Romancing the Dog
by Lisa Moretti
As long as humans have formed relationships, I suspect that there have
people that have had an unconditional bond of love with a dog. It’s
not something you expect; just a like a playful pup, it sneaks up and bites
you in the ass. One day you’re a human with human friends and the next
thing you know – you’re a dog geek, showing pictures of your “furever love”
like a proud grandma. So, when the opportunity to spend a romantic
getaway with my little man arose, I grabbed Gus and off we went. (We took
along our other human companion, Dave, too.)
 It seems a bit odd to talk about the most romantic place in America and
my dog in the same sentence; I don’t want to be THAT lady! But St.
Augustine, Florida with it’s dog-friendly inns and attractions made our
special relationship seem pretty natural. In fact at one of St.
Augustine’s oldest “attractions”, the Fountain of Youth discovered by Ponce
De Leon almost 450 years ago, John Stavely who manages the site now makes
sure to point out that in archaeological digs on the property, dogs have
been documented to be companions buried with their humans hundreds of years
ago. So hey, when in Spain do like the Spaniards, right? Gus had
a slight difference of opinion, he wanted to bark at the Spaniards; he
decided they were pushy, conquering conquistadors!
 Gus and I (oh yeah, and Dave too) stayed at the St. Francis Inn.
How appropriate, right?! St. Francis – patron saint of animals.
And the Inn which is the oldest and longest operating inn in North America,
welcomed us with open arms, lots of scritches, and bed time biscuits.
The St. Francis welcomes dogs of any size which if you travel with a larger
sized hound you know is unusual. No astronomical dog fees, no weight
limits, and biscuits – Gus and I knew we had scored! Here’s our lovely
room, even our ghost was charming.
 If you want a quick orientation of the city and all the good juicy
backstories, take a tour on the Old Town Trolley. The drivers are very
knowledgeable, the evening tours include a musical revue through time by
talented young hosts, and dogs appreciate the chance to canoodle in the back
along with the open-air drive around town. Given that St. Augustine is
the oldest continuously occupied (by Europeans) city in the US, there’s
plenty of good gossip and lots of great smells. In a few short blocks
you stroll through the remnants of Spanish, French, and English occupation;
every building is a first or longest something.
We stopped into the Tini Martini Bar at the Casablanca Inn for Blueberry
Muttinis and the folks there showed us their “Secret Garden”, a group of
rooms down a hidden path that are perfect for dogs! We also visited with the
folks at the Bel Marin and the Wescott who all welcome dogs too. Their
porches were perfect for an afternoon bowl of water.
 For dogs with a good manicure, there’s Zack’s EcoTours out to the bay.
Zack’s super rafts are perfect for a good buzz out to the bay to see if you
can find dolphins and manatees along with osprey and pelicans. Zack’s
an animal lover and he seems to know the bay and its inhabitants as if he
lived under the sea. Zack also offers kayaks, but we forgot to bring
Gus’ life jacket.
 For dogs and humans that are landlubbers, you can venture out to the
lighthouse which looks to me like a great pee post. Dogs are welcome
everywhere except inside the lighthouse and museum. The trails around
the area are beautiful and there’s some good p-mail spots. For romance
and dog-luvin’, we don’t recommend the Alligator Farm – but for travel with
human boyfriends, feeding prehistoric reptiles is kind of cool.
 Like any good relationship, you need some “me time.” The folks at
the St. Francis were happy to keep an ear out while Gus rested in the room
with a biscuit. This gave Dave and me the opportunity to have one of
the best meals we’ve ever had (and bring home some treats) at Bistro de
Leon…seriously – BEST EVER. If you like food, you will love this
place! We also ducked into Claude’s for some chocolate (every
relationship has a secret or two – we haven’t told Gus about this!) and it
was like being transported to the very special section of heaven for
chocolate amazingness – Mayan Spice, Earl Grey Tea, and Passion Fruit
Genache – we invoked God’s name repeatedly!
The cliché of what everyone likes on every dating site is “walks on the
beach, hiking, being outdoors”; it’s no wonder it’s easy to be crazy in love
with your dog! Dogs love to walk on the beach, they love hiking, and
they love the fresh air and outdoors – and to top it off they think you look
amazing no matter what you look like; in fact the smellier you are, the
better. St. Augustine offers everything a dog loves in a setting
humans can appreciate. So grab that canine you love and enjoy a
weekend of fun, frolic, and romance in St. Augustine, the possibilities for
fun are endless!
Plan your trip – contact the St.
Augustine Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and
The Inns of Elegance!
Photos by David A. Monroe
Lisa and Dave track the adventures of their four hounds at
DogGoneAdventures.
When they’re not “digging up dirt” on fun stuff with the hounds, Lisa works
as a writer and Dave is very busy commercial
imagist.
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