Enjoy The Dog Days Of Summer With Your Pooch On Martha's Vineyard
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The Obama family has arrived for their summer vacation in Martha's Vineyard with their Portuguese water dog Bo in tow. NY1's Travel reporter Valarie D'Elia has the scoop on dog-friendly destination.The first hint that the Massachusetts island is a dog-friendly one is the procession of paws coming over on the ferry from Woods Hole.
The main beaches are mostly off limits for dogs in the summer, except for sunrise and sunset, but you can always find a secret place to sneak a swim.
"This is a family vacation and Ace is part of the family, so we bring him to the beach," says Vineyard vacationer Harold Sparrow. "He fetches and retrieves in the water. We take him on walks. Take him bike riding."
There are also some land-based options if you are not a Portuguese Water Dog.
"This dog park is new and we've never been to it before and I think Toby wants to go to it," said vacationer and dog owner Nathaniel Bernecker.
One of the biggest draws on the island is the Black Dog, a general store full of branded merchandise, along with a bakery and a popular restaurant.
But now, with talk of the arrival of Bo, there's some competition.
"The slogan 'the new dog in town' means it's a change," said John Farrington, who designed Bobama merchandise. "It has some political overtones to it. Basically, I think it's a neat looking shirt."
The shirts and caps are on sale at Good Dog Goods, a dog specialty store in Oak Bluffs. It has an enclosed backyard where dogs can socialize and you can pick up supplies like tick repellent.
"A collar, leash, a pickup tool, and their own food and that's it," said store owner Kerry Scott of a dog owner's essentials.
While you cannot take dogs inside, many restaurants have outdoor seating areas.
"We're at Espresso Love, a coffee shop, and there are tons of dogs here every morning," said dog owner and vacationer Meghan Rice. "It's pretty mellow."
Dogs don't have to have a link to the president to get executive treatment. As I found out, you don't have to be a presidential pooch to get executive treatment. The Tivoli Inn, the Edgartown bookstore, and Mad Martha's ice cream are all extremely pet-friendly places.