Gracie's Bark | Pet Friendly Resource

Gracie's Local Adventures this Past October Weekend

Gracie is still exhausted from a fun filled weekend of running in the sand and fetching sticks in the ocean. Since we had plans both Saturday and Sunday night that were not pet friendly...we needed to make sure Gracie got a chance to run and play each day.

On Saturday we headed over to Horseneck Beach State Reservation in Westport, MA and enjoyed a wonderful 2 hour walk along the beach. Gracie got a chance to run, fetch, and lay in the beautiful white sand. It was very windy out, but we managed to make the best of it. We pretty much had the entire beach to ourselves and loved every minute of it. 

Horseneck is now open to the public, free of charge, and pet friendly from October 15th through March 15th. 

On Sunday we headed over to Round Hill Beach in Dartmouth, MA and then Gooseberry Island in Westport, MA. The ocean was crystal clear. We had a chance to really enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Gracie had so much fun and was completely exhausted both days.

   

What did you and your dog do this past weekend? We would love to hear about your dog adventures! Please email us anytime at Gracie's Bark or just comment below!

Gracie's Local Weekend Adventure at Gooseberry Island in Westport, MA

This past weekend we were quite busy but we still wanted to make sure Gracie got her much needed exercise and outdoor fun! We walk at Gooseberry Island quite frequently and we do talk about it a lot on our bark blog. We just can't say enough about it. We love going there and Gracie loves it too. It is one of our favorite places to walk and we are fortunate to have such a wonderful place so close to our home.

We wanted to share our pictures this past weekend of Gracie enjoying our favorite Island in Westport, MA.

On the way home, Grace could not keep her eyes open. She was exhausted! 

If you are interested in posting a dog friendly event, please email Gracie at [email protected] with complete details of the event(s). Pictures and videos are welcome, space permitting. 

Don’t forget to share your experiences with Gracie’s Bark! We would love to hear a “bark” back from all our friends in Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond! Email us anytime at [email protected].  

Gracie's Local Afternoon Adventure in Fall River, Massachusetts

We headed over to Fall River on Sunday afternoon to visit some of the local pet friendly sights. Gracie had a great time sniffing around in a new place. 

Our first stop was Portas Da Cidade (Gates of the City) along the waterfront. This monument is a replica of the 18th Century “Gates of the City” of Ponta Delgada on the Portuguese Island of San Miguel, Azores. Constructed of stone from the island, dismantled, and sent to Fall River as a gift from the people of Ponta Delgada to the people of Fall River as part of its “Sister City” cultural exchange, this monument serves as a reminder of the immigration by the Portuguese-Azorean people to the Fall River area. 

Our second stop was Battleship Cove which is the home to the Massachusetts' official memorial to all Bay Staters killed in service to their nation during World War II. In addition to the Battleship Massachusetts, Battleship Cove also has the Balao-class USS Lionfish submarine, Cold War-era Hiddensee, the only Russian Missile Corvette on display in the U.S.; and the Destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.

We headed down the Riverway Boardwalk running along the shoreline of the Taunton River (the river located along Heritage State Park in Fall River) over to the Bicentennial Park where a bronze statue depicting the five U.S. Marines and Navy Corpsman raising the flag on Mount Surbachi on the island of Iwo Jima during the final days of World War II. This statue, about two thirds the size of the famous Marine Corp War Memorial, is the original work of famed sculptor, Felix DeWeldon. 

 

Once we were finished at Bicentennial Park, we went back towards the Battleship and Gracie had to have her picture taken in front of the USS Fall River!

After our stop at the USS Fall River, we went to visit the Marine Museum down the street. Situated in the Historic Waterfront area near Battleship Cove, this museum features an excellent collection of ship models and nautical memorabilia. Featured are models, photographs, and other artifacts of the golden age of majestic and elegant paddle-wheel steamships of the Fall River Line which carried passengers on overnight journeys between Fall River and New York City on the 228 mile journey along Mount Hope Bay, Narragansett Bay, and Long Island Sound beginning in 1845.

Gracie listens to her fans and appreciates your dedication to her bark blog. She took your advice and explored a fun pet friendly adventure close to home and had a blast! 

Do you have any stories about your dog exploring fun sights close to home? Come share them with Gracie! Email her anytime at [email protected].   

    

A Dog's Letter: Dear Gracie, Love Ceilidh

Bark Gracie, 

Wow it's been too long since we traded woofs at Many Paws Pet Villa's basic training.  I hope you've got Tammi and Rob well in hand.  It's been a constant effort, but I think I've worked wonders with Mary.  

I really miss cavorting and running flat out at Horseneck Beach, but during the off-season (why do they call it that when there are so many birds to chase?) I also enjoy Gooseberry Island. 

  

I had my first swim ever (no paws touching) this summer because Mary was doing something very strange - she was lying horizontally in the water and I just had to check it out.  She says I whimpered the entire time I was swimming, but that's not my recollection.  I just wanted to be sure she was okay!  

I completely agree with you about DNRT's properties (www.dnrt.org).  Slocum's River Reserve is my favorite - when the woods are buggy there are always the meadows with a breeze off the river.

Lots of dog friends and things to sniff and rabbits! I could catch one if I wanted but it is more fun to scare them away. When I'm feeling brave, I bark at the cows too.

 

I also run on my person-uncle's farm.  I do not know why he objects to me lying in the cool dirt or chasing rabbits through the vegetation, but it is still a favorite place and I get lots of treats just for lying in the grass in the shade instead helping them turn the dirt.

Glad to see you are having fun this summer.  Mary says I look forward to more runs with you at Horseneck in the Fall (but I don't know what look forward means, so it must have something to do with her)  

In the meantime hope you caught the latest news on Dartmouth's Dog Park. I know Mary could use some help.  

Woof (and rabbits!) ~ Love Ceilidh

Dear Ceilidh: Thank you so much for writing me a "bark" letter about your summer adventures. We will definitely post the latest news on the Dartmouth Dog Park soon. I am super excited about this! Hope to see you in the near future at Gooseberry Island or Slocum's River Reserve. ~ Love Gracie

Gracie enjoying Borderland, a great dog friendly park in Easton, MA

For anyone in the SouthCoast and beyond looking for a great place to take their dog to enjoy beautiful hiking trails, Borderland State Park is where it’s at. 

This past Saturday, we drove up to Easton and spent 2 hours hiking around scenic Borderland. Gracie had her nose to the ground sniffing the entire time. 

We even found "split rock"! 

 

 

 

Borderland State Park has an interesting history. In 1906, Oakes Ames, a Harvard botanist, and his wife Blanche, an artist, purchased land on the border of Sharon and Easton. The country estate they named “Borderland” remained in the family for sixty-five years. In 1971, two years after the death of Blanche Ames, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts acquired the estate and opened it as a state park. 

 

 

 

Borderland has something for everyone; walking, hiking and horseback riding on woodland trails, fishing and canoeing in the ponds, or, in winter, ice-skating and sledding. For a trail map, click here...

Borderland even has its very own doggie water bubbler!

 

 

We encountered many dog owners and their dogs during our hike, along with some horses too!

Gracie highly recommends Borderland State Park; it has definitely made it into her top 10 list of fun dog friendly places to visit in the area!

So take some time out of your busy weekend schedule and make the journey over to Borderland. You and your dog will love it, Gracie and I guarantee it! 

For directions click here...

And don't forget to take some pictures of your dog having fun over at Borderland State Park and share them with us on Gracie’s Bark!

 

 

 Gracie gives Borderland State Park a 5 out of 5 paw star of approval!

       
 
 
 
 
 

What did your dog do this past weekend? Check out Ben the very handsome 75 pound lap dog!

Wendy Juergens contacted Gracie's Bark to share a picture of her dog Ben. Ben is a mix between a Labrador and a German Short Haired Pointer. He's 8 years old going on 3 and a 75 pound lap dog. Wendy and Ben enjoyed a couple of nice walks this past weekend and cuddled up on the couch each night. 

 (Just had a bath... squirrel!)

This is a fabulous picture. Thanks Ben for telling Gracie about your weekend! 

What did you and your dog do this past weekend? Gracie would love to hear about it. 

Email her anytime at: [email protected]. 

Gracie's Fun Adventures this Weekend

Well... Gracie started Saturday morning off a bit lazy:

 

But once we were up and getting ready, she was excited to head out the door. We headed out in the car to one of our favorite trails in Dartmouth.

 

  
We took her on a 4 mile trail in Dartmouth at Slocum's River Reserve and Dartmoor Loop on Saturday. We all had a great time. 

 

 

Then on Sunday, we spent the afternoon up at Gooseberry Island. Gracie played fetch in the water, met up with a couple of dogs and made a new friend.

 

  

  Gracie was wiped out by 5 p.m. on Sunday. She really enjoyed her fun adventures this weekend. 

We would love to hear about your dog's adventures. Email Gracie's Bark anytime at: [email protected] or just comment on one of our blog posts. Come share your dog stories with us! 

 

 

Enjoying Pet Friendly Trails

We love to go on walking and hiking trails with Gracie. It is a great form of exercise for Gracie and she enjoys it immensely!

We've been fans of the Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust organization for about a year. We had recently discovered all the beautiful walking and hiking trails we have right in our own town.  Many of the trails are pet friendly and some even allow pets off-leash.

We wondered over to Parson's Reserve the other day and we were amazed at how beautiful it was. It ended up being a real treat for everyone, including Gracie.

We'd love to hear about other trails and see pictures of your dogs! Comment on one of our blog posts or send us an email at [email protected].

For more information about Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust, visit their website at www.DNRT.ORG 

H6TX5PJ8QTG7

Check Out Our New Friends Over at Run Dog Run Farm in Wesport, MA

  

We have made some new friends over at Run Dog Run Farm

 

Farm owners Joan & Chad Brow wanted to tell all of Gracie's Bark's fans about their family farm!

"Run Dog Run Farm is a small family farm located on 177 in Westport, MA.  We specialize in free range all natural chickens for eggs and meat.  We have a large pesticide free garden where we produce a wide variety of veggies to sell at our farm stand in the late spring and all summer.

We provide doggie daycare in a home like atmosphere where the dogs are part of our family, not kenneled or forgot about in a run. In late spring we have dog days on the farm.  Owners and their four legged friends are welcome to run and play on the farm in either our enclosed area or the whole farm depending on how safe the dog is with farm animals."

Ruby is their 3 year old shetland sheepdog and she takes her job very serious.  Anything moving she stops!  (Which is something I can certainly relate to with Gracie. Her Australian Shepherd herding traits are strong and can prove to be quite challenging at times).

Ruby helps herd up all the loose chickens and keeps a good watch on things at the farm

 

 

 

If you would like to tell Gracie's Bark about your local dog and or animal related activities, please email us anytime at: [email protected].

Gracie & Jazzmin at Horseneck Beach

Gracie had a wonderful walk with Jazzmin today over at Horseneck Beach in Westport, MA. Alison (Jazzmin's mom) and I walked all the way down to Boat Beach and back again. It was great. The weather was perfect.  Here's a picture of our two girls enjoying their day together!