Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Bonita Beach Dog Park…

2011-12-12 FGCU and the dog beach 009

With the exquisitely warm weather we have been having we decided to get out for a little drive and explore more of the area around us. So off we drove towards Little Hickory Island and once we crossed the bridge to it we were surrounded by the large opulent but brightly painted homes adorning the beautiful white sand beaches.

2011-12-12 FGCU and the dog beach 010A short pleasant drive past the homes and the various beach accesses you cross another bridge which takes you towards Fort Meyer Beach and Lovers Key State Park. Access to the park’s manned beach access is $4.00 per person at the main gate but only $2.00 per person at a “self pay station” at the north end of the park. But just before you get into Lovers Key State Park you will notice a pullout alongside the road where several cars may be parked. What you will find here is a “dog beach” better known as Bonita Beach Dog Park.

2011-12-12 FGCU and the dog beach 012They have set aside a special beach area for those who want to take their dog(s) off leash and let them just run and play with all the other dogs. We are currently pet-less but we have had several dogs in our adult lives and both had cats in our childhood. We have just found that the RV lifestyle that we wanted is better accomplished pet-less. The lack of a friendly companion was traded for a bit more freedom and a lot less responsibility.

But since we are dog and cat lovers we felt it would be a fun experience to visit the dog park and see what goes on there… When we first pulled up we were a bit worried that this might be an adult dog only park since there was a huge banner announcing that there was “hot dogs” in the park… :)

2011-12-12 FGCU and the dog beach 011

Instead, what we found was a bunch of furry critters romping around chasing each other and frolicking in the surf as children would. There were dogs chasing each other, dogs chasing balls, dogs digging in the sand, dogs chasing frisbees and dogs just being dogs…

2011-12-12 FGCU and the dog beach 008

It really is nice that they have set aside a special place for dog owners and their dogs to have a place to run foot loose and fancy free without offending those folks who take offense to dogs in general. The beach is just a small strip of white sand surrounded by mangroves but it is ample in size so that dogs have plenty of room to play. If you have a dog and are in the area I would highly recommend you that you stop by this beach, pull up a beach chair and spend some quality time with your furry friend…

Since we didn’t have a furry friend we simply enjoyed watching those that did! After having too much fun at the dog park we started to head back to our RV park but got side tracked at a place called the Fish House. Since it was happy hour we decided to check it out. Fantastic happy hour there with $1.25 domestic drafts and four food items on a special happy hour menu all only six bucks… (including a half pound boiled ship or ten wings). Nice place for a stop when going home from the beach…

9 comments:

  1. Florida does a good thing with the dog beaches. Our dogs would only wade in the water but it was always fun to watch the retrievers. They never get tired.

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  2. I really miss our little Smudge but I agree with you. It's kinda nice not worrying about her while we are out having fun. I try to get a puppy fix when someone is walking their dog if they look receptive.
    Syl

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  3. I remember that dog park. We went there a couple of times before we had Halley. I remember it becuase we saw a rather large snake there one time.

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  4. The dog beach is a great idea. We too have chosen to travel dogless for the very same reasons you mention. I've have numerous pairs of beagles in my life and like Syl never pass up an opportunity to enjoy their company when someone is walking them.

    Thanks for the heads up about the North Entrance to Lover's Key. Frugality keeps us on the road.

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  5. I love those kind of dog parks. We took Whiskey to one with Rigg's (from Sam and Donna's blog) just outside of St. Louis and they had such a great time. We also saw one right near downtown Austin, Texas. I could sit and watch them for a good long time. So much fun watching them all get along and having so much fun.

    Kevin and Ruth
    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  6. Love the "hot dog" sign. I thought maybe you could actually purchase a hot dog...the editable kind. I love them!
    What a great idea though. I am sure those dogs felt like they were in heaven. It looks like they were all having a wonderful time!

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  7. We were there with pooch last year while in FL. It's a great little spot!
    By the way if you haven't checked it out Koreshan State Park is a fun little visit in the area (you can search my blog for info)
    Nina

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  8. Wow, thats Buddy's kind of place, he can hardly wait. Woof! Woof!

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