Doggone fun. It’s true, Walt Disney World has gone to the dogs, but in a good way! Also, cats. LOL. The good people at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida want your travels with Charlie to be as worry-free as possible. Enter, the pet resort (for the record, Disneyland does something different) where your furry friend can get pampered and attended to like royalty — something Disney knows a lot about. The new 50.000 square foot Best Friends Pet Resort opens August 27, 2010, and they are already taking reservations for their air-conditioned rooms, “VIP” suites and private outdoor yards. See? Pampered. What, not enough? How about playgroups and ice cream socials. Yes, for the dogs. And of course bedtime stories are available. Oh, that Pokey Little Puppy! The grounds for the new pet resort will feature a theme park of sorts, assuming trails, wetlands and play areas constitute a theme. I think that they do. No word on parades or churros. Cats will be ...[more »]

UpTake on soaring pelicans White oval stickers with black capital letters HMB are proudly affixed to many car bumpers in my “neck of the coastline.” I have one stuck to my laptop and many people ask what it stands for. I often reply with “Heaven Made Better” because that is how Half Moon Bay makes me and my diggity-dogs feel. This ‘UpTake’ was snapped by yours truly while taking a stroll on Maverick’s Beach with my furry four-legged companions, Lupe and Paolo. It was a beautiful and warm day with just little layer of clouds in the sky. The tide was out, people were picnicking and dogs were happily running in the sand, tails wagging and slobber flying! While my dogs were sniffing in racks of washed up kelp, I was basking in the moment. I looked up to the sky with my camera and these pelicans were soaring overhead in the sunlight. *sigh* Life is good. Wag more, bark less (another familiar bumper sticker). Lupe and Paolo lovin' Maverick's...[more »]

Did somebody say car ride? If I learned anything from John Steinbeck it’s that there may be no better travel companion than a dog — and I don’t mean putting your dog in your purse and going to the supermarket. That’s not travel, that’s a cry for help. I’m talking a good ol’ road trip with a pooch that sits in the backseat with their tongue flapping out the window and their eyes on the prize (the prize in this scenario being adventure). A good dog is a trusted friend, a faithful guardian and the perfect road trip pillow. Dogs are family. Which makes it hard to leave them behind on family vacations… but what if you didn’t have to? A growing number of hotels are allowing dogs to stay overnight. Most of them require a set of fees or deposits, which is understandable, but some hotels offer full on pampering. I recently stayed at the W Hotel in San Diego, which only charges $25 above the daily room charge per pet, which is one of the...[more »]