Want to take your pet with you this summer on vacation? Why not! Kelly always joins us at a little cabin next to a lake. She loves to frighten away ducks with a mighty “woof” and chase chipmunks (though she never catches them!). Here are some more favorite vacation destinations from our very own editor-in-chief and Guideposts staff!
1. The Mountains
Edward Grinnan, Editor-in-Chief, and golden retriever Millie
Mostly we go up to our weekend house in the Berkshires with Millie so she can have a yard to play in and mountains to hike. One perfect star-splattered summer night last year when Julee was touring and Millie and I were at the house by ourselves, I took her into town for ice cream. I have a big black SUV and I was cruising down main street with this huge white beautiful dog sitting in a stately pose in the back seat, head held high. People were pointing and laughing and clapping and taking pictures. Suddenly I remembered that I was wearing a black ball cap and black shirt….looking to all the world like a chauffeur driving his charge. Yes, Driving Miss Millie.
2. Beach House
Amy Wong, Executive Editor, and Winky (Carolina dog-mix)
The best summer vacation I’ve taken with Winky was my family’s mini-reunion in York Harbor, Maine, last August. We found a dog-friendly rental house with a big yard that turned out to be just up the street from a beach with off-leash hours every morning and evening. Winky loved playing with my nephew and nieces—and with all the dogs she met on the beach. She’s not much of a water dog but she liked the ocean enough that she actually waded into the surf. We also went on a few hikes. There are trails close by that are good for kids and dogs.
3. Camping
Sharon Azar, Assistant to the Editorial Staff, and Ginger (retriever/border collie mix)
We camped on the beach at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland/Delaware where horses roam free. Just as the sun was rising one morning, Ginger nudged my face gently. I thought I was dreaming as I watched a family of horses—father, mother and two ponies, gently galloping along the edge of the water, their dark bodies against a fiery orange sun.
4. The Jersey Shore
Nicole Lorimer, Editor, and American Pit Bull Terrier Sonny
Sonny has motion sickness but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying summer staycations together. His paws-down favorite spot? Berkeley Island Park, a scenic park on the bay just a few miles from home which, fortunately for my water-loving boy, is the Jersey Shore. He spends hours there splashing in the waves, fetching his favorite Frisbee (it’s chewed to bits) and pal-ing around with Meg, a spunky Bull Terrier, and Simon, a mellow beagle. There’s no better way to spend a summer day. And when I take one look at Sonny’s mile-wide grin and wet, sandy nose, I think he’d agree.
5. Home Sweet Home
Keren Baltzer, Copy Editor, and cats Mon Amie (Abbyssinian) and Son Ami (Bengal)
Though I’d love to take a vacation with my two cats, they are so high strung that I always leave them at home with a cat-loving house sitter. Somehow, they still manage to get into trouble while we’re away. Our last trip away, Son Ami knocked over a huge rubber plant, shattering the pot. You can imagine the mess we came home to with dirt and pottery shards all over the floor. (We forgave him!) It’s always an adventure leaving them at home!
