J. Nichole Smith
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RSS for Daily FindSummertime and the reading is easy -- breezy novels, compelling memoirs and sexy vampire romances; hey, it's your beach blanket, indulge.
Your dog, on the other paw, would like you to sit up and pay attention to "The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest" ($21.95) and "The Dog Lover's Companion to Seattle" ($17.95), by Seattle author Val Mallinson.
As the owner of a rowdy Australian Shepherd and both books, my stock as the person in charge of fun has soared. As soon as I start flipping through either volume, my dog puts his happy-pants dance routine in motion. He knows we've both had some of our best doggone adventures as a result of having these books around.
Besides being comprehensive and well-researched, they're a good read. Mallinson has a highly developed sense of humor (and two zippy dachshunds), and her engaging style makes even the most mundane or necessary topics (such as dog-poop etiquette) appealing.
At 688 pages, the Pacific Northwest version (now in its second edition) covers Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Each chapter focuses on a region, such as the Olympic Peninsula, breaking it down by specific towns or cities with complete descriptions of parks, beaches, and recreation areas (each with a witty "Paw Scale" rating), places to eat, places to stay, "Pick of the Litter" recommendations and detailed maps.
According to Mallinson, every listing in the new edition has been updated and is current as of this year, plus every off-leash dog park in both states has been included. Also, because we're traveling more with our dogs, there are just more places that welcome both peeps and pets.
"There are 150 more pages than the previous book and lots of new destinations -- there's more of the North Cascades, like Lake Chelan, Winthrop and Twisp, and better coverage of the Oregon Coast and Central Oregon, especially Bend. The Seattle area has also been greatly expanded; up from two to six chapters, with lots of new Eastside and South Seattle listings."
"The Dog Lover's Companion to Seattle" is a slimmer, sexier version of the Pacific Northwest volume and is great if you and your pooch like the local life Puget Sound has to offer, from Centennial Trail in Everett to Issaquah Highlands Bark Park. You'll also find out which coffee shops provide strategically placed water bowls and treats for their four-footed friends. Both books have extensive resource listings; the Seattle version has a larger listing of doggie boutiques.
"The Dog Lover's Companion" titles are published by Avalon Travel/Perseus Books and are available at Barnes & Noble, Borders and amazon.com.
If you have a shop, sale, event or great product tip you'd like to share, e-mail seattleshopping@nwsource.com.
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
Comments
Post a commentThe is a great book! We use it all the time and the information is detailed and accurate. Very thorough and complete with nice lodging and restaurant recommendations. Big thumbs (and paws) up!
"The Dog Lover's Companion to Seattle" ($17.95), by Seattle author Val Mallinson.
This book has been the best resource for us.
Highly recommended, Val Mallinson has done her homework. Would like to see more from this new author. Cheers!
Our two dogs have been the beneficiaries of this PNW guidebook, as have my husband and I. Thanks to its pages we can set off on a driving tour confident of locating at least one beach or park where our dogs can stretch their legs and smell new smells. The fact that their legs are quite short (a Dachshund and JRT) doesn't make the exercise any less important.
The only place where the book ran dry for us was in Eastern Oregon. However, there we had no problem finding space to roam!
The publisher set the pages or number of characters and generally defined the geographic area to be covered. Valerie is considering adding Eastern WA/OR for future revisions. We're thrilled that you find the books useful!
This site is really helpful when trying to find a dog park to suit any special needs either you or your dog may have =)
www.dogpark.com
The book is most informative, but far from dry - what a fun read! Ms. Mallinson is a terrific writer - I wonder what the result would be if she turned her pen from canine travel guide to fiction? Or perhaps her dachshund companions provide fodder for amusing stories? I hope someday to see more books bearing her name!
For folks interested in great things to do with your dog, visit www.deltasociety.org they are an organization devoted to people with pets volunteering to help heal. It's a wonderful sight with lots of useful links and it's local here in Bellevue!
And BTW, I just ordered this book from Amazon. I can't wait to take my Australian Cattle Dogs to some more fun places! They love to go, go ,go. Very busy boys, those two.
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