Here are some Washington escapes that are perfect for man and man's best friend:
1. City pups romp while owners enjoy world-class art at Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park. Pass the giant ampersand ("Love and Loss" by Roy McMakin), then follow the path between train tracks and Elliott Bay to Myrtle Edwards Park, where a beach strewn with ready-for-fetch driftwood is sure to tempt Fido.
2. The 40-acre off-leash dog park at the 640-acre Marymoor Park in Redmond (just east of Seattle) is the ultimate playground for pooches, with wide-open fields, six miles of trails for walks and the Sammamish River for swimming.
3. With its annual Doggie Olympics and miles of wide, sandy beaches (and what locals say is a very loosely enforced leash law), Long Beach may be doggy nirvana.
4. Yakima Valley Wine Country vintners tout their dogged affection at canine-friendly wineries. For those unable to make it east of the Cascades, Spoiled Dog Winery on Whidbey Island welcomes mutts and is just a ferry ride from Seattle.
5. Hit the trails by ski or snowshoe, but don’t leave Scout behind: three non-motorized Sno-Parks within the Mount Baker/Methow Area have dog-friendly trails. Bonus: There’s a good chance of seeing a dogsled team.
6. Dogs can bark it up Bavarian style in Leavenworth, where Waterfront Park offers a trail full of interesting scents along the Wenatchee River, and where München Haus’s festive beer garden—with covered outdoor seating, cold beer and hot brats—seems to have a dog at every table.
—Kristin Mehus-Roe
