Dreaming of ocean views

It’s been a while since we’ve taken anything approaching a “real vacation”, defined as actually leaving the County for more than an afternoon. As pet owners of both the Doodlebug and three cats, it’s darn near impossible to get time away without having someone move into our little abode to keep pace with the demands of our four-footed housemates. I know there are pet-sitting services available, but I have yet to find one in Bakersfield who is actually willing to do the move-in (because being critter lovers, they have their own herd at home to contend with, I’m sure), and we’re pretty confident that a twice-daily visit isn’t nearly enough for the Doodlebug. This leaves us, more often than not, housebound.

Most of the time I don’t really mind so much. As homes go, ours is pretty near perfect for our needs, with enough space to be as together (or apart) as we choose, a pool to take the sweat and stress of the day off my mind and a refrigerator to store whatever we choose to partake in for the weekend. Add in a collection of music and movies to suit any mood my spirit happens to find itself in and there’s really not much more I can ask for. Still…every once in a while I get the urge to be someplace other than the inside of my house, in my neighborhood, in my town.

So here I sit, much like Winnie the Pooh, fingers tapping the side of my head as I imagine the words “think, think, think” appearing in a thought bubble above me. We can take the Doodle with us. We’ve never done it before, but he tends to be a good dog, especially when on unfamiliar turf, and there are more places every year that seem to cotton to the idea that there are actual people like us and the best way to take our money is to be open to letting us bring our dog along for the trip.

But where to go? Obviously, I’m thinking ocean-side (otherwise the title of the post doesn’t make much sense), but should I go Pismo, SLO, Oceano or Santa Barbara? Do we aim to rent a cabin or condo, or should try out a pet-friendly hotel that’s ocean-side? I want something as beach-close and dog-friendly as possible, including easy access to places with pet-friendly dining options, so the Doodle can sit on a patio with us and beg for handouts in a different venue from our dining room.

Any thoughts?