A Life Worth Binge Watching

S2 E15 Dog Days of Summer

I recently took a trip to Georgia with my family and although downtown Atlanta is not my favorite destination, we did stumble upon a few gems one evening.  We ventured into the Little 5 Points area, and found a great place on Highland Avenue called Bar Taco.  They had some of the best “street tacos” and the margaritas were definitely superb.  After dinner, we decided to take the scenic route home.  I was a bit low on gas and the girls thought it would be funny to fool my mom into thinking we ran out of gas in this unlit, creepy section of town.  As we rounded a corner, I took my foot off the gas a few times to mimic the sputtering of an empty tank.  I looked at my mom with a frantic look on my face and suddenly, I felt like a kid again.  “MELODYE”, she screamed.  “I can’t believe you ran out of gas!”  I looked back at my daughter and her friend, Jenilyn and we all started laughing.  As my mom got even more upset, I put my foot back on the gas pedal and laughed as I told her I was kidding.  I thought she was going to send me to my room and ground me for a week!  I guess you never get too old to be scolded by your mom! 

We continued to drive down the street and happened upon the coolest place.  We could see a large, lit up, grassy area about the size of a football field in the distance.  As we drove closer, we saw people sitting and dogs running all over the place.  Being dog lovers, we had to check it out.  We pulled up and realized it was a dog park.  But not just any dog park.  A dog park with a bar.  How could it get better than that?  This was quite a serendipitous change of plans!

We walked around to the entrance and were greeted by dogs of every size, color and breed.  They were chasing tennis balls and frolicking in the wide open space while their owners sat on chairs and at  tables enjoying drinks from the Bar(k).  It was extremely clean and I could tell that both the owners and dogs were having the best time.  I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the night than playing with a bunch of happy pups!  

When we returned home, I found out that Flagler Beach has its own version of the Fetch Dog Park.  It’s on A1A and it’s called The Good Times Dog Bar.  Who knew?  Of course I had to check it out.  My daughter and I decided to take our dog Bella for a visit there last Sunday.  It’s just past the Beverly Beach border and quite a large facility.  You have to first register your dog online, provide proof of vaccinations and dogs also have to be spayed or neutered.  It’s a very easy process.  When you arrive, they look you up on the computer and start you a tab. 

How awesome is that? 

There is a bar right as you enter and they will bring your drink order out to you inside the park.  When your dog enters the park, you take them off their leash and off they go!  Bella was met by a crowd of eager fur friends, ready to play.  What I liked was they had separate areas for small dogs and big dogs so the pets were not overwhelmed. 

Bella tends to be a bit on the shy side around other dogs so she was a little timid at first, like a new kindergartener going to school for the first time.  After a few minutes, she was running around making friends and exploring the fun park.  There was a cool doggy jungle gym that they could climb and a shallow pool.  Bella usually hates the water, so I was astonished to see her wading in the pool.  She climbed up on the gym and ran with the other dogs until she had to take a rest! 

Meanwhile, we sipped on tasty frozen margaritas and chatted with the other dog owners.  The patrons are very respectful and clean up after their dogs and the staff is right there to wash away any remnants left behind.  

I highly suggest you visit these establishments.  Fetch Dog Park is downtown Atlanta if you ever travel there with your furry family member.  Good Times Dog Bar in Flagler is open Wed-Sun from 11-8.  It’s a great way to spend time with your best buddy while enjoying a cold beverage with friends.  We will definitely go back soon.  

Melodye Lewis is a Friday columnist for Flagler News Weekly, inspiring women everywhere to follow their dreams of adventure.

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