Welcome to my first ever web column dedicated solely to man and woman’s best friend. The dog! It’s actually a relationship column – stories, ideas, and suggestions about strengthening the bond between you and your dog. Our beautiful shoreline not only has a superabundance of things for humans to do, but there are plenty of fun things and places to share with your pooch!
After several years as a Web Content Manager with a large telecommunications company, I left the corporate life to open up my own pet sitting and dog walking business, For The Love of Paws, located in Guilford, CT. More and more of my clients asked me to take their dog on an “outing,” rather than just a neighborhood walk. In my travels, I discovered some fantastic, fun places to take dogs. I’ll be sharing these adventures in my upcoming stories, and introducing you to several of my canine buddies like Gunther, Butch, and Glacia. And of course my own two dogs – Hendrix the crazy black Lab, and Amber my sweet retired racing greyhound.
First in a series: “5 Places To Take Your Dog,” we discover Guilford, Connecticut.
5 Places To take Your Dog in Guilford, Connecticut
1.) Shell Beach
Shell Beach is a quiet little public beach with a wonderful view of the Sound. Off season and right before sunset you would swear it’s your own private beach. Low tide is a great time to look for shells and beach glass, but watch out for sharp shells attached to the rocks, that might hurt your dog’s paws. High tide is better for dogs who love to swim. Respect the privacy of near by home owners, keep a close eye on your dog, and always pick up and remove all dog waste.
Shell Beach Road is off Rte 146 directly across from Moose Hill Road in Guilford. Take a right turn before the red barn.
2.) The Place Restaurant
The Place is a rustic outdoor restaurant that grills fresh meat and seafood over open wood fires. The Place is very casual and loads of fun. The chairs are actual tree stumps and the tables are old cable spools. Tents go up if it rains. Feel free to bring your own table cloth, salads, or alcoholic beverages. The coolest thing ever is that your dog is also welcome! How many restaurants allow that? Your dog must be tied down or sit peacefully by your table. No wandering about.
The Place is open 7 days a week. 901 Boston Post Road (Rte 1) Guilford, (203) 453-9276.
3.) The Guilford Green
Heralded as the largest town green in New England, The Guilford Green is more than a front lawn for the churches, town hall, and shops that surround it. Once the center of town, the green is still a gathering place for locals and used for parades, graduation, concerts and fairs.
Anytime of day you are sure to see people walking their dogs, or meeting up with friends to socialize their new puppy. You might even run across a breed meet-up, like the popular Dachshund Social. Well behaved, leashed dogs are welcome to attend concerts and other activities on the green. As always, bring pick up bags and remove your dog’s waste.
After you and your pooch have completed your walk around the green, stroll on over to 23 Water Street and get some locally made ice cream. In addition to fresh ice cream, yogurt, and sorbets, 23 Water Street serves Pup Ice, an all natural lactose-free ice cream treat for dogs. Cold Nose Creamery of Rhode Island makes Pup Ice in 4 flavors that dogs love. Enjoy your treats on the outside patio. You deserve it!
Trail Walks
My favorite thing to do with dogs is trail walking. The Guilford Land Conservation Trust (GLCT) is one of the oldest and largest in the state with 2,700 acres in holding. With this much land to explore, we never have to walk the same trail over and over. Dogs love to explore new trails and I enjoy the beautiful woods. I especially enjoy looking for wildflowers which are in bloom from May through September. Right now the fall asters are in bloom.
4.) East River Woodlands
Part of the GLCT, the East River Woodlands is a smaller trail system which is great for beginners. Follow the white dot trail around in a loop to get a feel for the land. If you cross over to the yellow trail, you’ll come across a beautiful meadow. The white dot trail is easy, however always wear sturdy shoes when walking on wooded trails. Watch out for rocks and exposed tree roots underfoot. If you are new to trail walking, always carry a map. Respect the residences near the trail head, and keep your dog on leash. There is also a family of deer in the area.
Map: http://www.guilfordlandtrust.org/erw.pdf
Parking is located at the end of East Gate Road (off Nortontown Rd.)
5.) WestWoods Trail System
Probably the most popular trail system in town, WestWoods is the largest recreational area for hiking in Guilford, with 39 miles of trails on 1,200 acres. It’s a great place to see caves and other rock formations, water falls, salt and fresh water marshes, and my favorite – wild flowers.
Walkers with dogs will enjoy the relatively easy Blue Rectangle trail which runs East to West for slightly over 1 mile. The trail descends slightly in the beginning and watch out for loose rocks underfoot or muddy areas after recent rains. Otherwise, this path is wider and flatter than most, so a good trail to walk if you have a large group. Enter on Moose Hill Rd (trail head and parking is across from 772 Moose Hill Rd) and follow the blue rectangle markers to Dunk Rock Rd. The Blue Rectangle trail intersects with the Yellow Dot trail for a bit in the beginning, where you’ll come across the famous “Rock Canopy.” Your dog will love to run under the canopy to explore. What a great photo op!
Pick up a trail map at Bishops Orchards, Breakwater Books, Page Hardware, or Town Hall.
Next: “5 Places To Take Your Dog,” in Branford, Connecticut.
Related posts:
See Lymeline.com for my review of Edgar Sawtelle. If you love dogs this is a book for you!