The summer is the perfect time to plan a trip with your furry friend. Obviously, you’ll want to pick a place that has plenty of awesome spots that welcome pets. Look no further than our nation’s capital. That’s right, Washington D.C. happens to be an incredibly dog-friendly city! Here are some places, you should consider visiting if you do happen to take a trip to D.C.

Colada Shop

Colada Shop is an incredible dog-friendly Cuban restaurant that has three locations in the DC area. The menu has so many delicious options, including empanadas, sweet plantain torrejas, and a guava BBQ lechon sandwich.

Dacha Beer Garden

Dacha Beer Garden is a super hip place to bring your pooch in the D.C. area. (My dog wants to go without me because she thinks I’ll ruin the vibe). The establishment has a number of craft beers, wine, and cocktails. If you don’t drink, no worries -- there is also a full food menu. My canine companion already gave it a once-over and decided that she’ll be having a pretzel with cheese sauce, some pulled pork, and a side of mac and cheese.

Nationals Game

Photo by Jose Francisco Morales on Unsplash

On August 31st, Washington DC’s baseball team, the Nationals, will be having a Pups in the Park day. During the event, your furry friend can join you for a day at the Nationals Park. Tickets are $35 per person and $10 per dog. According to the National’s website, “all proceeds from the dog ticket sales will be donated to the Humane Rescue Alliance.”

Wet Dog Tavern

As the name implies, the Wet Dog Tavern, located on Vermont Ave., welcomes dogs, big and small. According to its website, the tavern’s owner named the establishment as a tribute to their beloved Golden Retriever Lilly Sophia, “who LOVED swimming.” Tragically, the very good girl “ passed away suddenly to a silent disease not well understood [called] Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA).”

National Arboretum

Taking a stroll with your pooch at the National Arboretum seems like an ideal way to spend a summer day. The Arboretum is open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it may be wise to get there pretty early in the morning because the humidity and heat in DC is a little unpleasant during the afternoon. While you and your pooch explore the Arboretum, consider checking out the Gotelli Conifer Collection, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, and the National Capitol Columns.

Fala’s Statue

Every dog-lover needs to head over to Fala’s Statue at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, located on 1850 West Basin Dr. SW. For those unaware, Fala was FDR’s beloved Scottish Terrier. The president absolutely adored the dog -- and who can blame him -- and basically took him everywhere he went.

This eventually led to accusations that the president’s pup had been stranded on the Aleutian Islands following a visit in 1944. FDR refuted the claim in his “Fala Speech,” which happens to be my favorite speech that any president has ever given. It goes as following:

“These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala. Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family doesn't have recent attacks, but Fala does resent them. You know, Fala is Scotch, and being a Scottie, as soon as he learned that the Republican fiction writers in Congress and out had concocted a story that I had left him behind on the Aleutian Islands and had sent a destroyer back to find him - at a cost to the taxpayers of two or three, or eight or twenty million dollars- his Scotch soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since. I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself - such as that old, worm-eaten chestnut that I have represented myself as indispensable. But I think I have a right to resent, to object to libelous statements about my dog.”

6 Dog-Friendly Places In Washington D.C. To Visit This Summer