of squirrels running around to draw Jessi’s attention and adoring walkers who like to stop and chat - with the offering of lots of ear scratches and pets. Jessi loves making new friends when we go out so we spend a lot of time stopping and talking with people.

 After spending an hour wandering around, it was time to head back to Sacramento to meet up with friends for brunch at one of our favorite spots.   Just half a block from Capitol Park, de Vere’s has a patio that runs across the front of the restaurant that makes it great for people watching while enjoying time with friends.

 

 The staff is attentive and nice, making sure we had a water bowl for Jessi and a good mix of English and American food for the rest of us. http://deverespub.com/?loc=Sacramento

Jessi made the rounds to say hi to everyone before settling down to alternately watch passersby and nap. By the time we were ready to leave she was ready to spend some time in Capitol Park, which is one of my favorite places -- even after working downtown for years.

The Capitol is planted with native California trees, shrubs and flowers – there are citrus trees interspersed with redwoods and interesting shrubs.  

Around the Capitol we always keep an eye out for a sighting of the First Dog of California Sutter Brown. This time we didn’t expect to see Sutter as he continues to recover from a serious surgery. With the whole state pulling for him he has recently returned home and we hope to see him out on walks as he continues to get better!

 

We took a few extra minutes in the rose garden that sits along 16^th street and is my personal favorite, although Jessi was not as fascinated with the varieties in color and type as I was. As we wandered back to the car, I realized we don’t spend nearly enough time downtown together – often choosing to go out to the Auburn trails or spending our time on the miles of riverfront trails that are close to our house or even going on trips up north to visit family.

We had a really fun time trying something new and meeting up with friends to share the stories or our adventure. We always look forward to trying out some of the new places that keep popping up as Sacramento continues to expand its farm to fork movement.

Want more dog friendly ideas for exploring Sacramento? 

Great ideas here -- http://dogtrekker.com/Destination/Sacramento_Capital_City

 Kaitlyn MacGregor is a dog-loving communications professional and a Sacramento native.  She and Jessi, her 10 year old springer spaniel mix Jess take advantage of the California capitol’s dog friendly venues and great weather!

 

 

 

Virginia is for DOG Lovers

 
PawsGo to the Dog-Friendly Williamsburg Farmers' Market

One of the greatest things about having a dog is – they are always up for an adventure.  Whether you’re going on a hike or exploring an historic landmark, they are always game!

 

My sister and I recently joined her 14 year old Shiba Inu, Akira, for a morning adventure at the farmers' market in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

 

As we drove into Colonial Williamsburg, Akria knew something exciting was about to happen.  Tree lined roads gave way to a colonial thoroughfare – Duke of Gloucester Street, or DoG Street, as the locals call it.

The Williamsburg Farmers' Market is located on DoG Street in Merchants Square and is bustling on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

The market was opened in 2002 – 303 years after the City of Williamsburg was founded as the Capitol of the Virginia Colony (1699 if you don’t feel like doing the math).

 

 

In addition to lots of dogs –the market features locally grown and sourced items ranging from fruits and vegetables to seafood and of course dog treats! 

Live music and delicious baked goods make it a great place for a Saturday morning snack or breakfast.

Feel like hanging around for lunch?  Lining Merchants Square are plenty of dog-friendly shops and restaurants, including the DoG Street Pub, with its adjacent dog-friendly tasting room, that’s right, your dog can join you while you’re tasting locally crafted beer.

Merchants Square is surrounded by the sites of Colonial Williamsburg, which provides a beautiful and historic walk for you and your dog. 

 

Want more information about Williamsburg, Virginia?  Go to  www.visitwilliamsburg.com
Where do your PawsGo?  Do you have a favorite place?  Share it with us!  Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or leave us a comment!  We'd love to hear from you!
 

PawsGo Wine Tasting in Delaplane and Middleburg, Virginia



About an hour's drive from Washington, D.C. is Middleburg, Virginia.  This well-heeled community of horse farms, stone fences, rolling hills, and red-fox memorabilia is also home to numerous inviting and dog-friendly wineries. 

On a sunny Sunday, I convinced my husband, a good friend and our two dogs to join me on a road trip to Middleburg and Delaplane,Virginia.  The dogs (Boomer and Kacey) were easy, I usually have them at "ride."

My husband and our friend proved equally easy -- I had them at "wine."
Not that they are wine snobs, but my husband is from Oregon and Washington and our friend lives in Northern California.  Both have visited their share of wineries and sampled plenty of vintages.  I reminded them both that Virginia has been cultivating grapes for more than 400 years and at least two of our nation's founding fathers (Jefferson and Washington) were vintner-wannabes.  With nearly 200 wineries throughout the Commonwealth, Virginia ranks 5th among the 50 states in wine production.  (can you guess the other 4?)

Rather than determine our stops by type of grape, I chose our wineries based on "pet friendly."  The Virginia Wine website was great.  It broke wineries down by regions and amenities.

 

Our first stop was Aspen Dale in Delaplane. 

This winery has a very charming tasting room (which is a 200 year old barn) and a lovely outdoor area complete with horses and mini-ponies.  The 5 of us were greeted warmly and we began our tasting and pairing.  A very nice touch at Aspen Dale is the pairing.  Just a "taste" to experience how food enhances the wine.  Our tastes included a few bites of cheese, two dried fruits, two pieces of sausage and a chocolate chip -- YUM!  Boomer and Kacey were each given a dog biscuit.  Our final wine was a splash of Sangria.  We promptly purchased 3 glasses of Sangria to drink in the garden as the dogs watched the ponies. 

From Delaplane, we took a two lane road to Middleburg and Cana winery.  Like a modern farm house, the Cana tasting room has multiple levels and outdoor tasting patios -- perfect for dogs.  It's a very new winery and isn't producing grapes.  The wines we sampled were just opened and created from grapes purchased from Virginia and California (there is a consulting winemaker from California).

While at Cana a couple from Northern Virginia suggested we try Boxwood Winery.  They suggested it was "Napa-esque" Boxwood is NOT dog friendly (hence, not on my list), but it is in Middleburg, so we made a stop.  With the a/c on in our Jeep, my husband checked email, the dogs relaxed and our friend and I "tasted." 

Boxwood is very modern with touches of stone and a small tasting area.  It has a much larger outdoor drinking and snacking area (which I thought looked perfect for dogs).  The wine was good and we bought two bottles of their Trellis red blend.

Needing food, we headed to Upperville and the Hunter's Head Tavern -- a pub for pups.  A friend recommended it as having good food and dog-friendly.  It didn't disappoint in either case.  It is warm and welcoming.  Boomer and Kacey received their water before we did!  Dogless diners came over to say hi and those with dogs were just as excited to see ours.  Dogs are welcome on a large patio where seating is first come.  We arrived just after 5:00 p.m. and were quickly seated -- but the place was full.

 Indoors The Hunter's Head has a real pub feel.  The food is locally sourced and organic.  They have a nice selection of beer and wine.  On our trip Boomer and Kacey each enjoyed the Furry Foodie dog meal and locally sourced tap water.  Our human fare consisted of a wedge salad (yum), a burger, fish and chips and chicken fried steak.  A couple of beers and a glass of Malbec completed our meal. 

There are lots of wineries that welcome dogs.  For instance, Barrel Oak Winery hosts rescue groups and has a Bow Wow Red, the proceeds of which go to animal welfare organizations.  At Barrel Oak, dogs are welcome in the tasting rooms -- that's not the case with all wineries.  In addition to looking at the Virginia wine website, I emailed the "pet friendly" wineries to determine exactly where dogs can go.  A day of wine tasting in Virginia was a great way to spend time with human and canine friends, I think all 5 of us would highly recommend it!

 

Boomer was exhausted after this big day, and slept the 50 minutes home.

The Patio at the Hunter's Head Tavern

 

Kacey enjoying her Furry Foodie meal at the Hunter's Head Tavern

 

 

 

 



PawsGo logs 10,000 steps in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

A beautiful and crisp fall day -- Boomer and I headed to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.  I had a few goals in mind -- 1)  run a couple pre- Thanksgiving errands; 2) make sure Boomer got some exercise; and 3) get in my 10,000 steps for the day.

10,000 steps is roughly 5 miles, and it's noted by many healthcare professionals as an optimum number of daily steps for good health. (http://www.the-fitness-walking-guide.com/10000-steps-a-day.html)   Outfitted with my pedometer, credit cards and blackberry (for photos and email), Boomer and I set out on our urban adventure.

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia is known for its history, smart shops, and delicious restaurants.  Founded in 1749, the bustling Port City, was home to George Washington and Robert E Lee.   The town's cobblestone streets aren't just steeped in history, they are lined with water bowls and dog treats!                      Old Town is extremely dog friendly.
We began our trek at the top of King Street (one of the area's main thoroughfares) near the King Street metro.  Our first stop?  The very canine (and budget) friendly Crate and Barrel Outlet at 1700 Prince Street.  Here we wandered the aisles looking for bargains -- found several and racked up 400 steps!

As we headed toward the Potomac River, we passed numerous dog friendly outposts, one that caught Boomer's eye (and nose) was Lotus Blooms located at 1017 King Street.  Their welcoming bin of biscuits was met with gratitude -- after all, we had walked 2,000 steps!

 

Literally steps away, Current Boutique (1009 King Street) welcomed us with a big DOG FRIENDLY poster on the door.  Inside, not only did Boomer get a treat, I checked out their new and gently worn fashions with labels ranging from Tory Burch and Trina Turk (two favs) to BCBG and Coach (also favs). 

 

Too bad we had already eaten, because just across from us at 1106 King Street is one of the most lovely restaurant patios in Old Town at Nottinghill (http://nottinghillrestaurant.com) and a sign beckoning pet owners, looking for brunch!  According to one of the waiters, dogs are allowed on the patio, a rarity in Alexandria.

 Dogs and owners pass us as we continue down King Street.  Our leisurely pace has us around 3,000 steps.  Time for another stop.  This time at The Dog Park, located at 705 King Street, it's a small shop packed full of cool dog toys, accessories, healthy food and creative treats (http://thedogparkva.biz/).  Heaps of praise, a belly rub, a couple treats and Christmas present for my sister's dog, and we're on our way.  We cross Washington Street and pop into Banana Republic.  A quick look at their new shipment and more praise for Boomer and head to the recently opened H & M -- where we were TURNED AWAY!  Truthfully, I think Boomer was relieved -- the music was too loud and the layout too tight for a dog.  Luckily, the VERY DOG FRIENDLY Anthropologie  at 610 King Street is practically next door.  Boomer heads to the register where he is immediately given a treat.  We wander the store, rack up lots of steps, look at everything -- LOVE the new fall jackets.  Some times Anthropolgie can look a little like Stevie Nick's closet, but this season looks very promising!   We meet several dogs and their owners.  Chief's owner suggests we go to the Paper Source, for more dog-friendly service.

  

Boomer met Chief at the Anthropologie in Old Town 

Known for its Doggie Happy Hours, like all Kimpton Hotels, the Hotel Monaco is pet-friendly



Across from the Hotel Monaco, we wandered through Old Town's Market Square, where farmers and vendors have been selling their wares since 1753.  George Washington had produce from Mount Vernon sold here.  Market Square is also said to be haunted, because in addition to selling fruits and veggies -- people were sent to the gallows and hanged there.  Alexandria has long been a fan of mixed use projects!

 

As we head closer to the Potomac, we're practically at 5,000 steps -- halfway to the goal!  Along the way we meet Sam, relaxing with his owner, outside of Restaurant 219 (http://219restaurant.com) A big fan of walking, Sam's owner told me she lost 10 pounds when she first started taking walks with him!

 

 Thanks to a tip from Chief's owner, Boomer and I make several purchases at the Paper Source (118 King Street).  Chief's owner was right.  The employees at the Paper Source were the FRIENDLIEST people in a very dog-loving town.  As I got in my extra steps, bought numerous cards and mentally planned for Christmas, Boomer virtually ignored me due to the line of employees and customers eager to pet him!  Thanks Paper Source for making us feel so welcome! 

We walk along the water front behind the Torpedo Factory and head to Founder's Park.  It's dog friendly, kid friendly, just plain friendly!  We wander around the park and surpass 5,000 steps more than half way, easy peasy, 10,000 steps is within reach!  We walk up Cameron Street and pass the Carlyle House, home to one of the town's founders.  Further up Cameron is Gadsby's Tavern (haunted) and George and Martha Washington's city home.  The current home is a painstaking replica of the Washington's original house.  You can identify it by the bust of George in the front window. He wears a seasonal outfit. Today George was a pirate for Halloween -- on previous trips I've seen him in his Washington Nationals hat and shirt.  We cross Washington Street and walk through the Christ Church graveyard (on the walk way and NO STOPS by Boomer)  Christ Church was built in the 1760s and was the home church to both George Washington and Robert E Lee (are you picking up on a pattern? it's also haunted)

 

With 10,000 steps firmly in sight, Boomer and I snake our way back to the Crate and Barrel Outlet ending our adventure with a very respectable 9865 steps.  I am not sure what that is in dog steps, but we both had an enjoyable walk.  I felt like I got some exercise, we met some wonderful people, did a bit of shopping and enjoyed a beautiful day -- all in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia!

 

Old Town Alexandria is VERY dog friendly!