The next stop on our tour brought Van Doggo and I to Pittsburg, Kansas. There wefound the Ronald O. Thomas Dog Park. This place was pretty basic, with all the ameneties we look for except shade. As there was none to be found at all. It wasn't needed that day but on a hotter one, that might be an issue. We did meet some really nice people, a couple who were fellow travelers, and Van Doggo found a few feiends to romp with over the course of a couple of hours. The park itself got two paws up from Van Doggo, with an extra 1/2 a paw due to the company. If you manage to catch that crowd, it's worth the stop if you're headed through the area.
Van Doggo and I found another park during our travels. This time we were in Largo, FL, where we found the Indian Rocks Beach Dog Park. Unfortunately we arrived on the one day of the week that the park is closed for maintenance, but we were able to get a video recorded from outside. The park is on the small side, and doesn't have small dog/big dog sections, but it does have most of thr amenities we look for. Since we couldn't actually test the park out for ourselves, we had to give it only 1 1/2 paws up for now. We will have to try and go back in the future for another try.
Van Doggo and I are back again! This time our tour took us to Olive Branch, Mississippi, where we found the Olive Bark Dog Park. (This was actually recorded earlier this year, as we recently discovered a number of reviews that had been temporarily misplaced.) This park was pretty solid, with all the usual amenities we look for plus the added bonus of a doggo swimming pond. It was a little difficult to locate at first but once we did, Van Doggo had a grand old time! She made friends with a Giant Schnauzer pup named Reckson, and they wrestled all over the place for quite some time. This was recorded before we started our "official" rating system, but I think we can safely give this place 3 paws up. It's worth tracking it down if you happen to be in the area!
The next stop on our tour took us to Lafayette, Louisiana, where Van Doggo and I found the Brown Memorial Dog Park. This place was pretty basic, and had most of the things we look for with the exception of shade. It's mostly just a decently sized open box, which means room to run but little else. After the recording we found a walking trail that looped around the bigger park that the dog area was in, so that was a plus. Overall, Van Doggo gave this place two paws up. There are other options in the Lafayette area, and it may be worth checking those out first before settling on Brown Memorial.
Van Doggo and I have been hanging around NE Colorado for the past few days, still waiting on work. Since we had some time, we decided to check out another park. This one, the Barnum Dog Park, is located in Denver. Another no frills park, although this one was a bit bigger and better maintained. A little more shade available than at the last one, and a better fence, but still no access to water and garbage cans on the wrong side of the fence. Plus, the substrate used in the park made it resemble a giant litter box. We did meet a couple of furry friends for Van Doggo to play with, and mainly for that reason she gave this park a reluctant 2 paws up. This isn't a bad park in a pinch, but we wouldn't recommend getting off the highway just for a visit.
Van Doggo and I made our next stop on the tour in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the Bear Creek Dog Park. We had been here once before, prior to the start of this series, and after all our travels this still ranks number one on our list. This place is fantastci! It's listed at over 10 acres and includes all the usual amenities, as well as an enclosed agility course, tons of hiking trails, and a large stream that cuts through the south end of the park for your doggos to cool off and play in. We love this place so much that it received our first 5 star (4 paws AND a tail) rating! Definitely a must visit if you end up anywhere close to The Springs!
Van Doggo and I are back again! This time we were in Olive Branch, Mississippi, where we found the Olive Bark Dog Park. (This video was actually recorded earlier this year, as I had recorded some more of these that got temporarily misplaced.) This place is a decent size with all the usual amenities we look for, and it had the added bonus of a swimming pond for the doggos! It was a little hard to locate at first but once we found it, Van Doggo had a grand old time. She made friends with a Giant Schnauzer pup named Reckson, and they had a blast wrestling all over the park. This was recorded before we started our "official" rating system, but we can safely give this place 3 paws up. It's definitely worth tracking this park down if you happen to be in the area!
Van Doggo and I were at it again. This time we found a little dog park in Gallatin, TN. This one wasn't as nice as some of the others we have encountered recently. Along with being on the small side, there wasn't that much shade available and there weren't even any latches on the gate doors (there were chains left instead that you had to wrap and unwrap around the gates to hold them closed). There was a water fountain and garbage cans, but the small area was also overloaded with agility equipment which severely cut down on the limited running room. The park will do in a pinch if you happen to be passing through, but we wouldn't recommend going out of your way to use it. All in all Van Doggo gave this one only 2 1/2 paws up. Hopefully our next stop is at some place of higher quality.
Van Doggo and I are back again! This time our tour took us to Olive Branch, Mississippi, where we found the Olive Bark Dog Park. (This was actually recorded earlier this year, as we recently discovered a number of reviews that had been temporarily misplaced.) This park was pretty solid, with all the usual amenities we look for plus the added bonus of a doggo swimming pond. It was a little difficult to locate at first but once we did, Van Doggo had a grand old time! She made friends with a Giant Schnauzer pup named Reckson, and they wrestled all over the place for quite some time. This was recorded before we started our "official" rating system, but I think we can safely give this place 3 paws up. It's worth tracking it down if you happen to be in the area!