We thought that seeing this Solano County town in the No. 4 slot on the Dog Fancy list would elicit yowls of surprise. Yet behind all those happily wagging tails in Benicia is a community of dog lovers who worked hard to create amenities such as Phenix Community Dog Park, and a pair of leash-free beaches on the Carquinez Strait at the edge of downtown.
Many shops and restaurants along First Street, the main drag, welcome wet noses at their sidewalk tables. “You can get anything from pizza to filet mignon with your dog by your side,” says Canine Coalition founder Gretchen Burgess. Favorite meet-up spots include the dog-friendly Union Hotel and the eclectic First Street Café. Work up a pant by hiking the San Francisco Bay Trail along the coast, or trek from the dog park up to city-owned Lake Herman.
