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The 150 miles of Highway 395 between Topaz and Bishop (also known as the Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway) ranks right up there with coastal Highway 1 as California's most scenic drive. You'll have trouble keeping Rover's head inside the window and your eyes on the asphalt as you travel this gorgeous route tracing the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada. Pick a side road, almost any side road, and you and your four-legged friend will find yourselves surrounded by rugged canyons, granite peaks, rushing streams and vast displays of aspens, cottonwoods and willows that paint the landscape in yellows, oranges and reds for a few short weeks each autumn. More…
On your next full day in the Eastern Sierra, take a leaf-peeping excursion in the vicinity of Conway Summit, Virginia Lakes or Lundy Canyon, where you'll be rewarded with sweeping views and, if you hit it right, carpets of color that will take your breath away. If you're a hiker, dog-friendly Virginia Lakes Resort offers myriad options right out the door. This popular cabin resort on the shores of Little Virginia Lake is at the center of a web of trails leading to 10 lakes within a mile, five of them less than a 30-minute walk away. RV travelers with pets get a super-friendly reception and lots of advice on where to spot fall color at the Meadowcliff Lodge & RV Resort at the base of Centennial Bluffs, an impressive geological formation on the west side of Highway 395 just south of Coleville. Just passing through? The Robinson Creek Trail to Barney Lake is one of several paths that will transport you into the spectacular granite realm of the Hoover Wilderness, which shares a border with Yosemite National Park. It's OK for your dog to be off-leash here and on other national forest trails so long as she's under voice control.
The town of Lee Vining might be small, but it sits at the nexus of an area rich in opportunities for hiking, fishing, photography and bird-watching, which is at its peak in fall. The spic-'n'-span Murphey's Motel caters to explorers with dogs in tow. Nearby Mono Lake is unique for its otherworldly tufa towers. Leashed pets can accompany you anywhere in the National Forest Scenic Area, but not on boardwalks in the area designated as a county park. To avoid confusion, check at the visitor center to find out which trails are legally dog-friendly.
The Mammoth Lakes area is the most developed part of the Eastern Sierra, with amenities and services to accommodate everyone from luxury-seekers to campers and, of course, DogTrekkers. The area is loaded with dog-friendly lodging establishments, and while we can't vouch for them all, we do have our favorites. Tamarack Lodge, a classic log skier's retreat dating to 1924, has a cozy lobby where guests gather in the evenings, an acclaimed restaurant and comfy cabins where uprights are allowed to stay overnight with their four-legged masters. At the classy Westin Monache, canine visitors are treated with miniature "Heavenly Beds," food and water bowls, and lots of recommendations for dog-friendly places to go and things to do in the area. At Edelweiss Lodge, spayed or neutered dogs are welcomed with a basket containing treats, bowls for food and water, pick-up bags, sheets to protect furniture and temporary local tags. Prefer a vacation home rental? Beautiful Snowcreek Resort offers many pet-friendly choices. Regardless of where you hang your leash, the Mammoth Lakes area is a leaf-peeper's paradise webbed with dog-friendly national forest trails that you're welcome to explore leash-free. Leash laws are in effect at Devil's Postpile National Monument, but don't let that stop you from exploring this awesome formation of polygonal basalt columns and 100-foot-high Rainbow Falls during the mid-June to mid-October season. Another sure bet for knock-your-socks-off color is crystal-clear Convict Lake, an achingly beautiful cirque of blue rimmed by aspens and surrounded by towering granite peaks that make it one of the most photographed fall color spots in the Eastern Sierra. You can walk the mostly-flat perimeter trail with Rover any time, but if you book a pet-friendly cabin at Convict Lake Resort, you'll wake up to find yourself in a pink-and-gold wonderland.
Other places you don't want to miss include McGee Creek Canyon, where the color during peak season gets intense about a mile from the road; and Hot Creek, a thermal stream with pools popular—if not necessarily safe—for soaking. Fido can look, but don't let him get into hot water. |
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In addition to this informative and useful newsletter, the DogTrekker staff of writers, researchers and research pups have worked hard since our April launch of DogTrekker.com to bring you informative and engaging stories about places to go and things to do with your dog, along with a wealth of localized and accurate listings by region in Northern California. We thank the thousands of you who have used the site to find dog-passionate lodging, restaurants, hiking, splash sites and activities. Thanks, too, to those of you who have spread the word about DogTrekker.com, the website, to friends and family through Facebook, clubs and meet-up groups, rescue organizations, in person and on the trail. We also appreciate the very positive feedback that you’ve provided us at the many events attended by DogTrekker staff this summer. In the past five months, we have increased our listings on DogTrekker.com 100-fold; added many of your road-tested, dog-friendly suggestions; partnered with veteran dog-travel writers for additional story and location ideas; added hundreds of dog-friendly events throughout NorCal; and vetted via personal experience (tough job, but someone has to do it) or direct contact the accuracy of the content we are providing. We have also listed and described the work of more than 140 rescue organizations, searchable by breed or area, with dozens of stories about the heroes who save thousands of our four-legged friends a year. Even though summer is over, the next several months are really “best of show” when it comes to dog-friendly travel. The weather is terrific, crowds are lighter and prices are often lighter, too. We have an exciting line-up of fun places to go and great things to do with your dog coming up over the next several months of newsletters and at DogTrekker.com
Glad to have you trekking with us, Earlier this month, for the first time in its history, San Francisco Animal Care and Control, the city shelter, announced that it was so overwhelmed with surrendered dogs it wouldn't be taking any more until it had more space. (To its credit, it also responded by dropping adoption fees rather than simply upping the euthanasia rate.)
The economy is taking a dire toll on families, and unprecedented numbers of dogs are ending up in shelters and rescues as a result. All too often, abandonment is the result of the dog developing a medical issue and the financially strapped owner being told that the only option for treatment, when one exists at all, is surrendering the dog. When the dog has otherwise been well cared for and the family is otherwise happy together, this is a huge lose-lose-lose. It's a lose for the humans who have their hearts broken, it's a lose for the shelter or rescue that has scarce resources taken up for a dog who might otherwise be able to stay home. And it's especially a lose for the dog in the all too common situation where shelter personnel decide he's prohibitively expensive to treat and euthanize him instead. Recognizing this situation, two local organizations recently have been formed to help keep dogs with their families by providing veterinary services to those who need them, regardless of finances. In San Francisco, the San Francisco Veterinary Medical Association just launched San Francisco Aid for Animals, which is holding its first gala fundraiser Saturday Sept. 17 at the a.Muse gallery in San Francisco. Enjoy chocolate, wine and cheese, and know you're making a life-and-death difference to a dog in need. Meanwhile, in the East Bay, the PAW Fund will be holding a free vaccination clinic at Trinity Methodist Church in Berkeley, also on Saturday. In its few months of existence, this dedicated group of volunteers and its partners has hosted vaccination clinics and provided everything from flea treatment to major surgery to dogs who otherwise faced a grim future. They can use help in all forms, from volunteers to donated vehicles, so please pitch in if you can!
Thanks to San Francisco Aid for Animals, Riot, shown here with his dad Peter, received lifesaving surgery and is now back with his family. Photo Credits: "Eastern Sierra Fall Color" - DSilva (CC) |
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This email was sent by: DogTrekker, PO Box 151289 San Rafael, CA, 94915, US |
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