Get wet at a Monterey County splash spot

For many visitors with dogs, the primary reason to visit the Monterey Peninsula is to share your dog’s joy in running free on Carmel City Beach, a powdery, mile-long strand that is perhaps the best known leash-free beach in the country. It’s a short drive from Cannery Row and walking distance from stylish Carmel-by-the-Sea with its wealth of dog-friendly lodging and places to eat. Come in early morning to meet the locals, at dusk to enjoy the sunset. Read more.

Lots to do on dog-friendly Cannery Row

“Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.” So wrote John Steinbeck in his famous 1945 novel. “The Row” gets its name from a string of long-defunct sardine-canning factories, some of which have been converted into dog-friendly restaurants and hotels. Read more.

Soak up some coastal scenery in Monterey County

The most abiding joy to be had on the Monterey Peninsula is simply enjoying the rugged coastal scenery, and there’s no better way to soak it up than on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. This paved, multi-use path stretches 18 miles from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south. To get started, we suggest strolling the segment between Cannery Row and Asilomar State Beach, which will take about an hour at a moderate walking pace. Read more.

Carmel City Beach, Monterey County

• Carmel City Beach, Monterey County. Blue-ribbon honors go to city-owned Carmel Beach, a powdery, mile-long strand that is perhaps the best-known leash-free dog beach in the country. A plus: it’s walking distance from fashionable Carmel-by-the-Sea, with its wealth of dog-friendly lodging and places to eat. Read more.

Monterey Bay Labrador Retriever Rescue 2018

Maya, DogTrekker's Director of Barketing™, says: "It's been a busy year for me since last spring, what with all the new responsibilities I've taken on here at the office and settling in with Rox and Dave. Things are pretty sweet for me now—which is a big relief. Like many dogs of Carmel, I had a pretty great life back in the day. Then my owner died, and it all fell apart. It was a scary time I don't like to think about too much, but luckily for me, Monterey Bay Labrador Retriever Rescue took me in." Read more.