Last year when we drove to North Dakota, our first night was in Panama City Beach.
On our drive there from Homosassa we took the long and scenic route so we could drive along the Gulf. We stopped at Carillon Beach which is dog friendly–just keep the pooch on a leash.
Maggie taking Riley for a walk on Carabelle Beach.
We arrived in Panama City Beach in the early afternoon just as planned. I had read that there was a dog beach on Panama City Beach and I wanted to introduce Riley, our land-locked grandson, to the beautiful clear water and white sands. But this was a bad day with rain and high winds. Riley didn’t get a chance to swim but did get to have fun in the huge waves and collect a few shells. Maggie sat safely far away from the water.
We stayed at a La Quinta that wasn’t too far from the beach. I checked www.dogfriendly.com for area restaurants and none were listed. So we figured we’d be going to a drive-through and eating in our room. But our room key card had an ad for Salty Sue’s seafood restaurant and it was dog-friendly. So we headed to Salty Sue’s which was practically across the street and had dinner on the patio. We had a great time and a great meal. Maggie was especially thankful she wasn’t left in the room.
I’ve read that there is a nice dog park in Panama City Beach but the rain prevented us from checking it out. But we all had fun and will stop there on our next big drive north–and hope for better weather.
This is Maggie in her V Day sweater last year. It seems to have stretched out this year and is way too big. Could be from Jes and I trying it on as a headband. Sorry Mag, but it looks nice on Dedo!
Here’s a list of dog traveling websites I check before I schedule a trip. Lots of valuable info.
Many of our travels are by air but I really prefer road trips. I’m not afraid to fly and actually enjoy the whole airport experience. (you may find that weird but after getting through the unpleasant TSA rigmarole, I like people watching and there are a lot of strange people at airports!) Driving makes me feel like I have more of a connection to the places we visit plus I get to see more of the countryside.
Last summer we drove to Mandan, ND to take our grandson Riley home after he visited us over summer vacation. Crazy kid wanted to go back to school! Maggie was with us, of course, and we tried to find dog-friendly places to visit. On the way back to Florida we stopped in Madison, Wisconsin. It was one of the nicest day trips we’ve been on.
I had never been to Madison, nor probably Wisconsin, but I had a co-worker way back in the 80s that had lived in Madison and seemed to be very bitter to leave the wonderful city to join her new husband in St. Petersburg. (I always wondered how that marriage worked out!) I don’t remember her name or much else about her but after working with her for nine months, she convinced me that Madison was the center of the universe. Since then I had wanted to check it out.
As usual, I consulted www.dogfriendly.com for places that allow dogs. The site listed several restaurants so we planned to eat at the “Capital Brewery” but we couldn’t find it. We fell back on our old methods–asking at every restaurant if they could recommend a place that allowed dogs. One kind host sent us to “Capital Tap Haus”. This place was great, seated us in the outside dining area, gave Maggie a big bowl of water and a biscuit, the food was yummy and the foot traffic was entertaining. Maggie was very happy!
After lunch we strolled around the capitol. I went inside to check out the beautiful rotunda while Terry and Maggie waited on the lawn.
The capitol and it’s grounds were very picturesque and quite pleasant for us Florida travelers to enjoy on an August afternoon.
Maggie probably remembers this trip as the first time she saw and chased a chipmunk! We don’t have rodents like that in Florida!
We relaxed at a park that was within walking distance that had a beautiful lake with picturesque sail boats.
Maggie’s is a little concerned about sharks. She is a dog from the Gulf!
After our afternoon in Madison, we checked into the local La Quinta. We usually stay at La Quinta’s because they accept dogs and do not charge an extra fee. There is really no consistency in the La Quinta chain–some of them are nice and have all the amenities of a more expensive motel, others smell like dampness and the towels have holes. The one in Madison was probably the best La Quinta we have ever stayed in.
Madison was a lovely city. While perhaps not the center of the universe (I believe that it gets very cold there), it’s definitely worth a visit.
