Dog Friendly Road Trips East Coast – Ever since I moved to the East Coast, I’ve been wanting to take a road trip from New York to Maine. It is popular as an ideal summer getaway to escape the city heat. This summer I finally took a five-day road trip from New York to Maine with my boyfriend and our dog. I was truly overwhelmed by the pleasant weather and beautiful surroundings.
Home to gorgeous beaches, lovely lighthouses, and some of the best seafood in the world, Maine has some seriously delicious food to offer. When my boyfriend and I started planning a road trip, we decided we really wanted to take our dog Chewie with us. We had no idea how pet-friendly every place we went was.
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My trip had to focus on dog-friendly activities and accommodations. But I would still recommend doing what I did to anyone who isn’t traveling with a dog. Read about the best cities to stay in and my favorite lighthouses.
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A great road trip always requires a little flexibility. Use what you learned on your road trip from New York to Maine to plan your ideal summer vacation.
Click here for a list of my favorite restaurants near the beach. The post is full of fresh crab restaurants, roadside food, and hidden coffee spots! All of the places we list are pet friendly!
It was Choi’s first vacation, and of course he wanted to see all the big tourist attractions. Her Portland Light House was her favorite place because of the many pets she found there.
Finding the right route is always the first step in any road trip. I’m a big fan of going the distance. After traveling through New York and 11 countries, we finally arrived at the Big Apple Tree. There I realized that the long way is the best way. Taking time to admire the short coastal highway and refuel at a great roadside lobster stand or coffee shop is key to any road trip.
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When I travel, my first instinct is to go, go, go. Wake up early, get there first thing in the morning and do your best to take it all in. This is something I thought about a lot when I lived in Maine. Nothing ruins a road trip faster. So it’s a good idea to take your time on the first day and not be pressured by too many deadlines.
On our first day, our first stop from New York City was Providence, RI. This long road trip was a great opportunity to stop in northeastern towns I’d never had the chance to visit. Providence seems like a great place to stretch your legs and grab something to eat.
We left New York around 11am and arrived in Providence a few hours later, just in time for lunch. From there we took a slight detour to drive through Boston. Boston is one of my favorite cities in America and I take any excuse to visit it. My boyfriend Ryan has never been before and he was a great help on a trip we are planning later this year.
A great unexpected stop on the way from New York to Maine was Salem, Massachusetts. I have to admit, I totally thought about becoming a witch when I was younger. Programs I watched growing up
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We parked right near the witch’s house (unfortunately it was closed when we arrived) and explored the cute little village. If I could turn back time, I would have skipped the drive to Boston and tried to arrive before 5 PM to visit the wizard’s house. This is what spontaneity will do for you.
I was researching Salem around October and tourism really picks up during Halloween season. But even in the hot summer, Salem knows how to fit a witch’s date. There are lots of rather interesting shops and restaurants.
When we started our road trip from New York to Maine, we decided to be flexible about where we would end up our first night. I know the traffic in the city is incredibly complicated and we wanted to spend some time on the road so we didn’t know where we would end up. If you’re like me, you might be a little worried. Just go with the flow and see what happens.
Leaving Salem, we set our GPS on Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a small town just outside the Maine border. At this time, we recommend taking the most direct route to Portsmouth. If you’re not too tired, continue straight to Old Orchard Beach. It’s just a few hours north of Salem.
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Along the way, we learned that pet-friendly accommodations were heavily booked. Keep this in mind if you are traveling with your dog. We stayed one night at the pet-friendly Ramada Inn just down the street from Old Orchard Beach. Of course, finding accommodation will be easier if you are not traveling with your pet.
However, all Ramada Inns are pet friendly and the hotels are perfect for a good night’s sleep and a shower. We stayed right off the highway in Saco. We had a few bottles of wine and pizza delivered to our hotel room. I couldn’t have asked for a better first night on the road.
I was getting into the California beach girl vibe in Old Orchard Beach. This is Maine’s dreamiest beach town.
One of the only beach towns we encountered on our road trip from New York to Maine was Old Orchard Beach. This is the perfect place to start the second day of your road trip. It’s like a little Coney Island, but with better weather and better beaches.
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On your second day, wake up as early as possible and spend a few hours exploring this beach town. If you are traveling with pets, keep in mind that only dogs are allowed on the beach outside of 10am and 5pm.
The docks don’t open until 11am, but Old Orchard Street has many shops and restaurants open. In July and August, theme park rides open at 11 a.m. on weekends and noon on weekdays. Be sure to grab breakfast and coffee at Green Mountain before getting back on the road.
The small pier at Old Orchard Beach makes this part of the beach a bit more attractive than others.
The ride wasn’t open before departure and since we were with our dog it wasn’t worth the wait.
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There’s no shortage of lighthouses to explore on the East Coast, and Maine has some of the best. From Old Orchard Beach, you’ll want to head to Portland Head Lighthouse on Cape Elizabeth. This is one of the most popular lighthouses in Maine.
I will allow you at least an hour or two to wander around this beautiful attraction. There are also picnic tables and food vendors if you want to have lunch with a view. But we were crabbing in Portland, so we roamed the land.
Here you only have to pay $7 per hour for parking for at least 2 hours. There is also a lovely little gift shop to check out. And yes, you can even bring your dog here as long as it is on a leash at all times. Who knew Maine loved dogs so much? Probably everyone did that except me.
Downtown Portland is not far from here. If you’re not traveling with your dog, stop by for lunch and a horse-drawn carriage ride. I often travel to cities where I automatically know I can live, and Portland is one of those cities.
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I think Portland would be a great place to stay if you could add an extra day to your trip. If your time is flexible, keep a few things in mind. I definitely plan to come back and spend more time in Portland.
We didn’t have a chance to ride the trolley, but there were a lot of people taking pictures with us!
Marshall Point Lighthouse was my favorite stop on our road trip from New York to Maine. It’s definitely taken a lot of effort to get here, but it’s worth it. Yes, it is small and located in a very quiet area of Port Clyde. But don’t let that convince you to give up.
Why did I like this lighthouse so much? This may have happened because it is dog friendly. Or maybe the weather was so nice that no one was there. (We arrived around 4 PM.) It may have been because the road was a narrow bridge.
