This is it, the holy grail of DogTrekking accommodations. Visitors arrive in Carmel-by-the-Sea from all points of the country and beyond to enjoy a stay at the Cypress Inn, where film star and animal lover Doris Day pioneered the concept of catering to pets.
Your ear-to-ear grin will communicate as much pleasure as your dog's thumping tail when you enjoy cocktail hour in the lounge—one arm around your pooch, the other holding a glass of bubbly—with other like-minded travelers. Pets are allowed throughout the landmark, Mediterranean-style property dating to 1929 and dripping with period ambiance. Breakfast and evening appetizers are served in a lovely interior courtyard, and more dog-friendly restaurants than you can count on four paws are located within blocks. And then there's that mile-long, powder-white Carmel Beach, where dogs can run free while their people succumb to scenic overload.
Many of Carmel’s dog-friendly restaurants (Basil and Forge in the Forest to name just two) offer heated and covered patio seating even on the dreariest days of winter. If you’re flush with love (and cash), you won’t find a better Valentine-season retreat for the dog-lover in your life.
Photo: "Best Friends, Carmel Beach" – Vicki & Chuck Rogers
