Embracing Seattle Life with Our Adopted Senior Blue Heeler
Walking the beach at Iron Springs Resort.
by Tracey Wickersham
I did something this past spring that changed my lifestyle pretty substantially: I got a dog. Adopted from the Seattle Humane Society, our 12-year-old but still spunky Blue Heeler has quickly assumed a prominent role in both our household and our hearts.
Suddenly I find myself asking questions I never had before. Does that park allow dogs? What about that beach? What hotels are pet friendly? What excursions would be fun for humans and canine?
A walk at Alki Beach in Seattle.
This past spring and summer we’ve been paws-out exploring and some of our favorite Seattle outdoor places to walk and play with our buddy have been Discovery Park, Lincoln Park, Golden Gardens, Kubota Garden, Green Lake, Alki Beach and Seward Park. Unless it’s a designated off-leash area, Seattle laws mandate that all dogs must be leashed, and they are not allowed on City of Seattle public beaches. As we venture further outside the city limits, it’s great to know that leashed dogs are welcome in all Washington State Parks, and the mostly uncrowded beaches on the Washington coast are, for the most part, extremely dog-friendly.
Within Seattle, the Kimpton hotels roll out the pet welcome mat. In fact, Micky has been whining a bit about wanting to go play hotel guest in our own city, so he can get the royal treatment. At check in, pets are added to the VIP (Very Important Pet) register, provided treats, bowls, water and the all-important doggie bags of the clean-up variety! If you need grooming or walking services, they’ll set you up. Want a personalized dog-friendly itinerary? Bark once for yes.
Lincoln Park.
We loved taking our pal with us for a long weekend break to a serene spot on the Washington coast, basking in the completely remodeled and extremely pet-friendly Iron Springs Resort. Each of the cozy cabins offers toasty fireplaces or wood stoves, sweeping views, and nearby access to a long stretch of uncrowded beach. Before our very eyes, Micky became a youngster again as he romped in the salt air, chasing tennis balls and Frisbees, only to be washed off and dried with his very own paw-embroidered ISR towels before sacking out in front of the fire.
Back in Seattle, it seems almost every weekend offers a dog friendly event to explore. A recent example: the Northwest Cider Summit, featuring 60+ premium hard cider producers from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, California, England, France and Spain, at the South Lake Union Discovery Center lawn. We didn’t have to leave Micky behind, and we say cheers to that!
Fetch more ideas:
Micky naps.
CityDogMagazine.com
Bringfido.com
SeattleDogSpot.com
