Dog beach in Carmel

Sometimes when I have free time available, I like to take our dog to a dog park or some other dog-friendly place.  A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I got a chance to take our dogs to the dog beach in Carmel.  For those who've never been to Carmel, it's extremely dog friendly!



If you've ever had an outside meal (in a restaurant) with a dog, then you probably already know that it's a bit of a nerve wracking experience because no matter how well trained or behaved a dog can be, there can always be some noise, smell, or person that can throw the dog off its game.  So I admit I was a bit worried about where we'd eat and how the lunch would go.  I was glad to find out I was worried for nothing because we had a nice relaxing lunch at PortaBella Restaurant in Carmel.  My friend had eaten there before, but I hadn't, so I was surprised when they allowed us to walk (with our dogs) through the restaurant's dining room to get to the outdoor seating in the back.  The back seating area was almost completely full and there were already 2 other dogs there (plus our 2 dogs).

The lunch was nice, and the staff was super friendly -- even to our dogs!  We were seated near the restroom, and my dog thought nothing of sprawling himself out across half the walkway, so people had to step over him on their way to the restroom, but nobody made a fuss about doing it. In fact, one gentleman bent down to pet my dog and then had a whole conversation with the dog!

After lunch, we headed down towards the beach (at the end of the same street) to let the dogs have their fun.  My friend's dog is crazy for chasing the ball, so she and her dog were busy with that while my dog got busy avoiding the water exploring.  He's likes meeting people and other dogs, but he's not so crazy about the water. He made a new friend almost as soon as we got there.

The weather in Carmel and Monterey is usually more on the cool side than it is warm. It started to get a little chilly after the sun started to fade, but overall, the day turned out pretty decent.

When it was time to go home, the dogs were exhausted...what a great day!