Avila Beach

California’s Central Coast starts in dog-friendly Santa Cruz County and winds some 350 miles south to Ventura County, just north of L.A. Yes, the famous coastal Highway 1 provides lots of mesmerizing scenery (and dog-friendly beaches) along the way, but there’s so much else to see and do that you might prefer to make base camp with your four-legged friend and just chill for a few days somewhere along the route. more »

From Ragged Point in the north to Pismo Beach in the south, the San Luis Obispo County coast is a dog-friendly wonderland loaded with things to do and places to stay with your pup. Along the 70 miles of Highway 1 that hug it, you’ll encounter everything from secluded tide pools and shimmering coves to classic SoCal beaches packed shoulder to shoulder with surfer dudes, bikini babes and dogs with jaunty bandanas around their necks. more »

Dog-friendly beaches abound in SLO County, including several strands where you can cut the cord and let your best friend run free. You can always visit a dog-friendly beach on your own, of course, but for occasions worthy of a splurge, call the Beach Butlerz. This innovative service staffed by local college students promises to change a typical day at a dog-friendly beach into a remarkable experience for you and yours. Options range from simple delivery of beach chairs and firewood to a package dubbed the “Moroccan Love Encounter” entailing setup of a “luxe canopy” tent furnished with hard-surface flooring, lighting, a queen-size futon, 10 plush pillows, decorated table, feather fan, tiki torches and bonfire. Now what could be more memorable than that? more »

San Luis Obispo, home to California Polytechnic State University, is a quintessential college town nestled in a sea of hills just 10 miles from the Pacific coast. It has just about everything going for it so far as DogTrekkers are concerned, from dog-friendly hotels and restaurants to dog parks and historic sites including a Spanish mission dating to 1772 and an 1850s adobe home whose alluring gardens are open to canine visitors with people on the other end of the leash. Even SLOMA, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, is happy to host leashed dogs and their owners during regular business hours.  more »

San Luis Obispo County on California’s Central Coast is as mellow for dogs as it is for humans. But while there are lots of off-leash dog parks and play areas in the vicinity of SLO town, there are just a couple of places in the sand-and-sea department where Dottie can frolic off-leash (provided, of course, she is socialized to the max, has an ultra-reliable recall and can be trusted not to steal beach-goers socks or picnic goodies). more »