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Tips for Traveling with Your Pup

By Postcard Cabins -

We know that furry friends can be the best travel companions around. While Getaway is pup-friendly, not everyone else is, so knowing how to pack for travel with your dog is especially important.

We’ve put together some tips and guidelines to make getting away with your pup a breeze. Most transportation options require a carrying case for your dog. We like a dog carrier, like this Frisco premium travel carrier, for more portable travel or a dog car seat for driving.

Tip #1: Traveling By Local Transit

Local transportation is typically the most affordable option for humans and dogs alike. Before you hop on your local bus or train though, make sure to check the travel rules for pets in your local area. Luckily enough, we’ve put together a guide for all of our cities.

In both New York and D.C., service dogs are always allowed on local transit. Non-service dogs are also allowed, but only if they’re in a container or carrier. Atlanta’s MARTA is similar, but with an extra restriction that requires the carrier to be rigid and have a lock or latch.

Boston also has a similar policy for MBTA trains and buses, but the city stipulates that non-service pets are not supposed to ride during rush hour.

Dog on Bed

Tip #2: Traveling By Car

If you’re getting out of the city, renting a car is fast and flexible. Zipcar and Enterprise say your pup is always welcome, provided it stays in a dog carrier and you return the car free of fur. Avis can be a more flexible option with no strict pet policy, but the car must be returned clean and free of pet hair.

If you’re looking to ride-share, both Uber and Lyft leave the decision up to the driver. We recommend ordering a car and then calling your driver to confirm you can bring along your pet. Cabs in most cities tend to abide by the same policy.

Tip #3: Choose Pet-Friendly Destinations

It always makes it easier to travel when you know your pup will be welcomed at your final destination. This is particularly important if you’re traveling by way of public transit, but you also don’t want to take your pup somewhere where they are going to be stuck in a car.

There are plenty of travel options that welcome your furry friends. At Getaway, we have a small pet fee (one per trip, so you don’t have to pay per pup per night), and that covers our cleaning expense and gives you a lead, a bowl, some waste bags, and treats for your dog.

Things to Keep in Mind:

Packing is stressful for everyone, especially if you have to pack for both yourself and your pet. Our must-have items include a dog travel bowl, dog treats, plastic bags, and a favorite dog toy or blanket to keep your pup company.

We recommend bringing along proper ID for your pup as well. Sometimes accidents happen and if you lose track of your pet, you want to make sure they are properly identifiable. Ensure your dog has proper ID tags and is microchipped. Better yet, always keep them nearby with a dog leash.

Be careful to never leave your dog in a car during extreme heat or cold and keep an eye on how they’re doing throughout the stress of the travel process.

Don’t forget the delight of travel. Pack treats for you, and treats for them. Be sure to reward your pup when they have good behavior. It helps reinforce what they are doing right.

Woman and Dog

Most importantly, remember that no one knows your dog better than you do. Listen to yourself and your pup and enjoy escaping together.

Find more of our favorite pup-related tips from our friends at Chewy by visiting Pet Central.

Features

The Importance of Solo Travel

By Postcard Cabins -

Companionship is vital for the human experience. Human interaction, whether it’s chatting, sharing laughs, or hugging, has been shown to increase happiness and lengthen lifespans. That’s why disconnection is so important- for enjoying time with the people around you and building deeper, more meaningful connections together.

That’s not to say, however, that we never need time alone. We need to create time to connect both with others and ourselves. Science has shown that overcivilization can hurt our mental health. While connecting with another person is irreplaceable, sometimes we just need the space to recharge on our own.

Solo Cabin

It’s a frequent discussion topic here at Getaway that we don’t give ourselves enough time to be bored. Boredom is how children develop their interests and their sense of self, but we rarely experience that in adulthood. We are all part of an an over-busy, overworked culture, which seldom gives us the privilege of feeling bored.

It can be incredibly valuable to experience doing absolutely nothing with another person, but sometimes it’s hard to get there. When you getaway together, you have each other to keep you entertained, so you might not give yourself the space to be truly disengaged. When you’re with someone you love and care for, you probably want to ensure the other person is enjoying themselves.

It’s wonderful to take pleasure in someone’s else happiness, but you can’t neglect your own either. It’s a fine line that we all struggle with. Focusing purely on another person’s enjoyment can distract from your own ability to relax and release stress.

Take the Space to Be Alone

Not being able to interact with anyone else forces you to engage more fully with yourself and your surroundings, especially if you’re willing to put away your phone. You have more time to truly focus on your own thoughts and you have the space to truly do nothing. Take the time to ponder which parts of your life fill you with joy and how to healthily incorporate that into your daily life.

The space to be alone and think also gives you time to build confidence. While it can be a little disconcerting at first, allowing yourself to be truly alone allows you to focus on yourself. Slowly you’ll feel more and more at ease and this ability to be comfortable around yourself helps to grow and build and confidence.

Escaping from the hectic lives we lead is healthy for everyone, from solo travelers to couples to families. It can be the best thing possible for your relationship, but you can only have healthy relationships with others once you feel more solid with yourself. Challenge yourself by getting away on your own, truly being alone with your surroundings, and growing from it.

How to Getaway

Tips for the Dog-Friendly Traveler

By Postcard Cabins -

City living isn’t always easy on our furry friends. In the stress of our day-to-day, it’s fairly common that we find ourselves craving more time to spend outside, away from our computers or inside our offices. Our pups may be feeling that same hankering.

For many of us who live in cities, our dogs have a pretty set schedule. Walks in the morning, time inside, walks in the afternoon, time inside, walks in the evening, sleep time. One of the best ways to break up that routine and let your dog enjoy a different pace with more outdoor time, is by taking that pup with you on your next great adventure.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Take your dog on a hike

Dog Hike

There are tons of hikes near our cabins and not too far from the cities you call home. Many of these hikes are dog friendly, so you may run into other dog friends on the trail. There’s a win-win for you both: you can enjoy some incredible views and your pup can get some needed exercise. Not only that, but it’s proven that walking with your pet helps draw you closer together, and strengthens your bond. Best yet – they’ll be all tuckered out and ready for bed by the time you get home.

Know the best way to get you there

Furry Friend

Public transportation has limits on our canine friends. We may have all seen some very adorable photos of people trying to fit their dogs in backpacks. Check the regulations around traveling with your pet, whether it’s looking at Amtrak or your local transit system. It’s important to also be mindful of where your dog is most comfortable. If they experience a lot of anxiety on the subway, you may want to consider a car rental. If a car rental isn’t for them, maybe a train might make it easier. If they tend to be a touch nervous in transit, try feeding them turkey – the tryptophan that makes us all sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner has the same effect on pups. Consider it their natural anxiety reducer.

Spend some quality time with them in nature

Dog in Cabin

Take your dog on a getaway to Postcard Cabins. All of our cabins are dog friendly and ready for you and your pup. Walk around and explore nearby trails, and cozy back in with them. We’ll provide bowls, a lead, and some treats, and you bring the canine you love.

How to Getaway

How to Pack for a Winter Getaway to Postcard Cabins

By Postcard Cabins -

When people ask what to pack for their stay at Postcard Cabins, our answer is always more or less the same – not much.

Partially because we believe in the importance of focusing on the people and nature around you; partially because we already have a lot of it waiting for you in your cabin.

You’ll never go cold when you’re relaxing in one of our tiny cabins. Every cabin is heated and stocked with extra blankets to bundle up even more. We’ve stocked each tiny cabin with cold-weather essentials like hot chocolate, a fire starter kit, and plenty of indoor activities like books, cards, and games.

See the full list of what’s in our cabins here.

So if you’re the type who just wants to get away to sit back and relax, we’ve got you covered.  But if you’re the adventurous type, excited to hit the hiking trails as soon as you make it to your cabins – there are a few extra things you’ll definitely want to bring along.

A good pair of boots

Boots

We recommend something waterproof, insulated, and with a high shaft to keep snow out of your socks.

We like these boots from Sorel.

Layers, layers, layers

Layers

It’s always a good idea to dress for a wide range of activity levels as you’ll likely warm up on your hike and cool off when you stop to rest.

We love a fleece half-zip because you can just unzip to let out some body heat versus having to stop and remove layers during your hike.

One of our favorites is this fleece from L.L. Bean.

A light (but warm!) jacket

Jacket

The three have-to-haves of a hiking jacket are: insulating, hooded, and waterproof.

A very reliable option is the Down Sweater from Patagonia.

Gloves

Mittens

Keeping your hands dry and warm during a winter adventure is incredibly important – but your everyday pair of gloves might not cut it!  

We recommend waterproof shell mitts or gloves with insulated liners. Check out these by The North Face.

A hat

Hat

A good way to stay warm without too many bulky layers is to keep your head covered.

Stick with something fleece or wool – try to avoid cotton altogether for every item on this list as it takes forever to dry!  You definitely don’t want to head out on a cold adventure with a wet hat.

We like this wool hat by L.L. Bean.

Snow Scraper

Snow Day

We love it when snow turns our cabins into a winter wonderland, but your car doesn’t. Snow can pileup easily and it’s not always safe to drive with that much snow on top of your vehicle, so throwing a snow scraper in with your things can save you a big headache.

We like this one from Amazon.

Cover these bases and you’ll be more than prepared for any winter weather adventures during your escape to nature. For the full list of year-round essentials, check out The Ultimate Cabin Packing List.