Santa Barbara Dog Travel Forum

We planned our whole trip to the Central Coast with our lab in mind and it ended up being a great 4-days, all of which included our dog. I wanted to share because there are great vacations available that will allow you to bring your dog along.

Solvang Dog Friendly Locations:
Hadsten House Inn & Spa - We stayed on the second floor and the rooms were very nice. Riggs even slept on the bed with us and there wasn't any problem. They had a very small grass area that you could take your dog potty but be a responsible owner and pick it up.

Dog Friendly Restaurants in Solvang:
Solvang Brew Company - We were able to bring Riggs to the restaurant and we sat outside with him at our feet. The beer was good but the food was just ok. Regardless, we were happy to have him sit with us and it was within walking distance from our hotel.

Wandering Dog Wine Bar - Cute wine bar that served appetizers and we were able to let our dog sit with us outside. They also had a great wine selection.

The Belgian Cafe - Great breakfast and Riggs was able to sit with us on the patio. They even brought him a bowl of water and provided a couple cookies. Very dog friendly.

Dog Friendly Wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley:
All of these wineries allowed us to bring our dog into the tasting room. All wineries also had a very nice sitting area outside as well. Bring your leashed dog and enjoy the tastes of Santa Barbara:
- Firestone Winery
- Zaca Mesa Winery
- Curtis Winery
- Foxen Winery

Dog Friendly in Santa Barbara:
Blue Sands Motel - This was an awesome lodge like motel almost directly across the street from the beach. The motel offered a bed for our dog and gave us a sheet to place on our bed in case he wanted to sleep with us. The motel was very cute and had a full kitchen, and a nicely decorated room and bathroom. They have a pool that dogs can hang out at but they can't go swimming for obvious reasons. Just across the street from the motel was a huge open grass field. We took our dog there to go to the bathroom. The location was ideal because in the mornings we were able to leash our dog and take a walk along the shoreline and we didn't have to drive anywhere. The staff was also very nice and I would highly recommend this motel for dog owners.

Dog Friendly Restaurants in Santa Barbara:
- The Brewhouse - The Brewhouse was a great place to go. We brought our dog and he sat at our table. The food was amazingly good and so was the beer. They even had a dog menu so we were able to order him a marrow bone to chew on while we ate. Very dog friendly.

- East Beach Grill - The East Beach Grill was within walking distance of our Motel and was incredibly good for breakfast. It offers counter service and a wonderful seating area overlooking the beach and ocean. I highly recommend.

- Tupleo Cafe - Great food and very dog friendly. They are only open until 7 pm so go early. Riggs was able to sit at our feet while we ate and they provided him a dog bowl of water.

Dog Friendly Places to Visit in Santa Barbara:
- One of the prettiest dog beaches I have ever been to is in Santa Barbara. Hendrys Beach is awesome. We took our towels and laid on the beach all day while our dog played in the water. Very easy to get to with multiple parking spots available and we had a great day at the beach with our dog.
- Just above Hendrys Beach is the Douglas Family Preserve which offers two off leash areas for your dog to play. Riggs loved it and was able to mingle with other dogs. This was very close to the beach so it was easy to bang out in just one trip.


We spent a total of 4 days in Solvang and Santa Barbara and our dog didn't sit in the car at all. We enjoyed our time there and would highly recommend a getaway with the pooch as we found the area is very dog friendly.