A running series of the best and the worst dog-friendly places I have been!
I've decided to do a series logging the best and worst and all the in betweens of locations Rusty and I have been! Of course, these are all my personal opinions, so take it as you will. Each location will receive a rating A-F based off of my experience with parks, housing, dining, RULES, and anything else I can think of. So without further ado...
Boston, Massachusetts
As many of you know, I made the move from the Midwest to New England recently. Throughout my journey, I spent 2 weeks living in the suburbs of Boston. My experience? Not fantastic. Now I remind you, this in regards to dog-friendliness...nothing more. First things first, the lack of grass. Now it could have been my specifics suburb or neighborhood, but holy cow -- where do the dogs potty at?! No one has a yard, and if they do, its small and fenced off for those passing by. I was able to walk 1/4 mile and find a park, but even then....signs posted everywhere saying "NO DOGS". Did that stop me? No. I was over it at this point and had seen a few other dogs do the same. So I utilized the park grass...shhh don't tell. But of course I always pick up after Rusty in public places, as should everyone.
Now, I did venture into downtown Boston with Rusty. More toward Cambridge, but Rusty and I were able to take a pleasant stroll along Charles River and venture around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's campus. No signs posted. The coast was clear. SO, in my opinion, further into the city seemed to have better park options than the suburbs. Kinda backwards to me. And for that I give the metro area a C.
Bend, Oregon
Only my favorite place to ever exist. Can you see where this is going? Trails, sidewalks, outside patios? All dog-friendly. So much so, a quick stroll through town and you notice that EVERYONE is walking a dog. When I was there, we passed multiple doggy water fountains and stores with doggy water bowls sitting outside for use as you walked by. A doggy parents dream!! Unfortunately, I went without Rusty. I can't wait for the day I get to take Rusty back! They even have the cutest pet boutiques with cool new products! A+ hands down for this one.
Kittery, Maine
I recently discovered this one in my search for an East Coast dog-friendly beach. New Hampshire beaches have a lot of rules and regulations in regards to when dogs can be present or if they can at all, so I did some searching. Right across the state line in to Maine, was the perfect beach - Fort Foster Beach. I found this one on Bring Fido. At only $10 to enter per car, you and your pup have access to the whole place, besides one tiny stretch of the beach reserved for children and wading in the water. This place seriously had some amazing views!! Rusty loved getting to explore all the trails and new smells of the coast. There were plenty of rocky and sandy beach areas, picnic tables, and access points for kayaking! Fort Foster is so large that even on a crowded day, you can manage to get away from the crowds. Since I was not able to see much else of the town besides this beach, I give Kittery a B+. Definitely worth the trip if you are ever in New England!
Curious about other places? Let me know! Until then, you will have to wait for the next series of the best and worst dog-friendly places!
Shawna + Rusty
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