SAN FRANCISCO — My pal Darby and I love to go where the wild things are. In his case, that’s because he qualifies as one.
Darby is a happy-go-lucky wheaten terrier with a penchant for travel. The mere whisper of the words “Let’s go” unleashes boundless enthusiasm in him. We make great traveling companions because I also get pretty hyped when I hear those words, although I try not to leap around and whine.
In September, the great outdoors called, and we answered with a resounding yes and a hearty woof. Both of us love luxury hotels, but we don’t mind roughing it now and then.
Luckily, conditions are improving for dogs that camp or travel in recreational vehicles with their families. It makes economic sense: Statistics show that 50 percent to 75 percent of the nation’s RVers travel with a pet, enticing some private park owners to become more sensitive to the needs of dogs.
Still, most RV parks and campgrounds have a long way to go.
“While over 90 percent of the RV parks and campgrounds listed on accept dogs, most have limited amenities,” said Debbie Sipe, who represents the California Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds. “However, a handful of parks are investing in unique pet activities.”
That sounded like an invitation to me. Who better to test these new amenities than Darby?
As we prepared to take off, I ran into Leslie, a longtime friend. Would she and her West Highland white terrier Bonnie like to join us on our mission? Yes, they would.
Rather than rent an RV or invest in camping gear, we decided to try cabin camping, which is now available at most RV parks, and concentrate on a northern California route that included parks known for their pet-friendly amenities.
On a sunny September morning, we piled sleeping bags, luggage and a passel of toys into an SUV and headed north out of Los Angeles on U.S. 101.
Traveling with pooches requires more stops. It was after 8 p.m. by the time we rolled in and found our home away from home for the night, a shiny new Airstream trailer, at the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay Kampgrounds of America. The park rents six Airstreams, besides RV and tent sites, primitive camping cabins and cushy lodges.
The flash-from-the-past Airstreams are a trip unto themselves, sleek aluminum-skinned trailers that come with a shower, toilet, galley, TV and a couple of double beds. The “land yachts,” as they were called when they originated in the 1930s, rent for $150 a night.
Manager Linda Evans says no one complains about the price: “The people who want to stay in them don’t care; they just want to try one.”
After dog-chow dinners, Darby and Bonnie crashed. Darby sprawled across the middle of my bed; at the other end of the trailer, little Bonnie crawled into Leslie’s sleeping bag to stay warm.
A leash-free park for dogs
The next morning, we were up early to check out the park’s dog-agility course and fenced play park, where pooches can roam without being leashed.
Bonnie jumped onto an A-frame climbing ladder and motored her short legs up and over the ramp. Darby couldn’t quite figure out how to do it and watched her quizzically. Then he spotted a ground squirrel brazenly staring at him from a hole, let out a startled bark, sprang at the rodent and began digging; Bonnie joined him, both of them barking and trying to flush it out of the hole.
The squirrel retreated into its maze of tunnels and popped out 10 feet away, chittering and bouncing its head up and down as if to say, “Nyah, nyah.”
After breakfast and a 3-mile hike, we tumbled into the SUV and drove a mile to Manresa State Beach, a wide, flat stretch of sand with a nice vibe and a bonus: Dogs are OK here, as long as they’re on a leash (santacruz ).
The rules weren’t as pleasant at our next stop, Capitola City Beach, which bans dogs. The village that surrounds it, Capitola, is a Monterey Bay gem reminiscent of an Italian coastal town. Bright pastel cottages line one section of the beach; on another, galleries, small restaurants and shops crowd the shoreline.
With the beach off-limits to them, Darby and Bonnie sat on a low concrete wall watching soaring sea gulls and other birds.
It seemed time to move on; we packed up the SUV and headed north toward Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake entirely in California. But first, a short stop at the Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield, northeast of San Francisco (, 800-522-3267).
The jelly-bean maker offers free factory tours and has a store where you can buy Beanware clothing and Belly Flops, irregular candies sold at discount rates. It also has a pleasant dog-walking area and outdoor picnic tables, where the four of us ate lunch.
Winding country roads took us through Napa County to Edgewater Resort & RV Park on the shore of Clear Lake. The area, sometimes referred to as the “back 40” of the more glamorous wine region to the south, draws boaters, anglers and antiques hunters.
Edgewater has been a campground for more than 100 years; we stayed in a rustic cabin with kitchen, bath, two double beds and a fenced rear yard, great for kids and dogs. The campground advertises that pets and people can swim together at its private beach, but green algae had choked the water, so we stayed on shore. Instead, the dogs met a new friend, Ida Bea, an Airedale from Sacramento, and played with her on the green lawns overlooking the lake.
We hit the road again, this time heading north to redwood country. Rain dogged us, causing some animal crankiness in the back seat. It passed, after a few tense moments.
Luckily, a handsome park lay just ahead: Benbow Hotel & Resort in Garberville, near Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The park has grass sites, mature trees, an arcade, pool and community room; nearby are a golf course and the Benbow Hotel, an imposing Tudor-style inn that sits on the banks of the Eel River.
The inn is lovely, but our digs at the RV park ranked right up there too: a new modular cabin with kitchen, bath and sleeping accommodations for four. Dogs can visit a small off-leash park or be bathed at an elaborate washing station.
We could have spent more time enjoying the park, but spectacular scenery beckoned: the winding 31-mile Avenue of the Giants drive, where we picnicked and hiked among the massive redwoods.
Heading south again, we stopped to taste a few wines in Sonoma County, then settled in for a night at Petaluma KOA Kampground, which recently installed a nicely landscaped, 4,000-square-foot dog park.
Bonnie showed off on the agility course again, zipping up the climbing wall, while Darby watched from the sidelines, still unable to master the course.
The next day, we packed up and took off for home, stopping at the Golden Gate Bridge. Darby and I left the car to cross the bridge on foot. The 3.4-mile round-trip walk was too much for Bonnie’s short legs, but Darby did it in style.
Back at the car, he strutted around in front of his friend, letting out a few noisy barks. It was his turn to howl.
The details
Cabin camping doesn’t require equipment, but if you prefer to rent a recreational vehicle instead, remember that not all rental companies allow pets. Two that do are:
El Monte RV
888-337-2214,
Cruise America 800-671-8042,
