Hi all,
We are thinking of heading south to search for the sun, before the snow buries us here at Whistler. We have done this many times before, but not for the past 10 years, so some suggestions would be welcome. We like small towns, ( Ashland , LaConner, Eureka,etc) We love good food, good wine,boutique hotels,or private condo or cottage rentals, golf, hiking, biking,shopping, and beaches. We don't like cities, freeways,or crowds. We will be traveling in a suv, with bikes, clubs, and our 2 year old boxer, Asia, so we need pet friendly accommodations. I would love to hear your suggestions as we plan to drive through Washington, Oregon, California, possibly Arizona, and New Mexico. Thanks in Advance, and if anyone needs info on Whistler, here I am. Cheers, Al

How long do you have for all this? Arizona and especially New Mexico will add substantial driving time, and New Mexico will be quite cold and probably snowy.

We will probably take a few weeks, although we could really stay as long as we want. When my wife starts having skiing withdrawals, we'll turn around and head home. And we're definitely not looking for snow. Cheers, Al

Not much response yet, and I realize I have kind of asked for the moon. I am really just looking for names of your favorite small towns , and then we can connect the dots. Cheers, Al

Kinda had to laugh - I honestly don't think I've ever seen Eureka and "sun" mentioned in the same paragraph

What is a "few weeks"? I know you said you are flexible - but 3, 5, 8 weeks makes a huge difference. By adding Arizona/New Mexico I'd think you'd need a minimum of 5 weeks to travel through WA, OR, CA, AZ and NM and back to Canada.

In general, you'd need to avoid inland central/southern OR and mountain CA if you want to miss snow. So down the OR and CA coast. Then maybe into the CA foothills east of Sacramento/Stockton. 49er history, wineries, small villages/towns, caberns, gold mines etc.

Maybe visit Yosemite.

Then down the coast some more. Sounds like most of So Cal is not what you are looking for so over to AZ / Grand Canyon, Sedona. Then on to New Mexico.

That would be quite a long itinerary . . . . .

Bill (iamq screen name) recommended we stay in the Graham house at Sea Ranch on the north coast of California. We loved it! They allow one dog in this particular house. Here's the link:

http://www.ramshead.com/unit.asp?which=Graham

Here's a good site to view dog friendly lodging:

http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/tr...maplarge.shtml ((&))

This is not far from me. Cambria, CA

http://www.cambriashores.com/amenit.html

I think I want to be a dog.

"In addition, your Canine friend is welcomed with a basket of their own, which includes, dog biscuits, a current copy of "Fido Friendly" (the popular pet magazine), a loan of special towels to be used after a nice bath at our pet stop, a spread for the bed so your dog can relax with you, a placemat for their water and food dishes, and a Mutt Mitt to pick up after your dog. They will also enjoy breakfast biscuits, ocean trail walks and basking in the sun on our famous seaside lawn. The Pampered pets fee is $15 per pet per night (Pet Nanny service available)."

I'm afraid national parks like Yosemite or Grand Canyon don't make much sense with the dog.

Sea Ranch, on the other hand, is an excellent suggestion, although the "sun" part is iffy this time of year (or any time of year, due to fog). We spent a lovely 3 days there in November (over Thanksgiving) a few years ago, and yes, the sun did shine, every day.

I loved biking on the redwood-needle covered trails, and through the complex to the beach. We also visited wineries, and went canoeing in an outrigger canoe on a river---upstream with the incoming tide. I can't remember the name of the river, but I'm sure someone knows what I'm talking about. Maybe the Mendocino? We also spent a day visiting the galleries in Mendocino. And maybe a lighthouse, (or maybe that was a different trip).

Anyway, it's a great place, and I think there is a golf course there too. I would happily return and ride more of the trails (this is mountain biking, in case that isn't clear).

We drove there in one very long day from Seattle, but I wouldn't recommend that!

When I need to take my dogs along on my travels, I always check petswelcome.com for pet friendly accommodations.

Depending on when you come, it might be cold and snowy (but still sunny) here in New Mexico; however, today's high where I live was in the 70s.

Lee Ann