And the award for longest book title ever goes to… Fifty Places to Travel with Your Dog Before You Die by Chris Santella and DC Helmuth.
The great thing about that mouthful of a title is it tells you exactly what the book is about. Fifty Places. You could travel to. With your dog. Before you die, because traveling after you die is generally outside of your control.
This is part of a whole series of books of fifty must-visit destinations around a theme such as hiking or golfing. I’m not sure how the other books work, but this one features article-style entries where a dog lover who lives in or frequently vacations to a place tells the reader why they should visit with their dog. These locations are mostly in the US and Europe, but there’s also some AU, NZ, and Asian destinations.
For each destination, contributors highlight what they like about the place, which might include outdoor activities, dog-friendly restaurants, or a dog-centric lifestyle. Each chapter concludes with tips on how to get there, best times to visit, dog-friendly lodging, and at least one pet supply store in the area. A prologue also provides some tips about traveling with dogs, although these are mostly geared towards how to find information, as rules and regulations are prone to change.
Reading this book, I was struck by how the Seattle area may be dog-friendlier than a lot of places in the US (and Seattle is the last chapter in the book!), there are European countries where you can totally just eat indoors with your dog. I’ll be trying not to think about that this winter, when I’m shivering on a poorly-heated patio because it’s the only way I can go out for dinner thanks to my dog’s separation anxiety.
As someone whose dog is just over the size limit placed by a lot of airlines and trains for in-cabin travel, I do wish that this book had talked a little bit more about the limitations of traveling with dogs who are too big to fit in a purse. For instance, when a contributor would talk about how their chihuahua is welcome everywhere in a destination, I would have liked if they had shared if they also frequently saw medium and large dogs in those venues.
I also would have liked more information about getting around with your dog once you’re at a place. For instance, if you rent a car there, is your dog allowed in the car? Are dogs allowed on public transportation? Some articles did specifically mention dogs on buses, gondolas, and ski lifts, but others pretty much focused on all the places you could walk with your dog, which is great, but more ideas on how to get from the airport to the walkable town core sure would be helpful.
While many of these destinations aren’t really accessible for me and my dog (due, again, to restrictions placed on dogs over 20lbs), it still left me daydreaming about the places that are within reach, such as the potential for a road trip up to British Columbia, or going down into Oregon. If you and your dog like to travel, this book could be a great starting point for your own adventures.
CWs and TWs: I mean it’s a book about traveling with dogs. There’s brief mentions of insects and that’s about all I can think about. Trigger warning for your wallet, maybe, if this inspires you to book a lot of luxurious vacations.
Source and Format: I borrowed a hardback copy from Sno-Isle Libraries after randomly seeing it on a travel-themed display shelf at my local Edmonds library branch. Good job, librarians!
Reading Challenge Prompts
SAL/SPL/KCLS: Great Escapes. What better escape from day-to-day life than going on an adventure with your dog?
Reading Challenge Progress
Nook & Cranny (Card 1): 10 of 25, no bingos.
Nook & Cranny (Card 2): 15 of 25, 1 bingo.
Book Riot: 12 of 25.
Physical TBR: 6 of 12.
World of Whimm: 17 of 24, 2 bingos.
SAL/SPL/KCLS: 9 of 23, no bingos.