Take Paws The official pet travel blog of GoPetFriendly.com

St. Charles: This Time in Illinois

In St. Charles, IL, the pet friendly spirit is in the air!  During our recent visit, GoPetFriendly got the red carpet treatment from Jenny O’Brien and Molly of the St. Charles Illinois Convention & Visitors Bureau.  By the way, Molly is a Yorkipoo and the city’s pet travel specialist.  Jenny and Molly were both eager to show us St. Charles’ pet friendly amenities, and the city did not disappoint.

We started off our tour with a visit to the West Side Community Dog Park (corner of Campton Hills and Peck Roads).  The 3/4 acre fenced in park has agility equipment, separate play areas for small and large dogs, and its own fresh water supply.  Not to be outdone, the East Side Sports Complex (2N300 Kirk Road) is located on the other side of town.  This slightly larger fenced in dog park has a play area for small dogs and access to a pond. Woof-tastic!  Both parks are open from 9 am to dusk, weather permitting.

Next, we headed over to the pet friendly Geneva Commons outdoor shopping center.  Here we are having lattes in the sun.  Will I ever get in a photo shoot?

L to R: Jenny, Molly, Amy, Ty & Buster

We then sauntered across the way to Wet Nose, a self-described “designer pawtique for the health and well being of our 4-legged friends.”  If they don’t have it, you don’t need it.

This store was decorated to the K-nines!

Later, we stopped by Pottawatomie Park along the Fox River.  Within walking distance of Main Street, this 92 acre site has plenty of places to play with your pooch.  And note to self – the daily paddlewheel riverboat cruises (operating from May to mid-October) are pet friendly.  However, dogs playing poker is generally frowned upon.

View from the foot bridge crossing the Fox River.

Our day ended with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Lincoln Park.  The festivities started at 5 pm, a “work hour” in my former life, and so I was wonderfully surprised by the large number of families that showed up – a testament to the community’s neighborliness and civic pride.

Ahhhhhh!

We could tell you so much more about the pet friendly places to go and things to do in St. Charles … but Molly’s already done that!  You can bone up on the hotels, restaurants, events and activities, groomers, and boarding facilities that are all nicely organized on her web site.  So far, we haven’t seen any cities of St. Charles size put together this kind of information to welcome travelers with pets.  Kudos to Molly and the Visitors Bureau!