Traveling with dogs

If you own a dog, like me, you’re always looking for places to visit, to stay and to enjoy along with your pet.  Because  I too try to find suitable accommodation for our family and our pet, we find ourselves in the same predicament as many loving pet owners.  Where can we go, where can we stay, where can we eat outside and where can we take our dog for walks.??

That’s why we have great pleasure in being able to offer pet friendly vacation homes! The biggest advantage of staying in a home rather than an hotel is the sheer ease of settling in with your pet.  Dogs are far happier in a home than a hotel room – there is less unfamiliar noise, for one thing.  My dog has a habit of barking at unfamiliar noises, like other guests passing along the corridor outside our room.  She hates the sound of vacuum cleaners, so that’s another problem;  they’re always cleaning the hallways of hotels.  And in a vacation home, we can bring her own bed, blankets, and food bowls.  The outside is easier to access, so taking our pet for a walk is less stressful; most homes are in quiet developments with sidewalks, and open areas that we can walk to and from.

Florida has just been confirmed as having one of the top five dog friendly areas in the United States.  We are fortunate enough to have Fort De Soto beach on our doorstep.  It takes about 2 hours easy drive from Central Florida to reach the famous Fort de Soto doggy beach, where dogs and humans mingle happily on the sands and in the calm Gulf waters.

Jilly on Fort de Soto beach

There are two fenced dog runs for off leash play;  one for smaller dogs and one for the larger breeds, complete with water bowls and showers to wash the sand and salt off.  Shaded seating areas for owners are also provided.

With miles of sandy beach to run along, and soft and gentle waves, dogs of all ages and sizes have great fun .  Obviously all dogs must be kept under control, and sometimes if the larger dogs appear to be too boisterous we tend to walk further along the beach to provide ourselves and our little one some peace and quiet.

The end result of a trip to Fort De Soto is a happy and tired pet, with a grand vacation home to return to, with all the comforts of home.  Their own blanket, doggie bed and food bowls.  What more could a pet on vacation want?

The trip to the UK for my daughter’s birthday was quite eventful.  Preparing for the trip gave me  some very busy days , and it wasn’t until two evenings before I was due to fly out, that I managed to pack my case.  Trying to decide which clothes would be best for the UK weather was difficult;  we had been having temperatures in the 80′s here in Central Florida, and I knew that it  wouldn’t be that warm in the UK.

Check in at Downtown Disney

However, I packed what I thought would be suitable,  checked in at Downtown Disney early on the morning of the flight and went back to the office for a few hours work before leaving.  Why Downtown Disney for check-in?  Because you can check your luggage in and arrange your seat, so you don’t have to go to Orlando airport three hours ahead of the flight.  All you have to do at the airport is go through the security screening and board your plane.

There were obviously a lot of passengers on this flight; it was standing room only at the boarding lounge.  Boarding took place and we were all seated eventually;  lots of children, lots of hand baggage on this flight, but no major upsets – until we were due to take off.

I settled into my seat, nodded to my neighbours and prepared to open the paperback I had just purchased.  Just as the plane started to taxi out from the gate, an announcement came over the tannoy.  The Flight captain gave us all some bad news, then the good news……………..there had  been a  volcanic eruption in Iceland; they had just heard about it, and we would not be able to fly into Manchester airport!  All the airports North of Birmingham had been closed due to the volcanic ash from the eruption.  The good news was that if we left right now, we might be able to get into Gatwick airport………………

There was a collective gasp of horror from the passengers, including myself.  We had all booked to go to Manchester because we needed to

Volcanic eruption in Iceland

go to the north of the country.  To land in Gatwick with all the headaches of trying to get back up to Manchester was a bit of a concern.  And, none of the staff members knew what would happen when we landed.  Nor could we understand why an eruption in Iceland had closed down UK airspace.

Anyway, once in the air, there was nothing we could do except settle back and enjoy the flight.  Close to our arrival time, the pilot announced that we would be put on coaches for the trip back up to Manchester.

Having landed safely,  and collected our luggage, we were ushered to the bus terminals to wait for the promised coaches.  There was a bit of confusion over the transit to the coaches, but finally we were on our way , and we arrived in Manchester Airport at about 3.30 p.m.  From the airport, it was a fast and comfortable train journey to my daughter’s home town.

The day of the party dawned clear and cold, but at least the sun was shining.  I know now why so many of our guests enjoy coming to Florida to stay in our vacation homes; one forgets just how cool even a sunny English day is, and how small British homes generally are.  We have become used to the spacious rooms and extra amenities of our homes here.  And of course, we are usually fortunate enough to have sunshine all year round.

Some of the family

My daughter Kate and myself

Once the party was over, and normal life resumed, then of course, the worry about the closure of the airports had time to surface.  After checking the Virgin internet site, it became pretty obvious that there was little I could do until the day before I was due to fly back to Florida.  So we decided to make the most of my admittedly very short stay, and took the train into Newcastle for the day.  Not for shopping, I hasten to add, but to have a look around a city that I haven’t visited for many many years.   The weather wasn’t too too bad, although I had to borrow a fleece jacket to be comfortable.  We visited art galleries, museums and walked across the “blinking eye” ; the Millenium Bridge over the Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead.

Millenium Bridge

Eventually my short break had to come to an end, and the worries over how to get back surfaced again;  the news media were  showing stories of many people stranded all over the world, getting more and more frustrated and unhappy with the lack of assistance and information.  We stayed in touch with Virgin Airline, and on the day before I was scheduled to fly, we were informed that it was very likely that the flight would go.  Virgin staff took a mobile phone number, and at 2.00 a.m. on the Wednesday morning, texted a message to get down to Manchester, the flight was On!  We left the house at 4.15 a.m for the drive down, and arrived just as the check in desk was opening.  I joined the queue and checked my baggage and tried to get a decent seat.  The plane was already pretty booked up even then.  I went to the Boarding lounge, and found a huge number of people waiting; and we waited, and we waited……….. the original flight time of 10.25 a.m. was delayed to 12.15, then to 1.45 then to 2.45 …………. eventually we were given the go-ahead to start boarding at 5.05 in the afternoon!

At last we were off and heading back to Florida……………… I think we were twice lucky;  firstly getting to Gatwick when we did on the trip over, and secondly getting out of the UK on the day we were scheduled to leave.    Sad to leave them all, but there will always be another time or another celebration to enjoy.

Once, many years ago,  we managed to get down to Titusville to watch one of the Night Flights of the Space Shuttle. There have been very few experiences since then to rival it.

The long wait for the countdown, the murmurs of other people who are waiting just like you, dark shadows moving around you while all eyes are on the launch pad  far off in the distance, radios pressed to ears, listening for the latest news, and hoping and praying that there will be no last minute stand-down.

When the start of the 10 second countdown commences, eyes and ears strain to see and hear the first of the blast-off;  people craning to get their first glimpse, fingers on camera shutters ready to go………….9,  8,  7,  6,  5 .…………. now the time is getting so close, you can  feel the tension…………….you can feel everyone willing it to be a safe lift off………

.4, 3, 2,

ONE!!!

and a tremendous cheer erupts at the same time as the fiery steam billows out of the ground, and the shuttle lifts off.  Going so slowly at first, then gaining speed as it lifts away from the launch pad.  Trailing a huge cloud of orange vapour behind it like a cloak, and speeding up , up into the night sky.   Our eyes are blinded by the vision, cameras are clicking as the shuttle passes in front of the moon, and onwards, and  then comes the roar; the noise of the blast off – we didn’t expect that!   The sheer volume of sound compresses the chest,  pulses through the body, feels as though you can’t breathe for a moment  and makes you feel as though the earth itself is trembling.   We clap our hands in sheer delight and relief that everything has gone smoothly; we turn to people around us and express our amazement and awe at the sight and sound we have just experienced; we watch till we can’t see the Space Shuttle any longer…….. then everyone drifts away to their vehicles and moves on with their lives.

No matter how many times I watch the Space Shuttle take off from Kennedy, that one experience will never leave my memory, and this morning I watched another Space Shuttle take off with its crew bound for the International Space Station.   A Space Station that we could see with the naked eye in the dark hours of this morning!.   Our TV was on, showing the countdown, as it has so many times before, and we watched the incredible sight of the  lift off, then rushed outside into the dark, to see the sky lightening from the blast, then the sight of the Space Shuttle lifting about the tree line to speed across the dark skies.  We watched it till it had gone over the horizon, and walked back indoors to a hot cup of coffee.  Yes, we did take more photos, and yes, we did wish, briefly, that we had been really there at the Cape to witness this wonderful sight.

You have to admire those crew members who board this amazing piece of machinery for the ride; there are never any guarantees of safety on this ride!   STS 131 is carrying a full complement of seven crew to the International Space Station.

Discovery and Crew Delivering Science Hardware to Station
Commander Alan Poindexter is leading the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery. Joining Poindexter are Pilot Jim Dutton and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clay Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Discovery is carrying a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks for the laboratories aboard the station. The mission has three planned spacewalks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank assembly, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior, and switching out a rate gyro assembly on the S0 segment of the station’s truss structure.

STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.

Team Applauds Beautiful Launch for Discovery

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:21:27 AM EDT

During a postlaunch news conference at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 6:21 a.m. EDT liftoff of space shuttle Discovery was hailed as a great success.

Calling the launch, “a great start to a great mission,” Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, said the successful liftoff was a tribute to the team at Kennedy that got the vehicle ready to fly.

Mike Moses, chair of the Mission Management Team, said it was, “a spectacular launch and picture-perfect countdown.” He outlined a few minor technical issues that were recorded, but that the spacecraft and crew were ready to start an action-packed mission.

Expressing his happiness that they were able to launch on the first attempt, Pete Nickolenko, STS-131 launch director, said he was proud of the teams that make such a difficult job look so easy.

Also on hand was Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency President Keiji Tachikawa, who noted that this will be the first time two Japanese astronauts will be in space at the same time, as Discovery’s Mission Specialist Naoko Yamazaki joins Expedition 23 crew member Soichi Noguchi for the STS-131 mission.

Discovery and crew will spend 13 days in space on their mission to the International Space Station.

With only three more  Space Shuttle missions planned,  this was the last mission planned for a night-time take off, and what a fantastic sight for those of us who were fortunate enough to either be there to be able to watch it from our homes.    My thoughts go to those brave astronauts and I make the same comment I made all those years ago, when I saw my first live launch;  Good Luck and God Bless!

This is our Jilly

We are the proud and loving owners of  a  Jack Russell terrier called Jilly.  She is affectionate and stubborn and totally frustrating when she is chasing squirrels or searching our garage for mice that may have some in out of the winter cold.  However, she is an important member of our family and spends her days with me in the office and her evenings  curled up on the sofa with us.

So for this very reason, we cannot possibly conceive of putting her in a kennel if we want to go away.  Therefore, for us to take a vacation means finding accommodation that will take our pet.

There are a  few pointers to safely and comfortably taking your pet on vacation with you.  Firstly make sure that the place where you want to stay is happy about your dog or cat.  Some accommodations have restrictions on weight or size, or even breed restrictions.

Most of us who intend to have our pet with us already know that our beloved dog or cat is house-trained and fully vaccinated, but the owner of the accommodation might need to be reassured on that count.  It’s also useful to check for local pet stores in the area where you are going so that you can get Fido’s special treats, or Kitty’s toy mice, should you happen to need them.   Here are a few pointers that may help to keep you and your pet safe and comfortable on your vacation.

Hey, we're coming too!

1. Firstly you should assess your pet’s traveling capabilities. Very old or very young pets can be affected greatly by the experience of a long trip. If your pet has any illness or injury make sure to be informed about his or her condition and whether it will complicate during travel by asking your vetinarian.
2. You should also talk with your vet about where you will be traveling, how and for how long. Be sure to ascertain about any ticks, fleas or heartworms that can harm your pet at any of the places that you plan to go. If your pet has any problems while traveling such as motion sickness ask your vet about treatments or medication he could prescribe.
3. Ask your vet if your pet has all the necessary up to date vaccinations and obtain a health and rabies certificate. This is especially important if you will be traveling by plane since airports require that you have the certificate issued no earlier than 10 days before you take off.
4. Make sure to buy the appropriate crate for your pet’s travels, this includes: sturdiness, plentiful ventilation, a door that securely locks, an interior free of affliction possibilities and above all plenty of space to move around. You should also get one that can be grabbed easily from the outside where the animal can’t harm.
5. Put tags on your pet that have all the current information such as owner’s name, a phone number, an address and proof of vaccination. As an extra security measure you might want to get your pet micro chipped which will make it very easy to find him or her in case you become separated.
6. Before you depart make sure to clip your pet’s nails so that he or will be easier to restrain as well as diminish the prospect of causing unwanted damage. If your pet has fleas or ticks make sure to apply the proper treatments so that he or she doesn’t infest their new environments.
7. For the worst case scenario in which you and your pet become separated you should come with a list of helpful information regarding him or her as well as a recent photograph. Among the information included you should have the breed, call name, age, coat type, color, characteristic markings and microchip number.
8. You should always have plenty of fresh water at your side. Don’t introduce food to your pet that is very different from what you ordinarily feed him to avoid any complications. If you can’t find your dog’s brand of food you should introduce him or her to a new type gradually and be attentive to any changes due to diet.
9. You should bring with you a strong leash, sheets for your dog to lay as to make sure he is not sitting on furniture or bedding, plenty of pet food that may not be available, lots of water, your pets food and water bowl and make sure to wash them regularly, and toys for them to play with for some stimulation.
10. You might also want to bring with you tweezers for removing unwanted creatures or objects, baby wipes to clean them off, waste removal bags, first aid kit (especially if you’re traveling somewhere remote), a flashlight for walks out in the dark, comfortable bedding, disinfectant spray may come in handy and also carpet cleaning items.

This list might at first glance seem like a lot of things to worry about, but traveling with children requires very similar needs to be filled.  OK, perhaps not the rabies certificate or the pet crate but…………….

One of the fun things to do with your dog are the walks together;  this is Jilly on Fort de Soto beach; she actually dislikes getting wet, so rather than running into the sea, she ran alongside the little ripples of breaking waves, barking madly.  Cleverly, I thought, I rolled up my trousers, and went into the sea to my knees, beckoning and calling for her to come in with me.  No chance!  so when I had had enough I turned to look out to sea.

There was  a huge splash, and the back of my trousers were soaked through.  Jilly had launched herself into the sea, well beyond her depth and now was panic stricken and swimming wildly towards me.  After that she reverted to running along the sand.  No way was she going to do that again.!

Fort De Soto is on the Gulf Coast of Florida and is an interesting place, not just because it has a full length dog beach, and a dog park.  The dog park is fully fenced, and has two sections, one for small dogs and the other side is for larger dogs whose boisterous play may scare some of the smaller or elderly dogs.

There is also an actual fort, a beach for humans to swim and sunbathe , a fishing pier, cycle hire, canoe hire and picnic areas, as well as walks through the woods .  The best time to visit Fort De Soto is early in the year;  as the weather warms up it can become rather crowded, and during the height of the summer it may even be too warm for you and your pet.

There are many dog friendly parks in the Central Florida area;  Orlando, Kissimmee, Winter Park, Wekiva Springs and other towns in the area, have Off-leash parks for pets and their owners.  As well as the dog parks, there are many outdoor restaurants and cafes where you can sit and eat or drink with your pet.  That’s the pleasure of having a  sunny and warm climate.   We always carry a bottle of water with us as it can get very warm when out walking.  Celebration in Florida is a great place to walk our dog;  there is a good long walk around the lake, there’s a Farmer’s Market to visit on Sundays, tables and chairs outside most of the restaurants and coffee shops, and lots of other people with the same idea, so socialised dogs  are very welcome.

Many of our smaller towns and cities welcome your pet and have specialised pet shops where you can buy  clothes, bakery goods, jewelled collars  and so on – all for your dog or cat.

Cannonball!!

As you can see, we enjoy our time with  Jilly, and we know how important that pleasure  is to other pet lovers, so if you decide to visit Central Florida call us – we have pet friendly vacation rental homes waiting to give you and your family pet  a vacation that’s not to be sniffed at !

After a most successful Goofy Challenge this year, when more than 55,000 runners set off over the two days, it’s now time to register for the 2011 event.

And they're off!

The Goofy Challenge is one of the premier events in the marathon runners calendar. Held each year by Disney, the event attracts runners from all walks of life, from the amateur athlete to top marathon runners.

This year’s event was held on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th January, during one of the coldest spells in Central Florida‘s weather for the past decade.   Volunteer helpers, race marshalls and spectators lined the route to cheer on the brave competitors running in below freezing temperatures with sleet, snow and rain.  The weather did take its toll, although the half marathon had just over 17,000 runners complete the course.  The winner of the men’s half marathon finished in 1 hour 7 minutes 2 seconds, and the women’s leader completed the race in just about 1 hour 20 minutes.

A friend of ours, Toni,  who was staying in one of Premier Home Management‘s vacation homes finished her half marathon in just under 2 hours. After returning to her home and relaxing, her preparations began for the full marathon on the next day.

Her start time on Sunday was 5.50 a.m. in an air temperature of 26 degrees. She managed to complete the race in just about 4 hours – while the leaders finished in 2 hours 22 minutes 8 seconds for Adriano Bastos and 2 hours 51 minutes 20 seconds for Lisa Mizutani. Over 16,000 runners completed the course.

Well doing the Goofy Challenge is a challenge in its self, but looking for good accommodation can be more of a challenge! But that’s where Premier Homes are brilliant – as they took the stress out of this for me!

I stayed at Windsor Hills, which was only about a 15 min drive from Epcot, so I didn’t have to leave my resort hotel at 3am to get to the start….. The accommodation was spotless and extremely well kitted out with a wonderful power shower, a tv in all rooms, a full equipped kitchen – just in case you don’t want to travel the 2 mins to the vast array of restaurants. The apartment also had a washer and dryer – which came in very useful for dealing with smelly running kit!

All in all I can only sing the praises of Marilyn and her team, they provided me with a great base to complete this challenge and I would certainly go back to them again even if I wasn’t doing the Goofy!

Thanks, Toni

The final race of the weekend, completed the most magical 26.2 miles on Earth.  The course takes runners through all four Walt Disney World®

Running the Disney Marathon in Orlando, Florida

Theme Parks starting at Epcot®, continuing on to the Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and then back to Epcot® for an exhilarating finish.  The post race celebrations were less well attended this year due to the inclement weather.

For those of you who are so inclined, the Application forms are now open for next year’s Goofy Challenge.

Next year’s Challenge dates are below, if you are a runner, you’ll need to know this.

Before you run off we wanted to tell you all about the 2011 WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA, Thursday, January 6 – Sunday, January 9, 2011.  You’ll want to be here for a weekend of races that are as magical as they are memorable; from Disney’s Health & Fitness Expo to the final mile of the marathon, complete with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy medals.  We know you love running, now imagine a run where every mile is filled with Disney fun.  You’d be, well, goofy to miss it!

Toni, who stayed in one of our vacation homes, was so pleased that she was able to bring her family with her for support – it made all the difference between staying in an hotel by herself and having friends and family living in the vacation home with her. Everyone was able to enjoy themselves in their own way and their own time.

If you’re coming next year for the Disney Goofy Challenge, do let us know. We’ll cheer you on!