Arizona | Kentucky | New Mexico | Virginia

Arizona

Kitt Peak National Observatory

Pima Air & Space Museum

The museum proudly advertises its pet-friendly status and – having spent much of a day wandering its hangers and grounds with “The Boy” – I can attest to the fact that this is an ideal place to take one’s two- and four-legged kids while in Tucson. The collection of almost 300 aircraft and spacecraft from around the globe includes many rare and one-of-a-kind craft, among them a B-29 Superfortress, the SR-71 Blackbird, and a rare World War II German V-1 “buzz bomb.” The museum maintains its own aircraft restoration center, known as the “Boneyard” and located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base nearby. Although dogs are not permitted on the bus tour of the Boneyard, the museum’s greeter told my People that someone would gladly keep me company if they wanted to take the tour. Check out my Road Trips page for more about what I saw and learned at the Pima Air & Space Museum.

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Kentucky

Dinosaur World

Talk about a Jurassic park. With more than 150 life-size dinosaur models creeping about and cavorting among the lush setting, a posted “Friendly pets on leashes are always welcome!” policy, and a picnic area that you can even have local pizza delivered to, Dinosaur World is a dog and kid´s dream come true. At the authentic fossil dig, kids can play paleontologist. A museum displays everything from dinosaur eggs to raptor claws, and the gift shop sells plenty of educational toys and books for your budding scientists to continue their adventures at home. The child-size triceratops hat will even fit a smaller dog, but don´t ask how I know that. Dinosaur World Kentucky is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. The company also has a Florida location about an hour from Orlando and a brand-new park in Texas about an hour from Dallas/Fort Worth – both dog-friendly.

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New Mexico

International UFO Museum and Research Center

Friendly, knowledgeable docents at this oasis in the middle of the New Mexico desert answer questions for visitors trying to make up their own minds about the “Roswell Incident.” No conspiracy theorist myself, I was rushing through the museum with my Editor in search of photo ops when the well-balanced exhibits caught my attention, and I stopped for a closer look. Like me, kids will enjoy posing with the alien models and examining the crop circles display, before visiting the world´s only alien-themed McDonald´s up the street. Need a few gifts to take home? You´ll have no problem finding something for your quirkier friends in the gift shop. (Alien salt-and-pepper shakers, anyone?) In fact, the staff members there were so taken with yours truly that they presented me with a plush green alien doll before we left.

White Sands National Monument

Southern New Mexico is home to another dog-friendly attraction whose desolate and mysterious beauty is in keeping with the otherworldly atmosphere at Roswell. White Sands National Monument is almost 300 square miles of glistening sand dunes that tower as high as buildings. Check back this summer for my first-hand report on the park. Planning a trip before then? Make sure you visit the safety sections of the website listed here for information on dune dangers, drinking water requirements, and so forth.

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Virginia

Arlington National Cemetery

As at the UFO museum in Roswell, New Mexico, my People decided to ask about the cemetery´s pet policy on an impulse, when passing through the D.C. area. While not advertised, well-behaved dogs on leashes are allowed inside the grounds. With only an hour to go until closing, we made our way to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and to the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial. If traveling with children, consider having them plan your visit at the cemetery website. In addition to detailed listings of the numerous memorials, the site groups individuals by various categories: explorers, literary figures, and so forth.

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