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Since we have a dog, we are always looking for a dog friendly hotel. The most famous of all dog friendly hotels is Doris Day's Cypress Inn in Carmel, CA. It is located just a block off of well known Ocean Avenue. At the check in desk, a large bowl of dog treats sits on the counter. A few more steps leads us to the bar, where dogs are welcome.

We have been here on several occasions. The walls are covered with Hollywood black and white photos and movie posters. Doris and Rock Hudson are quite prominently displayed. While the rooms are sunny, and cheerful, the hotel is looking a little tired these days.

But the bar scene is lively, with and without the dogs. Most sit at their master's feet, and behave. Buddy would be all over the place. Food can be ordered, and we are not the first to sneak a little hamburger down to our little guy. People come and go, since many people from the area drop by just for drinks and a quick meal. Every once in a while, someone will show up with a c-a-t. Buddy cannot be trusted around cats.

Most Holiday Inn and Best Western hotels and motels allow dogs, usually for an additional fee. But the best web site is petswelcome.com. Canadian listings are available, as well as U.S. listings by State, then city. Some direct links are provided as well, along with the doggie rules and rates.

A dog friendly town like Carmel is usually not a problem for dogs, either in hotels, or businesses. The only place dogs are not allowed is in restaurants. But cafes and restaurants with patios most often allow dogs, as long as it is leashed and well behaved. For instance, we found Palm Desert, to be extremely dog friendly. Google has a pethotels.com link.

For instance, there are 55 pet friendly lodgings in the city of San Francisco. Chicago has 36, and Seattle has 43. This should give you a good idea of how pet friendly the city, and provide enough variety for location, and class of service. We were at the Lodge at Pebble Beach this week, and dogs are allowed. But Buddy cannot come along since he barks at golf carts. I am sure they would ask us to leave if they saw him bark and spin around in excitement when encountering a golf cart.

The other important factor in choosing a pet hotel is the neighborhood. While many hotels allow dogs, and are fairly nice, the neighborhood may not lend itself to walking the dog. Palm Desert, for example, had too many 4 way intersections with long signals. But I found a solution. I took Buddy to the hotel's tennis court, and closed the gates.

Always remember to have plenty of water. We always park in the shade, and normally within direct sight of the car. Dogs cannot be left alone in your room. We put Buddy in the car (where we have his travel cage), when we shop or eat without him. As we begin to travel more often with him, we are finding out a few other things as well. One is that he does need a stop for exercise and a potty break about every 2 hours. Two, we also need a stop for exercise or the toilette.

National Parks require dogs to stay on the paved roads and trails only. We have never tried to hire a pet sitter while out of town on our travels. I guess this would be an option if we went to an activity that took longer than 3-4 hours. We also stay away from golf courses, due to the golf carts.

But we all love the beach and the ocean. Buddy loves to run at Carmel Beach, and down at Pismo Beach on the Central Coast. Half Moon Bay does not allow dogs on the beach. Most beaches allow dogs to run without a leash. Trails vary by location, especially in environmentally sensitive areas.

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