Hairy Putter's Review Blog

Fort Bragg experienced an unusually warm Indian summer this November so I decided to take advantage of the weather and stay at the Beachcomber Motel. Oh, I should mention that it was election night and my dads were, shall we say tense, especially as my dads gave up regular TV several months ago. So staying at the Beachcomber meant they could watch the coverage in style and if the results were not what they would have liked, they had the incredible coastal view to savor as they pondered the future.

View From Our Room

So out came my overnight bag and all my accoutrements, bowls, treats, toys and bedding, which pleased me very much. In no time I was packed and ready to go. However my dads’ packing is a whole other story. I can attest to there being only one overnight bag between the two, however, there was also, the cameras (still and video), lighting units, light reflectors, microphones, iPad, laptop, iPod and human only knows what. Did I mention that we were literally going down the street? I could have walked to the Beachcomber Motel faster than they packed and loaded the car.

Finally, we arrived and when one of my dads went into the front office to check in, I hopped up on the console in between the driver and passenger seats, my usual pilot perch and watched intently. Soon he was back with key in hand along with a Welcome Bag for me. Inside were a courtesy towel and a sheet (return or leave in the room upon check out) for covering the bed and furniture and a copy of the Beachcomber Motel Pet Guidelines. Wow! There was even a copy of my Pet Friendly Mendocino Travel Guide, but most important – there were treats.

Soon we settled into our wonderfully spacious room where I discovered the sliding glass doors and the unobstructed and breathtaking ocean view. My dads opened the doors and out I popped and what a great surprise on the balcony next to mine! There was a chatty Jack Russell. We exchanged tail wags and some verbal banter, however I think we got a little too boisterous as the uprights distracted me and back into the room I went. Not long afterwards, another canine neighbor appeared on the deck and now I had two pals to hang out with. Then there was a knock at the door, woof, we had a visitor – it was time for my appointment. After I sniffed, tail wagged and accepted the head rubs from this visitor, I was soon picked up by my dad and placed on the bed, which they covered with the sheet provided at check-in. The visitor was named Aaron and he began to gently rub and stroke me, oh it felt so good, I soon became very relaxed and he used his fingers to knead my paws, my legs, my back, my tummy and in fact he massaged me from head to paws and I was soon putty in his hands. There I was lying on a comfy bed with the soothing sounds of the ocean in the background and with the magic touch of an upright’s soothing hands; I was truly in doggie paradise. The Beachcomber has a spa as well as various treatments for uprights. At the spa they offer in guest room pet massages. Pet massage is as beneficial for us furry family members as it is for uprights and the prices are very reasonable. Is a pet massage not the coolest thing ever?

After I woke up from my massage, another adventure awaited me, a romp on the beach. The Beachcomber is right on the ocean and a walking/biking path is right outside. It hugs the dramatic and amazing coastline for miles. A whole lot of canine socializing happens along the Haul Road as it is affectionately called. We need to be on a leash but we have miles of headlands to explore and with all its wonderful smells it gives us plenty of opportunities to make our mark. When I got back, the pet towel the Beachcomber provided was very handy for wiping off my sandy paws.

View from my room

As the sun began to set the uprights poured themselves some wine and we all sat out on the deck and enjoyed the amazing sight of the sun saying a spectacular goodnight by giving us a brilliant show of amazing color. By then I knew it was time for dinner. Usually my dads pack all my food to take when we travel, but recently they have discovered a range of wonderful readymade meals. So earlier my dads had gone to the local Safeway where they sell the delicious brand of healthy and nutritious dog food, Freshpet. These meals and snacks make eating on the go easy and healthy. After a satisfying meal of lamb in gravy with vegetables, we left the Beachcomber so my dads could have their dinner. They chose to eat a little north of Fort Bragg in Cleone at The Purple Rose, a favorite local Mexican restaurant. Even though we four-legged gourmets are unable to dine at this restaurant (no outside dining available) it was comfortable enough for me to stay in the car with the windows cracked and my dads parked so that I had a great view of the diners. With well over twenty different brands of tequila to choose from for making margaritas and some tasty food, they seemed very happy with their evening too. Disclaimer, they did not try all of the tequila brands, well, not in one night.

After we got back to the Beachcomber, I had another adventure; I sensed and smelled cat. Well, I took my dad on a reconnaissance of the area to investigate. It was dark but my nose is my eyes and I could “see” clearly. I soon found the cat basking in the moon’s glow on the stairs leading to my room. I wanted to play chase but my dad was not so eager and I was reluctantly steered in another direction. Let’s just say I spent most of the night in front of the patio doors keeping sentry duty. After a couple of occasions of waking the uprights with demands to go out and then using that time to go cat hunting, when I tried a third time my request was not met with the usual enthusiasm. In fact, I was not taken out again until dawn. Uprights have no sense of canine priorities!
Your stay at The Beachcomber Motel includes a continental breakfast that is served in the lobby. Guests are asked to adhere to the policy of no pets in a food serving area out of respect to the other guests. If the weather is amiable, we can accompany the uprights and sit at an outside table or you can take your breakfast back to your room or enjoy it on the Captain’s Deck while looking at the magnificent ocean view. After breakfast, my dad Alan was booked in for a massage and I got to hang out with my other dad in our room where I curled up on the comfy bed and watched the roundup of the previous evening’s election coverage. When my dad returned he had this wonderful sense of peace and tranquility about him, rather like moi after my massage.

The Beachcomber has a variety of different accommodations and room types priced for all budgets. It truly is pet friendly affordable luxury on the beach. For more information please visit: www.thebeachcombermotel.com.

Hairy

Beachcomber Motel
1111 North Main Street
Fort Bragg, California 95437
1-800-400-SURF