Guest maya's mom Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 So for the first time in 4 years (since our honeymoon), we are hoping to be able to afford a vacation this year. I've spent a little time looking in to some things in Duck (Outer Banks) North Carolina, because I have read that it is an extremely dog friendly town where the dogs can even be off leash on the beaches. I have found a few homes, but even pricing after Labor Day, it is still a little expensive. Couple that with a very, very long drive (We are in Pittsburgh, PA), gas money, food money, etc....and I am having a hard time swinging it. Maya has never been on a car trip that long, not to mention that she's never even spent a night in any other house but ours, or been in another town for more than a day of activites. I would die if we spent a ton of money, drove all day and night, and then she was miserable. So, do any of you know of any great vacation spots that are somewhat near PA (I'm willing to drive say 6 or 8 hours). We really want to be on some form of water, lake, ocean, etc....but the area needs to be extremely dog friendly so we can take her on walks, in the water, around town, etc. I would greatly appreciate any ideas. Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Dewey Beach, Delaware, off season. Check out the Atlantic Oceanside motel. Rates are fantastic, their dog policies are wonderful and it's a short one block walk to the beach. And off season dogs can be off leash on the beach anytime. Dogs are allowed on the beach on season in Dewey, but only in the early morning and evening. I've never been on-season, so I'm not sure how it is then. But I've been twice off-season and it's very fun. Just avoid Greyhound Week. That's in October sometime. You can google to find the dates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 How about a Canine Country Getaway at Glen Highland? "The Canine Country Getaway location is an extended part of Glen Highland Farm acreage set aside for people who like to vacation with their dogs. The land was once home to the Iroquois Indians who lived near the beautiful Butternut Creek, a huge curvy stream filled with trout, abundant wildlife, endangered butterflies and birds. The Creek winds through 175 acres of rolling meadows and winding trails and our 2-acre spring-fed pond..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 How about a Canine Country Getaway at Glen Highland? "The Canine Country Getaway location is an extended part of Glen Highland Farm acreage set aside for people who like to vacation with their dogs. The land was once home to the Iroquois Indians who lived near the beautiful Butternut Creek, a huge curvy stream filled with trout, abundant wildlife, endangered butterflies and birds. The Creek winds through 175 acres of rolling meadows and winding trails and our 2-acre spring-fed pond..." I second that recommendation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Moon Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Wow, I like this thread. I just wish there were some sort of clearing house for this type of info that covered the entire US (or more). While we can leave the cat and desert tortoise for extended weekends secure in knowing that they can take care of themselves for a couple of nights, the pup is a completely different matter. I really dislike the kennel options in my area and....well...there is the seperation anxiety (mine). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 It's GREAT, but WAAAAY expensive. How about a Canine Country Getaway at Glen Highland? "The Canine Country Getaway location is an extended part of Glen Highland Farm acreage set aside for people who like to vacation with their dogs. The land was once home to the Iroquois Indians who lived near the beautiful Butternut Creek, a huge curvy stream filled with trout, abundant wildlife, endangered butterflies and birds. The Creek winds through 175 acres of rolling meadows and winding trails and our 2-acre spring-fed pond..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 It's GREAT, but WAAAAY expensive. It's expensive, but worth every cent. I went three times as a camper and I would save for the entire year to go. We aren't rolling in the dough, but it was possible to save up if I put money by every month. It was more than worth it. Aside from the fact that it's just plain relaxing and fun, there were benefits that I got from nowhere else. I love the trails and access to water for the dogs to swim in the most. I also appreciated the chance to have my dogs interact with so many other dogs off leash. Most of the talks were fantastic and very eye-opening. And the chance to play dog sports every single day was absolute bliss for me! And you meet a lot of great dog people. On top of that, I got a week of not having to cook, not having to answer the phone umpteen times a day, etc. We go on a lot of beach trips and I love them, but nothing was ever as relaxing for me as camp at Glen Highland Farm. It is truly a unique experience. And I'm not just plugging it because I'm biased!! It really is excellent!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Thanks for the replies so far. I will definiltey look into these options. I've also looked online at a couple of houses on the lake at Deep Creek Maryland, but it is hard to tell if the homes have private access to an area of the lake, where we could let Maya run and swim. And I was also surprised at the cost. Not too much difference from Outer Banks, though the drive would be much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Check out this site: Dog Vacation Ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedismom Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I really like dogfriendly.com. It was helpful when we planned a trip to St. George Island, FL with 3 dogs last summer. If I lived in the Northeast I'd probably love a trip to Cape Cod, MA. Sooo...here's a listing of everything dog friendly there. http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/u...ACape_Cod.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 It's GREAT, but WAAAAY expensive. I was thinking that but wondered if prices like that were the norm in the US. However, I suppose if you went on a normal vacation you'd be spending more money every day but there you would have no need to. It looks like dog and dog owners' heaven. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Anything in the northeast related to herding/stock dogs, in the way of camps this year? I would LOVE to get away. It's been years since a real vacation.... I suppose if not, I could go on a cruise, and eat, get fat, and relax, but... miss my dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I used to live near Duck, NC and worked for the county as a paramedic. great place! I would definately recommend going if you have the time and money. Also look into Kitty Hawk. It's not as far out of the way and it's a bit cheaper. The dogs can have free run of the sand dunes and the beach The other side og NC is awesome to visit and A LOT cheaper. I lived in Franklin NC for 4 months while in school there. The area that has the AT run through it has TONS of cheap places to rent and almost all the hiking trails are dog friendly. The culture is interesting and there's a lot of things to see and do with or without the dogs. You can even go ruby hunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowmarie Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I took a vacation to Duck with my dog. It was OK, but the place is really developed and there just aren't that many hiking trails other than the beach. We rented a house for the week, and it was quite expensive even off-season. Also, because of scheduling, we had to spend one night in a hotel and it was very hard to find one that accepted dogs (This was several years ago and things may have changed). The best vacation I've had with my dog was to rent a cabin in the Adirondacks for a week. Lots of privacy, off-leash hiking, etc. We went in the fall and it wasn't at all crowded or expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Again, thanks to everyone for the replies. I've really been looking in to Glen Highland Farm, and am SO excited about what I've been seeing. Yes, the Camp part of their offerings is a little to expensive for us this year, but I definitley think we could swing a 3 night stay in one of their cabins. And actually, that might be better for us, since everything would be at our own pace. Mainly what I am so exicted over, is the fact that a border collie rescue is there, and that so many visitors seem to be border collies. Maya has only interacted with one other BC, because I can't find anyone around here that has one. And to know that we can go anywhere off leash....hike....swim....practice on agility equipment......it just sounds awesome! Again, thanks to all, and if we do make it there, I'll be sure to post about our experiences. If anyone else reading this has been there, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVZ Posted January 22, 2010 Report Share Posted January 22, 2010 Wrong side of the country for the original poster but my wife, our border collie and me took a road trip to Oregon and stopped off at the Crystalwood Lodge. This place is doggie heaven. This place is on a huge plot of land right on klamath lake with a bunch of trails meandering through the property. They have canoes you can rent with your dog. Reasonably priced and well worth the trip for us. We can't wait to go back. http://www.crystalwoodlodge.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 I posted this in another thread, but it really belongs here. This is a great site for figuring out what parks and park-like areas are dog-friendly: Hike With Your Dog. Not only that, he has lots of suggestions for where to go NEAR parks that are not so dog friendly themselves, a state-by-state summary of whether dogs are allowed in state park campgrounds (I was shocked to learn there are some states where they are not!), and lots of suggestions for cool dog vacations (if you like hiking). My only gripe is that he does not distinguish between on-leash and off-leash when it comes to dog-friendly areas, and as any dog will tell you, there is a HUGE difference in the fun factor between those two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 You might look into some places in southern Ohio on the Ohio river. I can't believe I'm saying this, because I spend a lot of time grumbling about Ohio (I was born & raised there), but the southern part of the state is beautiful! Ohio has one of the (if not the) largest variety of tree species in the country. In the fall, it's still warm enough to be outside, but not so hot as to be uncomfortable. I can't give you any specific places- it's been years since I moved away- but my family used to go to state parks all over Ohio when I was a kid, generally with dogs in tow, and we loved it. There's also lots of old railroad stuff, if anyone is into that. When I was a kid, I was only slightly obsessed with trains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblock Posted January 27, 2010 Report Share Posted January 27, 2010 Sorry to come in late on this thread but wanted to share a place I just found out about. It's called Savage River Lodge, and it's located near Frostburg, MD (that's only about 2 hours from Pittsburgh, where the OP lives). My friend went there for a long weekend and raved about it. Visitors are encouraged to bring their dogs Miles and miles of trails and other things to do. I'm hoping to take Zorro there one of these days--preferably not during a full moon. http://www.savageriverlodge.com/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 Sorry to come in late on this thread but wanted to share a place I just found out about. It's called Savage River Lodge, and it's located near Frostburg, MD (that's only about 2 hours from Pittsburgh, where the OP lives). My friend went there for a long weekend and raved about it. Visitors are encouraged to bring their dogs Miles and miles of trails and other things to do. I'm hoping to take Zorro there one of these days--preferably not during a full moon. http://www.savageriverlodge.com/index.php Interesting! Do you know if there are any nearby places where the dogs can do off leash swimming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblock Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 The nearby Savage River Reservoir looks like it might be a place for off-leash swimming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 I agree that the Resort looks beautiful, but was also hoping for some more off leash areas. Not for interacting with other dogs, but just areas where we could hike with Maya off leash if we were comfortable, but not risk getting in trouble for it! By the way, we did book at Glenn Highland Farm for a 3-night stay, and am REALLY looking forward to it! Thanks so much for the suggestion. I never would have found it otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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