Dog Friendly Beach Getaway to Lincoln City Oregon

I was so excited. We packed for the beach and my things were included. My dog food, supplements, bone, leash and rain coat. It was all there. We were going to Lincoln City to hunt for Glass Floats. I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one hunting but I figured I'd have the best nose for it!

Finders Keepers Glass Floats

What I found out was, the Lincoln City Convention and Visitors Bureau hides beautiful glass floats on beaches from mid-October through Memorial Day. And dogs like me can hunt them. And if we find one we get to keep it! I was told you had to hunt between the tide line and the grassy embankments on the beaches at Lincoln City.

But I had my hunting territory all planned out. I was headed for one of my favorite places - Siletz Bay.

Dog Friendly Looking Glass Inn

Now I've been to this wonderful beach before and I've luxuriated at The Looking Glass Inn, but this time I had a real mission. I was determined to find that float.

My home away from home at the Beach!

Last time I was at The Looking Glass Inn, it wasn't near Christmas. But this year we went in December and I got to see the decorations and look under their Christmas tree for something really nice.

We arrived at the inn and I knew where I wanted to go... directly to the office! You see, I had great memories of the nice people at the reception desk who were just waiting to give me a treat, a linens basket and a nice cushy bed.

I think of the pet-friendly service at The Looking Glass Inn as concierge-level service. The dogs come before the people. But the time my owner could even sign in, I had my treat and was headed to check things out under their tree. After all, the Christmas tree had unwrapped dog toys and treats just waiting for an assertive little Coonhound like me! It didn't matter that the tree was really for dogs who were there for Christmas. I was determined to make a fool of myself.

I made a beeline for the tree. This tree was a dog's dream... treats, toys and more.

Since they were so nice, they offered me a toy if I would back off from the tree. I selected a beautiful hot pink squeaky toy. 

They gave me this hot pink toy!

Finally, after I caused all the commotion, my owner signed in and we got our dog linen basket and big round cushy dog bed. And, of course, they were hoping I would leave quietly so they gave me yet another treat. 

Should I be offended that they said I'd do anything for a treat?

Once we were in the room, my owner put the round bed down and I checked it out. 

Dog friendly luxury!

We looked in the basket and guess what was there? There was a laminated page of dog rules (which I promptly ignored,) sheets to cover the human bed in case I wanted to sleep there, towels, dog poop bags, dog bowls and... you guessed it... MORE TREATS! 

The basket!

We settled in and unpacked. I took a brief nap since there wasn't much for me to do.

To The Beach

After I rested up for a bit I checked out the Finders Keepers website and learned that the floats I would be hunting were handcrafted glass floats made by local artisans. Float Fairies drop 3,000 of them on the beach. You never know where or when. But with my hound nose, I was certain I would find one. 

We headed over to the beach. It's practically right outside our door at the inn. I sniffed around the picnic area, up on the wall and then headed for the driftwood. I was certain I'd find one wedged in between the logs. I also looked in the grass.

No floats here!

Well, our afternoon wasn't too successful. I sniffed the air and smelled some seals over on the sandy bank across the river. I remembered those guys from one of my previous trips.  I heard that aside from the Sea Lion Caves near Florence or the Bayfront in Newport, it's the closest you can get to to them. Last time they were swimming in the bay, bobbing up and down, and giving me the eye. This time they kept to themselves across the bay and made a lot of noise.

The seals were WAY over there and didn't mess with me.

By 4:30 it was time for sunset. Sunset comes mighty early in the winter in Oregon. But I don't mind because I was looking forward to dinner in my luxury room and a nice snooze on my cushy bed.

My owner went out to dinner at the nearby Inn at Spanish Head and enjoyed some salmon and forgot to bring me any. We Coonhounds don't forget these things!

You Gotta Get Up Early to Catch the Floats

It was pretty early, maybe about 5 a.m. and I thought I heard the Float Fairies outside. I got up and woke my owner up. She wasn't too pleased but got dressed and took me out. The first thing I heard was some hissing and screeching. I nearly took off chasing those feral cats but my owner held me back and told me to quit baying. I guess it wasn't the Float Fairies after all.

We went back to the room until it began to get light out. It was almost light enough to see the glass floats on the beach. So I had breakfast and went out again. It was beautiful. The tide was rushing into the bay and we could see the waves breaking in the distance. It was peaceful as the pink sunrise came over the mountain. The sliver of a moon was still in the dark sky as dawn broke.

Dawn on Siletz Bay

We enjoyed a nice long walk. In about a half hour there were other people out there with dogs. I kind of wanted to get off my leash and play with them. But I also kinda wanted to search for glass floats. I looked under logs. I looked in the bushes and I looked in the grass. Drat! I couldn't find them.

I looked everywhere!

We needed to warm up so went back to the room and planning some visits for the morning. We wanted to see one place where they actually do the glass blowing and sell art glass. So we headed down the road to the Jennifer Sears Art Glass Studio. I wasn't sure if they were dog friendly or not so stayed in the car and looked at the fancy blown glass balls in the window. They were pretty but I wanted to find my own on the beach.

I saw these beautiful glass orbs in the window of the Jennifer Sears Art Glass Studio. Wow!

Finders Keepers

I was getting mighty tired of sightseeing so was happy when we went back to the inn and headed for the beach. I went down to the water and found some agates. 

I stayed away from the waves and found agates on the beach.

At that point I walked up toward the pathway and spied something orange. I thought it might be a kid's ball or something. But when I got closer and pawed away the sand, I saw that it was shiny. IT WAS A GLASS FLOAT!

Aroo! Aroo! I found one!

I actually found a glass float. It had a seal with a year and number on it. I was one happy Coonhound. I brushed off the sand and put it up on the big log so my owner could take a picture. It was a glorious orange float and I, Cinnamon, was the owner!

Finders Keepers! Isn't it beautiful!

Leaving the Beach

I slept well that night on my big round cushy bed. We decided that since we achieved our mission, to find a Glass Float, that we'd leave as soon as it was light. We took one last walk on the beach at dawn and this time I enjoyed the waves and water. I was finished looking for floats. I had mine tucked away in my food bag, ready to take home.

We packed the car. My only regret was that the Looking Glass Inn office wasn't open when I left. I thought I could beg for one last treat from the nice people there. Fortunately I still had some left in the treat bag. I was so happy with myself I even decided to share some with Francesca when I got back.

If you want to visit Lincoln City, check out the Visitors Bureau Website. There's plenty of things to do there and they are very dog friendly.

Love, Cinnamon

 

Note: As is common in the travel industry, Cinnamon was provided with accommodations and treats for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.

Also, there are some affiliate links in my story but you can easily figure out which ones those are!

Cinnamon's Revenge

You all remember when I had to have a bath, right? Well, one of the worst parts of that experience was having Francesca make fun of me. She told me I smelled like cheap perfume. She said I was a big baby and should smell like the hunting dog I am.

She made fun of me when I had a bath!

 She ran around in circles around me when I came out in the yard to dry off and she barked at me. It seems like she was excited that I was the one having the bath and she wasn't.

It went on and on. So when we got back from our trip to the Village Cousins (formerly known as The Country Cousins), we picked Francesca up from the Doggie Country Club. And she was so dirty! I think she had been playing in the mud.

Francesca was jealous that I got to visit my Village Cousins
in their new home.

 So when we got home my owner went easy on her. She allowed her to rest and to sleep on her dog bed, even though she was muddy. But the next day... Bwah ha ha ha! Francesca was told she was going to have a bath. Our owner ran the water in the tub and went to get Francesca. Francesca didn't want anything to do with the bath. So then our owner walked her down the hall by the scruff of the neck and put her in the tub. All the while I was watching and laughing! Bwah ha ha ha!

Francesca got scrubbed with perfumy soap and rinsed over and over. She was looking at me and her eyes said... "Help me!" But I walked away with a smirk on my face. This was my revenge!

Finally she got wrapped in towels and had to dry in the TV room because it was chilly outside. She was so happy the ordeal was over. 

Here's Francesca after her bath.
She was white again and smelled like cheap perfume for sure!

Love, Cinnamon

Should You Bathe Your Dog in Winter?

I heard rumblings about having to get a bath before I travel this weekend. So I decided to search the Internet and find out all kinds of reasons why you SHOULD NOT bathe your dog (read: Cinnamon) in the winter. You might say, it’s not officially winter yet. But today, it’s rainy and cold so to me, it’s winter. Francesca and I are doing quite a bit of hibernating. 

This is what I look like when I get a bath... MAD!

So what did I find on my Internet search? Well, not exactly what I had hoped. Here’s the jist of the articles:

Rule number one for bathing your dog during the winter is to keep your dog indoors until they are completely dry. It is much more difficult for your dog to maintain a warm ambient body temperature when wet. Therefore, letting your dog outside during the winter months greatly increases their risk of hypothermia.

Drat! So then I decided to try another approach. I searched: Should You Bathe Your Older Dog in Winter? Then this popped up:

Since your dog will need to stay indoors during the winter until their coat completely dries, bathe them first thing in the morning. This way, they can dry throughout the day and by the early evening, they may be ready for a walk outside.

Here's how to dry a dog. Please note: I'm still not very happy.

 Drat! So I wasn’t getting anywhere putting together a logical argument for not having a bath. It seems that there are rules for dog baths in the winter, but no rule that says NO BATHS!

Want to know more? Here’s a good article with six tips on bathing your dog in winter.

If I end up having a bath, I’ll let you know if my owner follows these tips or not. Let’s hope she just forgets about it.

Love, Cinnamon

So Excited! New Dog Collars for Christmas

Well, we had to take our Halloween collars off last week. And I was sad that we put on our old hunting collars, the orange ones. I got to thinking. Why don't we have Christmas collars? So we got on the Internet and went to our favorite Dog Collar site and lo and behold, they had a great selection of Christmas collars at reasonable prices. I chose one and Francesca chose one. I can't wait to get them and show you. But, I guess that will have to be after Thanksgiving, right?

Here are some of the choices

So when we get them, I'll post here. Meanwhile, you can see them all at our affiliate link... Buy a Christmas Dog Collar & Leash For Your Favorite Reindog!

I can vouch for the quality. And when Francesca got her collar all muddy, they washed up really well.

Love, Cinnamon

Coonhounds Come in All Colors

I, Cinnamon, am a black and tan coonhound with splashes of lovely white. Francesca is a tricolor treeing walker coonhound. We all have one thing in common. We are hunting dogs but we make really good pets too! Here's a look at our diversity:

Dog Friendly Vacation in Sequim Washington: Lavender fields, beaches and cabins

Hi, it’s me Cinnamon. I think its time to tell everyone about my short but really nice vacation. Most everyone knows I went to Sequim, Washington on a trip. I knew we’d be staying in a cabin but that’s about it. So let me tell you all about it!

We packed my gear, my food and my travel bed into the car so I knew something was up. On the morning we were to leave I had a surprise! Our friend Nancy showed up. Now Nancy is usually here for a party so I was confused. How could I leave home if there was going to be a party? So I balked at getting in the car even though she put her suitcase in the back. Finally it was explained to me that Nancy was going with us on the trip and THERE WAS NO PARTY. We locked up the house and left.

Burgers and Snakes in Olympia

I was starting to get a little bit grumpy at all the riding so we stopped at a rest stop so we could all stretch our legs. That was a good idea. I saw funny things like a family with a dog at a picnic table right next to a sign that said No Pets Allowed! It was a short walk and we took off again.

The next stop was my favorite. We parked in back of a colorful place called East Side Big Tom’s. I got out of the car and all I could smell was hamburgers! Yum! I trotted over to the buildings, checking out the dinosaur mural on the way. We got to the first building and saw a lady all dressed up in a steam-punky, gothic way and she had a beautiful white snake coiled around her wrist.

Here's the lady with the snake giving me a kiss!

At that building they only sold ice cream so we had to walk out through lines of cars to the hamburger building. A nice lady came out and took our burger order and then…. SHE GAVE ME A TREAT! At that point I perked up, stopped being grumpy and got in traveling mode. This was fun!

Here's where you buy the burgers and get DOG TREATS!

We went back to the garden with the picnic tables to eat burgers (I got a few bites) and then I got to go visit with the snake lady. She was really nice and even kissed me! My owner was scared that I’d bite the snake but I tried to just ignore it. If it had made a run for it I would have pounced on it for sure! But it just stayed quiet, flicking its forked tongue out like snakes do.

I spied Scooby Doo while at Big Tom's

Soon it was back in the car and we were headed for Sequim (and know that it is pronounced Squim to rhyme with swim).

Boat Dock Stop in Hoodsport

We drove up on the east side of the Olympic Peninsula. It was pretty as soon as we left Olympia. There were forests and beautiful water. We got out at Hoodsport to stretch our legs again and found a little park and a boat dock. We walked out on the dock for a bit (I love boat docks) and down to where people fish. It was smelly out there and I loved it, of course. But soon we were back in the car.

It's pretty everywhere on the Olympic Peninsula

Home Sweet Home in Sequim

After checking in at the office at the John Wayne Rustic Waterfront Resort in Sequim, and saying hi to the nice lady there, we went over to our cabin. I was so excited when we got there. I had my own grassy yard, my own deck overlooking Sequim Bay, a living room, two bedrooms and a kitchen for my food. This was the kind of place I could call home. I immediately relaxed when my owner put my bed in the cabin… this was to be home!

Home sweet home at our cabin. Here's my backyard. I think there was something in the berry bushes!

I had my 15-foot tie out leash with me. I first used it in Sunriver when we stayed there one 4^th of July to escape the fireworks! I love the leash because I can really get around, sniff everything, yet be safe.

My private deck at the cabin.

I looked at the water and saw boats bobbing about, sniffed all the grass and even walked over to Nancy’s cabin. I had dinner on the deck (fancy, huh?) and then was really tired. So I took my 15 foot leash and went into the cabin and laid down on my bed. My owner saw that and took my leash off as I drifted to sleep.

Me, asleep in my cabin.

Treats and Adventures in Sequim

It was about 9 p.m. and my owner woke me up. They had dinner at the Dockside Grill overlooking the John Wayne Marina. It was within walking distance and they brought home gifts of salmon and steak for ME! I woke up to have a few bites and went back to sleep enjoying the peace and quiet of the resort.

At the John Wayne Marina

The next day after an elegant breakfast on the deck, my owner walked me down to the marina and showed me the restaurant. It was very nice!

Here's the restaurant where they got the steak and salmon for me!

 After the walk, my owner went in to Sequim to have breakfast with Nancy at the Oak Table Cafe and they saved a bit of bacon for ME!

Here's what they saw at the entrance to the Oak Table Cafe.
I'm glad I didn't go because I would have barked at it!

 Later that day we took a tour of Sequim and found Dungeness Landing County Park where there were eagles. That reminded me of the eagles in Haida Gwaii.

Eagles!

We went to the Jardin du Soliel Lavender Farm where they have a lavender dog named Dash.

Dash the Lavender Dog. Courtesy Jardin du Soliel, his home.

I didn’t get out to play with Dash because I’m kind of grumpy with young dogs so they put him away in the house. I got to wander around the lavender fields and smell the lavender. In the shop we found some lavender dog soap. I considered buying a bar as a gift for Francesca but conveniently left my wallet in the cabin!

I almost got Francesca a gift but then thought better of it!

We also drove by and checked out a herd of Roosevelt Elk. Now I am scared of elk because they are so big so was happy they were far away. After that, we had a marvelous walk at the beach at Marilyn Nelson County Park near the boat launch. It was a great beach with seaweed and round rocks and a view of Dungeness Bay.

Sniffin' Seaweed

That was a big day for me. So after another walk from our cabin to Diamond Point and dinner I was ready for bed.

Nancy and my owner went back downtown and had a fabulous dinner at Blondie’s Plate, one of the best restaurants in Sequim. They told me it was full of Dachshund Dog art but most of all I enjoyed the leftovers from the lamb shank dish. They said it was an amazing dinner and would go back in a “Sequim second!”

Delish lamb shank at Blondie's with a bone for me!

Dog art at Blondie's

Leaving Sequim

I had one last walk around Sequim Bay and the John Wayne Marina and I didn’t want to leave. The fall leaves were beautiful and there were other people walking their dogs. There was so much more to see in dog-friendly Sequim. They have a dog park at Carrie Blake Park and a great Olympic Discovery Trail to walk and explore. But we had to leave and I had to endure the long trip home. I really miss Sequim!

How could anyone leave a place this beautiful?

When You Go to Dog Friendly Sequim

There is a dog-friendly RV park at the John Wayne Waterfront Resort. Some of the cabins, like mine, allow dogs. Dogs can go to many county and state parks but cannot go to any National Wildlife Refuges like on Dungeness Spit where the lighthouse is.

There’s lots to do in the Sequim area. In fact the beautiful Olympic Peninsula is very dog friendly and has a special web page for dogs!

For more information on Sequim Washington, see their tourism site.

Sequim Civic Center

Note: As is common in the travel industry, Cinnamon was provided with accommodations and treats for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.

Sequim Washington: Cinnamon's Dog Friendly Vacation

Hi, It’s me, Cinnamon. I’m packing. You ask… “Where are you going Cinnamon?” Well, it’s a long story. I thought I was going “to swim,” and I wasn’t a bit happy about that. But just now I found out that I’m really going to Sequim, Washington which they pronounce, “squim.” So I am checking out the visitors’ website for “sunny Sequim" and it says nothing about making dogs go swimming. So, I'm happy.

These are the Olympic Mountains

I am finding out  that it’s an outdoorsy type of place on the Olympic Peninsula. See… this is what they say:

"Sequim is situated right in the center of the Olympic Discovery Trail, a 120-mile trail that stretches from Port Townsend to Port Angeles across the Olympic Peninsula. Currently, 40 miles of the trail are paved connecting the path from just east of Sequim to Port Angeles. It is perfect for walking and bicycling. The trail will take you through beautiful, scenic areas including along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and through the historic Railroad Bridge Park. There are abundant rest stops, picnic areas, and opportunities to stop at local attractions including the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge Area and the Olympic Game Farm."

Hmmm. Crab, game, trails, and water. It sounds like my kind of place. And… I found out that I’m staying in my very own cabin at the John Wayne Waterfront Resort! 

When I found that out, I packed my travel bed and my long tie-out so I can explore around the cabin all by myself. I’m going to be in Cabin #4 which is pet friendly. Our friend Nancy will be in the cabin next to it (her cabin will probably be fancier!)

 

This is where I will have my meals

Here's the water... right outside my cabin!

I’m most excited about being around the water because I always find cool things like crabs, seaweed and dead fish. Yay!

 

Here's me when I encountered a crab in Haida Gwaii

I think Sequim will be a great getaway for me… especially because Francesca isn’t going! This will be great. Three whole days without Francesca!

Love, Cinnamon

Was it the Eclipse that Caused my Problem?

I was shocked! The day of the eclipse I had such a great time at the big Eclipse Brunch I spent the afternoon sleeping it off!

So the next day started like any other day. It got hot in the morning and there was no eclipse. My afternoon was a lazy one. I had my usual kibble for dinner and spent some time in the back yard. And that's when it happened...

All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my paw. I didn't know what it was. I licked it and nothing changed. My paw really hurt. I tucked it up under me and slowly limped over to the deck where my owner was enjoying the shade and flowers.

I collapsed on the mat right by the door. She jumped up and wanted to see what was wrong. I was afraid it would hurt so tucked my paw under me. She made me show it to her and she went over the paw and between the pads and didn't find a thing. I kept licking it. I just wanted the pain to go away.

So she let me inside and I limped over to the darkness of the front door entry way and collapsed in the corner.... trying to hide so no one would get the idea that I needed to go to the vet. And my paw still hurt.

Here I am plopped in the corner with my paw safely tucked under me.
I didn't want anyone to touch it. I hurt!

My owner checked everything and then brought over my water so I wouldn't get dehydrated. I wanted nothing to do with walking or even standing.

The offending paw.

She was worried, I could tell. She rummaged through the shelves of the pantry and found some of Francesca's medicine from when her leg hurt her (it was a sprain). So she gave me a dose of some sweet tasting anti-inflamatory/pain medicine and I pulled away even more. I was scared she'd give me something worse... like a pill!

And then she left me alone. I guess she figured I wasn't going to move so she brought my bed over. When she was out of sight, I limped over and plopped on my cushy bed. Once I plopped, I didn't move much all night. I guess I turned around a couple of times. but I didn't go anywhere.

I spent the whole night on my bed by the door.

So I woke up and wondered why my paw didn't hurt. I was afraid to move from my bed thinking it would start hurting to I stayed there. When I heard breakfast being made in the kitchen, I forgot all about my paw and stood up. I didn't hurt! I carefully made my way over to the place where I get my breakfast and I was doing fine. I had breakfast and went to lay down again. Francesca asks for breakfast really early so we often go back to bed after we eat.

I feel much better now. See my paw?
I am mostly glad I didn't have to go to the pokey, proddy vet!

Later on, I walked around slowly and felt just fine. I went outside and felt just fine. I may have rested more than usual but by evening I was totally just fine. I wonder if the eclipse caused this because I don't know what happened!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon the Coonhound and the 2017 Eclipse

Hi, it's me, Cinnamon, the party animal. I had a great day on Monday the 21st of August because it was SOLAR ECLIPSE DAY! And, I got to attend the party. It all began the weekend prior. Francesca noticed that our owner was spending time doing things like putting dishes and glasses on the dining room table and washing our dog bedding (she thinks it stinks). When things like that happen, it usually means .... PARTY!

This is why our dog bedding stinks.... Francesca!

So, after a weekend of activity, Monday finally rolled around. I knew things were happening when Francesca got up a O Dark Early to go to her favorite day care, A Dog's Best Friend down the street. It turns out it wasn't a fun morning to go because they were so afraid of the impending eclipse that they kept the dogs inside. But not ME! I was free to roam and PARTY!

So after that, I got dressed for the party in my prettiest turquoise party scarf. It was given to me as a finisher at a Southwest Washington Humane Society walkathon. I always know good things will happen when I get my scarf on.

In my party scarf!

So then I laid down by the front door so nothing could happen without me. My owner saw that and opened the door so I could watch for our guests. I sat there for a half hour and then they started coming. It was so exciting! They brought food!

Watching for our guests

So they were all excited and went outside to eat brunch and watch the sky.

Yum!

They had special glasses so that they could watch the solar eclipse. I didn't look at the sun. I'm not dumb. I just milled about hoping for handouts. I got lots of attention and they petted me. I was having a great time!

I got plenty of attention!

All of a sudden there was a drop in the temperature around us. We were sitting in the sun and it felt like God had turned on the A/C! In fact the sun was shining and it was getting colder. Usually that doesn't happen unless the clouds come in.

I didn't look at the sky

So on TV they were saying that that was the highpoint of the eclipse. We were not in the area of Totality, but we could feel the eclipse and those with glasses could see the eclipse. It was pretty exciting.

Total Eclipse of the Sun!

But I was getting cold, and fortunately the eclipse started going away and it got warmer so I could go out and sunbathe some more.

Back to sunbathing!

 At about noon, they all left. I was sad about that and moped around and napped all afternoon.

Nap time!

My tummy was full of brunch treats and I had experienced the 2017 SOLAR ECLIPSE in my party scarf. (Francesca will tell her story on another day. Right now she's still recovering from the "Solar Eclipse Non-Party at the Doggie Day Care.)

Love, Cinnamon