Dog-Friendly Day Trips near Los Angeles
It dawned on me recently how much of Los Angeles I get to see as a professional pet care provider. I do a lot of driving, navigating between households and various places to entertain my fur baby besties. Southern California has fantastic weather, beautiful landscapes, and a wide range of pet friendly destinations. Pet owners often ask me for pet friendly road trip suggestions, so I thought I’d compile a short list of my favorite places to spend quality time with my fur pals. Tis the season for family fun and travel, so gas up and enjoy the ride! Always remember, safety first ❤︎
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Huntington Beach
Named one of the top dog-friendly cities in California by Dog Fancy Magazine, Huntington Beach, also known as Surf City USA®, has much to offer humans and their beloved furbabies. With pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, beaches, and parks, visiting Huntington Beach is an excellent way for the whole family to spend the day.
A dog beach, dog surfing competition and dog-friendly amenities including outstanding veterinary care make Huntington Beach the ideal place to bring dogs of all ages, as long as they are comfortable around potential crowds and unfamiliar dogs.
You may recognize Huntington Beach as the site of Corgi Beach Day. Corgi Beach Day is an annual family-friendly festival celebrating corgis and their many fans. According to So Cal Corgi Nation, Corgi Beach Day is the biggest breed-specific event in the world. The event was founded in October 2012 with just 15 corgis and rapidly grew to over 1200+ corgis and, unsurprisingly, thousands of human attendees plus international media coverage.
Plan the perfect Huntington Beach visit with your dog using this outstanding pet-friendly itinerary by the Huntington Beach Visitor Center as inspo.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a must-visit California landmark, but it’s not just for couples and special occasions. Santa Barbara is another exceptional dog-friendly day trip from Los Angeles, especially this time of year.
Santa Barbara gives Huntington Beach a run for its doggie with pet-friendly beaches, nature trails and preserves, beautiful parks, boutique hotels, and epic eateries.
Social dogs comfortable hanging around strangers will be thrilled to explore shops, wineries, and breweries in and around town. While visiting, check out The Brewhouse and their dog-specific menu, which, we hear includes steak bites, chicken strips, and frozen marrow bones. Whoa.
When planning your day trip, reference this fantastic dog-friendly Santa Barbara itinerary and travel guide and start calling for reservations. I highly doubt you’ll be the only dog lover making a trek to Santa Barbara this spring.
Temecula Valley
Temecula is located in southwestern Riverside County. According to Wikipedia, the city is “a "tourist and resort destination, with the Temecula Valley Wine Country, Old Town Temecula, the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, the Temecula Valley International Film Festival, championship golf courses, and resort accommodations contributing to the city's economic profile.”
Under 90 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Temecula makes for a perfect day trip or a weekend getaway - with and without dogs.
BringFido.com lists almost fifty dog-friendly restaurants in Temecula, so your dog will want to tag along. BringFido’s fourteen dog-friendly Temecula activities include Redhawk Community Park and JC Pooch Park in nearby Winchester. Lake Skinner Recreation Area, also in Winchester, is well-loved on TripAdvisor, even if there is a $6 per person fee to explore the area.
Most people stop in Temecula to visit their world-famous wineries. The top three rated wineries in Temecula on BringFido.com are Oak Mountain Winery, Miramonte Winery, and Hart Winery. Each offers guests and their dogs an enthusiastic welcome, dog-friendly events like Oak Mountain Winery’s doggy date nights, and more. Between the dog-loving staff, beautiful views, dog-related wine names, and dog-specific menus, you can be sure you and your family, dogs included, will feel at home in and around Temecula.
To learn more about Temecula’s dog-friendly wineries, check out this article by WanderingOurWorld.com.
Safety First
When driving with your pet, ensure you have a backup plan and a car first aid kit in case of an emergency. Pack extra supplies in case your car breaks down or you need to unexpectedly extend your time away. Following a list of car safety tips that have your pet in mind can be the difference between an amazing travel experience and an unfortunate disaster. Take a screenshot of this comprehensive infographic created by Pet Sitter’s International and use it as a quick reference guide.
Dog-Free Travel
Can’t take your dog?
Furbaby Bestie has you and your dog(s) covered!
Sometimes, dogs must remain home even when destinations offer outstanding pet-friendly options. Many travelers plan so much into their days that dogs can’t keep up. Others plan to attend social events like weddings and parties where dogs are not welcome, forcing them to spend too much time alone in a hotel room.
No matter the reason, when your pet can’t join in a day trip or extended travel, I’m here for you (and them.) Furbaby Bestie’s in-home pet care options are flexible, personalized, and top-notch. I’ll ensure your pet is so comfortable at home, they won’t know what they’re missing.
All the bestie, Steph
P.S. - Is there a dog-friendly destination that you love and not featured on this list? Tell me about it on Facebook! Sharing is caring!
