by Audrey Frederick

Created on: April 30, 2008   Last Updated: June 21, 2010

Are There Vacation Friendly Places for My Dog and Me?

If you are thinking of popping your dog in the car and heading out on a vacation journey, stop for a moment, and back up.

Taking a vacation with your dog is do-able; however, it takes a little planning. Over 43 percent of Americans take their dogs on vacation with them, so I decided to tell you about some places you might go and take your dog.

There are many places you can go with your dog and really have a great time, but first you need to start planning before your leave.

Take a moment to decide what you would like to do on your vacation, if its sight seeing, shopping, or visiting historic areas, leave your dog home.

But, if your idea of a vacation is hiking, walking through mountain trails or hitting the beach, your dog can be a welcome companion, providing you do a little homework first.

In this article I will try to give you some information on places to go and some directions you can follow so you can do some research on your own.

If hiking and wandering in the midst of mountain beauty turns you on, there are some National Parks that welcome dogs with a few restrictions.

Vicious, noisy or unruly dogs are not allowed. Dogs need a current rabies certificate. Most parks require that dogs be kept on a 6-foot leash when in developed or wilderness areas.

If you are camping, dogs cannot be tied up and left alone and at night they need to be in an enclosed area such as a motor vehicle or a tent.

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed to swim in developed swimming areas at most State and National Parks.

The five top dog friendly National Parks to visit with your pet are:

Grand Canyon, AZ
Acadia, ME
Shenandoah, VA
Yosemite, CA
North Cascades, WA

For information on State or National Parks in your area just go on the Internet put in your state and the words state parks and you will find all kinds of information.

For national parks go to www.nps.gov/

For people who are thinking of going westward bound, the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is a dog friendly place to visit. It is however approximately 200 miles from the nearest big city of Albuquerque. I don't recommend going in the middle of July, however, as it is too hot. For more information call the Arizona Office of Tourism at (866) 275 5816 (www.arizonaguide.com)

See Rock City! How many times have you seen that sign? The Rock City Gardens is very dog friendly that sits on top of the fabled Civil War Battlefield on Lookout Mountain. There are many things

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