From the Desk of Remy Bibaud - July 2021
Steve and I took a much-needed vacation to the lake for the 4th of July. Of course, we brought our dog Harley. She absolutely loves the water! She is the epitome of a black lab – she enjoys fetching things, is super friendly with people, very gentle with children, tolerates yippy dogs and can be so chill when I am working. We enjoy her so much and since she is a low maintenance dog, we try to take her everywhere we go. We love vacationing at Geneva on the Lake, Ohio because there are plenty of places that cater to dog lovers like us.
Nowadays if you own a hospitality-based business you should find ways to make the services you offer more amenable to pet parents and their fur babies. Steve and I are the type of pet parents that will choose a vacation spot based on whether or not Harley can come with us. After all, it is so much more fun to have her there to enjoy the sights and sounds as much as we do!
We rolled into town late Thursday afternoon and checked in to our pet friendly cottage at Anchor Motel and Cottages. This was our third time staying there. The owners, Bill and Cathy are pet people. In fact, we learned from them that their dog Cooper had been laid to rest the Monday before we arrived. He was their beloved fur baby and the community dog. He made guests smile with his cottage visits for 13 years.
Before unpacking our bags, we took Harley to the township park for her first dip in Lake Erie this year. While the surf was a bit rough, it did not stop our girl from barreling through the waves to fetch (and fetch…) a piece of “beach” wood. When I say she loves it, I really mean it… she smiles the whole time. That makes us happy.
On Friday morning we took our usual 4 mile walk from our place to Geneva on the Lake State Park and Marina with Harley in the lead. We can’t go to the beach without her so it’s a good thing that the State Park has a dog friendly beach area. Storms had rolled in overnight making the lake very rough, Harley knew better than to attempt the waves. On our return trip we popped into a favorite local eatery, Ruff Life on the Lake. They offer treats, toys and gifts galore for dogs and hoomans. Additionally, they have a menu with fresh items for pets and amazing “people” food!
One of my best friends, Niccole and her children arrived Friday night to spend the holiday weekend with us. Harley got to go on several walks with the kids along The Strip. While they played in the arcades, she was spoiled with attention from vacationing families that missed their animal companions. We were sure to tell them about the pet friendly accommodations at the Anchor.
Sunday was awesome! We reserved a canoe and kayak through Harbor Yak in Ashtabula to venture out on the lake. There is a fantastic area not too far from the harbor where you paddle to, beach your vessel to swim in clear, calm knee to waist high water. Lexi and Nicholas loved it - they weren’t bored! While Harley could have joined us, she did not. We figured we had our hands full with a 6 and 9-year-old on their first paddling excursion.
To top off our fabulous day we witnessed an amateur pilot do flying tricks high above the lake from the sprawling patio at GOTL Brewery. We followed the fun by watching an incredible display of fireworks from the fairway at the golf course.
What better wat to leave the hustle and bustle of life than with great friends and our dog! From our first trip to Geneva on the Lake we knew this place was something special. Concluding our fifth trip we have found more reasons to return. See you in August GOTL.
Be sure to take the time to enjoy your two and four legged friends and family this summer!
Blessings,
Remy
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