Take a road trip with dogs: dog-friendly destinations

As proud new pet parents ourselves, we finally get it: you need ideas for dog-friendly destinations. As you plan your own road trip with dogs, bookmark this post and revisit it from time to time as we add more content.

Every time we go on a new adventure with Duchess — a moyen poodle who just turned seven months old — we’ll write about it here. Just like we’ve outlined some fun day trips from Toronto, road trips from Toronto, and other weekend getaways in Ontario, you can expect to find hotels that allow dogs (or other lodging, like vacation homes), dog-friendly cafés and restaurants and activities to do with your furry friend at these dog-friendly destinations.

Meet Duchess, a moyen poodle puppy who is the newest member of our family and your official road trip with dogs ambassador! (Photo taken with the iPhone 13 Pro)

Take a road trip with dogs to: Lake Placid!

When we started thinking about this new evolution of travel content here at MommyGearest.com HQ, the first of many dog-friendly destinations on our list was Lake Placid. We’ve visited many times over the years with our kids and it’s always been noticeably welcoming to visitors on four legs.

If you’re looking for the best skiing in Lake Placid, info about the Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll or summer family activities in Lake Placid, just follow those links after you’ve finished reading more about Lake Placid below.

Lake Placid dog-friendly hotel: Mirror Lake Inn

When I found out that the Mirror Lake Inn — one of my all-time favourite hotels in Lake Placid, New York, allows guests to bring their dogs with them, I was all in. After all, if you’re visiting a dog-friendly city by car, it makes both financial and emotional sense to bring him or her along.

The Mirror Lake Inn is a Lake Placid dog-friendly hotel — and you can actually leave your dog (crated) in your room should you wish to leave for a couple of hours. (Photo taken with the iPhone 13 Pro)

I’ve got an updated Mirror Lake Inn review that goes far beyond just its dog-friendliness, so be sure to give that a read if you want to learn more about this exceptional property, one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Pulling from that, here’s what you need to know about bringing your four-legged friend:

• The Mirror Lake Inn has 40 of its 127 rooms designated as pet-friendly 
• There are some common-sense rules and there’s a contract to make sure you follow them
• Your dog must be 70 lbs. or less and crate-trained, unless you never plan to leave him/her in your room unaccompanied
• There’s a US$50 per night pet-related cleaning fee that will be added to your bill. A portion of every pet fee goes to the
  Joshua Fund, a local non-profit fund that supports dog rescue, care and adoptions
• You need to allow housekeeping into your room every day of your stay — no exceptions
• The Classic Rooms are great for families who bring their dogs; we were comfortable with a king bed, pull-out sofa and a rollaway cot. We also brought Duchess’s travel-friendly Diggs Crate for times we needed to leave her in the room, like going for breakfast at The View each morning
• You will be responsible for any compensation that the hotel is forced to provide other guests should your dog cause any disturbances, so if you don’t have a well-behaved doggo, this may not be the kind of adventure for you

I’m fairly confident that this is the same room I stayed in during my girls’ trip in Feb. 2020! Adding a dog and two kids plus a husband proved that these Classic Rooms at the Mirror Lake Inn are spacious enough for the whole fam-damily. (Photo taken in very low light with the iPhone 13 Pro)

Things to do in Lake Placid with dogs:

Lake Placid is a very, very, VERY dog-friendly city! Here, it’s not about figuring out where you can bring your pooch but rather the rare exceptions where you can’t. Shops, cafés — even the wine store on Main Street! — the bookstore, you name it…the overwhelming sentiment is “we don’t just tolerate your dog, we LOVE your dog.”

At the very top of the list, my biggest shout-outs go to:

• The Smoking Cork — a fab little wine shop with a spitfire of an owner who won’t just sell you some great wine, but she’ll also happily tell you about all of the other places in town where you can take your dog
• The Bookstore Plus — a great bookstore that’s bigger inside than it appears from Main Street! Come in and browse, ask for recommendations and don’t be surprised if the staff offer your dog a treat at the checkout counter
• Lake Placid Ski & Board — this is my fave ski gear shop in Lake Placid and I’ve shopped a lot here over the years, so it was a delight to bring Duchess in with me this time around

The Bookstore Plus on Lake Placid’s quaint Main Street will not only welcome, but also treat, your pup! (Photo taken with the iPhone 13 Pro)

I should also point out that although you should already be travelling with your own as responsible dog owners, there are several poop bag stations around Lake Placid if you happen to run out while you’re exploring:

• Mirror Lake Town Beach
• John Brown Farm
• Heaven Hill
• Henry’s Wood’s
• Peninsula Nature Trails

Other things to do in Lake Placid on your road trip with dogs

Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in Lake Placid. Our visit was a short one this time around, and it was wintertime, but these are at the top of my list to do with Duchess the next time we visit:

• We had hoped to make it into Man and Beast, which sells pet foods, supplements and giftables, but ran out of time — it looked great as we window-shopped!
• There’s a dog park at the back of the Horse Show Grounds in an enclosed area, which apparently offers incredible views of the ski jumps and Whiteface Mountain. To get there: turn off Cascade Road into the grounds and stay straight on the road; then go to the back and look for signs for the off-leash area
• Take an afternoon walk at Heaven Hill, which reportedly offers jaw-dropping views of the Great Range across a gorgeous meadow
• Hike at Henry’s Woods and take the Rocky Knob trail for a view of Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain

Don’t forget: if you’re visiting in the summer, this activities in Lake Placid post will come in handy.

Where to eat/drink in Lake Placid during your road trip with dogs:

Even though, technically, New York state does not allow indoor dining with pets (with the exception of service animals), we found Lake Placid was…well…flexible to some degree.

You, too, can enjoy a delicious cocktail on this fabulous winterized patio at Lisa G’s in Lake Placid NY with your dog at your side. (Photo taken with the iPhone 13 Pro)

My biggest shout-outs go to:

• Lisa G’s restaurant — I’m putting this first, because where — seriously, WHERE ELSE?! — does a restaurant have a completely sheltered, heated patio set up for people to eat dinner all winter long with their dogs? It was a wonderful surprise to learn that we could all dine together at one of my family’s favourite Lake Placid restaurants
• Emma’s Lake Placid Creamery — where there’s a $1 doggy treat (vanilla soft serve topped with a dog biscuit), which you can add to your order, and if it’s too cold outside to enjoy your yummies, your pup is welcome to stay and enjoy everything with you inside if you score the limited seating that’s available

How fun is this?! For just a dollar, Emma’s Lake Placid Creamery will make a special ice cream treat just for your doggo. (Photo taken with the iPhone 13 Pro)

• The Coffee Bar — located in The Alpine Mall on Main Street just a stone’s throw from The Smoking Cork, all of your coffee fantasies await (get the mocha), along with a killer lake view
• Summer visitors will be glad to hear that Lake Placid has many dog-friendly, open-air patios, such as:
  • Big Slide (another one of our faves!)
  • Great Adirondack Brewery
  • Wiseguys Sports Bar & Grill
  • Lake Placid Pub & Brewery
  • Dack Shack

The Coffee Bar is happy for you to enjoy a java to go or to take in the amazing view with your pup. (Photo taken with the iPhone 13 Pro)

I hope you’re inspired now to take a road trip with dogs to Lake Placid! I know we’ll be back again soon with Duchess.

Take a road trip with dogs to: Ottawa!

We had the Lake Placid trip detailed above planned for some time before I decided it would be wise to look at our route to pre-determine pee breaks (for both the kids and Duchess). I mentioned aloud that Ottawa would be a good spot, despite it being a minor detour. The kids heard and begged us to hang out in Ottawa en route home.

So, we did even better than that and decided to add an entire weekend in Ottawa at the tail end of Lake Placid. Sure, it meant stopping to buy extra dog food and underwear, but what the heck? Because apparently we are crazy.

If you’re travelling in the warmer months, you’ve gotta check out these 9 weekend getaways in Ontario — one of which is Ottawa.

Ottawa is probably much more easily navigable with dogs in the summer months when patios are open, but we found plenty of things to keep us busy in the nation’s capital with Duchess.

Dog-friendly hotels in Ottawa: The Westin Ottawa

We’ve stayed at Westin hotels many times, including Blue Mountain and Mont-Tremblant, but never Ottawa. This is the first time we’ve even been conscious of just how dog-friendly the chain is. The Westin Ottawa was also a really good test for Duchess’s housetraining, because we were up on the 20th floor; that meant, after holding it in all night, she had to wait for an elevator and then cross the road to reach a patch of grass. (Happy to report that she passed with flying colours!)

Here’s what you need to know about bringing your pooch to The Westin Ottawa:

• Dogs up to 80 pounds are welcome, but you do need to add them to your reservation ahead of time
• You’ll need to sign a waiver at check-in before your dog goes anywhere in the hotel
• Your room will be set up with a Heavenly Bed specifically for your dog, along with food and water bowls
• All animals must be on-leash and in their owners’ control while in the hotel’s public areas
• Pets are not allowed where food and beverages are being consumed throughout the hotel
• If you leave your room, your pet must be with you
• You will be charged a fee for any room damage

The Westin Ottawa was so good to Duchess — complete with her very own Heavenly Bed.

We really appreciated the Mirror Lake Inn’s rule that allowed dogs to stay in guest rooms alone, provided they’re crated. At The Westin Ottawa, we had to split up to eat breakfast in Daly’s Restaurant onsite since someone had to be with Duchess at all times.

Pet-friendliness aside, we absolutely loved The Westin Ottawa’s location, which put us within easy walking distance of the ByWard Market, Sparks Street, the Parliament buildings and so much more. I have to say, though, perhaps my favourite bit is that it’s connected to the Rideau Centre (fab shopping mall), which meant that even though it was snowy AF outside, we could put on our flip flops and saunter coat-free to the mall! My kids, however, would tell you that the pool was their favourite part of staying at The Westin Ottawa.

Looking for dog-friendly hotels in Ottawa or other cities within easy driving distance of the GTA? I’m excited to bring you my latest road-tripping series. Continue to check back for new cities being added in the future.

Things to do in Ottawa with dogs:

Like Lake Placid, it’ll be fantastic to revisit this post after a summer visit to Ottawa because there will be so much more to see, do and enjoy with Duchess. Winter weather with a puppy that tires quickly is a tad limiting, but we definitely covered a lot of ground:

• Walking along the Rideau Canal — especially once it’s frozen and becomes a huge outdoor ice skating attraction! You can access the Canal simply by walking across the street from the hotel; we’re talking 45 seconds, max.
• Visiting the Rink of Dreams — set up in Marion Dewar Plaza, just outside Ottawa City Hall, this rink is lit beautifully at night and enjoys a long outdoor skating season (about mid-November to mid-March) thanks to a
  refrigerated surface. During this time, it operates seven days a week and, aside from the LED lighting, it also features a heated change hut, picnic tables and benches. Best of all? It’s FREE if you bring your own skates! Skate rentals are available onsite if you don’t have your own. Obviously, your dog can’t go on the ice but if you’re taking your kids, you and your furry friend can watch together from the sidelines

The Rink of Dreams is also near a nicely lit park, perfect for some sniff time.

• Wander around the Parliament Hill grounds — see the Centennial Flame that bursts out of a fountain (it never freezes!), marvel at the spectacular architecture and remind yourself that you’re in the nation’s capital by breathing it all in

The Centennial Flame in Ottawa is always a must — whether or not you bring your pup.

• Explore Sparks Street — it’s pedestrian-only, making it an amazing space for dog-owners. While we were there, Sparks Street was adorned with Christmas trees, lamppost garlands and a light court for its Winter Wander festival, but there are permanent art fixtures and installations there, too
• Check out Major’s Hill Park — it’s behind the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel and has a nice, loop-style path with beautiful views of Parliament, the Ottawa River and the National Gallery of Canada. And it’s the perfect place for a poop. (For your dog, not for you!)

Want a great view of the Ottawa River? Head to Major’s Hill Park. You can also go in search of snowmen here, like Duchess did.

Where to eat/drink in Ottawa during your road trip with dogs:

• Beyond the Pale Brewing Company — who were willing to bring out a picnic table had the weather decided to co-operate, and are super-duper dog-friendly when patio season is in full swing! The food at the Smoque House here was excellent; get the poutine, deep-fried Brussels sprouts, jerk chicken egg rolls (the best!) and pulled-pork mac n cheese. If you’re not eating onsite, grab some beer for a DIY flight at home or your hotel. I’m not even a beer drinker and thought the Pink Fuzz, a grapefruit wheat beer, was delicious. Big B tried a smorgasbord of beer and couldn’t even decide on a favourite

We took our fare from Beyond the Pale Brewing Company back to The Westin Ottawa to enjoy it in the comfort of our room.

• The Ottawa Farmers’ Market — farmers from eastern Ontario and west Québec (within roughly 100 km) gather here each Sunday all year; from May through October, it’s an outdoor affair but between November and April, it’s housed in the Aberdeen Pavilion, a beautiful heritage building. Even when it’s held indoors, well-behaved pets on leashes are
  allowed inside! We nabbed some serious goodies here, so come hungry! There’s also a small (and free) skating rink behind the Pavilion and a leash-free area for dogs, the Sylvia Holden Dog Park, about a four-minute walk away. Don’t leave the market area without grabbing a mocha from the Indigenous-owned Beandigen Café

The Aberdeen Pavilion is gorgeous and welcomes pets for its weekly Ottawa Farmers’ Market.

• Altcetera Cafe — in Ottawa’s Alt Hotel, which is also dog-friendly, this is the one-and-only cafe I could find where Duchess was welcome to stay for a dine-in experience. It’s part of the Happy Goat Coffee Co. chain, which I wrote about in the Ottawa section of my weekend getaways in Ontario post (because it’s really, really good coffee), but don’t go thinking all of the other locations will let your pooch settle in while you enjoy your java onsite. That’s reserved for this location only, though the others will let you pop in with your pup for takeout

We found just one cafe in Ottawa that allows dogs to stay beyond a quick pickup order — so it was Altcetera in the Alt Hotel for the win!

Coming soon to the Road Trip with Dogs series:

• Take a road trip with dogs to: Haliburton
• Take a road trip with dogs to: Mont-Tremblant

DISCLAIMER: while none of these destinations have sponsored this content, some travel arrangements may have been made on our behalf. Destinations were not invited to review or approve anything and all opinions and suggestions are my own.