Seger Park Dog Owners Association

Have you the desire to travel to Europe but dislike paying for the air fare or the high exchange rate on the dollar or can you afford to go to Europe but do not want to travel without your dog in coach or business class and dislike the feeling of being jet lagged? You might then want to consider going to St. Michaels on Maryland's Eastern Shore and checking into The Inn At Perry's Cabin, an Orient-Express Class Hotel.

This is a high end hotel and rather expensive, however, you would save money on airfare and most importantly, you can bring your dog. I decided to go to St. Michaels with my dog Toby because I saw this hotel listed while browsing through www.petswelcome.com. There, the web site of the hotel was listed as www.perrycabin.com/web/omic/omic_a2a_home.jsp. The pet policy was $75 pet fee per pet, non-refundable; pet must be 75 pounds or less.

The Hotel itself is situated on approximately 35 acres upon which you can relax on Cape Cod style chairs with your dog next to you while you enjoy a drink and gaze up at the spectacular vista of the Chesapeake Bay.

The Hotel also has a restaurant and though dogs are not permitted, a canine room service menu prepared to order is provided. Among the choices on the dog menu when I was there were boneless lamb shank, braised beef, corn fed chicken and tender ground angus. The portions ranged from 16 to 20 ounces and the prices from $16 to $20. All were served with a side portion of Purina Dog Chow or small bits. I remember how excited Toby was when the waitress arrived with a silver dome covered dish of beef and barley on a tray. It looked and smelled so good when the cover was removed, that I almost ordered one for myself!

There is plenty to do in St. Michaels as well but the best times I had was being with my dog and taking walks around the town. One of the stops on our walks was Flying Fred's, a pet store featuring unique pet gifts and where dogs were welcome and the treats free. When I was there, I purchased a life jacket for Toby for him to wear on the Patriot. The Patriot, a dog friendly river boat, coasts down the Miles River, part of the Chesapeake Bay Estuary. The deck was fenced in so Toby did not really need the life jacket but I felt safer with him wearing it, nonetheless. I can tell you that I never saw a dog smile so much as when we took that cruise. For more information about the Patriot, you can check the following web site:

www.patriotcruises.com

One other great thing about going to St. Michael's Maryland is that it is relatively close to Philadelphia. It took us a little over two hours to drive there. For more information on St. Michaels itself you can consult www.stmichaelsmd.org/about/what2do.html.