The Dog Lover's Companion to California, by Maria Goodavage

The pithy commentaries are right on target in "The Dog Lover's Companion" series. These eight doggy guide books covering Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, California, Florida, New England, New York City, Seattle, and Washington D.C., were written with the tail-wagging participation of expert dog trippers including Joe Dog, George, Inu, Maggie Dog, Emma, Quinn, Bill, Nisha, and Chappy. What sets these excellent insider guide books apart is that the rating system for the parks, restaurants, and attractions included is based upon criteria important to dogs-as interpreted, of course, by their human co-authors. (Click here for the Four-Paw Bio page.)

In The Dog Lover's Companion to California, Maria Goodavage uses a single fire hydrant to identify those parks only worth a quick pit stop. Four paw prints is the highest rating-a quality place for dogs and their human companions. Joe Dog also bestows accolades on certain restaurants and inns that provide extra levels of dog-friendliness with the "Golden Bone Awards." All of the Golden Bone recipients provide dogs with some form of a treat, ranging from dog biscuits to custom-ordered cooked burgers. The guide is organized by county and provides overview information as well as specific recommendations for the best places to take a walk, stay overnight, and eat delicious meals.

There are plenty of maps, good directions, and tips for keeping canine friends healthy and well while on the road. The Dog Lover's Companion to California is nearly 900 pages long, and one can only be amazed at the stamina and high standards of Joe Dog, the canine consultant who visited and reviewed all the venues described. Marvin the Road Dog has visited a number of the establishments included in "The Dog Lover's Companion" series, and he gives a definite "tail up" to the descriptions and reviews.

Mark
1/03

This comprehensive guide book lists 5200 hotels and motels in 48 states that advertise themselves as being " pet-friendly." Concise listings provide contact information, (phone, URL, address, etc.) together with a brief description of the motel's amenities. It passes the RTA test in that it includes one of our favorite dog-friendly lodges,the Stanford Inn on California's north coast.

What sets Fodor's Road Guide USA apart from similar motel/hotel handbooks is the seventeen articles featuring some really wonderful discoveries for travelers with four-legged companions, like San Francisco's "Beastro by the Bay" that sells breed-specific merchandise for just about every type of dog known. Other highlights include Lilly the concierge dog who greets all pets checking into the Monaco Hotel in Denver and a Boston day spa for dogs that features charter bus service for canine critters wishing to stop in for a treat or massage.

This is a useful and well-organized guidebook--one that RoadTrip America highly recommends.

Mark
5/02