Beaches for the Dogs!

Amelia Island promotes itself as the “real Florida”, though geographically it is practically part of Georgia. Only a mile south of Cumberland Island in southern Georgia, it is the last of the barrier islands known as the Golden Isles. That said, it does have one quintessentially Floridian trait in abundance - beach! The entire eastern coast is a wide white sand 13-mile long public beach. 

(Actually two Florida traits - humidity! It’s not too bad during the day, but it’s wild how we awake each morning with everything covered in a thick dew. You can even leave dry towels out overnight and they’ll be wet in the morning!)

We are staying at Fort Clinch State Park at the northern end of the island, which I’m guessing puts us at the most north-eastern tip in the state. We are backed into the dunes of a beach renowned for finding sharks teeth (Andrew figured it must be the home of the shark dentist)...though I haven’t found anything other than a billion shells. 

Inexplicably, dogs aren’t allowed on this beach but are on the main public beaches further south so we’ve driven down there to spend the past few days. There are only about five people on the beach per square mile, so restricting access to four-leggers seems a bit silly...

Which brings me to my rant...I guess it’s a matter of a few bad apples, but it’s just so crazy that there are all these restrictive dog laws. Actually our experience in the US so far has been more positive than Canada - at least dogs are allowed on many restaurant patios and on leash in many parks. Thanks to websites like GoPetFriendly and BringFido for help with planning! But I would hope we could behave a bit more like Europe, where well-behaved dogs pretty much have the same freedom as children. 

Coco doesn’t run off, she doesn’t bark or grr at other people or dogs, she comes when called, she knows not to relieve herself around people. Heck, a lot of toddlers behave far worse! Why can’t we just trust owners to decide if their pet behaves well enough to be given some freedom? Again, because US/Canada laws are designed for the lowest common denominator. Which in my opinion, creates a public that rebels in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ditto for liquor laws. Makes me long for Mexico.

Anyhoo back on topic, it has been a glorious few days enjoying said beach and sunshine. Really - what else needs to be said? Runs and picnics on the beach, reading, basking in rays, a few cold pints at the local beachfront pub (that allows dogs!) - it’s a tough life!