PLACES
Hang Out! Chill Out!
I do enjoy popping into all the Healthy Spot locations. More and more of them keep popping up, so now there is usually one not far away from wherever I am . My local one is a walk away from my house, so this is where I do my weekly food shop, grab a new OFTD, get my nails done, and sometimes I stay a while and have fun in their Doggy Daycare. They also host a series of fun events from Yappy Hours to Playdates, so I enjoy meeting new pals at these.
This dog park is the closest one to me and with areas for big & small hounds, grassy hills, a drinking water stream & shaded seating, it is my fav place to hang locally when I just want a play with my ball and a run around.
Located at 12604 Bluff Creek Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90094, there is street parking only but this isn't usually too much of a problem.
LA has so much really good street art and walls and murals which make really good backdrops for your IG photos, or finding them a fun day out. The super famous ones are the Pink Wall located at Paul Smith and the monthly changing wall opposite at Carrera Cafe. There are quite a few more interesting ones in this area. Venice and DTLA have a huge amount too. Venice ones along the Boardwalk and Abbot Kinney are cool. I find the DTLA ones, althougth are great to look at and appreciate, they are often higher up the buildings, so not as pug photo friendly! One day when I am lazing around, I will add a few more details of my recent favorites, but they do often change so just keep your eyes open for intersting finds.
Ashland Hill is a very pug friendly casual bar and reasturant on Main Street in Santa Monica/Venice. When I take a walk or a cycle along the beach, I like to stop off here for refershments. Their main outdoor space is at the back so away from the street and it's a nice little oasis. The hoomans enjoy their gin cocktails and their refershing beers. The staff are always very welcoming and they often host pug friendly events like Yappy Hours and Halloween contests.
Places that may be go wild!
Oooh how I love seeing all my friends and meeting news ones at the bi-monthly LA Pug Meet Up. On the 3rd Saturday of Feb, April, June, August, October and December (11am-1pm), the LA pug crowd meet at varying off-leash dog parks to strutt and mingle. It is such a fun crowd, and many a long and last friendships for both Pugs and Hoomans form here. Anica and Jon-Paul put a lot of work into making each event a fun get-together with themed back-drops and props and a sought after raffle. Watch out for Jaws at the beach during PugWatch, pumpkins at Pugoween and Santa at Pugmas. The event is free to attend, but if you like what you see, please give a little donation to help fund the fun!
Another opportunity to meet my friends is at the monthly OC Pug Saturday. From 11am-1pm on the 2nd Saturdy of the month at rotating off-leash dog parks, we get together to check out our gear and suss out the newbies. Lori and Andy, create a very fun and friendly few hours for us pugs and our hoomans to enjoy. If you are lucky enough to win one of the raffle prizes, it's even better!
Huntington Dog Beach is an off-leash dog beach and one of my favs. It is located on PCH between Seapoint and Goldenwest St. The dog area is a lot bigger than Rosie's and there is ample paid parking between Seapoint and Goldenwest. After you've splashed and galloped around , you can take a short drive, or a longer walk along the bluff to Pacific City where there is a number of pug friendly spots to grab a bite, and there is also the Top Dog Bakery where you can get a cookie and some other pug happy goodies.
Rosie's Dog Beach is in Long Beach and the parking entrance is on Ocean Blvd, between Granada Avenue and Roycroft Avenue. It's a small section of the beach and is clearly marked so it is easy to find where it is ok for us to run and frolic. Best bits about this beach are the ample parking (paid in the huge lot, and some free street parking on Ocean which is easy to find on off-peak days, much harder at peak times); and the close vicinity to the shops, bars and reasturants on 2nd Street. So make a day of it - have a nice lunch then head to the beach, or watch sunset and then pop up the road for dinner.
Griffith Park has a number of pug friendly trails. Some are quite friendly, or parts of them are as they have some shade. One hike I like to do is the up-hill jaunt from the parking areas on Fern Drive, up to the Obervatory. This is about a 1.5-2 mile hike and the start is in the shade, but then it creeps up a series of steeper hills so I only do this hike on cooler days. Once I get to the top, it is a magnificent view and I enjoy this and all the attenton I get. In my view this is much better than actually going into the Observatory, which is just as well as I am not allowed in there, and have had mix welcomes at the Cafe there too, so I don't tend to bother trying now as better options if I plan accordingly. If a picnic has not been packed, lunch is often a good option at The Trails Cafe on Fern Drive or my fav is to have a rest in the car whilst we drive over to the Golden Road Brewing Company.
