Dog Days of Summer

As previously mentioned in my post about Tybee Island, which you can revisit here, I'm not all that impressed with the dog-related offerings at what is otherwise a lovely and convenient beach spot. So, the other day, when John and I decided that in exchange for moving to a place where 110 degrees passes for NORMAL, we deserved some beach time, we decided to pass on Tybee and make the drive out to Hilton Head.


Hilton Head is about 30 minutes from Savannah and the drive out there is almost as beautiful as the final destination itself. We decided to go later in the day to beat the crowds and the heat, however once we got there, we quickly realized that we didn't succeed in either.

Coligny Beach

But despite the crowds and the sensation that we were walking on the burning surface of the moon, it was a fantastic trip and we can't wait to get back.


One of the main reasons that the trip was so great, is, of course, this:

Barksdale loves, loves, LOVES, the beach!

This dog loves to dig in the sand, run in the water, and basically put on a show for whoever is close enough to see him prance around like a total maniac. Hilton Head turned out to be the perfect beach spot for all of this.

Dogs are allowed on the beaches before 9am and after 5pm, which is fine seeing as it's too hot to take them out there during the day anyway.  Coligny Beach, was close to loads of parking and and had great restrooms, changing areas, showers, and benches. The ocean was the perfect temperature and we only saw a handful of other dogs on the beach with us (but this may be because we were there on a Monday night).

Coligny Beach is also close to plenty of shopping and restaurants, most of which is super dog-friendly. So after our escapade in the sand, the three of us went to dinner at a place called Skillet's Cafe, located Coligny Plaza. While the human food left quite a bit to be desired, the place offers a doggie menu (i'm not kidding), so BD got to enjoy Tailwagging Turkey and a dish of ice water. Safe to say, he was in heaven.

All in all, it was a short visit out to Hilton Head, but we will most certainly be back as soon as we are able. I'm not sure which of the three of us enjoyed the trip the most, although, judging by the silence coming from the backseat of the car on the drive home, I'd put my money on you-know-who.

Dogs in Raccoonland

Whenever we are asked "what kind of dog is that?" John and I usually look at each other and non-verbally decide which one of us will answer before rattling off a list of breeds that we think may have contributed in part to the wonder that is Barksdale.

Depending on on the day, this list may be a long list of up to five breeds (part shepherd, part lab, part hound, part rottweiler, part doberman, part chow, etc.) or we may just shrug and say "he's a mutt" and leave it at that.

But in secret, John and I spend way more time than we should discussing what breeds we think BD might be. After much deliberation, we've come to the decision that he is most definitely part shepard, part lab and part black and tan coonhound.

The shepard and the lab go without saying. See below:

The black and tan coonhound took a bit more investigating, however. I think that we first saw a picture of the breed online and decided that BD bore some resemblance. Then we began to realize that BD has some strong  hound tendencies: he is a regular pointer, he loves to use his nose, and he needs a lot of exercise. But what gave it away most was when we happened to see a raccoon stuffed animal in store one day and bought it on a whim. Soon after giving the toy (aptly named Robert the Raccoon) to BD, we saw quickly that he LOVED THE TOY.
Insane amounts.
Robert quickly became an important member of the family who was brought to dinner, presented to whoever came into the house, and was happily chewed for hours and hours.

There have been roughly seven raccoons since Robert, each loved more than the next.

Spoiled Rotten

Now, I don't consider myself to be an expert in many things in life, but I think it's safe to say at this point that I am an expert in dog raccoon toys.

Maggie and BD testing out a raccoon toy together

Some are too squeaky, some don't have enough stuffing, and some are made in China. Also, I'm not fond of the extra buttons that are put on for eyes since they very often end up in the dog's mouth. We've been through our fair share of raccoons and after extensive research I have been about to pin point the best of the best.

So, without further adieu, here is my pick of the best raccoon toy on the market:

The Coleman!!

Made in USA, two squeakers (one in the tail and one in the main body), no eye buttons to rip out, and all around strong seams. This is the creme de la creme raccoon.

And I've even consulted with our resident expert on this decision.

He agrees.

The only problem is that since moving to Savannah, I've been unable to find this fine raccoon in any stores. I hate to give my money to the big box stores and there isn't much in the way of dog boutiques in Savannah with an extensive raccoon selection. I guess that for now I'll be buying my raccoons here.

Salty Dogs

For all of the wonderful restaurants and places to go in Savannah that welcome dogs with open arms, I've always been amazed at just how un-dog-friendly Savannah's Tybee Island is.


Tybee is only 15 minutes out from Savannah, so it's the perfect "getaway" from the stresses of city life.(I'm totally joking about city stress...I live in Savannah!!) During our first visit to Tybee, John and I rented an adorable house through Mermaid Cottages, which features a really nice selection of dog friendly homes. We actually had a tough time choosing between all of the places that allowed dogs, which, led us to believe that Tybee was going to be dog-central!

Mimosa Cottage

This place had it all: a fenced in yard, a denim couch that hid all of the dog fur nicely, even a screened in porch to protect us from the bugs. We also picked it because it was super close to Memorial Dog Park and not too far from the beach itself. We pictured going on long walks with BD, followed by some romping in the dog park, and then maybe even taking him into the ocean at night when dogs would likely be allowed on the beaches.


We were wrong. Very wrong, in fact. As we soon found out after arriving, the Memorial Dog Park had been closed for quite some time--in fact there were no remnants of one having been there ever.  We also learned that gators are pretty prevalent on the Island's Marshes (which are everywhere), so we constantly had to be on the look out for gators, which LOVE to eat dogs apparently.

hmmmm....maybe this should be BD's costume for Wag-o-Ween

But the biggest blow was that dogs are not allowed on the beach. Ever. And Violators are subject to a $290 fine on the first offense. From what we heard talking to locals, this was true and The Fuzz was not afraid to hand those tickets out. So no water, or sand, or waves for Barksdale.

We still managed to have a great trip and have been back to Tybee for a few more vacations since then. Even though Tybee Island is no Dog Wonderland, it is still a great place to go if you are a human. That being said, there is a local movement to expand dog rights on Tybee, especially when it comes to letting them on the beach. 

A local man named Bill Gillespie has started a group called "Dogs on the Beach!" which is active in handing out petitions, organizing group events, and getting locals involved in opening up the beaches to dogs. You can see the facebook page here and join if you want to be updated.

I'll leave you now with some great pictures of dogs on the beach. Because, after all, what in the world is better than doing the doggie paddle with your best friend?

Ellis Square

I wanted to share with you all another one of our most favorite spots in Savannah, and, amazingly enough, this one is not centered around food!

Over the past few months, it has become a bit of a tradition for John, Barksdale, and me to head downtown on Saturday nights for long walks around the city. We love exploring new blocks and taking in the beautiful sights of the city, usually with a road beer in hand. Inevitably, either John or Barksdale will end up pulling us over to Ellis Square, located in the heart of the Historic District. We always sit right on the steps closest to the Avia hotel, where there is shade for us, grass for the dog, and an excellent view of the fountain in the middle of the square.

This spot is special to us for several reasons. First of all, the people watching is excellent. You get to watch happy tourists discovering City Market for the first time. You get to see couples strolling through the park, basking in the beauty of Savannah. You get to watch little kids run, screaming through the fountain. And if you are really lucky, occasionally you get to see a group of drunk men in their fifties do the same.

But the reason I think that we love Ellis Square the most is because of what it represents to us. During our first trip to Savannah four years ago, Ellis Square was under construction and was basically a giant hole in the ground bordered on all sides by a high-sided plywood fence. Through the years during our visits to Savannah, it remained nothing more to us than an eye-sore and an unwelcome detour. There never seemed to be any progress made to the spot and I had no vision of what it would someday be.

But just as we made the decision to move to Savannah and follow our dreams of opening a small business here, something changed. John came down in March to find us a place to live and came back to report that Ellis Square was complete. At first I didn't even know what he was talking about since it registered so low in my mind. But as soon as we made the move and I got to see the live oaks and the iron wrought tables and doggie water fountain (!) for myself, this place became very special. To me, it represents what is possible. It reminded me that something can be bordered up and put in the back of your mind for years, but if you give it time, it can become one of the most important places in your life.

Other, less serious reasons to love Ellis Square?

#1. It has the afore-mentioned doggie water fountain. Amazing.

#2. According to sustainablesavannah.org, it is the most environmentally friendly of Savannah’s squares with “water-efficient plants, energy-efficient lighting and HVAC system in the glass-walled visitors center, and a green roof on the public bathrooms.”


#3. It will always remind me of our wedding weekend, since so many of our guests stayed at the wonderful Avia Hotel on Ellis Square.


#4. It makes my dog and my husband very happy. See below.

Wag-o-Ween!!

It is utterly amazing to me that John and I have been living in Savannah for more than two months now and we only just heard about Wag-o-Ween for the first time yesterday.  How in the world can two of the biggest Dog Idiots you'll ever meet be out and about in Savannah for so long without having a clue that in less than 4 months the streets will be filled with a veritable dog costume parade?! How does this happen, I ask you!?


Well, now that we know that such a thing exists, we are looking forward to the festivities, to say the least. Not only are dogs paraded around the streets of Savannah in costume, but local businesses open their doors to the pups and hand out free treats. It's pretty much the most amazing thing I can imagine.


The only question that remains is, of course, what is Barksdale going to be for his premier Wag-o-Ween expereince?  As crazy as we are about the guy, and dogs in general, John and I have never been much for dressing him up. When we first got him, we had a couple of jerseys that we would make him wear for special occasions, but he quickly grew out of those.

Barksdale barely fitting into his jersey

The only other dressing up he's ever done was this past April for our wedding. This simple peach bow-tie with  was the hit of the party.

But a real costume?! I'm just not sure. Thankfully, we have until October to figure something out. If anyone has ideas or suggestions, please send them along!!

A Mellow Dog is a Happy Dog

For my second installment of "Where to take your dog to eat in Savannah," I'd like to focus on a restaurant that has been the central point of many a delicious, and affordable  meal for us in Savannah. The pizza is heavenly, the vegetarian options are plentiful, and the beer flows like a river of honey. Of course I'm talking about the Mellow Mushroom!

TA DA!!!

Where else can you enjoy murals of tripped out mushrooms dancing on rainbows while eating a pizza that is aptly named the Kosmic Karma and enjoying a nice bottle of Purple Haze beer? 

John and I have frequented the 'Shroom no less than 30 times since we've been in Savannah (hence the expanding waistlines) and a big part of the reason is that it's a very dog-friendly joint. Barksdale likes it there almost as much as we do, and for good reason. The outdoor seating area is mostly shaded, which makes it do-able in the hot Savannah afternoons. There are about 8 tables outside, so you can usually grab a seat without a long wait, except of course during happy hour (which is in itself amazing...more on that later). The best part is that the servers are super dog-friendly and will usually offer your pup a meatball or a plate of grilled chicken. Needless to say, Barksdale NEVER turns down a plate o' meat, so he is more than happy to sit under our feet, and wait patiently for his food.

I give the 'Shroom three and half bones out of four (3.5/4), and I think that BD would agree with me on this one. The only thing that could make it better would be if the service at the outside tables was a bit more dependable. Other than that, we love it there and I'm pretty sure that I'm only a few more visits away from having a pizza named after me (have I mentioned the expanding waistlines?).

oh, and about that happy hour: $2 draft beers from 4-7pm. Need I say more?

A Day at Skidaway

It's no secret that dogs love a good ol' walk in the woods where new and interesting smells abound and they can pretend that they are actually tough enough to hunt a deer or armadillo or whatever else they happen to run into. Barksdale is no exception to this rule and so we decided to take a Pack outing to Skidaway Island State Park this past weekend.

For anyone who has not been, Skidaway is amazing!! First of all, it's about a 15 minute drive from downtown Savannah, although it feels like it's located in the untouched forests of Costa Rica.

image from www.geckosgeorgia.com/georgia-state-parks.php

Wow, aren't those falls amazing?! We actually didn't see those on our trip, so we will have to make sure to find them next time.

And there will most certainly be a next time! I'm not sure which of the three of us liked the park the most. There were wide open paths with only minimal spider webs, so we weren't constantly worried about a gator or something jumping out at you (like some other hiking trails in the area). The wildlife was astounding and John and I were pulling out our binoculars every few minutes to track another bird. 

Barksdale enjoyed the previous mentioned smells,of which there seemed to be an unending supply, and was content to sit and sniff the air while John and I looked through our Peterson's Guide to ID birds. 

There was a poo-bag dispenser at the trail head, so it's clear that dogs are welcome in the park. However, once we were out there, there were no trash bins to be found, so be warned.

Other than that, I think that a day with the pooch at Skidaway is tough to beat. As a side note, John and I think that we saw an Ivory Billed Woodpecker, which is so rarely seen that many people think it may be extinct!