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Pet relief area at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — T2

The last time I flew in to San Francisco on Virgin America, the airline was based in SFO’s International Terminal, so I reported on how to find the pet relief area located between the International Terminal and Terminal 1. Since then, Virgin America has shifted operations to Terminal 2 (or “T2”), so I had a whole new pet relief area to look for. (There are three, total, at SFO — still on my list is the last one, between Terminal 3 and the Main Hall.)

I started with the SFO website, specifically the SFO airport map (look at the interactive map and click on “services” and “Animal Relief Areas”), which states that there’s a pet relief area in “Courtyard 3 of Terminal 2, Arrivals/Baggage Claim Area, pre-security.” Much good that’ll do me, I scoffed, remembering how I’d never seen a sign to “Courtyard 1” when I was looking for the International Terminal’s pet relief area — but sure enough, as I walked to the terminal from the concourse, there was a sign pointing me to Courtyard 3:

No pet relief area sign at this point -- you have to know that you're looking for Courtyard 3, but this is still a big improvement over the International Terminal

And when I arrived on the lower level, I found signs for the “Animal Relief Area”:

You’ll see two of these signs near Carousel 1. Follow either of them and exit the terminal. You’ll immediately see painted paw prints on the ground, which lead you to the pet relief area:

You can see the white paw prints in the foreground; they lead around to a gate on the far side, under the junction of those two big struts

It’s not a bad spot — it’s larger and more pleasant than the pet relief area near the International Terminal, and when those vines on the fence get going, it’ll be more pleasant still.

On the positive side: There are poop bags and a trash can; there is a water bowl and a hose to fill it; it’s fully fenced; and despite all this verbiage, it’s close to the terminal and easy to find.

On the negative side: There is no bench, so you have to juggle your dog and her carrier and your luggage; it is grass-less, and there is no grass alternative nearby; and while gravel is a workable alternative for some dogs, only half of this area is gravel. The rest is concrete, which I find a surprising and unwelcome choice. Chloe, an obladi-oblada kind of dog, doesn’t mind concrete, but a lot of dogs do.

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.

Chloe’s Clicks: This week’s best dog travel links

This has been an outstanding couple of weeks for dog travel links. Leading the pack is the Take Paws team, which wrote a bunch of great posts, but I want to highlight their post about U.S. national parks (so often not terribly dog-friendly) and national forests (overlooked, but beautiful and more welcoming to dogs) and their post about visiting several dog-friendly Russian River wineries.

Sticking with the West Coast, check out this post from Young Hollywood listing eight dog-friendly places to eat in Los Angeles. An article you can’t check out online, alas, unless you’re an L.A. Times subscriber, appeared on page L8 of the June 19 edition of the Times and was sent to me by alert reader Tony: Author Rosemary McClure visited dog-friendly B&Bs in Julian (Tucker Peak Lodge), Dana Point (Blue Lantern Inn), Desert Hot Springs (Dog Spa Resort & Wellness Center), Santa Barbara (Old Yacht Club Inn), and Paso Robles (Christopher Joyce Vineyard & Inn). Every place she described sounds tempting — I’ll likely start with the Old Yacht Club Inn, because I’m overdue for a visit to beautiful Santa Barbara. [In fact, I’m wrong — you can read the article, and here it is. Thanks so much, Rosemary!]

Food trucks are the happening places to eat in Seattle and Portland — and Vancouver too, according to a recent article in The Vancouver Sun. On my recent visit, I didn’t get a chance to visit any of the trucks profiled by author Mia Stainsby, but a food-loving friend praises Re-Up BBQ — and food trucks are the perfect solution for visitors with dogs.

Changing coasts, check out this post from City’s Best (Philadelphia) about five dog-friendly restaurants in Philadelphia, and a post from Nazareth Patch about five dog-friendly parks in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area of Pennsylvania/New Jersey. If you’re traveling to Philly, you’ll want to read this week’s post from Montecristo Travels about the pet relief areas at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

Speaking of plane travel, here’s a post from HuffPost Travel about the flight Finney, the author’s new dog, took on the pets-only Pet Airways. I’ve been intrigued by Pet Airways since it began operations, so I was keenly interested to see what a flight looks like, in pictures.

I love these two last links. The first is from my friend Jennie’s blog, called Two Little Gits (she adores her Papillons, but is refreshingly acerbic about their misdemeanors) — her post about camping with Bo and Tip at Cape Henlopen State Park, in Lewes, Delaware, is full of good tips about camping with small dogs, about the town of Lewes, and about protecting your dogs from ill-behaved children. The last link is from Travels with Ace, and describes the author’s visit, with Ace, to a minor-league baseball game. Both major- and minor-league teams are hosting dog-friendly baseball games — this one, between the Greensboro Grasshoppers and the West Virginia Power, sounds like a perfect summer evening: “Minor League baseball, particularly on dog nights, offers a sense of community — something that seems to be fading away in America.” Even if you’re not a baseball fan, the pictures in this post are not to be missed.

Photo Friday: Emma at the beach in Maine

Reader Jane sent me this photo of her dog Emma at the ocean’s edge in Maine, about a month ago: “Emma made a beeline for the ocean waves when she realized the yard we were in headed down to the beach.” I love the dog’s-eye view, and I love how fearless Emma is:

Also, I should add that I thoroughly approve of the leash -- small dogs and strong ocean waves/currents are not a good combination

I’d love to see how you and your pup spent your time together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!

The Gulpy dog water bottle: Redesigned, now in two sizes

I have loved Chloe’s Gulpy water bottle since we bought our first one over two years ago. As I said when I first reviewed it, it’s a simple product that does its job really well. The only feature I didn’t like was its plastic clip, meant to be hooked over a waistband. I also wished, in a mild way, that the bottle could be stood solidly on its base, rather than teetering on the rounded end of the water dish lid.

Those issues aside, though, the Gulpy was great, and when it seemed like they were getting to be hard to find — oh, about a year ago — I bought a second one, just in case I lost or broke my first one. I also considered my alternatives. I reviewed the Pet-Top water bottle adapter (insuperable reservations), the Pet2O water bottle adapter (grave reservations), and the H2O4K9 water bottles for large and small dogs (reservations). I should mention that I bought all of the dog water bottle products mentioned in this post — I will always let you know when a product I’m reviewing has been paid for or provided by someone else.

Of the lot, the small H2O4K9 bottle was most promising, once the flimsy carabiner it came with was replaced with a sturdier alternative: Chloe happily drinks out of its lid (she was a little fearful of the deeper, high-sided lid of the bigger H2O4K9 bottle), I preferred the H2O4K9’s carabiner to the Gulpy’s waistband clip, and I liked the flat bottom on the H2O4K9 bottle.

However, it takes only one hand to dispense water to your dog from the Gulpy bottle — and that feature alone is enough to make me a devoted fan. The Gulpy also has the advantage of being shareable — there’s a spatial separation between the dish lid and the neck of the water bottle, so the fact that your dog has drunk from the dish lid doesn’t prevent you from drinking from the bottle.

I was happy, therefore, to see that the Gulpy is now readily available again, and now it comes in two sizes — the original 20 oz. bottle, and a small 10 oz. bottle. I was also happy to see that it’s been redesigned slightly: While it still has the plastic waistband clip, it also has a large hole on its top end, through which a carabiner could be clipped (the carabiner isn’t provided, but they’re pretty easy to find — and the hole is big enough that any size carabiner will work).

Its only remaining flaw is its rounded bottom, which makes it a bit tippy in a cup holder, and prevents it from standing upright on a flat surface. An H2O4K9 devotee would also point out that the Gulpy isn’t easy to clean. Neither issue is a deal-breaker for me, and indeed, after two years of use, Chloe’s original Gulpy bottle is still clear and sweet-smelling. We just don’t leave water standing in it, and we slosh suds around the inside every so often.

Amazon links:
Gulpy Water Dispenser (20 oz.)
Gulpy Jr. Water Dispenser (10 oz.)

Vancouver, B.C. dog-friendly hotel: L’Hermitage Hotel

As I mentioned last week, Chloe and I stayed at L’Hermitage Hotel on our recent trip to Vancouver, B.C. We could have stayed at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, located just across the street from the conference we were attending — how easy it would have been, and the views! Dear heaven, the views! Another blogger attending the same conference tweeted her delight at gazing over Coal Harbour from her vast and luxurious tub, and I’ll freely admit that I coveted.

However, I like to reward hotels that truly welcome pet dogs, and the Fairmont’s restraint (“Pet amenities (please contact concierge to arrange)”) simply couldn’t compare with L’Hermitage’s enthusiasm. The home page of L’Hermitage includes a button for “Canine Concierge,” which leads you to a page featuring Hippo, the hotel’s own French Bulldog, and an overview of the services available for visiting dog owners. It doesn’t include details like the pet fee ($25, plus taxes, per night) or any maximums (2 pets only, up to 40 lbs. each), but the attitude is positive. [Other pet policy details? Pet dogs must be leashed in the hotel, and may not join their owners in the business center, the pool area, the Robson terrace, or L’Orangerie (a breakfast room and guest lounge).] I should mention that I paid my own way at the L’Hermitage — I’ll always let you know when something I’m reviewing has been paid for by someone else.

Dogs are greeted warmly in person, too, not only by Hippo, who turns out to be an extremely attractive, a downright sexy male French Bulldog, but also by the doorman, the front desk staff (who learned Chloe’s name long before they learned mine), and the room service attendant. In what was surely an oversight, I never saw the “welcome amenity” (a “stylish Torres & Tagus doggie bowl with water and kibbles and a Lavish Leather Bed….plus, a special gift”), but I’m not devoted to welcome amenities and never missed it until I looked again at the hotel’s home page to write this post.

The hotel is located in central downtown Vancouver, on Richards, between Georgia and Robson. That puts it about equidistant between beautiful walks along Coal Harbour and beautiful walks along False Creek — as you know from my earlier post, we opted to walk south to False Creek. I don’t have a good grassy spot to recommend to you for early morning or late-night bathroom breaks, since Chloe hurried out to a patch of sidewalk on both occasions.

I thought I’d be traveling with my husband, so I opted to stay in a “one-bedroom boutique suite,” which had a small sitting room, a bedroom not much larger than the king-sized bed, a terrace with a couple of chairs overlooking the street, and an appealing bathroom. There were bathrobes and there was excellent water pressure. There was a Nespresso coffee maker and a mini-fridge. There was a fireplace — fake, to be sure, but still a great delight. My dinner from room service wasn’t divine, but it was perfectly acceptable.

The price for my low-end suite was $225, which seemed appropriate. The pictures on the web site are accurate — mine, from my actual room, look just about identical:

Chloe threw herself onto the sofa before I had a chance to deploy the sheet I carry to protect hotel/rental apartment sofas

The bedroom was tiny, but the sitting room provided all the space Chloe and I needed

I’d return happily to L’Hermitage on future trips to Vancouver. I’d probably choose, next time, to stay in a “boutique room,” rather than a baby suite — it would still have the fireplace, and if I’m traveling without my husband, I don’t need the separate sitting room for office space.

Photo Friday: Keeping your dog cool in the car

Chloe and I were driving home to Seattle from Vancouver this past Sunday, and I realized after a few miles that she was panting — although there’s an A/C vent for the right rear passenger seat, and the car was cool, she was still heating up in the sun. I pulled over and installed the sun shade I’d bought just for this purpose, long ago at Target:

Go, Diego, Goal! Notice how Chloe's snoozing, not sitting up and panting? I call this a win -- never mind that the shade itself will poke your eye out, it's so gaudy.

When you’re driving around this summer, keep an eye on your dog. Even in a cool car, if she’s in the sun, she may be uncomfortable.

This particular shade attaches with two big suction cups at the top, and two little ones at the bottom. I’m still looking for a sun shade that doesn’t attach with suction cups. These worked fine, but looked unreliable, and Chloe would jump out of her skin if the suction failed.

Did you and your dog travel anywhere together this week? I’d love to see your pictures — please post them on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page, so we can all enjoy them!

Dog jaunt: A walk around Vancouver’s Granville Island and False Creek

I arrived in Vancouver too late to go to the Saturday sessions of the travel bloggers’ conference I’d driven north for, so I dropped off our gear and Chloe and I headed out on foot. We were staying in the center of town, at the dog-friendly L’Hermitage Hotel, so we could have found interesting walks in almost any direction, but I chose to walk south on Richards to the George Wainborn Park (leashed dogs okay), then turned right and walked along the seawall to the Aquabus stop at the bottom of Hornby St.

Leashed dogs are welcome on the Aquabus ferries, the tiny, bathtub-toy boats that criss-cross False Creek, a big inlet separating downtown Vancouver from the Fairview neighborhood. I couldn’t get a picture of Chloe on the ferry, because it took less than a minute (and yet cost $3.25) to travel from the Hornby St. stop to Granville Island, but here’s a picture of a docked Aquabus vessel, with our dog-loving captain in the foreground:

This was taken standing on the dock on Granville Island, looking back at downtown Vancouver

The trip was brief, but the views were spectacular. If I’d had more cash (you pay the captain directly, so there’s no opportunity to use a credit card), I would have sprung for a mini-cruise. Instead, I decided, in a flush of enthusiasm, to walk home, all the way around False Creek.

Granville Island is a food-lover’s paradise, but since I was walking with Chloe (and had failed to bring her stealth bag with me), I couldn’t tie on a bib and dive into the Farmer’s Market. I wasn’t interested in a sit-down meal, so I didn’t research which restaurant patios tolerate dogs. Instead, we walked up and down the tiny streets and alleys, meeting other dogs and their owners, and peering in shop windows. Both of the stores I wanted to inspect more closely welcomed dogs — just ask before you step inside, to make sure.

I tore myself (and a new scarf) away from the painted silk place in Railspur Alley, turned left just before Railspur Park (here’s a map of Granville Island), turned right on Johnston St., and then left again into an alley that passes under and through the Emily Carr University building. That brought us to a group of houseboats, and a shoreline walk that we followed around the eastern end of Granville Island and the perimeter of False Creek.

View from the False Creek Promenade towards downtown Vancouver, over the eastern shoulder of Granville Island

The views were beautiful, and it was a delight to see how well-used, and well-loved, the False Creek Promenade is. The downside of its popularity is that you have to keep a sharp eye, and ear, out for bicyclists and skateboarders. This is no place for a Flexi leash — if you’ve got one, lock it at its shortest length.

All told, Chloe and I walked for about six miles. Romping wasn’t on our agenda, but if we’d had an excess of energy, there were a couple of locations along the Promenade where dogs are allowed off-leash. Both were in Charleson Park, located at the north end of Laurel St., and were well-signed:

The big meadow and a related area are always off-leash; the waterfall pond in between is apparently on-leash during the day, but off-leash otherwise. Also, hello? What? There are coyotes.

We walked past the Olympic Village, and past Science World, with its nifty geodesic dome. We walked by Creekside Park at the eastern end of False Creek, and then peeled off alongside Rogers Arena to return to our hotel. It was an excellent afternoon, but if you’d prefer a shorter jaunt, I suggest hopping back on the Aquabus at the Olympic Village and crossing over to Yaletown.

Readers’ report: Pet relief area at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Though we pass through Atlanta fairly frequently (and who doesn’t?), I’ve never had a long enough layover to check out the pet relief areas, so I was very grateful to get reports and pictures from two Dog Jaunt readers.

According to the airport’s web site, ATL has two pet relief areas: “[A] 1,000-square-foot dog park is located in the Ground Transportation area on Terminal South outside of doors W1 and W2. The fully fenced-in park offers biodegradable bags along with flowers, grass, rocks, benches and two original pieces of art. An additional pet area is located on the lower level of Terminal North outside door LN2 to the right of the building.” Here’s a map of the main terminal, showing doors W1, W2 and LN2. As you’ll see, a pet relief area is referred to outside door LN2, but the one on the west end of the terminal (the one both Dog Jaunt readers visited, it turns out) isn’t mentioned.

Reader Jenny says, “To get there, exit the passenger terminal SOUTH baggage claim. Walk across the street to the new Ground Transportation Center (follow signs: Skytrain to Rental Car Center). The new pet relief area is directly left and slightly behind the Ground Transportation Center entrance. I almost missed it.” Sharon reports, “If you follow the signs for the car rental monorail which is in a separate building from the terminal the pet relief area is to the left. There were no other dogs there at the time, so Chester, our 11 pound Havanese, was able to run around off leash before getting on the plane.”

The area is indeed fenced, and contains benches, a poop bag dispenser, trash cans, and two enormous dog sculptures:

Here’s a close-up of the more distant sculpture, because a picture of a Havanese will always improve your day:

Thank you, Jenny and Sharon! I’ve added this post to Dog Jaunt’s ongoing series of reviews of airport pet relief areas. To see others, visit Dog Jaunt’s handy guide to airport pet relief areas.

Chloe’s Clicks: This week’s best dog travel links

This week’s places-to-go clicks include a couple of posts about dog-friendly beaches (Global Animal provided their picks for the top 10 beaches around the U.S., while MyNorth.com focused on the dog-friendly beaches of Northern Michigan) and, from north of the border, several dog-friendly restaurant patios in Toronto. Two California links also caught my eye — Sonoma Pets has a list of Sonoma County restaurants that welcome dogs to their outdoor dining areas, with a shout-out to a couple of local dog-friendly wineries, and dogtipper.com outlined some fun (and tasty) options for folks visiting the central California coast with a dog.

Useful how-to clicks this week include a practical and helpful article from Carol and David of AnimalTourism.com about taking their two dogs — a combined 60 lbs. of lively, fun-loving Beagles — on a variety of modes of NYC-area transportation, including taxis, the subway, LIRR, and the Fire Island ferry. Meanwhile, Christie Keith wrote an excellent article for the San Francisco Chronicle about her recent cross-country road trip with her two dogs, focusing on the challenges of traveling with an older dog (Kyrie, her Borzoi, is 12 years old). And speaking of health issues, Travels with My Dog‘s Helen Asquine Fazio published a list of items she recommends for a traveling dog first aid kit — it’s a nice addition to her earlier post about travel first aid for dogs, which I praised to the skies about a year and a half ago (where — where — does the time go?).

Photo Friday: Chloe at Seattle’s Seward Park

Seward Park is a 300-acre thumb of land that pokes into Lake Washington just east of “mainland” Seattle and just north of Renton. It’s a wonderful playground, featuring a 2.4 mile biking and walking path around its edge and a web of forest trails — and when I say forest, I mean serious trees:

That’s what the interior of the park looks like. The path around the perimeter of the park has a whole different vibe — here’s a (darn it, blurry) picture of my husband and Chloe, with a view of Lake Washington and downtown Seattle in the background:

It’s an excellent afternoon’s jaunt: Moving without undue haste, we walked to the top of the peninsula along the “ring road,” then turned into the forest at the northern tip and worked our way back to the entrance, all in about an hour or so. Dogs are not allowed on the beaches, but they are allowed on the trails as long as they’re leashed. Here’s Chloe, reading the rules:

I’d love to see how you and your pup spent your time together this week — please post your photos on Dog Jaunt’s Facebook page so we can all see them!