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Top 10 Best Dog Friendly Cities in the USA!

Hey internet friends! Its been a while! How are you? How has your summer been going? Been anywhere fun? Basil and I have been super busy working on relaunching this blog (good stuff coming soon) and going on all sorts of wacky adventures.

Todays post we are going to dive into the brain of a Boston terrier. Don’t worry you won’t have the sudden urge to pee on everything and hump every warm body, unless thats your life and then, by all means, do you boo! No, we are going to count down the 10 best dog friendly cities in the United States of America – A Boston terriers opinion!

#10 San Antonio, Texas

Southern hospitality + good food + pet friendly hotels = Happy puppy!

Basil takes The Alamo
Basil takes The Alamo

#9 Bend, Oregon

Outdoor loves dream! Beer for you, 1 billion trees to pee on for your dog!

#8 Charlotte, North Carolina

An up and coming city growing faster than that 8 week old great dane puppy at the pet store.

Dog Friendly Charlotte
Dog Friendly Charlotte

#7 Austin, Texas

Great music, BBQ, and hipsters as far as the eye can see… So, pretty much heaven!

Banger's Sausage House - Austin, Texas
Banger’s Sausage House – Austin, Texas

#6 Leavenworth, Washington

Modern mountain town meets Bavarian village. Grab a brat and a beer and then hit the river!

Dog Friendly Destinations - Leavenworth, WA
Dog Friendly Leavenworth, Washington

#5 Portland, Oregon

I don’t have anything clever to say here. Seriously, just go!

Dog Friendly Portland, Oregon
Dog Friendly Portland, Oregon

#4 Friday Harbor, Washington (San Juan Island)

Feels like its a world away but only a few hours from Seattle or Vancouver. Do some shopping downtown, every shop has dog treats, and relax on the beach.

4 hipsters and 2 dogs on South Beach, Friday Harbor, Washington
4 hipsters and 2 dogs on South Beach, Friday Harbor, Washington

#3 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

The birthplace of this country and home to some amazing pet friendly hotels!

Dog Friendly Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dog Friendly Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

#2 Asheville, North Carolina

I can’t say enough good things about this “sleepy” mountain town. Beautiful, fun, and not what you are expecting. If you get the chance to go please do. Do it for us! DO IT!

Dog Friendly Asheville, North Carolina
Dog Friendly Asheville, North Carolina

#1 Seattle, Washington

What can I say? I am totally biased! We love this amazing city and you (and your dog) will too!

The Best Dog Friendly City Ever! Seattle, Washington
The Best Dog Friendly City Ever! Seattle, Washington

 

So, now that we have told you where we like to visit how about you tell us where some of your favorite places are. Where should we travel next?

Like I said up top we are working on a relaunch of Basil’s Travels so keep an eye out for some new amazing content soon. Also, make sure you are following us on Instagram, http://www.instagram.com/basilstravels for daily cuteness and the dog friendly information.

Until next time! Xoxo

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

 

The Black & Whites Return!

Happy wordless (wordy, whatever!) Wednesday guys! Hope everyone had an amazing unofficial last weekend of summer. We were pretty lazy! Basil, Willow, Sebastian, Nate, and myself spent the weekend relaxing and getting settled into our new house. Now that the work week is in full swing its been hard not to be our lazy weekend selves.

This morning I was able to catch something on video that has eluded me. No, its not the Loch ness monster or big foot, even though you would think it was with how hard its been to capture it. It’s a video of Basil and Sebastian playing under our coffee table!

Usually they start playing and I reach for the camera but the second I point it in their direction all movement stops. You would think these two were professional mimes or something!

That didn’t happen today! Enjoy this video because I don’t know when I’ll be able to get another one!

Black and white brothers! Cat & Dog!
Coming at the end of the week is our FreshPet Vital Raw review and a few photos of Basil’s new “dog cave” in the new house. Make sure to check back for those!

Do you have cats & dogs? Do they love to play with each other?

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

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Two Years Already?!

Happy Saturday friends! Today marks the 2 year anniversary of Basil’s Travels! We couldn’t be happier from all the love and support you have given us these last couple years. We have gone on so many adventures and can’t wait for all the ones to come.

Thanks again! Here is to many more! Cheers!

Happy anniversary Basil!

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Re-Make it Monday! DIY Dog Bow Ties!

Its Monday and life is crazy! ICYMI Check out this Make it Monday! post for DIY Dog Bow Ties. I’ll be back next Monday with a new MIM so let me know what you want me to make. 


Happy Monday friends! For years Basil, being the 1st class hipster that he is, has been wearing bow ties. And for almost that same amount of time I have been purchasing him those bow ties. Okay so the cost isn’t that much each time, 1 bow tie retails for about $10-$20 but in the long run, that cost really adds up! So after buying Basil’s 20th bow tie (I know, I’m crazy!!) I figured I could make these, so I did!

Below you will find my simple DIY No Sew bow tie tutorial. Hopefully it works for you and your dog can look like a gentleman without breaking the bank! DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 1Step 1: There is a few things you’ll need!

• Large flat work area
• Hot glue gun
• Double sided Velcro
• Sharp scissors for cutting fabric
• Fabric
• Optional: elastic

The great thing about this project is most people have a lot of these craft supplies already in the their home. If you need anything on this list all of it can be found at your local craft store. I highly recommend using double-sided Velcro and it can be a little tricky to find. I ordered mine online(http://www.etsy.com) at a great deal. I also use a standard hot glue gun on the high setting. For my fabric, I found an amazing deal in the remnant fabric bin at Hobby Lobby. It was 1/8th a yard and only .59 cents! Also, I couldn’t pass up the Elvis in the 50’s pattern!
DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial

Step 2: Cut out a square!

The size I picked was about 6 inches by 6 inches. This bow tie is going to be a little large for a medium size (20 lb.) dog but that how I like it. If you want a smaller tie make the square smaller. DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 3

Step 3: Flip square over and glue edges down!

It doesn’t have to be perfect! I glued the “hot dog” sides first and then the “hamburger” sides. You really just want to make clean edges for the front of the bow tie. DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 4

Step 4: Cut a small rectangular piece for the center of the tie!

I cut a 2×6 inch piece of fabric. Make sure the length is 3 times the size of the width. I flipped the fabric over and glued the edges down like I did with the first piece of fabric. DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 5
Step 5: Pinch to make your bow tie shape!

Pinch the large square that you created, from the back, to make the bow tie shape that looks best to you. When I did this it made Elvis’s face a little weird.DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 6

Step 6: Tie the long rectangular piece around the pinched square. Knot in the back!
Make sure the fabric is laying flat on the front. Knot fabric in the back and glue flaps down. This is also a great time to glue down what doesn’t look right!

DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 7DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 7

Step 7: Measure & Attach Velcro!

I grabbed one of Basil’s everyday dog collars and placed the double sided Velcro on top to see how much I needed. For a 1 inch collar I recommend at least 2 inches of Velcro.

I cut the Velcro and glued the strip on to the center, back of the bow tie. Make sure to place the glue on the soft side of the Velcro! This way the Velcro teeth can grab onto the collar as well as the other side of the strip. If you prefer to use elastic you can glue a loop of elastic band in the same spot.DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Step 8

Step 8: Attach to collar and look awesome!

Wrap the Velcro around the collar in your preferred area. Think about how the collar is going to hang and sit once on your pet.

DIY No Sew Bow Tie Tutorial Look how cute he is! This bow tie is cute, easy, and lightweight. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Show me your pictures of your creations!

Tomorrow is Travel Tuesday and the featured city is San Antonio, Texas! So make sure to check back then!

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

Best Buds Forever! 

 Sometimes you just need a snuggle from a good friend. Happy Wednesday internet friends! Go find yourself a good friend to snuggle and remember, 2 days until the weekend!

Travel well, nap well, let’s be well!
-Abbey & Basil

Black & White Sunday! Hold Fast Seadog! 

 Hope your weeking is going well and your finding a way to stay cool.
Tomorrow on Make It Monday! We are making large dog popsicle. Check back then to see how to see to make them.

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

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We love FreshPet! 

Hello Monday people! How was your weekend? Around here we are having a “heat wave” or it’s just the Deep South and this is what June is. Who knows! With temps at almost 100 degrees and high humidity it’s really hard to get out and leave the comfort of your air conditioned home.

We’ve been hanging around the house getting ready for our cross country move and enjoying each other’s company. And let me tell you, being stuck in the house is so much easier when it’s not smelling like puppy toots! I owe this clean air to FreshPet

FreshPet Baked Kibble FreshPet Baked KibbleBasil, Willow, and Sebastian have been on FreshPet Select for about 3 months now. You may have seen it in the fridge in the pet section of your local Target or grocery store. Recently the fresh pet food experts released a new baked kibble recipe.

Basil had the pleasure of trying this recipe this last week and he loves it!

This first thing I noticed when receiving the bag is how it looks almost identical to the fresh from the fridge variety. You can really see the dehydrated carrots, oats, and other superfood right in the kibble. This was very encouraging knowing we hadn’t even opened the bag yet.

Once the fresh seal was opened Basil was hooked. He doesn’t know what makes good dog food, but I do.

Photo courtesy of FreshPet Facebook
Photo courtesy of FreshPet Facebook

FreshPet is a made in the U.S.A, natural, no artificial preservatives added dog food. This kibble is made with 100% fresh chicken, whole grains, and essential vitamins. Chicken is the main ingredient listed and I can actually read (and understand) the remaining ingredients. This makes a good dog food!

FreshPet Baked also comes in turkey and grain free chicken.

Also, you know how I mentioned our toot free air. Well, FreshPet is the first pet food Basil has tried that stops all that stinky tooting! This super common Boston terrier problem which is caused by sucking in an excuse of air while eating or by digestive issues has become a thing of the past. Although Basil is very excited by his new food he seems to enjoy it at a reasonable rate and its easy on his sensitive tummy. Basil loves FreshPet Baked Kibble!

We highly recommend this new baked kibble recipe for all dogs. You can find it exclusively at Target stores.

Make sure to also check out all the other FreshPet products like their straight from the fridge food for dogs and cats and treats.

Let me know if you have tried FreshPet and if your dog loves it just as much as Basil!

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

 

“What do you call a blind dinosaur’s dog?”

“A Do-you-think-he-saurus Rex.”  – Jurassic Park (1993)

 Today is the day! We are going to see an early showing of Jurassic World. 

In this house we are huge dinosaur fans. Nate has collectables from the original movies and we have seen the 3 previous movies more times than I would like to say.

I had Nate create me a little preview of what it would look like if Basil had his own Dinosaur movie. I think this is so cute I may have him make an animated short of this!

So excited about tonight! I’ll let you know what we think!

Travel well, nap well, live well!
-Abbey & Basil

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