While visiting my dear friend Alex in Vermont, I met and spent quite a bit of time with the lovely and witty Gwen Huneck who is “the woman behind the curtain” in the world of her artist husband Stephen Huneck and their love of dog’s seen in his paintings, carvings, books and their dog-centric place they call Dog Mountain.

I had been there years ago and much has changed. There are more buildings and an area where trees can be planted in the name of your beloved dog. And the Dog Chapel is completely covered inside with notes in memory of people’s beloved 4 legged family members. I couldn’t help but add a little note in the memory of my recently passed granddoggy Sasha.

Dog Mountain is 150 acres for dogs and their dog loving humans. There are hiking trails, a dog pond and, of course, the gallery where you can purchase Stephen’s work, which supports the property. Everything is FREE and people are encouraged to have their dogs off leash to truly enjoy the property and the other dogs who come to visit. And come they do, from all over the world.

Dog Mountain is in St. Johnsbury, VT which is part of the Northeast Kingdom and a great destination for a holiday pretty much anytime of year, except maybe mud season in the spring. The winters are white (usually), the summers are gorgeous and lush and the Fall is just brilliant for seeing the foliage change. I am not going to tell you my favorite scenic roads because I wouldn’t like to see them get spoiled but I do recommend adventuring around and discovering the beauty on your own. You can’t go wrong in any direction. A good place to start is Dog Mountain.  And here are some other dog friendly travel recommendations in Vermont.  One secret I will tell you is that I look for the smallest roads, often dirt ones.

As you can see my adorable Art traveling shoes with their recycled rubber souls, from www.planetshoes.com made it to dog mountain and helped pick out this great door mat that I am taking home with me.

I look forward to more wonderful visits with my new friend Gwen. She’s almost always there, so go meet her and enjoy their legacy at Dog Mountain.