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Reader’s report: Pet stroller as airport, layover solution; under seat space on United’s Embraer RJ-145

This is yet another example of Dog Jaunt reader brilliance. The problem: In no time at all, even a small dog, carried over a shoulder, becomes remarkably heavy. Negotiating an airport, and, in particular, exiting and reentering an airport to visit a pet relief area, would be much more comfortable with wheels. If you have a small dog (under 10 lbs.), the problem is easily solved: I recommend buying a Creature Leisure Pet Pilot XL, a cleverly designed and well-made wheeled carrier. [5/13 Sadly, the Creature Leisure Pet Pilot XL is no longer available.] But what if you have a large small dog, like Chloe (13-15 lbs.), or even larger?

There are larger wheeled carriers than the Pet Pilot XL, and some travelers swear by their medium Snoozer Roll Around (the small certainly works, but only for very small dogs; the large is too huge for in-cabin use). It occupies a good deal of foot space, though, and my nerves aren’t strong enough to risk using it. If I’m traveling with my husband, we can bring a wheeled carry-on with us (Chloe’s carrier typically, though not always, takes the place of my carry-on), and I slip her carrier handles over the suitcase handle. My best solution for solo travel, until today, was a short, slim, wheeled carry-on that could support Chloe’s carrier while masquerading as a “small personal item.” That’s good, though not perfect (the resulting structure is top-heavy) — but reader Mary’s solution is even better.

“What about using a folding dog stroller?” she wrote a short while ago. “I’m flying for the first time in about a week and can’t imagine trying to wander around through the airport with a 15 pound, squirmy dog in addition to food and my already-heavy purse. According to the airlines, I can gate check the stroller just like human parents would. I’m hoping it will also make her more comfortable as she can really stretch out in it and actually stand up during our 4 hour layover.” And I thought, well, why the heck not? And why didn’t I think of that? I asked her to report on how her trip went, and she kindly sent detailed info and lots of pictures.

Mary and Luna, her Chihuahua mix, flew on United from Billings to Denver, and then on to El Paso. They flew on an Embraer regional jet (based on Mary’s description, and SeatGuru’s listing of United’s Embraer models, I believe it was an RJ-145); see below for Mary’s report on what seat to choose and how the large SturdiBag worked for her and Luna.

Facing a seven-hour trip, including four hours in the Denver airport — to be spent seeking out the distant pet relief area, returning to their departure gate (at “the VERY, VERY (VERY) tail end of terminal B”), and finding food/coffee — Mary researched pet strollers and purchased the Happy Trails stroller from Pet Gear.

Photo by Pet Gear Inc.

She was happy with her choice: “It’s a serious stroller. Heavy-duty, easy to steer, quality material, etc. It looked a lot like a baby stroller, and most people I passed didn’t actually realize I had a dog in there to begin with. In fact, one of the ticket agents panicked when I came up. She saw the empty stroller (Luna had already been stashed in her carrier) and thought I had lost my baby! The folding mechanism is super easy and I had no trouble doing it with one hand while still holding all my other boarding stuff and Luna. It has a folding lock and folds as small as a baby stroller, so I was able to gate-check the stroller as I boarded and then get it as I deplaned. The stroller also has a harness tether (as does the SturdiBag), so, with all the extra transferring, I didn’t have to worry about her escaping.”

Mary used the stroller to get Luna through security in Billings, and then again in Denver to get Luna out to the pet relief area and back in through DEN security: “It was pretty nice that I didn’t have to worry about pulling her out and cramming her back into the SturdiBag while there were 10,000 people behind me waiting for me to get out of the way.”

The stroller has a mesh storage compartment below the passenger compartment, and Mary stowed Luna’s SturdiBag there while she was using the stroller: “To make it fit down there, you do have to take out the foam board. I took out the pad inside as well and put both in the stroller, giving her an extra soft surface to sit on.”

Luna’s large SturdiBag is stowed in the lower mesh storage compartment; you can just see the white SturdiBag pad in the main passenger compartment.

A close up of the SturdiBag foam board and pad inserted into the main compartment of the Happy Trails stroller

“If I needed to leave her in the carrier for whatever reason, I was able to unzip the top [of the stroller] and fit the carrier right on top. It fit perfectly.”

Fully assembled large SturdiBag, resting on the top of the (unzipped) stroller, for those moments when Luna was in the carrier, not the stroller

Having the stroller at the airports pleased both her and Luna:

“The space inside is fully zippered and so it abides by airport regulations, but it gave her plenty of space to stand up and stretch out. It also took the weight off my shoulder during the layover. We trekked all through the airport, and it only took one hand to steer the stroller. Luna was happy inside too, she enjoyed watching everything go by as we walked. [The stroller even] has a parent tray with two cup holders. I felt pretty privileged to be walking around the airport, not having to hold my own drinks! 🙂

I did get a lot of stares and was afraid people would make fun of me. But I continuously applauded myself on my stroller ingenuity and actually got a LOT of compliments as well as a couple of people asking for detailed information about where they could get one as well! No one had a bad word or look to give me as I had feared.

Luna and the stroller, during a layover coffee break.

Once I stopped wandering around, I found a nice place to eat/get coffee near my gate. I sat us out of the way a little and was able to open the zipper up so she could poke her head out. Aside from the convenience of the stroller, it was REALLY nice to have her at eye level so we could have girl talk with my coffee. 🙂 Putting her on the floor would have made me sad and the tables were generally too small to have fit the carrier. The stroller really was the BEST solution both for getting her around the airport, as well as hanging out during the remainder of our layover.”

I asked Debbie Dubrow, who writes the marvelous family travel blog DeliciousBaby, for more details about the logistics of traveling with a stroller, and she (and her excellent husband) told me that the gate agent will tag your stroller as you head down the gangway. You leave the tagged and folded stroller at the end of the jetway, near the plane door.

Luna’s folded (and gate tagged) stroller

“I believe they’re put in a special storage compartment in the belly of the plane, along with bags that don’t fit in the overheads, etc. Then, at the destination, it magically appears in the same place. If the landing crew is on it, the strollers are ready by the time you deplane, but it’s not uncommon to have to wait a few minutes, which can be crazy (all of us standing to the side [at the bottom of the jetway] as everyone deplanes).” On international flights, “the planes are sometimes big enough to stow the stroller onboard. Otherwise it gets checked through to your destination and shows up in baggage claim.”

That information alleviates one of my concerns about Mary’s proposal — that it would take so long to get your stroller, on arrival, that it wouldn’t be useful during a layover. Not so. My other concern was that the stroller would end up being an encumbrance at journey’s end, but Mary enthused about having the stroller available during her El Paso visit: “Once you get to your destination, you have a stroller you can use when traveling places that don’t generally want dogs wandering around! What a great travel accessory! :)”

Her verdict? “If you’re going on a long trip, ABSOLUTELY consider getting a foldable stroller. It just made the trip so enjoyable and less daunting.”

Under-seat space on United’s Embraer RJ-145

Mary read about the under-seat space available on a Delta Embraer 145, and reserved an aisle seat, on the chance that the United Embraer would be configured the same way. Here is SeatGuru’s floorplan of United’s ERJ-145 planes, so you can follow along with Mary’s report.

“They booked me on an A seat. It is an aisle seat, but also a window seat. That side of the plane has only one seat per row. As soon as I got in, I realized there was no way she would fit under there. I didn’t have a way to measure and I’m terrible with eyeballing it, but it would seem that there was MAYBE 6-7 inches of width under the seat. The flight attendant made an effort to fit her down there, but it clearly wasn’t going to work.

I was reseated in a seat C, also up against the window (on the other side of the plane where each row has 2 seats). Despite the fact that the side of the plane stole space on that side, too, I was able to fit her under there because there was no bar or anything separating the two under-seat spaces. I couldn’t fit my other carry-on in the bin above me (good grief it was a tiny plane!), so I asked the guy next to me if I could steal his space and he was fine with it. Even using both of the under-seat spaces, it was VERY cramped.

We sat on the runway for quite a while, before they really had the air going. By my feet, at the corner of the floor and the wall, there was a metal plate that ran along the length of the plane which her carrier was pressed up against. This plate began to get hotter and hotter.  I pushed my foot in there between the plate and her carrier to shield her from some of the heat. Eventually, I had to call the flight attendant when the plate started to burn my foot and the whole area around my feet felt like a sauna. Poor Luna was panting and panting and stuck in this tiny cramped space with virtually no ventilation.

The pilot was able to get the floor space fresher and we took off. But then, about 20 minutes into the flight, that stupid plate started getting hot again. The flight attendant offered to bring her some water, but there was absolutely no way I could physically get water down there to her anyway. So finally, I asked the guy next to me to go sit in an empty seat elsewhere, and I was able to pull her out away from the window, out from under the seat and in the direct path of the air blowing from my little vent. It took her about 20 minutes, but she finally stopped panting and was able to go to sleep.

So, the moral of this story… if you are flying on this plane, be VERY clear that you want a seat B. Don’t ask for an aisle seat as you may get stuck in a seat A. You need to be away from the window! It was an awful experience, I hope never to repeat it!”

Another moral of this story is to stay aware of the actual conditions your pup is experiencing. Good for Mary for noticing the metal plate, for keeping her foot by it (and Luna), and for acting rapidly to relieve Luna’s distress. (I’m glad, too, that Mary chose the SturdiBag, because the mesh upper panel lets you observe your dog at your feet, even in the very cramped situation Mary describes.)

One last note, in fact, from Mary about the large SturdiBag, which she worried might be too small for Luna (who weighs 15 lbs., and is about 13-14″ tall at the shoulders): “I purchased a SturdiBag Large, put her in it and it fit like a glove!! I never dreamed I’d get her into such a small carrier, but she had a surprising amount of room inside and really seemed to be very comfortable. There wasn’t really any whining, scratching, or attempts to escape with the exception of a slightly bumpy take-off on the first flight. It’s worth noting that she’s not crate-trained in the least bit. This is not a dog accustomed to being contained.”

Luna sounds like a wonderful dog. Thanks so much to you both for providing the details people will need to try the stroller approach for themselves, and to choose the best possible seat on a United Embraer RJ145! I know I’ll be adding a Happy Trails stroller to my pile of gear, especially for trips where I’m traveling alone and I’ll have a car on the arriving end. I’m adding this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements.

Amazon links:
Snoozer Roll Around Pet Carrier, Black, Medium
Pet Gear Happy Trails Stroller

Reader’s report: Update on traveling with a large small dog, in an XL SturdiBag carrier

Once you get the routine down, it’s easy for those of us with small dogs (say, under 10 lbs.) to fly together in-cabin. Heck, it’s pretty straightforward to fly with a biggish small dog like Chloe, who weighs between 13 and 15 lbs. and measures 12″ tall at her shoulders — though on a number of occasions I’ve had to be a vigorous advocate for the large SturdiBag carrier. But what about those of us who fly with even bigger small dogs?

When I get messages asking about flying with pups who weigh more than 15 lbs., or who are taller and longer than Chloe, I point them to two Dog Jaunt posts: The first is based on reader Joanna’s report about traveling with her 26 lb. Corgi, and the second is about a photo sent by reader Adam of his XL SturdiBag carrier in use. A goodly part of the usefulness of the first post are the comments on it that other readers have posted, including some that Adam posted about transporting Oliver, his Cocker Spaniel, in an XL SturdiBag. As you’ll see if you scroll through the comments, he met with some resistance from the United ticketing agent in Paris — and the way he handled it was instructive to me, and helpful to other travelers with “too large” pets.

I was delighted, therefore, to hear again from Adam after a recent round of flights on Southwest Airlines with Oliver, still using the XL SturdiBag. In one direction (their return flight), they had no issues whatever. They checked in, they boarded the plane, they flew, end of story. Their trip from NYC’s LaGuardia airport to the Midwest, however, was a whole different story — and really demonstrates how your traveling experience will vary depending on the individuals you encounter. [The important thing to know as you read this is that Adam has traveled before with Oliver in the XL SturdiBag, and is comfortable in his mind that Oliver is comfortable during their flights. Adam is a concerned and careful owner, and would not squash his pup into a spot that doesn’t work for him.]

This was holiday travel, Adam reminded me, so “LaGuardia was a zoo…and the ticket agent didn’t even look at my carrier!  The gate agent was another story altogether, following me onto the plane and telling the flight attendant, ‘This man’s bag is too large. If you’re doing your job, do NOT let him on.’ Man, it is so hard to keep your cool in those situations, with your heart beating a million miles a minute.”

However, “The flight attendant was so very friendly and told the gate agent, ‘I’m certain this passenger knows his dog better than you do.’ The agent left in a huff, and the flight attendant said, ‘Do what you gotta do buddy,’ with a wink.”

Wait a second, I wrote to Adam — back it up, there! How on Earth did you get past the gate agent, to the point where you could interact with the flight attendant? It turns out he had anticipated an issue (“The gate agent announced that it was a full flight, and we should be prepared to gate check items that were larger — he was scrutinizing each and every individual, looking at their bag to verify it was small”), had handed over his boarding pass, and was already past the gate agent when the interaction began:

“When I went through, he called and said, ‘STOP SIR!’

At this point, I was already in the gangway. I calmly said, ‘Yes?’ ‘What is this bag?’ he asked me. ‘Oh, it’s just my travel bag.’

‘What’s inside though?’ he asked.

‘Oh, it’s my pet bag,’ I said nonchalantly. ‘I know it looks a little big, but the roof flexes, see?’ I added, demonstrating accordingly.

He went on to ask me how big the dog was, told me I couldn’t just ‘smoosh’ him under the seat, yada yada yada. He went on for a while, and said, ‘You know if the flight attendant has an issue, you won’t be allowed to board.’

I just said, ‘Yes sir, I understand completely.’ I may have fudged the details and told him I had flown on Southwest recently, and whipped out the picture of Oliver under an airplane seat last year.

At this point, the man wasn’t really budging…so I simply told him firmly not to worry, and walked away from him down the gangway! That is why he ultimately followed me onto the plane, although I didn’t realize he had chosen to chase me down. It’s kind of funny, as I’m generally very meek when in everyday life, and I don’t like to push back against customer service professionals…in this instance, I simply realized that I had no real choice. The flight attendant ultimately took my side, and that was the end of it.”

There are many reasons why this worked. Southwest Airlines’ under-seat spaces are generous. Adam knew that his carrier would flex to fit, and that Oliver would be comfortable in the resulting space. He was confident and resolute, but polite. He made sure that he got to the right arbiter — the flight attendant, who knows the airplane best. He had a photo of the XL SturdiBag in action on another flight.

If you’re a first-time flyer, how do you get that fundamentally important confidence that your larger pup will in fact fit on the plane, and will be comfortable in the space available to her? Look at the measurements that are available — by now, Dog Jaunt has a pretty good list going — and mock up a space that size. Buy a carrier that flexes — I don’t know of any more flexible carrier than the SturdiBag (and I assure you that I’m still not on retainer by SturdiProducts — when, oh, when will they call me?!). Insert your pup, and try fitting the loaded carrier in the available space. Keep in mind that she’ll need to be entirely under the seat in front of you only during takeoff and landing — during the rest of the flight, you can pull her carrier out a bit, into your foot area.

Bookmark pictures of an XL SturdiBag in action — there’s one in the second post I mentioned above, from a past flight by Adam, and Adam attached two more to his current report, which I’m providing below. Take a picture of your own, once you’re on your flight, and keep it on your phone for quick reference in the future.

And good luck! Adam and I agreed “that no particular airline or its employees are more ‘pet friendly’ than the others. My ticketing agent was friendly and wonderful…the gate agent was really rough with me…but the flight attendant was as kind as could be. I have learned that it is simply a question of pushing back as politely as possible and hoping for the best.”

Here are the pictures Adam sent me:

From one angle, with Oliver visible.

From another angle. The surprising thing to me, in both these pictures, is how little of the bag is poking out into the foot area -- it looks way better on Southwest than it did on the United flight Adam and Oliver took together.

As you might already have figured out, he chose the middle seat, “as I knew the width was the largest on the 737-700 plane…in all honesty, I think Oliver’s bag would likely have fit under any of the three seats.” His verdict? “It was actually a pretty comfortable fit (well, as comfortable as the XL gets, anyway.) I can’t have seen even the fussiest flight attendant having taken issue with the bag in its place.”

Thank you, Adam!! The people with the larger small dogs are the most anxious about travel, I’ve learned, and the more information I can get into their hands, the better. Reports like this are priceless. Thank you, too, for setting such an excellent example of politeness and perseverance under stress.

Reader’s report: Using a large SturdiBag carrier on three Delta planes (MD-90, 767-300, and 737-800)

Reader Tahoe, a Vizsla of undisclosed age, sent me a message with useful information about his people’s recent (well, frankly, not that recent) trips on three different Delta planes with his new sister Moxie (then an 11 lb. Vizsla puppy).

Moxie, fitting just fine in her large SturdiBag (11 lbs. at 8 weeks old)

She traveled in a large SturdiBag carrier, the same size that Chloe uses. Here is Tahoe’s report about how the bag worked on those flights, along with a picture of the carrier under their seat.

On all three aircraft, it worked best for them to “sit in the aisle seat since you have to slide the SturdiBag from aisle floor into position. The seats in front are so close to your seat (back). The SturdiBag is too wide to fit through the space from the top (unless you turn it sideways and flatten — dog probably will not appreciate it).”

They sat in Seat 34E on the Delta MD-90 and found “No bar between seats for under seat storage. If you are traveling with someone, the SturdiBag will fit under 2 seats horizontally and allow for more foot room.” The situation was the same (“No bar also”) on the 767-300 they flew on (Seat 45F). No particular report from their last flight, on a 737-800, other than that they sat in Seat 31C, and it apparently worked fine for them.

Moxie's carrier in place on one of their Delta flights

And one last picture, to show you how beautiful Moxie is — and to demonstrate that although this is officially forbidden, some flight crews will turn a blind eye to a head poke.

Thank you so much, Tahoe and team, for sharing the information and pictures! It helps so much to see other dogs besides Chloe traveling, and I hardly ever fly on Delta, so that’s info I can’t collect myself. I’m tagging this post to add it to Dog Jaunt’s growing collection of pictures of carriers under plane seats, which will help people prepare for travel — and address gate- or ticketing agents’ concerns about the workability of a carrier. I’m also adding it to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series recording under-seat plane measurements.

Pet relief area at Norfolk International Airport (ORF)

I arrived in Norfolk, Virginia (en route to Colonial Williamsburg) feeling like I had a handle on the situation: One resource (notes from a telephone call a couple of years ago) told me that the ORF pet relief area is on the extreme right side of the departures building, as you look at it, and is marked with a sign; and another resource (Southwest Airlines’ collection of airport info) told me that “There is a dirt area near crosswalk A on the main terminal side.” One or the other of those leads — or perhaps even both — would be valid, I assumed.

Sadly, I was wrong. Norfolk is a confusing airport to navigate, since the Main Terminal (the “departures building” mentioned in that phone call) is connected to the flight concourses, but separated from the Arrivals Terminal (i.e., baggage claim and passenger pick-up) by a long skybridge. There were no signs in either terminal to the pet relief area, and none of the many crosswalks was labeled. It is not at all apparent which side of the Main Terminal is the front, but at no extreme right side of any of the contenders did I find a marked pet relief area, or, indeed, an area that would serve as a pet relief area.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that ORF is awash in attractive grassy spots, so as long as you have a supply of poop bags, you and your dog need never locate the official pet relief area.

Here’s what you’ll do if you’re changing flights in ORF: Your flight will arrive on either Concourse A or Concourse B [ORF airport map (PDF)] and you’ll walk towards Baggage Claim. Do not cross the skybridge! Well before you reach it, you’ll find yourself in a large, central, square area with escalators on either side leading down to “Passenger Check-in & Ticketing.”

There's another escalator opposite this one, leading down to the Southwest ticketing counter

Take the escalator down to the ground floor, walk outside, and turn either right (if you took the escalator towards American/United/Delta/US Airways) or left (if you took the escalator towards Southwest). Just past the end of the building, you’ll see a central courtyard (the skybridge runs overhead) that your pup will find irresistible.

The view of the central courtyard as you walk alongside the Main/Departures Terminal (the Arrivals Terminal is in the distance, and when you get to the corner, you'll see the skybridge overhead)

If, instead, you walked over the skybridge to the baggage claim area and are now looking for a bathroom break for your pet: Walk out of the terminal through the door next to Baggage Carousel #1, and cross the airport roadway to the same central courtyard.

Baggage Carousel #1 is behind you, and the Main Terminal is in the distance (the skybridge is overhead)

Alternatively, turn left after you exit the baggage claim area and walk down the sidewalk to this patch of grass:

This spot is at the extreme right as you look at the Arrivals Terminal, so maybe someone got their wires crossed -- but there's no sign, and no poop bag dispenser

This post is part of an ongoing series of reviews of airport pet relief areas we’ve visited. To see others, visit Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.

Dog jaunt: A winter week in Colonial Williamsburg with a dog

The last time I wrote about visiting Colonial Williamsburg with a dog, it was 2009 and I hadn’t yet been there with a dog. Now, after a week-long visit with Chloe and husband, I have more details to offer (I am happy and relieved to report, however, that nothing in the earlier post is wrong).

Chloe in the stocks -- entirely undeserved, because she was, in fact, a very good dog

Where to stay

It is still the case that only two of the official Colonial Williamsburg lodging options allow dogs. One is the divine Williamsburg Inn, in the $500/night range, and the other is the Cascades Motel, where we paid $60/night. [The Inn’s pet policy: $500 refundable fee/stay, $50 non-refundable fee/night, pets up to 60 lbs.; multiple pets okay; must be crated when owner is out of room. The Motel’s pet policy: No pet fee of any kind; pets up to 35 lbs.; multiple pets okay; must be crated when owner is out of room.] While I initially made a reservation for two nights at the Inn, I came to my senses a few months ago: One night at the Inn would pay for a week at the Cascades Motel, and surely a Colonial Williamsburg property couldn’t be too bad. The online reviews were more positive than not, and used words like “rustic” and “funky.” I’m a gal who’s fond of “divine,” but I can embrace rustic and funky, especially for $60 a night.

Fast forward to December 16, when the three of us approached the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center complex, home of, among other things, the Woodlands Hotel & Suites (also of the Cascades Motel, but by this time I’d forgotten that we were staying there — you check in for the Motel at the desk of the Woodlands Hotel, which is one rung higher on the Colonial Williamsburg lodgings quality ladder). We arrived after dark, and it took an astonishingly long time to find the Woodlands Hotel entrance. There is signage, but it leads you through remote parking areas drifted over with pine needles, past laundry facilities, a darkened conference center, and what turned out, after a flurry of hope, to be a YMCA Child Development Center.

My advice to you is persevere, and follow the signs. Ultimately you will reach the front desk of the Woodlands Hotel (and the unfailingly cheerful and helpful front desk staff), who will remind you that you are in fact staying not there but at the Cascades Motel, and that the Motel rooms only have two double beds or one double bed and a single bed. They will give you a map to find the Motel, and they will highlight a bit of woods across the street from the Motel where you’re encouraged to walk your dog.

When you find it, you will realize that you passed the Motel several times during your wanderings around the complex, but hadn’t spared it a glance because it looked abandoned. A one-story structure shaped like a boxy “S,” the Motel was surely built in the 1970s and hasn’t been touched since. There is no landscaping, the parking lot (empty when we arrived, and nearly empty until just before we left) is starting to disintegrate in that way that old parking lots do, and there are few outdoor lights. There are woods behind it (the home, we soon learned, of an eery “Fun Zone”), and woods across the street, and frankly, it’s a creepy place at night.

Here's the Motel in daylight -- much less creepy, and at the end of our stay, we had neighbors

We’re made of stern stuff, though, and in we went. The rooms are small but pleasantly furnished, and we chose to remain at the Motel for the week we’d reserved. Would we return? No. For us, the negatives outweighed the positives. Your calculations may be different, so I’ll give you the pluses and minuses, and leave the decision to you.

What we liked: There was excellent water pressure. There were no bed bugs. The furnishings were more attractive than those of, say, a La Quinta or a Motel 6. The bathroom, though vintage 1970s, was clean. There was an included continental breakfast each morning in the restaurant area of the Woodlands Hotel, a short walk away through the Fun Zone. Because we were staying for more than 4 nights, we were given two passes to the Historic Area (about a $100 value, for the two of us). We could walk from our hotel room into the Historic Area via a walkway and footpath. There were laundry machines in the Woodlands Hotel (the two at the Motel were broken when we arrived, and were still broken when we left). There were plenty of walking opportunities for Chloe, though we avoided the recommended bit of woods after a fellow guest told us she’d picked up chiggers there over the summer. A floor-level strip of windows delighted Chloe with views of the many, many squirrels outside. Our total cost was very low.

Chloe, pasted to the window, looking at squirrels

What we didn’t like: When she walked in, Chloe sniffed many, many places on the carpet very closely, and then peed on it. While Chloe is by no means perfect, that’s not something she has ever done before — and indeed, she had just peed outside. She was certainly marking a carpet that had been marked by many previous occupants. I cleaned up Chloe’s spot with enzymatic cleaner, and my husband and I made a point of never putting our bare feet on the carpet. The heater was antiquated and noisy. The walls were thin. There was no wifi, and no cellular coverage (we use AT&T). The nearest wifi was in the lobby of the Woodlands Hotel, and wasn’t what I’d call powerful.

For us, the lack of wifi and the Carpet of Pee were the deal-breakers. Next time, we will spend a little more, stay in a nearby hotel, and access the Historic Area by driving our car to the Visitor Center, if necessary, and walking in from there. The two places I’ll be checking out are the Williamsburg Manor Bed & Breakfast (walking distance to Merchant’s Square and the Historic Area) and the Residence Inn Williamsburg (about an 8-minute drive from the Visitor Center).

What to do

I am devoted to Colonial Williamsburg. As long as it’s not too hot or crowded, it’s one of my favorite places to be — I love walking the streets of the Historic Area, and stopping to chat with the sheep, and stepping in to watch a printer or a blacksmith or a cooper at work. This was my first wintertime visit, and I can thoroughly recommend it. If possible, visit during the week — we had the place nearly to ourselves from Monday to Thursday, but even the Friday and Saturday weren’t terribly crowded. And the Christmas decorations were a revelation. It took a moment or two to blot the memory of 21st-century bling from my mind, but once I did, the colors and materials of the wreaths and swags were vivid and clever and eye-catching.

The wreath at Chowning's Tavern included foaming (with sedum) tankards and smoking (with raw cotton) pipes

With Chloe, we were welcome to walk on the streets and sidewalks, in the Bruton Church graveyard, and through the gardens behind nearly all the properties on Duke of Gloucester (nicknamed “DOG”) Street. We were not allowed into any of the buildings with her, nor were we allowed to bring her into work areas — even the open-air work areas like the cooper’s and the blacksmith’s. Chloe’s messenger bag saw some use — as you know, I’m thoughtful about rules, but concluded that an entirely-enclosed dog would not cause anyone problems in an outdoor workshop. A new addition to the Historic Area is an outdoor market (“Market Square”), located next to the Magazine, so you and your dog can do a bit of shopping together without breaking any rules.

Chloe, with the Historic Area at her feet

It was too cold to take advantage of the outdoor patios at the King’s Arms, Chowning’s and Christiana Campbell’s taverns (the King’s Arms is the best of the trio, followed closely by Christiana Campbell’s), but getting sandwiches from The Cheese Shop worked well. Read the menu online, phone in your order, and tell them you’ll pick it up at the outside window (located along the right side of the building). There are tables under heaters near the pick-up window, but we just took our sandwiches to a sunny bench in Merchant’s Square and people-watched.

Please note that lap-sized dogs are allowed on the shuttle buses that circulate around the Historic Area. They needn’t be in a carrier. When you’re catching the shuttle at the Visitor Center, look for the outdoor path that leads to the departure area. Similarly, if you’re walking to the Historic Area from the Visitor Center, look for the outdoor path to the bridge walkway. We walked Chloe through the Visitor Center once, not yet knowing that those paths existed (the entrances to both are on the right side of the building, as you face it with the bronze town map at your back), but it’s frowned on.

I should also mention that Chloe had plenty of company in the Historic Area, and that she and the other dogs I saw were greeted with enthusiasm by visitors and CW staff alike. We had been told at the hotel that Chloe would be popular in the Historic Area (“they’ll eat her up!”), and a truer word has never been spoken.

We also took side trips to Historic Jamestowne (we opted not to go to Jamestown Settlement, a living history interpretive site) and Yorktown. At Jamestown, dogs are allowed to walk everywhere but in the buildings.

Sign on the door of the Historic Jamestowne visitor's center

I’d be lying if I told you we didn’t messenger-bag her into the café, but I drew the line at bringing her into the Archaearium. We carried her in our arms into and around the reconstructed 17th c. church. To get to the walkway that leads you from the Historic Jamestowne visitor’s center to the site, walk around the left side of the building and go through the metal gate you’ll find in the back. Jamestown — fort and ruined town — is rich in squirrels, so Chloe was happy, and it’s a fascinating place for humans.

As you’re heading to Jamestown, you’ll see signs for the Glasshouse, and you should take the detour. Who knew that the settlers tried to start a glass industry? Next to the glass furnace ruins is a working reconstruction — doubtless a slice of hell in the summer, but a blessed source of warmth, and interest, on a cold December day.

We ran out of time at Yorktown, and never made it into the town, but Chloe could have joined us on our walk there. She was welcome to walk with us on the battlefield, which was nicely explained via a couple of driving tours that step you through the preparations for, and events of, the 1781 siege. Dogs must be leashed, and everyone, including dogs, should stay off the earthworks.

Gear and preparation

Essential gear for Chloe included her stealthy messenger bag, a sturdy raincoat, and a water bottle. I had opted not to dose her with Frontline Plus before we left (it’s a town! it’s the winter!) and that was a mistake. We found three ticks on her snout during our first Cheese Shop lunch, and spent too much time driving to the Petco for another box of tick doom. If you stay at the Cascades Motel, pack a small flashlight to bring with you on nighttime walks (I also recommend bringing slippers, and some way to heat water for tea/coffee and a couple of mugs). Carry at least one small umbrella.

In the summertime, the list would be different, as I mentioned in my earlier post. Williamsburg, at its worst, is hot and drenchingly humid. You’ll want a water bottle and a cooling jacket for your pup (my current favorite is the Chillybuddy jacket), and you’ll want to minimize the time she spends in her stealth bag. You will want to wear a hat, and sunscreen, and keep yourself hydrated. Consider donating $100 to Colonial Williamsburg; if you do, you get access to the St. George Tucker House, located just off Palace Green, and an oasis of A/C and cold drinks on a hot day (and warmth and hot drinks on a cold one). Speaking from experience, you can donate in advance, or you can donate by phone as you’re standing in the front walkway of the Tucker House. There is a bit of wifi there, in the old kitchen.

Results from the 2012 Passports with Purpose fundraiser

This should have been posted on December 19th, or sometime really very shortly thereafter, and yet here it is, appearing on December 26th (I blame Colonial Williamsburg, but I’ll save that for another post). That’s the bad news. The good news is that when the Passports with Purpose travel bloggers fundraiser ended, you wonderful people had donated not just the $100,000 the organizers had been shooting for, but an astonishing $110,000. That means that there will soon be five communities in Haiti that will have clean water, all thanks to your generosity.

My heartfelt thanks go to Tumi, which kindly donated one of its new, excellent pet carriers as a prize. I’m happy to announce that reader Rosy won it — and I’m also happy to tell you that she hasn’t had to wait this long to hear the news. Thank goodness, the Passports with Purpose team was not vacationing in Colonial Williamsburg, and therefore was able to tell her, and everyone else who bid on the carrier, timely (as I used to say in the lawyering biz) about the fundraiser results.

If it’s any comfort, I too did not win my prize (I invested heavily in the 26-day Silk Road trip). I never do win the PwP prizes I bid on — and yet, as I’ve said before, I feel like I always win. Five communities in Haiti’s Boucan Carre and Mirebalais, each with an average of about 370 people, will have clean water, improving their lives and their futures in the most fundamental way. High fives all around, my friends — that’s a tremendous win, and we could not have done it without each other.

Quick giveaway: Chillybuddy Winter Jacket (size Small, blaze orange)

Back in July 2012, I gave away a brand-new Chillybuddy cooling jacket — it was great, but the size Small swam on Chloe. It went in a heartbeat to reader Emily and her pup. At the same time that I ordered the too-big cooling jacket, I also ordered what turned out to be a too-big Chillybuddy winter jacket. I’m a thorough gal.

Why is this picture so blurry? Why???

Like its summer colleague, this winter jacket is about 19″ long from nape of neck to base of tail. As you can see, it’s bright orange and sewn with strips of reflective tape, so it’s a high visibility coat for dim winter days. It’s also smartly designed — there are cinches to adjust the neck fit, and the jacket fastens with a long Velcro strip along the back, so all you have to do is open the jacket out, lay it on the ground, position your pup over the front leg holes, and then lift it onto your pup. It’s waterproof, nicely padded, and I like how it includes a chest panel, keeping half of your pup’s undercarriage warm.

Like I say, though, the size Small is meant for a really big small dog, like, say, a Sheltie. I shook my head and bought another one, Extra-Small this time, for Chloe — and I’m giving this one away. I will send it to the first person who posts a comment with a picture of their smallish big dog and a report of the temperature where they are. U.S. only, alas. Quick, go!!!

My picks: The 6 best Passports with Purpose prizes for travelers with dogs

Dog Jaunt is the proud sponsor of a prize in this year’s Passports with Purpose travel bloggers fundraiser — a really wonderful pet carrier donated by Tumi to help dig two water wells in rural Haiti. It’s a well-designed and beautifully-constructed carrier (retail price $495) that will make the owner of any pet 12 lbs. or under very happy indeed, and if that’s you, you should give serious consideration to plunking down $10 for a chance to win it (or $50 for five chances to win it!).

But if that’s not you, there are still amazing prizes on the list, and here are my 5 favorites (speaking as a traveler-with-dog):

A dog-friendly weekend on the Mendocino coast (from Ever in Transit) — Two nights in a king-bed cabin at a sweetheart of an inn on the Mendocino coast (pet fee waived). The reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp are rapturous, and if you get bored with the amazing views you can drive 3 miles into Mendocino and play there.

One of several Kimpton hotel packages (from The Mother of All Trips, kidventurous, and Hip Travel Mama) — The Kimpton Hotel group (all hotels in the group are pet-friendly) kindly let me offer a Kimpton getaway package as a prize two years ago, and they’re clearly continuing and increasing their support for PwP. I’ve loved every Kimpton hotel I’ve stayed in, with or without Chloe, and can wholeheartedly recommend any of these getaways!

Two nights at Timber Cove Inn and a bundle of Sonoma wine-tasting goodies (from What a Trip) — It must be 20 years since I’ve been in Jenner, an adorable coastal village in wine-heaven Sonoma County, but I still remember how happy I was there. This inn looks delightful, and its Cove View rooms are pet-friendly ($50 one-time fee, up to two pets, under 60 lbs. each).

Two nights in an ocean-view Lighthouse Suite at Pacific Sands Beach Resort, on Vancouver Island’s spectacular west coast (from Jill Robinson) — Views, whale-watching, beach walks, walks in the rain forest. In the winter, tuck yourself up by the fireplace and watch the waves crash. Tofino, just up the road, is a charming artist’s community with excellent restaurants (I know this personally, from a getaway a couple of years ago!). This place looks wonderful, and it’s pet-friendly too.

Cox Bay, on the west coast of Vancouver Island

Two nights, breakfast and dinner at the Hotel Monteleone, in New Orleans’ French Quarter (from A Traveler’s Library) — We almost stayed here earlier this year, but ended up not going to that particular conference. I was thrilled to death about the hotel’s location (on Royal Street, between Iberville and Bienville), historic charm, and revolving bar (an enchanting creation from the 1940’s, and home to a delectable Sazerac), and you will be too. Chloe was going to come with us, of course, since the hotel is pet-friendly.

There are other prizes on the list that I dream about (26 days on the Silk Road! 21 days in the Nepali Himalayas!), but these are the ones that would thrill both me and Chloe. I’ve positioned my 10 bids carefully this year, and I’m holding my cards close to my chest (I never win, mind you — except that I always win, because a school, a village, and two libraries have been built for people who desperately needed them). Please consider joining me — as a friend said, describing it to her Facebook buddies, “It’s the perfect combination of gambling and charity.”

Reader’s report: Ft. Lauderdale and Sarasota with Molly the Papillon

Reader Jen kindly wrote to tell me about her Thanksgiving trip to Florida with Molly, her 5-lb. Papillon:

“We traveled around the state to visit family on both sides of the state. While we were in Sarasota, we stayed at Sara Sea on Siesta Key, a Tropical Beach Resorts property. They charge a $50 pet fee. They also have rules about where you can walk your dog around the property, but overall they were very dog-friendly. It was just steps from the beach.

While we were in Ft. Lauderdale, we took a boat tour with Molly. They had no problem allowing her on the boat, but they did inform me that dog life vests are not available on the boat. We enjoyed the ride, but I should warn folks that the boat passes under 2 draw bridges which are very loud if you have the misfortune of a vehicle passing overhead when the boat is underneath the bridge.

We had lunch beachside on the outdoor patio with Molly at Aruba’s in Ft. Lauderdale. The patio is crowded and I kept Molly on my lap for most of the lunch because I was afraid she would get stepped on. We also had crabs at our favorite crab house, Ozzie’s. They let us sit outside on the porch with Molly.”

Molly is small enough to fit in the small Bergan carrier, and Jen sent this picture of Molly settled in under a seat on her Allegiant flight:

How well I know how hard it is to get a clear view of your pup at your feet, past your own knees!

The small Bergan carrier is 17Lx8Wx11.5H, which is plenty of room for a 5-lb. Papillon. (I reviewed the large size in 2009 and liked its features, but thought it’d be too big for in-cabin use and too flimsy for repeated use — only to hear later from reader Kristin that it worked well for her and pup Tater.)

Thanks so much, Jen and Molly! I love hearing details about a trip — what particular hotels and restaurants and activities really worked out — and I know other readers will also appreciate seeing what a pup who fits comfortably in her carrier looks like.

Reader’s report: Flying on Frontier with Nico, SoCal dog beaches, and the San Diego airport pet relief area

You’ve met Nico the Rat Terrier before, back in October 2011, when I posted a picture of her at the Snoqualmie Falls, just east of Seattle. Reader Lenox continues to travel with her, and her latest report is about a trip from Denver to San Diego on Frontier Airlines. I’m particularly grateful to Lenox because we never fly on Frontier, and because she included a photo of the pet relief area at the San Diego airport — when I wrote about it in 2009, I was such a new blogger that I didn’t think to take a photo, and I haven’t been back since.

Flying on Frontier

Lenox bought a large SturdiBag for Nico, and first used it back in Summer 2011. She reports that their “experience flying from Denver to San Diego on Frontier was wonderful. We were even allowed to put her carrier (with her in it of course) on the seat between us. Some airlines require that you keep the carrier under the seat at all times, but as there was no other passenger sharing the row of seats with us, we kept her in between us, which really relaxed her.”

Rescue Remedy a help

On Nico’s first flight, she was a pretty anxious dog (panting heavily, and shaking, though she never whined or barked). On this trip, Lenox tried Rescue Pet Remedy, and “[i]t worked great for Nico — better than the prescription L–tryptophan (may have been Pro-Quiet) that our vet gave us the first time we flew with her.”

Southern California dog beaches

Lenox attached a picture of Nico at the dog beach in Del Mar, CA, and also recommends the Dog Beach at Ocean Beach in southern San Diego and Dog Beach in Coronado.

It’s dark and bucketing down rain in Seattle right now — this picture of Nico and the Del Mar beach looks like heaven to me

Pet relief area at San Diego International Airport (SAN)

I flew out of the San Diego International Airport (Terminal 1) on the very first flight I took with Chloe, bringing her home from her breeder. I knew enough to find the pet relief area, but not enough to take a picture of it. Here’s what I wrote: “We were at SAN in January 2009, and its pet relief area is the nicest we’ve been to so far. It is easy to locate, between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and not too far away. It is fenced, but does not have a gate. There is a bench for humans and grass (or excellent imitation grass) for the dogs. There is a trash can and a roll of bags. It is quite remarkably pleasant, and I wish there were more pet relief areas like it.” The airport map doesn’t call out the pet relief area, but here it is, thanks to Google Maps:

I’d be lost without my Skitch app — the arrow points to the pet relief area.

And here’s what it looks like in Google Maps’ street view:

That the walkway from Terminal 1 above the pet relief area, and you can see the corner of Terminal 2 to the left

That’s the walkway from Terminal 1 above the pet relief area, and you can see the corner of Terminal 2 to the left

Lenox kindly included a picture of Nico checking out the pet relief area:

I’m happy to see that the foliage around the edges has indeed grown up, and that they’ve kept the grass that puppy Chloe liked so much.

Thanks so much, Lenox, for the news about traveling on Frontier, calming an anxious flyer, and finding the best dog-friendly beaches in the San Diego area! And with your input, I’ve updated the entry for SAN in Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.