Summer is here and for thousands of Americans it means it's time hit the road and take adventures with your family, including your four-legged friends.
More than 37 million people kicked off their summer with a Memorial Day trip of at least 50 miles, according to AAA's estimates, and 88 percent of them opted to travel by car rather than by plane. Seeing that so many Americans will be spending quality time on the road this summer, the Milk-Bone company created a list of the best destinations for the entire family, including your puppy pals.
If you're looking for the most pooch-friendly state, four of the top 10 destinations on Milk-Bone's list are located in California.
Milk-Bone cross-referenced online review sites with data on dog-friendly restaurants and hotels and compiled the a list of the top pup-approved parks and landmarks and assigned each spot a 'biscuit score' of up to 50 points.
One Houston destination — the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center — came in at No. 11 on the list with a 'biscuit score' of 40. Five miles of trails wind across the Arboretum's 155-acre area that features forest, pond, wetland and meadow habitats, making it a great place to explore nature (note some trails are closed due to the heavy storms that swamped Houston but there is still plenty of roaming space). The reserve is open from 7 a.m. until dusk each day and admission is always free of charge.
If you're looking for the most pooch-friendly state, four of the top 10 destinations on Milk-Bone's list are located in California, including the Original Dog Beach in San Diego at No. 1 and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco at No. 2.
Top 50 Dog Friendly Road Trip Destinations
('Biscuit score' in parenthesis — final scores ranged from 20 to 50 biscuits.)
No. 1: The Original Dog Beach - San Diego, California (50)
No. 2: Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, California (49)
No. 3: Fort Tryon Park - New York City, New York (48.5)
No. 4: Runyon Canyon - Los Angeles, California (47)
No. 5: Acadia National Park - Mt. Desert Island, Maine (46)
No. 6: Pike Place Market - Seattle, Washington (45)
No. 7: Carmel - Carmel-by-the-Sea, California (44.5)
No. 8: The Biltmore Estate - Asheville, North Carolina (44)
No. 9: Central Park - New York City, New York (43)
No. 10: Cherry Creek Farmer's Market - Denver, Colorado (43)
No. 11: Houston Arboretum & Nature Center - Houston, Texas (40)
No. 12: The Trail System at the US National Whitewater Center - Charlotte, North Carolina (39)
No. 13: Mammoth Mountain - Mammoth Lakes, California (38)
No. 14: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area - Atlanta, Georgia (37)
No. 15: Gettysburg National Military Park - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (37)
No. 16: Yosemite - California (35)
No. 17: Colonial Williamsburg - Williamsburg, Virginia (34)
No. 18: Nashville - Tennessee (33)
No. 19: Key West Aquarium - Key West, Florida (33)
No. 20: The Cascades at Lake Mohegan - Fairfield, Connecticut (32)
No. 21: Broad Ripple - Indianapolis, Indiana (31)
No. 22: Mercury Canine Cruise - Chicago, Illinois (30)
No. 23: National Mall - Washington, D.C. (29)
No. 24: Arlington National Cemetery - Washington, D.C. (28)
No. 25: Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Ohio (27)
No. 26: Point Reyes National Seashore - Point Reyes Station, California (26)
No. 27: Olympic National Park - Port Angeles, Washington (25)
No. 28: Shenandoah National Park - Virginia (24)
No. 29: Bow Wow Beach - Stow, Ohio (23)
No. 30: Royal Gorge Bridge - Cañon City, Colorado (23)
No. 31: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield, Missouri (23)
No. 32: Mount Vernon - Mount Vernon, Virginia (23)
No. 33: Old Charleston Ghost Tour - Charleston, South Carolina (22)
No. 34: Crazy Horse Memorial - Crazy Horse, South Dakota (22)
No. 35: Joshua Tree - Joshua Tree National Park, California (22)
No. 36: Hot Springs National Park & Riverboat Tour - Hot Springs, Arkansas (22)
No. 37: Mount Hollywood Trail - Los Angeles, California (21)
No. 38: White Sands National Monument - Alamogordo, New Mexico (21)
No. 39: Washington Crossing Historic Park - Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania (21)
No. 40: Dog Beach at Key Biscayne - Key Biscayne, Florida (20)
No. 41: Tombstone - Tombstone, Arizona (20)
No. 42: Southwest City Dog Park - St. Louis, Missouri (20)
No. 43: Good Hart - Good Hart, Michigan (20)
No. 44: Dinosaur National Monument - Maybell, Utah (20)
No. 45: Mammoth Cave National Park - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky (20)
No. 46: Dallas Heritage Village - Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas (20)
No. 47: Minute Man National Historic Park - Concord, Massachusetts (20)
No. 48: Veterans Park Lagoon - Milwaukee, Wisconsin (20)
No. 49: Paw Playground & Beach De Soto - St. Petersburg, Florida (20)
No. 50: Penn Valley Dog Park (WWI Memorial) - Kansas City, Missouri (20)
