danijake

Background info: me & my husband (late twenties) + pitbull / vegan

We're from NJ and are planning a New England road trip for the 2nd week of August. We're hoping to visit New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If possible, we'd like to visit Vermont, but we're not sure if we'll be able to fit it on this trip. We have Monday-Monday. The only thing we have planned at the moment is that we definitely want to visit Pawtucket (we've been before but only for one day) for a PawSox game. This would either be on Friday or Saturday.

We'd like to visit Cape Cod, Newport, Rockport & Gloucester, beaches that allow dogs, take lots of photos, and possibly camp in some spots.

Any suggestions on things to do with our dog in tow, vegan-friendly restaurants, good places to camp are welcome! We normally book hotels via Priceline, but since we'll have our dog, we can't really go this route since there's no guarantee they'll be dog-friendly. We'll probably end up finding Holiday Inns/Comfort Inns/etc. along the way that allow dogs. If anyone has any suggestions on specific hotels vs. camp sites in some of the areas we'll be visiting, that would be helpful. Also, any advice on cutting hotel costs (AAA membership worth buying?) would be helpful.

marysidney

Well, I would always get a AAA membership, not so much for the hotel discounts (usually about 10%) but for the emergency help. I have had flat tires, etc., and they really do come through, every time--plus, they have camping guides. Good places to camp: state parks do fill up, especially on Cape Cod, but there are some nice ones--Nickerson State Park is very nice, right on the bike trail, and you can rent bikes if you don't bring them. The good thing is you can book online, and I would do so as far in advance as you can, especially in prime tourist country. Spontaneity may mean sleeping in your car! There are a lot of campgrounds, state and private, in NH, especially along rt 3; Laconia is good, although usually crowded. Nice hikes from there, and a beautiful, swimmable lake.

gail

hikewithyourdog.comWhatBeachArticle confirms what I have heard - there are very few New England Beaches that allow dogs on the beach during the summer. Rockport and Gloucester, MA - the prime beach towns north of Boston do not allow dogs on the beach at any time from Memorial Day on. I would also Google specific towns to determine their dog policies - but in general, no dogs.

So before suggesting specific places to visit, camp, photograph - perhaps you want to keep this in mind as you make your plans.

Most beaches in New England get quite crowded in the summer and this is most likely the rationale for dog prohibition.

Froderick

we stayed here a few times with our hound

http://www.outerreachresort.com/

danijake

@marysidney - we have Roadside Assistance with our Volvo, so we cancelled our AAA membership. we're considering that it might be worth it to open a new account for hotel discounts.

@gail - thanks for the info! we want to explore towns and take photos, not just visit beaches. however, we have found that many beaches in cape cod allow dogs in certain areas.

yk

Provincetown is just voted as the most dog-friendly town in the US for 2010. http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pb...306/-1/NEWSMAP

You may have better luck finding beaches that allow dogs in that area.

Froderick

talk to you vet about lyme disease vaccinations

cw

You can take your leashed dog on National Park Service beaches as long as you walk through the lifeguarded area and go further along the beach. Keep the dog leashed because park service rangers give out tickets if they see you with the pooch loose. (And the tickets are expensive.)

You can check the websites of Truro and Wellfleet, but in the past they've allowed dogs on the ocean town beaches before 9 a.m and after 5 p.m. (Park service rangers also patrol these areas for unleashed dogs.) Good advice about the Outer Reach Resort and to get a vaccination against lime disease. Also using something like Frontline is a good idea to protect the dog from ticks. Many smaller guesthouses in Provincetown are dog-friendly as well.

Massachusetts State Beaches are very dog-unfriendly so stick to the National Seashore on the Cape.

bachslunch

"We'd like to visit Cape Cod, Newport, Rockport & Gloucester, beaches that allow dogs, take lots of photos, and possibly camp in some spots." Plus taking in a PawSox game.

Even without Vermont, this will be an ambitious itinerary for a week-long vacation. Newport can take up several days alone if you like to tour historic houses, and Cape Cod is a large and diverse area. You could certainly see Gloucester and Rockport each in a day, depending on your interests.

If you're determined to do this over a seven-day period, consider a day in Providence/Pawtucket, a day in Rockport, a day in Gloucester, two days minimum in Newport, and two someplace on the Cape.

As for vegan restaurants, those are not easy to come by in my experience locally. Most restaurants however have at least one vegetarian (if not necessarily vegan) option on the menu, and it's not unreasonable to think that several places will prepare a vegan meal on request.

gail

Since I know by conversation that there are quite a few vegan restaurants in the cambridge area, when I googled vegan + cambridge, about 6 names came up. However, when I googled vegan and Cape Cod the list only included vegetarian. We have been to Cape Cod almost every summer for at least a few days and I don't recall seeing any specifically vegan restaurants - so you may have to pick vegetarian and have a serious discussion with the waitstaff.

And as evidence of hoe dog UNfriendly Mass can be - I had a brainstorm about a wonderful campground we stayed at years ago on Martha's Vineyard - but sorry, specifically prohibits dogs.

Froderick

perhaps Myles Standish State forest would be a good place to camp. It is in Carver/Plymouth so that and staying out by Ptown and then a night or two in Newport would be a nice balance. We used to stay at a great place in Gloucester, but they are no longer pet friendly and

bachslunch

Just did a Google search under "vegan Cambridge" and got some hits, though they're not quite what one may expect. The site "happycow.net" which is the first site that comes up, for example, lists:

-a yoga studio with a tea room cafe that has some vegan baked goods. This was the only one that qualified by their standards as vegan -- the rest are vegetarian or even serve meat-based dishes along with some vegan-friendly items.

-a lunch-time food truck out by MIT. No meat on menu.

-a lunch-only Buddhist cultural center that has a dining area. No meat on menu.

-a Mexican spot that doesn't strike me as any more vegan-friendly than anyplace else of its type. Serves meat also.

-an Asian place that doesn't strike me as any more vegan-friendly than anyplace else of its type. Serves meat also.

-a vegetarian spot in Harvard Square where I've had some poor quality meals. No meat on menu.

-a coffee shop style place that serves a few vegan items. Serves meat also.

I think the OP will be better off going to a regular restaurant, letting the waiter know that they're vegan, and asking if something can be prepared for them that fits the bill.

spcfa

Red Roof Inns always allow dogs, lots of locations and prices are usually good.

DianeJo

if you go to vermont, look at the Kitzhof Inn (right next to Mt Snow) just north of wilmington in southern vt.as a great place to stay with a dog. it is run by a lovely british couple. We have spent Christmas with them for the past 5 years!

seafox

Ptown is the place for you and your doggie - lot's of places that will have vegan dishes and lots for the dog to do! The Outer Reach resort, just out of town is known as very pet friendly as are many other places in town

Bowsprit

The no dogs policy on many Cape beaches (including those in the National Seashore) often has to do with protecting the Piping Plover, a bird on the endangered species list. I dislike seeing dogs on beaches; I think it's one of the least safe and unhealthiest places for a dog to be. I don't bring my two mutts to the beach.

seafox

I suspect the trip has passed and I hope danijake and the dogs had a great time wherever they went.

Update: Provincetown has named named the most dog friendly town in America. Walk you dog anywhere, on a leash, and you and your pup will have a great day! There are no "mutts" in Ptown - all dogs are special!

Bowsprit

Even 'mutts' are special! We love ours! Dogs on a leash are welcomed many places.