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Weekend Getaway
Update to Rummaging Around for a Superhero:
As a reward (or maybe bribe) to a few brawny friends who’ve agreed to haul a propane tank out of my car, through the garage, up the elevator, down the hallway and onto the patio, to connect it to the gas grill, I’m cooking dinner. It’s a wonderful recipe for Chicken in the Pot by Dorie Greenspan. Following dinner, the three of us humans, accompanied by our three dogs, are all driving to Santa Barbara for a summer solstice parade. (Surfboard not included.)
Photo by Yassine Ouhilal
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Hmmm…I seem to be having difficulty posting on your blog. Sorry if this posts twice somehow. Just wanted to say that this looks gorgeous, and I would love to go there. Where is it?
The West Coast is so much friendlier to dogs than the stodgy fools over here on the right side. I really need to get away for a few days, but finding pet-friendly accommodations is either a big hassle or big expense (some places want pet rent that rivals the nightly fee!). Are East Coast dog owners that much more irresponsible such that they actually incur pet expenses that significant, or is this just stuck-up snobbery?
I stayed with friends who also have a dog and lots of outdoor space, so it was very easy.
Seconding JoDa about the stodgy, ready-to-sue, uptight east coast attitude towards dogs. And yet we are supposed to tolerate noisy, rude, and destructive children?
At the few bars/restaurants around here that allow dogs on their patios, I’m constantly hearing people complain about the dogs…even though those places will promptly kick out any dog owners who bring misbehaved dogs. On the flip side of the coin, one of these places has some posted rules about children (that they are not to be unsupervised/unaccompanied at any point and strollers must be parked outside…they provide bike locks and a post to lock the strollers to; the rules are the same for dogs), and I read at least one weekly screed about how unwelcoming they are to children (despite having an extensive kid’s menu and even a game area where (supervised) children are welcome). I guess I understand that not everyone likes dogs, and I’d be annoyed if someone’s dog was pitching a fit, jumping, begging, or running around unsupervised/uncontrolled while I’m just trying to enjoy my meal, but, frankly, I’ve had the same or worse experiences with people’s children, and I’m supposed to just accept that.
When I vacationed on the West Coast last year, I stayed in 3 different accommodations (one vacation home and two hotels), and each allowed dogs for a modest fee or deposit ($10/night/dog for the vacation home, a fraction of the overall fee, and simply $100 REFUNDABLE DAMAGE DEPOSITS at the hotels). Most dining establishments with outdoor seating had at least one dog on the patio. Many businesses set out water bowls for dogs walking by. I just can’t bring myself to put my dog though a cross-country flight, though. I’m uncomfortable enough if I get stuck in economy for a cross-country flight, I can’t imagine being trapped in a small carrier for that same amount of time. I was looking for a weekend cabin in VA recently, and checking the “pet friendly” box dropped my results from hundreds of options to about 10, and I couldn’t AFFORD to bring my dog along for half of those with the pet fees they wanted (examples: $75/night/pet; $500 non-refundable pet deposit).