NC

On the 2nd day of December….

December 2nd 2013

On the 2nd day of December Basil gave to thee… The perfect Christmas tree!

December 2nd 2013

On a side note to todays Basil’s Travels advent calendar post, both of these adorable photos were taken at Little Switzerland Frasier Firs in Little Switzerland, NC. In the mountains of North Carolina we found a friendly family tree farm with hundreds of beautiful Frasier firs. It was absolutely perfect and Basil had an amazing time. Trees are reasonably priced and the land & view was worth the trip. If you’re in NC and have yet to pick out your Christmas tree please consider Little Switzerland Frasier Firs for all your tree needs! For those of you on the west coast, let me recommend Keith & Scott tree farm in North Bend, WA. When we are on the west coast this is were we always cut down our tree. They are great, have a lot of different kinds of trees, and are dog & family friendly. Hope everyone is having a get start to their holiday season and make sure to check back here everyday for more BT advent calendar photos!

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Basil loves Thanksgiving! Basil loves Family!

We are getting pretty excited for Thanksgiving here in the Myers house. Basil knows that something is different this year because we are usually traveling for Thanksgiving. This year we figured that because we are already out traveling the South we would just stay here and spend this holiday with my mom & dad.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I can’t believe its already that time of year again. We have stocked up on wine and I am planing on making a winter cranberry sangria. My mom is cooking the for the “big show” and that makes everyone in our family super excited.

Cooking Thanksgiving 2012 in a tiny apartment kitchen!

Basil never gets human food (maybe a piece of popcorn here or there or a slice of cheese from my mom when we visit Nana & Papas) so he really couldn’t care less about the meal part of the day, but he just loves being able to spend the whole day with family. We made sure to get a new dog friendly bone for him to enjoy while we stuff our faces. If you do plan on giving your dog a little taste of the table make sure to check out this list to find out what could harm your pooch and have you spending Thanksgiving night in the emergency vet.

Basil & Sebastian keeping warm on Thanksgiving 2012

Family is really important to us and Nate & I are really close to our parents. Maybe that is why Thanksgiving is something we look forward to. For the last week or so on TV and the internet I’ve been seeing that a lot of stores are planing on opening for Black Friday early… like on Thursday! This is not acceptable! I feel bad for all those workers that are being forced to work when they should be spending a nice comfortable day at home with a good meal. I also feel bad for those people that think they have to go stand in line for hours upon hours on Thanksgiving to get a good deal. So, Basil Travels is boycotting shopping on Thanksgiving and will not purchase anything on Nov 28th! We believe in Black Friday and will get up early, on Friday, to fight the crowds and purchase discount goods on the day that its meant to be on; Friday!

In short, Basil, Nate & I wish you the best Thanksgiving ever. Make sure to tell your family and friends you are Thankful for them and love your pets because even though they can’t talk they are thankful for you!

For all of our fans and everyone that reads about Basil’s adventures please know that we are so thankful for you and couldn’t continue Basil’s Travels without your love and support! Thank you!

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Meet our new HUGE friend! Duke!

Yesterday we were having lunch and the coolest dog and his owner sat down next to us. Introducing Duke, the 250 LB English mastiff. He is such a sweetie and obviously draws a lot of attention. Basil loved him and wanted play the whole time. So, say hello to Duke! 

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

FidoFest 2013 – Historic Southend Charlotte

This last Saturday we woke Basil up “super” early, like at 8am, for a great cause. We headed down to the Historic Southend Charlotte neighborhood in some seriously heavy fog to walk in the 3K 2X4 FidoFest! The Southend neighborhood is an area of Charlotte that we haven’t spent a lot of time in but once I learned that 80% of Southend residents are dog owners we knew we needed to spend some more time there. 

This walk, where the proceeds go to CMPD Animal Care & Control, took us down the light rail line and let us really enjoy this little gem of a neighborhood. Great, clean walking paths passing by luxury apartment buildings and condos. A lot of chic shops and restaurants sprinkled in between. 

On our walk we meet a lot of new friends, like a giant 7 month old great dane that kept trying to make his poor mom “win” this 3K walk! Along the way there were stop off spots for water and goodies. Basil picked up his fair share of dog treats and poopy bags while we got a lot of information about living in this area. One of the spots that was handing out swag was Club Fetch. They are a soon to be opening doggy daycare and play center. We loved their logo and then got to meet the face behind it, Jackson. Basil loves meeting fellow adorable Boston terriers and for the short time they got to sniff each other they totally hit it off. Once they open we will for sure be checking this place out and we recommend if you are in the Charlotte area you do too! 

Once we finished up the little under 2 mile walk it was party time! FidoFest had set up booth after booth of sponsors offering their wares and giving out even more swag. There were also food trucks and a dog house contest. The one dog house that stood out above them all was the one made by Balfour Beatty Construction. This incredible handmade dog house is up for sale currently on eBay and the proceeds will go to Coalition to Unchain Dogs. Head over to eBay to check it out!

We had some serious fun and couldn’t have had a better time. A big thank you goes to FidoFest for really introducing us to this little spot and putting on this event. I made sure to start following them on twitter so I can keep up with the goings-on of the Historic Southend. Can’t wait for the next event!

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

 

 

Boston Turtle on Howl-o-ween 2013!

Happy Howl-o-ween from us at Basil’s Travels! Here are a few photos and a video of our night being the Boston Turtle. Enjoy!

Boston Terrier loves halloween
Look at the smiling happy dog!
Knock, Knock! Trick or Treat!
“Even my mom and dad dressed up!” – Basil

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

Basil takes Asheville!

We’ve been told time and time again, as we travel throughout the south, that if you want a little taste of Seattle life Asheville, NC is the place to be. Boutique shops, bistros with outdoor patio seating, used bookstores, and all in a city in the hills. Well, Asheville did not disappoint. 

We headed up to this eclectic city one fall weekend with Basil in tow. The moment we arrived we were greeted with a little bit of southern hospitality in the form of a parking pass. Another couple, who had already payed for the whole day in a nearby lot, was leaving. They not only offered us their parking spot but their pass. Perfect! 

Once on the streets we were overwhelmed with the colors of the changing fall leaves and views of the surrounding mountains. We started our day by hitting up local shops and searching for a place to grab lunch. After a few pet themed boutiques and a moment standing on a corner and listening to a rather talented street performer, we found the right nosh spot. 

The Wicked Weed brewery located right next to The Orange Peel music venue seemed the ideal fit. Large outdoor patio with ample sitting and welcoming of our fur baby. We sat and enjoyed a few brews as well as a artisan BLT and wedge salad. 

The next couple of hours was spent in and out of vintage clothing stores and having lovely conversations with fellow dog lovers who are also enjoying the streets of Asheville. At about twilight, Basil was starting to grow tired and we as well were interested in slowing down. The sun was on the horizon and the mild fall weather of the day was turning brisk. As we looked for a spot to relax and stay warm we walked by The Wicked Weed once more to find them lighting their large fire pit. We pulled up a few chairs and basked in the warmth and great company. Basil fell asleep in my arms as the day drew to a close. 

This was only our first day in this great city and we can’t wait to spend more time and enjoy more Asheville has to offer. We hear the comedy tour bus is fabulous and intend to board it the very next time we are passing through. So, thank you Asheville for your hospitality and know that this dog and his family will be back very soon!

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

 

 

Basil’s Favorite Things – Chilly Dog Sweaters

Its TGIF and you know what that means… Basil’s favorite things! This Friday, as the weather almost everywhere turns to full on fall we decided to share a long time Basil “must have.” The Chilly Dog sweaters are handmade in South America and 100% wool. They follow fair trade guidelines and give all the employees a fair wage. Not only do we love their company practices but their sweaters are top-notch.

From XS to XL these sweaters fit almost ever dog shape. For Basil, it’s almost impossible to find a well fitted sweater based on his broad chest and thick Boston neck. When we came across Chilly Dog a few years ago at our favorite pet store, All The Best Pet Care, we fell in love. The perfect cold weather dog sweater and every year they sold like hot cakes in Seattle. The first sign that it was going to be wet and cold for awhile we let Basil pick out a few of his favorites.

Right now, while we are traveling in the South, today was the first truly chilly day. I pulled out his moose sweater and slipped it right on. The thick wool and hood, with the most adorable moose ears warmed him right up. If you’re looking for a sweater for your four legged friend and may be having a hard time finding a good fit or just don’t want a prissy dog sweater make sure to check out the Chilly Dog website. 

So, today we are going to enjoy this brisk fall day without having to worry that my little guy is going to catch cold. Enjoy your weekend!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

It was the best day ever!

This last Sunday may have been Basil’s favorite day ever! It was a fun filled day that started with pumpkin picking, a Boston terrier meet-up, and then a few hours at The Dog Bar to watch the Seattle Seahawks kick ass and win against the Jaguars. Basil made two new friends. Cleo, a 3 month old baby Boston who he got to run amuck with at the dog park and then a un-named older Boston that was very humpy at The Dog Bar.

It may have been the best day ever! Enjoy the photo proof of the best day ever (!!) and more travels will be coming soon!

Travel well, nap well, live well!

-Abbey & Basil

Woofstock 2013 and Tavern on the Tracks – Charlotte, NC

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Hello! This last weekend Basil and I attended a great event call Woofstock! This was the 5th annual Woofstock and its put on by a local Great Dane rescue and the Blue Ridge Boxer rescue. Not only were we excited to check out the event for the first time but it was also at a venue in a neighborhood we have yet to check out, the southend. Just south of uptown this little neighbor had hip townhouses, a lot of boutique shops selling local wears and a pretty cool music venue call Amos Southend. This is where Woofstock was held. We were able to enter with a small $5 donation and with a quick ID check we were given our first drink free.

Once inside Basil lost his mind! So many dogs! As you know Boston terriers are my thing but I also love, love, love large dogs and this was for sure the place to be visit with some monster dogs. Great danes, mastiffs, greyhounds and one very sweet Irish wolfhound were among pugs, mutts and just a few Boston terriers. After a circle of the event we ran into a familiar face. Lola, a fellow Boston terrier of Charlotte meet-uper and her mom were also there.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

We made sure to check out all the booths inside and out and then we headed over to the silent auction. A ton of groups donated their time, goods and services to be auctioned off for charity. I was very happy to see that almost every item has one or more bid on it.

After making another circle to say goodbye to all our new friends we decided to head out and find some lunch. Lucky enough right next door was a sports bar with a large patio called Tavern on the Tracks. The moment we saw the waiters and waitresses we knew this spot was dog friendly. They were all wearing a tee-shirt with a large paw print on the back that said “Paws on  the Patio.” We grabbed a sit in the corner with a large umbrella and plenty of dog water and had a great lunch. Basil even enjoyed a little of my PBR. It almost felt like we were back in Seattle!BT&ATavern OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA BTonStairs

Overall Basil votes yes to both these places and recommend if you are in Charlotte to check out Tavern on the Tracks for good food and sports; especially if you are a Michigan fan. We also recommend checking out your own local dog events and donate to a rescue of your choice.

Travel well, Nap well, Live well!

-Abbey & Basil

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