This One’s For the Dogs

MAY/JUNE 2012

If you want to excite my dog Riley, just ask him: “Do you wanna go?”

His ears will perk up, he’ll cock his head, the look in his eyes will be pure joy, and he’ll emphatically answer your question with an expression that says, “Yeah! Yeah!”

This behavior is the result of my wife and me asking him, “Do you wanna go on a walk?” at least a thousand times in his six-plus years as our devoted, energetic, loveable, handsome—and a little annoying—Rottweiler/collie mix.

So, I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to ask Riley recently, “Do you wanna go…on a Nevada road trip?” This was in early March, before the Nevada Magazine editorial duo ventured to Miles End Bed and Breakfast in Kingston (which you will read more about in our July/August 2012 issue).

We kept our three-day agenda fairly free—knowing that we’d have Riley with us. Stops along the way included the Fairview Peak earthquake faults, the Groves Lake ruins in Kingston Canyon, Spencer Hot Springs, the Geographic Center of Nevada, Diana’s Punch Bowl, and a short hike to Toquima Cave. We also took a scenic detour on State Route 722 (Carroll Summit) on the way to Kingston.

The highlight of the trip by far, though, was our stay at Miles End (milesendbnb.com). Owners Ann and John Miles were overly accommodating and treated us as though we were part of the family—even Riley. He quickly made friends with their dog, Zee, a fellow collie mix. We ate, laughed, talked Nevada, and ate some more…and, before we knew it, it was time to head back home to Reno.

Unlike our traditionally busy Nevada adventures, this time we traveled at a much more comfortable, leisurely pace. As we drove the central Nevada back roads and U.S. Highway 50—Riley in tow—I just kept thinking, this has to be the most dog-friendly state to travel in. When I returned to the office, I asked fellow dog owners and Nevada travelers if they agree. Overwhelmingly, they do.

And it’s not just our wide-open spaces that make it convenient for you and Fido. It’s also our cities and towns, where you’ll typically find dog-friendly lodging quite easily and quickly. Even the Las Vegas Strip is extremely hospitable to dog owners, as you’ll discover.

If you don’t trust us humans, you can hear it from the dog’s mouth (I swear) in “Travels with My Posse.” As it is, this issue is a celebration of Man’s Best Friend, and a nod to those of us who just don’t have the heart to leave our four-legged companions at a kennel or with a sitter when we travel.

In the print issue, our other feature story celebrates Nevada’s iconic neon signs—past and present—and a couple who have spent their lives writing about them and documenting them with their cameras. In fact, they met under a neon “BAR” sign in Silver City. We can’t make this stuff up, folks.

Matthew B. Brown, Editor
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