It's a Doggy Dog World

A Quick Guide To A Dog-Friendly Wine Tour in Central California:

On our last trip out of town, we put our trust in the hands of a dog lover to take care of Oreo, our "princess" shih tzu. But as much as we enjoyed the freedom of a worry-free weekend, we came home to the look of WTF?! on our princess' face. Determined to make it up to her, we decided to take Oreo on vacation with us this past weekend on a dog-friendly wine country tour of California's central coast.

The next time you think about dropping Rover off to the neighborhood pet hotel, save your shiny penny, pack up the leash, and hit the road!

Solvang, CA in the Santa Ynez Valley is popularly known for its Danish architecture and food. But perhaps one thing they're not uproariously famous for are its dog-friendly businesses. One winery in particular who opened their doggy doors for our four-legged friends is Carivintas Winery. Located in the city's center, Carivintas prides itself on being the most pet-friendly business in town. Artwork on the walls and on each bottle of wine abounds as a portion of the profits from the sales of these are donated to charitable organizations that are affiliated with helping pups such as the Best Friends Animal Society, Return to Freedom and other animal shelters.

Solvang's got tons of families, kids, and dogs running around this small town. It's a great place to walk your dog.

Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, a staple in Los Olivos (another town that makes up the Santa Ynez Valley), has a green lawn that is perfect for pups big and small to pounce in butterfly-colored skies amidst sprawled picnic blankets filled from hipsters to families from all necks of the woods. Fess Parker has an amazing tasting room filled with take-home goodies in their general store. But to get a majestic experience, try the outdoor tasting room where you are greeted to your own patio table on 15 acres of green grass. You can go back-and-forth between chasing your pup around and filling your wine glass with a new pairing to tempt your palette.

Finding a hotel room that allows pups can be as hard as finding a hotel room that is wheelchair accessible. I know that I just equated my pup to wheelchair accessibility but altogether they're BOTH delicate subjects - so just go with it will ya!?

You will find a handful of pet friendly hotels along your trip through the wine country, most of which you will be able to find on www.petswelcome.com. It's a great tool when looking for pup accommodations.

But one thing about the central California coast is that you will come across rows and rows of motels or motor-friendly beds and breakfasts. When hotels are hard to come by, especially on a holiday weekend such as ours, just sneak your canine into your hotel room! It's as simple as that. Even though hotels/motels "say" they don't allow pets, what kind of establishment wouldn't allow something cute and furry to spend the night. Words of advise: it's key that your pup isn't much of a barker and it also helps if its under 25 lbs. Sorry Mr. Mastiff, you're such a brute but unfortunately it's gonna be a hard time to find you a bed in these here parts.

California is known for dining al fresco - so why shouldn't Oreo be able to dine outdoors? It helps if restaurants express they're acceptance of your furry monster, like this restaurant off the 101 Highway in Summerland, CA. Summerland Beach Cafe is the perfect place to bring your pup for brunch. They have a separate VIP entrance (it's actually a side door leading into the patio where other pups sit comfortably under their owners' tables). 

Oreo was greeted to a cold bowl of water and a puppy treat that kept her busy for about a good minute.

The "human" food was amazing and had the fixin's of a completely grand meal! I recommend the Ann Graham's Cracker Omelette: 3 eggs whipped into a frenzy filled with ham, swiss cheese, chopped tomatoes, english muffin, house seasoned potatoes and fruit. Delicious!

So the next time you find yourself with the question: What do we do with Rover?! - Bring him along! For the most part, you'll be met with establishments that happily accept them as much as they accept YOU (maybe even more so for some).

Carivintas Winery - 476 1st Street, Solvang, CA 93463 (805) 693-4331

Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard - 6200 Foxen Canyon Road, Solvang, CA 93463

Summerland Beach Cafe - 2294 Lillie Ave., Summerland, CA 93067