Summary of my unplanned Carmel Vacation in Carmel

My trip to Carmel was meant to really just be an overnight quick getaway.  I had no intention of spending 3 nights there by any means, but, that is just what I did.   In general I am not really a person who knows how to go on vacation and get away from the miscellaneous things that need to be done at home.  Although my dogs are with me all the time at home around my place, it is a whole different thing to be going on vacation with them and focusing on activities that all three of us can do together.  At home my dogs only come with me when the weather is good and even then I don’t usually eat out with them or do much more with them than take them to work or to the beach or a park.

In Carmel, I never left the dogs behind in the hotel room or the car.  They went to all my meals except for my first dinner.  They went to parks with me and then the best of all to be able to hang out with me in the Cypress Hotel Lounge and just lie there on the carpet whilst the different performers played was perfect.  The dogs first meal out on this trip to Carmel was at the Forge in the Forest Restaurant.  They were a little restless at first but loved their chicken strips dinner which I ordered for them from the canine cuisine menu.

Overall they were real angels and though I say that with prejudice I am being quite honest in my assessment of their behaviour.  I received a number of compliments on their behaviour even from other dog owners.

One lady said she had been advised against getting a dog such as an Australian shepherd because they are so much work and so high strung.  I really have never had any trouble with them in public places.  I brought them both to Carmel when Zulu was less than a year old and even back then they were both on their best behaviour.  I suppose the real key is to let them have adequate activity and play time before trying to get them to sit still.

Friday evening really was the highlight of our stay and I’m glad we hung out another day.  Debbie Davis was the performer accompanied by pianist Gennady Loktionov.  Gennady is well known Clint Eastwood’s music arranger and he is a phenomenal musician.  Debbie and Gennady performed for 3 hours without break on Friday and evening and Debbie did an amazing job of engaging her audience.  There was one dog who stole the show from them and that was a Rhodesian Ridgeback.  The dog was humongous and Debbie told the owner that he would need to stay off the main part of the floor so as to not trip her.  If you check out the pictures below you’ll see this dog tried to make its home in the smallest of cushions and later the owner wound up relinquishing his seat for the dog.  I wasn’t real impressed to see the dog get on one of the lounge chairs and make himself at home but no one seemed to mind and he really did steal the show!!