The Dog Lover's Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Bay Area & Beyond (Dog Lover's Companion Guides) [Paperback]

Maria Goodavage (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dog Lover's Companion Guides | Publication Date: June 10, 2008

The Dog Lover’s Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area has the inside scoop on the best dog runs, parks, beaches, hiking trails, camping areas, pet-friendly businesses, and much more. Local author Maria Goodavage and her trusty companion Jake have dug up many surprising resources available to dogs in the Bay Area, such as baseball games, cable-car adventures, and ferry trips. For the less outdoorsy dog, there are bookstores, cafés, and even winery visits! Packed with helpful maps, up-to-date leash laws, and a useful "paw" ranking system for all locations in the book, The Dog Lover’s Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area is a pet’s best friend.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Maria Goodavage and Jake the Yellow-Lab-Sort-of-Dog have traveled throughout the state to check out some of the most dog-friendly parks, beaches, lodgings, and restaurants in the world. As part of their research, they've ridden on ferries, horse-drawn carriages, cable cars, and steam trains. They've visited drive-in movies, kitschy tourist attractions, and dog-friendly wineries. They've eaten at restaurants where dogs are treated almost like people (except they never get the bill). They've stayed at the best hotels, the worst motels, and everything in between. Jake's favorite saying: "You're not really gonna leave the house without me, are ya?" (This is usually accompanied by all his extra folds of neck skin drooping forward into his face, his floppy ears hanging especially low, his tail sagging dejectedly, and his big brown eyes looking remarkably tearful.) Since Jake is a dog without a driver's license (his furry feet don't reach the pedals), he relies on Maria, former longtime USA Today correspondent, to be his chauffeur. Maria is well qualified. She started chauffeuring dogs in 1989, when her intrepid Airedale, Joe, joined her during some of her travels for the newspaper. Joe and Maria sniffed out enough dog-friendly places that they came out with their first book, The Dog Lover's Companion to the Bay Area, shortly thereafter. The Dog Lover's Companion to California was born next. (Each book is now in its fifth edition!) After 13 years of traveling with Maria, Joe recently left for Dog Heaven, where all the cats are slow and no one tells you not to eat horse manure. Jake says he's proud to be following in Joe's pawsteps. Jake lives near the beach in San Francisco with Maria, her husband, and their daughter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; 6th edition (June 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598800213
• ISBN-13: 978-1598800210
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting ideas, but out of date, September 23, 2010

By 

Dr. M. Cale (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dog Lover's Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Bay Area & Beyond (Dog Lover's Companion Guides) (Paperback)

I guess like any guidebook, this one will go out of date quickly, e.g. recommending restaurants to take dog to that have gone out of business. I have found that the information is replicated online in several websites that are more up to date, so it was a disappointing purchase.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL GUIDE!!, January 10, 2010

By 

Stefanie Boros "Stef B" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dog Lover's Companion to the San Francisco Bay Area: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Bay Area & Beyond (Dog Lover's Companion Guides) (Paperback)

We were new to the Bay Area when we purchased this book and it has become our go-to weekend guide! We simply decide where we want to go and then read through the descriptions to see what suits our mood. On really hot days, we'll look for a place that is nestled in a eucalyptus grove or on the beach. We can also pick out where we want to eat before or after our adventure. I haven't been blown away by the restaurant recommendations, but the park descriptions have been great.

We have two smaller dogs and the author is reviewing from a big dog owner's perspective. Again, we just look at the initial summation (how highly rated it is, if it's off-leash or not) and then we look through to see what our dogs will appreciate most. They aren't too interested in getting wet or muddy, but they do love exploring new landscapes with few people around.

All in all, this book is absolutely wonderful and we've gotten a lot of use out of it. I only wish they had one for every area!