By Sue Nielsen
Before Rico, my long-haired Chihuahua, came into my life, I would take long vacations to see nature at its finest. I’ve been scuba diving in the Baja of Mexico with hammerhead sharks, kayaking amidst a family of Orca whales in British Columbia, and experienced Humpback whales singing and breaching in Hawaii. The Galapagos Islands was the trip of a lifetime for me as a photographer and wildlife enthusiast, with amazing close up encounters with blue footed boobies, 
baby seals, tiny penguins, marine iguanas, and a 100 year old tortoise!
These adventures are some of the best memories of my life. For the past 2 years, starting when he was only 10 weeks old, it was more about bringing Rico to Sarasota to escape the cold of Minnesota. He has more frequent flyer miles than most people and learned how to keep quiet during security! However, I wanted our next vacation to be “dog-centered” with his interests and needs as the focus. Yes, he could fly somewhere with me, but most foreign countries have long quarantine rules regarding pets which would rule out taking Rico. Now we have settled in Sarasota, Florida, and there is plenty to see and do right here, within driving distance. We chose Naples because it was a relatively short ride from Sarasota and had a nice variety of dog friendly activities.
Online resources can help find a destination that is right for you and your pooch. Three such websites include www.dogfriendly.com , www.bringfido.com , and www.doggoes.com. It’s easy to search and get ideas for lodging, dog parks, restaurants, and events. I do recommend further investigation to determine which accommodations or activities are right for your furry family. Especially check the fine print for the hotel pet policy! Some charge extra per stay or per night, have a weight limit for the dog, or an additional cleaning fee. Accommodations are available in Naples from basic to high end, hotels to condos to private homes. We chose La Quinta East because it was an affordable hotel, no extra cost for the dog, and in a central location to explore. Just off Interstate 75, our activities were all within 30 minutes. We appreciated their basic continental breakfast. La Quinta has a location closer to downtown as well. If money is not an issue, consider Naples Bay Resort. It overlooks the water with brightly painted exteriors in all shades of orange and red. It’s very close to shopping, restaurants and the famous 5th Avenue downtown. They offer special hotel packages for their canine guests called “U Nauti Dog” and it includes a special bed just for your dog!!!
In the next series of articles we will share our four day Naples trip. We will highlight two wonderful off leashdog parks – Canine Cove on Marco Island and Central Bark in Naples.
We went hiking on leash to Collier-Seminole State Park and Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk and learned about south Florida’s flora and fauna. We dined at quaint and elegant pet-friendly restaurants and let Rico do his window shopping. On our last day we rented a boat and explored the Intracoastal Waterway all the way to the only dog friendly beach in the area, on Keewaydin Island. We didn’t have enough time to see everything, but that’s a good reason to go back. We recommend Naples as a wonderful dog-centered vacation destination! If you are interested in learning more about the ins and outs of traveling with your pup – check out Dog Travel Etiquette. Stay tuned to SarasotaDog.com for the highlights of Rico’s Adventure to Naples, Florida!