Crater Lake National Park

Having driven past Crater Lake on a previous trip, we knew we had to go back there again and explore. We booked the Mazama Village Campground, which is just seven miles from the rim of Crater Lake, just inside the south entrance gate of Crater Lake National Park.

Mazama Village Campground is huge! It has over 200 campsites, and the property also includes a little grocery store, a lodge, a gas station (a huge lifesaver) and a restaurant/gitft shop. The campground has both reservable and first-come-first-served sites, but seeing how popular it is, I highly recommend reservations. By the time we got there on labor day weekend, it was full!

One thing to remember is that, even with reservations they do not assign site #s, so it is best if you arrive in daylight/ as early as possible to drive through the the 5 loops of campsites to find the perfect one for you. I don't mean to scare you, despite the size of this camground, most sites are extremely private, Tall trees provide both privacy, and shade. The amenities include fire rings, picnic tables, public restrooms, public showers, even laundry facilities!

Now, for the really important part - Crater lake! For those of you that have never been, go! Well, finish reading this post first obviously... Wouldn't help you to go there with half the details now, would it?

Crater Lake, as the name suggests is the remnant of a volcano, and is the deepest lake in the United States, the second deepest in North America.Unlike Lake Tahoe, there are very few boats on this like, the only ones you will see are operated by tour operators from the single jetty on the north rim of the lake at the end of Cleetwood Trail. All lake access for people is also from Cleetwood Trail, a steep walking trail, and there are no roads for cars  that lead to the waterfront.

There are many observation points along the caldera rim for the lake, and are readily accessible by the "Rim Drive", there is also a trail along the rim that is dog friendly and offers stunning views of the lake, wizard island and of the phantom ship. Dogs are not allowed on Cleetwood trail, or in any of the creeks/water bodies within Crater Lake national forest.

Layla loved it - we are sure your puppy will too! And like us, we are sure you will enjoy having a happy, tired puppy as well.

Sycamore Grove Campground

We spent a night at the Sycamore Grove Campground on our way up to Crater lake for labor day weekend. It was a convenient place to stop for the night, and more importantly, it was dog friendly.

Despite ongoing construction on the dam close by, the campground was not noisy (Recreation.gov had up to date warnings on their site regarding the construction, so we knew when we booked that it could be noisy).

The campground is along the banks of  the Sacramento River, and is part of the Red Bluff Recreation Area, and is conveniently located just off of Interstate 5. Sycamore Grove Campground is open year-round, and has  paved trails along the river, and through grasslands, wetlands, and oak woodlands - a perfect place to burn off Fido's energy.

It also has  incredible views of Mount Shasta, and Mount Lassen and plenty of plants and wildlife for the photography enthusiasts.

The campsites are pretty basic, with oak trees for shade, and level grassy fields they are perfect to pitch a tent, however the sites are not very private. There facilities are clean, and can be accessed by a locked keypad at night - code is available from the hosts who live on the premises, and very helpful.

All in all a great place to break journey or to stay a few nights if you are so inclined.

Photo courtesy of Recreation.gov

Lake Tahoe - West Shore

One of the nicest things about California is the that there is so much outdoors to enjoy, and so many months in the year to do it! Lake Tahoe has always been one of our favorite getaways, it is close by, and is fabulous anytime of the year.

While at the dentist's office, I chanced upon an article in the AAA Via magazine on pet friendly lodging in CA. Thats how we found one of our favorite places in Tahoe - Tahoma Meadows.

Tahoma Meadows is tucked away on the west shore of Lake Tahoe.They have charming little cottages, some with full kitchens. This pet friendly lodge is just what you need to get away from the noise, and crowds.

Dick and Ulli, the hosts, have done a great job with the decor of  the cottages and the overall property. The cottages are warm and inviting, each with a distinct theme. There are hammocks and garden furniture throughout the property. Each cottage also has a BBQ for guests to use. Tahoma Meadows also has a common room with stunning views of the lake where they serve killer breakfast every morning!


We stayed in the Boat House on our first stay there over Memorial day, and then again over the 4th of July. Yes, we loved it that much!

Since we were traveling with Layla, they had even setup a bowl for her with some dog biscuits. Dick and Ulli always have great recommendations on things to do in the area. We were looking for things we could do with the puppy, and they gave us great recommedations on beaches we could take Layla to, and hikes in the area.

All in all we had a wonderful trip, and a happy, tired puppy every evening!

Gualala - Mendocino County

Gualala (wa-LA-la) is a little town in Mendocino county. It's up on the coast of California, north of San Francisco. It has all the charm of an oceanside town without the crowds and the large resorts we have come to expect and in some cases dread.

Gualala also has a well kept secret - St Orres! Well, its not really a secret, they have been there for almost 35 years now. We spent a few nights there earlier this year, they have beautiful cabins nestled between towering redwoods. As an added bonus many of their cabins are pet friendly. For a small fee, you get to take Fido with you!

The architecture is very charming, and reminiscent of Russian style architecture. All the wood (most of it recycled/ reused) gives the place a really warm and inviting feel.

We stayed in the Rose cottage. It is a really cozy cottage, complete with a skylights, a comfortable bed, Franklin Fireplace and a large bathroom. It also has a huge deck with a direct ocean view.


The best part? They bring you fresh breakfast every morning (around 9 AM). Eggs, granola, fresh squeezed orange juice and fruit. Hand delivered at your doorstep!


The restaurant at St Orres is also pretty good. The warmth and coziness continues into their dining rooms. There are 2 dining areas, the main dining room or the solarium dining room which is much more intimate.

One of the nicest things about being in Mendocino county is that most beaches in that area are dog friendly. Almost all require that your dog be on leash, but every one of them guarantees that your canine companion will have a great time.

• Big River Beach, N. Big River Road, Mendocino
• Van Damme State Beach, Highway 1, Mendocino
• Caspar Beach, 14441 Point Cabrillo Dr., Caspar
• MacKerricher State Park, Highway 1, Fort Bragg (south of Ward Ave only)

One other recommendation for that area is Blue Canoe Coffee & Tea in Anchor Bay. They have really good homemade chai, and organic coffee that they buy from a local supplier every week. They also have a small but sweet back patio for seating. The staff is really friendly, and we had a great time chatting with them on our visit.

Overall we highly recommend St Orres, Gualala, and Mendocino county for a trip with your puppy. We had a great time, and we are sure you will too!

Meet Layla

In the words of Eric Clapton -

"Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down..".

About a year ago, Layla came into our lives. We found this 4 month old puppy through a local rescue, and we had to bring her home. Little did we know that we were embarking on a journey, one that had to include pet friendly lodging!


As we researched the places we could go with Layla, it became painfully clear that there wasn't a central website that compiled this information. So began our quest for pet friendly lodging; campgrounds, hotels and rental homes. We will share some of the places we have stayed at in the past year, and enjoyed. Hopefully you will find this helpful.

If you have recommendations, we would love to hear from you as well. Post your feedback in the comments and we will add it to our list.