West Palm Beach, Florida is a great place to vacation with or without pets. West Palm Beach is on Florida's East coast, about 73 miles North of Miami and 170 miles South of Orlando. It's a quick drive to upscale Palm Beach, just on the other side of the intracoastal across the Flagler Memorial Bridge.
Phoebe overlooking the beauty of dog friendly West Palm Beach from the Palm Beach Lake Trail, across the Flagler Bridge & intercoastal waterway.
Last month we took a road trip with our dogs from Long Island, New York down to West Palm Beach. After weeks of continuous frigid temperatures and more snow than I care to shovel, I had to get away from Old Man Winter! I'm so glad I had that break because upon our return to New York, we got hit with 4 Nor'easter storms in a row. Mother Nature has clearly lost her mind.
Dog Friendly West Palm Beach
I was delighted to see how dog friendly West Palm Beach is! I was so happy with our choice of hotel, the Hyatt Place hotel in downtown West Palm Beach. The location was perfect, especially for walking and socializing with the dogs. There were three areas, all walking distance to our hotel, that made this the ideal location for a pet friendly vacation.
The intercoastal walkway
Just one block East of the hotel is the beautiful paved walkway that runs along the intercoastal waterway. This long walkway is perfect any time of day or evening. The path is wide and the views of the water are beautiful. There are some grassy patches too if your dog needs a potty break.
The Beautiful dog friendly walkway along the intercoastal waterway in downtown West palm Beach
Take a stroll down the long pier that stretches out onto the water for an even better view of the surrounding area.
The long pier off the downtown West Palm Beach walkway offers lovely views day or evening
You can also walk your dog across the Flagler Memorial Bridge. The bridge itself is so lovely and views of the water and downtown West Palm Beach are beautiful, especially at night.
The Flagler Bridge beautifully lit up at night.
The Palm Beach Trail
Once you cross over the Flagler Bridge you'll be in glamorous Palm Beach. Just over the bridge on the left you will come across a parking lot and the start of the Palm Beach Trail. The trail runs for several miles along the intercoastal from the bridge, along most of Palm Beach island. Along the way you'll pass the famous Flagler Museum. There are some gorgeous homes along one side of the trail and on the other side you get a great view of downtown West Palm Beach across the water.
We loved walking the dogs along the Palm Beach Trail, enjoying the water views and peaking into the yards of the upscale homes along the trail.
We really enjoyed the sites along this pet friendly walking trail! Thankfully, there were a few areas with shade where we could stop for a water break with the dogs. As we passed some of the private piers we saw a few big lizards sunning themselves. Icy was completely enthralled with the lizards and wanted to get up close & personal with them. Of course, we didn't let her get too close!
Check out this wild looking tree we spotted at the edge of someone's yard along the Palm Beach Trail! How'd you like to have this tree growing in your yard??
Rosemary Square (aka City Place)
East of our hotel, along the water, is all natural beauty but West of the hotel is where the action is! About a 7 minute walk West of the hotel is Rosemary Square, formerly City Place, an upscale shopping and dining area. It's not just an outdoor mall, it's an entertainment area, where they have music and other events taking place.
The center of beautiful City Place, where there's daytime shopping and nighttime action!
There are plenty of shops and restaurants in City Place.
Rosemary Square is a large area, encompassing several blocks. We spent most of our time in the main "square" you see pictured above. There are some great restaurants and shops in Rosemary Square, or you can just grab a coffee and people watch!
One of our favorite breakfast places was the Village Gourmet Cheese Shop in the center of City Place.
We loved Rosemary Square and spent many days and most of our evenings there.
A word of caution: Clematis Street, near Rosemary Square, is kind of the "restaurant row" of downtown West Palm Beach. However, there are a lot of homeless people who hang out there, especially during the daytime. They have been known to come right up to outdoor diners asking for money and even grabbing food off their plates. The city is doing their best to rectify this issue. I was accosted by a homeless man as we walked down Clematis one morning looking for a coffee shop. He kept insisting that I take a small plastic bag of food from him and feed the contents to my dogs. I don't know why he felt compelled to do that but he followed me for a few minutes trying to get me to take the bag. Of course, wasn't my husband 50 feet ahead of me, oblivious to it. LOL!!
Short Drive To Dog Friendly Beaches
Another great thing about West Palm Beach is that it's only a 15 to 20 minute drive to the BEST dog friendly beaches, Juno Beach and Jupiter Beaches!
Want to get away for the holidays? We always love getting away right before Christmas, before all the holiday parties start and the house guests arrive. Even if it's just a simple long weekend, it helps us recharge and get ready for the crowds and chaos that typically starts by the 15th of December. It also gives us some fun alone time with our dogs! Here are a few of my favorite pet friendly getaways for the holidays.
Historic, Educational, and Fun Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
During the American Revolution, which lasted the from 1775 - 1783, ordinary citizens living in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia helped shaped our history. At the heart of Colonial Williamsburg is the area known as The Revolutionary City, a historic and educational re-creation of life in Colonial Williamsburg during that volatile time in our history.
Phoebe and I explored the Revolutionary City, a historic re-creation of life in Colonial Williamsburg during the American Revolution.
Colonial Williamsburg is one of my favorite holiday destinations in the Northeast. History comes alive in a fun way in the Revolutionary City! Christmas in this historic place is a beautiful sight. The decorations are gorgeous, most of which have a traditional and natural theme. One of the unique holiday decorations they are most known for are the beautiful, festive wreaths. These handcrafted wreaths often feature shells, dried native plants, and fruits such as pineapple, apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks and dried quinces. I'm getting hungry writing this! These ingredients may not sound spectacular when fashioned into a holiday wreath, but I can assure you these wreaths are a sight to behold! The artisans that create them are so talented and resourceful. Every wreath is totally unique. You can even buy one as you stroll through the city's re-creation of late 1700's life.
Colonial Williamsburg was named Best Town in America for Christmas Celebrations by Architectural Digest!
The Revolutionary City looks and feels so authentic. American “Colonists” not only dress in period costume, they wander the town in full character, re-enacting scenes of daily life during the period of America's Revolution. You may see someone standing on a wooden crate in the middle of the city, pontificating about the issues of the day. They will often engage with tourists in 1700’s conversation as well! One gentlemen approached us, eyeing our Siberian Husky, Icy, curiously. “That’s a fine looking animal you have there, sir!” and proceeded to make us an offer to purchase her for 100 quid! We had some really fun banter with him, explaining that our precious FurKid was NOT for sale, not even for a million quid! When I visit historic towns, one of my favorite things to do is take guided tours. Colonial Williamsburg has quite a few tours, one of them being aTavern Ghost Walk. The last time we were there, a small group of us met late in the evening for a guided Ghost Walk tour. We gathered in front of a historic tavern to begin the tour. Our guide fascinated us with bizarre ghost stories, where people have sworn they’ve seen and heard ghosts that still haunt the old buildings. It turns out the historic Revolutionary City, with many of it’s original buildings still in tact, has quite a haunted past!
Icy got chummy with this statue of a 1770's Colonial Williamsburg man!
It was wonderfully eerie as we walked thru the dark streets of the Revolutionary City by candlelight, while our guide recounted fascinating ghost stories. I highly recommend going on a Ghost Walk! If you're not up for ghost hunting by candlelight, there is lots more to do within the Revolutionary City. There are guided historic walks, decoration walks, and workshops you can attend. You can take an enchanting carriage ride through the City as well. There are several historic taverns to dine in and a cheese shop we loved! It's a great trip. It's historic, educational, and FUN! There are a couple of pet friendly hotels within the Revolutionary City. Dogs can stroll around the city with you and grab a bite to eat at the cheese shop - their outdoor patio is dog friendly. Dogs are not allowed inside most of the places especially since most are historic.
Christmas In New York City Is Spectacular!
What can I say about New York City during the holidays?! It is truly spectacular, pretty much everywhere you go in the city. The most popular sites are the amazing holiday window decorations at Macy's, Sak's, Lord & Taylor, and other famous retailers. And of course THE Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The massive tree with ice skaters and the festively decorated plaza surrounding it is a sight to behold. There's a reason why the sights of NYC at Christmas time appears so frequently in movies and TV shows! The most popular things to do in the city during the holidays are gazing at all the decorations of course, seeing the Rockettes, attending a Broadway show, and visiting Central Park (but NOT after dark, please! It's not safe) Take a photo with your dog at the famous Balto statue in Central Park.
Believe it or not, New York City is very dog friendly! You wouldn't think so with all the crowds, traffic and expensive stores, but NYC actually loves dogs. They can't accompany you to a Broadway show, but there are lots of pet friendly hotels and stores all around the city. And Central Park is like a giant amusement park for dogs! Don't be afraid to take your pet along with you on a holiday trip to New York City, just be careful of massive holiday crowds, like in Rockefeller Center. Bring along a stroller for smaller dogs or carry your dog in these areas. Be mindful of your dog's tolerance for crowds and decide whether to even bring the dog along or not!
Santa Loves The Southwest too, Especially Sedona, Arizona!
I say this a lot and it's true, Arizona is the most dog friendly place I've ever been to! We lived in Phoenix for nearly 10 years and during that time we visited Sedona often. They don't do it up too much for the holidays, their decorating is a lot more subtle than New York City or Phoenix. Sedona, in the Northern part of Arizona, is all about the natural beauty of their stunning red rock region, and they don't like anything to take away from that.
Icy on one of the many beautiful dog friendly hiking trails in Sedona, AZ
It's still a wonderful place to visit during the holidays. It doesn't get swamped with people and there isn't any "hype". The weather is great in December, you can hike endlessly on hundreds of miles of dog friendly hiking trails and stop for lunch at an outdoor dog friendly cafe! You can take a Jeep tour or rent a Jeep yourself and go exploring in the desert. Some of the Jeep companies will allow your dog to accompany you! You can get some holiday shopping done too, finding lots of unique gift items to bring home. I absolutely love the little candle shop in town, where they craft beautiful unique candles, many in elaborate shapes and styles.
There are a lot of terrific art galleries in Sedona as well. The Tlaquepaque (pronounced Ta-Lok-A-Pok) arts & crafts village has lots of unique specialty shops and a few art galleries. It's a dog friendly village with several outdoor places to eat that welcome dogs on the patio. Dog friendly Sedonais one of my favorite places to be!
From the slopes to the seaport, New Hampshire is a Winter Wonderland
We love New England, and New Hampshire is one of the prettiest places to visit pretty much any time of the year. There are so many quaint little towns all up and down the New England coastline, most are decorated beautifully for the holidays.
Dog friendly hiking trail in the Waterville Valley ski resort area, New Hampshire
There are quite a few places to ski or snowboard in New Hampshire, mainly in the White Mountain region. You can stroll through quaint villages with your dog or hike along many dog friendly trails. We loved the dog friendly cross country ski trail in the Waterville Valley ski resort. Well, there you have it, some of my favorite places to spend time with our dogs at Christmas time! I hope you enjoyed reading about these dog friendly places. Check out our Travel With Dogs page for more fabulous Dog Friendly Destinations Icy and Phoebe recommend. I've included some tips for road trips with dogs and air travel with pets as well. Do you like to take a little downtime for yourself and your pets during the holidays? Tell us about it in the comments, we Love hearing from you!
Have you ever taken your dog on a Doggie Sunset Boat Cruise? Some of you may remember me saying that one of my goals this Summer was to take my dogs out on a boat. Icy and Phoebe have never been on a boat before and that was one of my top adventure goals for them. But life got hectic and the Summer flew by so fast, I didn't make that goal.
Phoebe's First Boat Ride!
Phoebe's first Dog Friendly Sunset Boat Cruise
When I heard about a Doggie Sunset Cruise not too far from our house, it sounded like the perfect first step to finally getting my dogs out on the water! I had planned to take both Icy and Phoebe on the boat ride, but at the last minute I decided to take just Phoebe. I wanted to see what it was like before bringing Icy along. Phoebe is so easy, she only weighs 11 lbs and virtually nothing phases her. For a first step in getting my dogs out on a boat, I felt a larger boat with a smaller dog was the right way to go!
Our boat for the Doggie Sunset Cruise on Captain Lou's Fleet in Freeport, New York
WHAT DOES ONE WEAR ON A DOG FRIENDLY BOAT CRUISE?
I wasn't asking that question for me, I was wondering what Phoebe should wear? We had just been to Jones Beach a few days before and although it's end of season, the surf shop was still open. They had some onesies for babies on sale at half price - what luck! I found this adorable Jones Beach Lifeguard onesie in a 6 months size. I just cut off the bottom part that snaps and voila! Phoebe had a cute nautical themed shirt. Doesn't she look adorable!? I think red is her color.
Phoebe looked adorable in this Jones Beach Lifeguard shirt, perfect for her first boat ride
As we explored this part of the boat deck, it kind of reminded me of that famous scene in the Titanic movie - you know the one I mean! If I had a giant blue diamond necklace I'd have pitched it overboard, just for the romance of it!
Standing out way out on above the water reminded me of the Titanic movie!
I didn't have a giant blue diamond necklace on me, so we just enjoyed the view from the front of the boat, the part that sticks way out into the water - I think that's called the "bulbous bow"? Any boat experts out there know if that's the right name for what we're standing on in these two photos?
MAKING NEW FRIENDS ON THE BOAT
Phoebe loved meeting this beautiful little dog named Miracle out on deck. She's the sweetest girl!
Phoebe made lots of other doggie friends too! Most of the dogs were really relaxed and friendly. Here's Phoebe chillaxin' with a small group of seaworthy dog friends she met on the boat. I loved that so many of the dogs were dressed in nautical themed outfits - check out the tiny sailor hats on the two Shih Tzu's on the right! I have GOT to get one of those hats for Phoebe's next ocean excursion!
WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN ON THE HARBOR
As the sun set, we cruised past the beautiful lights shining from homes and restaurants along the harbor. It was so calm and peaceful with the lights reflecting off the water.
Sailing along Freeport harbor, enjoying beautiful lights on the water during our dog friendly boat cruise
It was a little intimidating when we cruised under the drawbridge they had to raise for our boat to fit underneath it. Especially since they alert everyone with a really loud siren just before the bridge goes up - I didn't realize what was happening at first! I've lived on Long Island my whole life, but I honestly have never gone beneath a drawbridge as it was going up. It's pretty cool as you pass directly under the bridge and look UP!
Drawbridge going UP!!
Although it was overcast that evening, we still saw a lovely sunset! I'm so glad we finally got out on the water with at least one of our dogs. I can't wait to go again, and I hope to get Icy on a boat soon too! Pin This!
We enjoyed seeing the sun set from the boat deck on our Doggie Sunset Cruise
ARE WE FOLLOWING EACH OTHER ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER? IF NOT, LET'S GET SOCIAL!
If you enjoyed this post, you may like my PET TRAVEL posts. I share tips and information from travel adventures with our dogs. You might find your next pet travel destination there! If you're taking your dog out on a boat, especially a smaller boat, check out these Boating Safety Tips for Pets.
Have you ever been on a boat with your pets? Tell us about it in the comments. We love hearing about your pet adventures!
I love to travel, and we are big travelers with our dogs. We've had lots of fun adventures from East coast to West coast. Today I'm sharing some of my favorite pet travel photos with Icy and Phoebe.
Pet Travel Adventures
This photo was taken on one of our many Sedona, Arizona hikes:
This was my very first really good pet travel adventure photo. Icy sitting on a rock in Sedona, Arizona. I loved it so much I framed it!
Another travel adventure pic of Icy I loved so much I had to frame! I think she looks so wolf like in this photo. Also taken in Sedona!
Another favorite dog travel adventure photo that I framed, taken of Icy in Sedona. OK, this is getting embarrassing! They're all of Icy and they're all taken on our many trips to Sedona!
Here we go, one of Phoebe during a favorite travel adventure, and not to Sedona! This was taken on our pet friendly vacation in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.
Here's another one of Phoebe at a dog friendly beach. She loves the ocean breezes blowing through her hair and finding stinky dead crabs along the beach!
Did you enjoy our pet travel adventure photos? Leave us a comment and let us know, we always Love hearing from you!
Years ago we discovered beautiful Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire. It's a resort area with a small town square, condos and other lodgings. It's geared toward outdoor activities such as skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and other fun activities. There's an indoor ice skating rink as well. We had been there a few times many years ago when we didn't have a dog. We always knew it was family friendly but until recently we didn't know it was also dog friendly.
Town Square in Waterville Valley resort, NH
The absolute BEST part of taking our dogs with us to Waterville Valley is the dog friendly trail that runs along the back side of the resort. It's actually a cross country ski trail, but dogs and foot traffic are allowed on this particular trail. We took the dogs hiking each day. It's a nice long trail, we had so much fun and it was just beautiful!
Icy pulls Phoebe in a sled along the dog friendly trail
We bought this adorable little sled for the trip and Icy had fun pulling Phoebe on it. However, Phoebe didn't want to stay put in the sled, she kept jumping out! It was a riot.
As we meandered along the trail, we took in all the crisp mountain air and the gorgeous scenery. This lovely stream runs all along the length of the trail. The soothing sounds of the stream and the birds chirping happily were so relaxing. We desperately needed to relax and unplug from all the craziness of daily life, and this was the ideal place to do that!
A section of the lovely stream that runs along the dog friendly trail in Waterville Valley, NH
Icy and Phoebe pause to take in the beauty of the mountains during our hike
I wish I could lead into telling you we found a great dog friendly hotel to stay in, but that's not the case. There are very few pet friendly lodgings in Waterville Valley. Much of the lodgings are privately owned condominiums that don't welcome pets. The few we did find were all booked up, you need to book those well in advance. We found a dog friendly place to stay but it was pretty awful. The place itself was older but it's a nice rustic lodge. It definitely could use some updating but with a rustic feel it worked. What didn't work at all was the dog friendly room! When you travel with dogs you don't expect the Ritz for sure, but it should at least not be horrible!
The lobby area was one of the nicest parts of our hotel. The giant scarf around the moose's neck was adorable!
I won't say the name of the hotel, I would never recommend it for travel with dogs or other pets, and I'm not one to badmouth products or places on my blog. Suffice to say that the dog friendly room was super outdated, and by outdated I mean downright dingy! Next time we travel to Waterville Valley with our dogs I'll look for a much better dog friendly place to stay. Either that or I'll just leave the dogs home. The only good thing about our room was the view of the stream from our window.
Phoebe stops for a photo by the stream along the dog friendly trail
I was amazed at how much Phoebe loved being in Waterville Valley! She normally Hates the cold and doesn't even want to go out in the yard to potty. But something happened to transform my fluffy delicate dog into a snow dog! She was racing along the trail each day, and even during nighttime potty breaks she was happy to be walking around the village. Who was this dog?!? I guess there's a bit of magic in those mountains.
Here's a quickie video of us Icy pulling Phoebe on the sled:
John and I had some fun of our own too, we both had a chance to ski! You may be wondering how we swung that with two dogs. I like to downhill ski and John is a cross country skier, so we ski separately anyway. I got to go skiing while he watched the dogs. When it was his turn to ski I stayed with the dogs. The cross country trails are right at the resort and the downhill trails are a quick shuttle ride up the road so it worked out great!
We each had some fun bonding time alone with the dogs out on the trail and we both got a chance to ski. The skiing was terrific, and being mid week the slopes & trails were practically empty, I felt like I had the whole mountain to myself!
Despite the crummy accommodations, it was an awesome trip! I would definitely recommend a trip to Waterville Valley Resort, just be cautious about where you stay if you brings your dog or cat along. Happy Trails!
What would you think about a trip to Waterville Valley? Leave us a comment, we always LOVE hearing from you!
Me and my two little Witchy-Poos had a spooktacular Halloween celebration in Salem Massachusetts!
Icy met a Good Witch while having lunch at an outdoor cafe.
So much history in Salem, some of it downright scary!
So many funky, fun shops in Salem!
We thoroughly enjoyed our spooktacular visit to the Witch House, the House of the Seven Gables, and other fun & historic sites in dog friendly SalemMassachusetts! LET'S GET SOCIAL, FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
They call Arkansas THE NATURAL STATE for a reason. The natural beauty throughout the state is simply gorgeous! Arkansas happens to also be a very dog friendly destination. When we first discovered Arkansas, it was just a place to stop over on our cross country route with our dogs. What a surprise when we discovered all the natural beauty and all the places you can bring your dog! That's when we fell in love with The Natural State.
One of the many cool springs in Eureka Springs, in Northern Arkansas
When I started researching dog friendly places in Arkansas, I learned about all the wonderful areas to visit with your dog throughout Arkansas. Eureka Springs, located in the Northwestern part of the state, lies deep in the magnificent Ozark Mountains. It's a beautifully quaint, historic town and perfect for a holiday with your dog!
One of the quaint little landscaped nooks around the town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas
There's lots to do in Eureka Springs, most of it centering around historic places and outdoor activities. There are over 25
miles of deep woods trails or paved paths, easily accessible from the town of Eureka Springs. Visit their web site for more information and maps.
The central "Square" in the town of Eureka where people gather to relax or listen to some street music.
We really enjoyed the Historic Loop Walk that traverses around the town of Eureka Springs. There are dozens of beautiful historic homes to see along the walk, as well as many natural cool springs.
Steps leading down to Eureka's central gathering place.
As you walk through the town and around the Historic Loop, stop to enjoy some of the beautifully landscaped cold spring areas. As you can see, the town has landscaped these spring areas beautifully! If you still have some energy left after the Historic Loop, visit Lake
Leatherwood. It's a 1610 acre recreation area with over 25 miles of hiking and biking trails around a
spring fed lake. Black Bass Lake is another area to visit. It's got 2
miles of trails and bluffs surrounding it, and includes a half mile trail that is handicapped
accessible. This is great because not all areas of this mountain town are accessible.
After taking in all the beauty and nature Eureka Springs has to offer, give your dog an extra treat by taking him to Bark Park, located in Harmon park.
Note that There are no Wolf Hybrids permitted in the dog park
and there’s a limit of 2 dogs per person.They also don’t permit prong or choke collars (YAY!), nor do they permit
collars with spikes on them.
One of the sunken spring areas, so lovely!
There are plenty
of dog friendly hotels and B&B’s in Eureka Springs, as well as dog friendly places to eat (on
outdoor patios). I found a fantastic dog friendly Inn in the center of Eureka Springs called the Peabody House. I couldn't believe this beautiful B&B was dog friendly! We had a separate little cottage behind the main Inn that I just loved. For some weird reason, it reminded me of a Sea Captain's house. I honestly don't know what made me feel like that, LOL! Our cottage at the Peabody House was a quaint two story house with a deck off the bedroom upstairs. The deck was literally RIGHT next to the mountain - I swear you could practically reach out & touch the mountain! We loved that, and we enjoyed sitting out there each morning and evening with our dogs. I was so comfortable in the Peabody House, I didn't want to leave at the end of our stay!
The main Inn at the Peabody House. We stayed in one of the cottages just behind the main house.
When I booked our stay at the Peabody House over the phone, the Innkeeper kept warning me that the house we were staying in, directly behind the main Inn you see pictured here, was "really tiny". "Oh don't worry!" I said, I'm from New York and I lived in Manhattan for a few years - I'm used to tiny apartments!" Well, it didn't seem tiny to me at all - not by NY standards anyway. It was perfectly cozy. In fact, I loved staying there so much, it was hard to get me to leave in the morning to go out and explore! If you're looking for a wonderful dog friendly trip, I highly recommend a trip to The Natural State, especially to Eureka Springs! If you enjoyed reading about Eureka Springs, you'll enjoy my post on Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is in the Southern part of the state. There's a bit of baseball history here too, but it's not exactly PG rated LOL!! Check out some of my other dog friendly travel posts.
Have you ever been to Arkansas? Leave us a comment and tell us about it! We love hearing from you!
