July 4th get-away FROM philly-- with dogs. Any suggestions?

For a change this year, I%26#39;d like to enjoy the 4th in a different place outside Philly, but not too far away (2-3 hrs max). However, I%26#39;m planning this trip with another friend and our 2 dogs-- 65 %26amp; 85 lbs.

We%26#39;ve done day trips with the dogs before and even an over-nighter. They%26#39;re well behaved, but it%26#39;s a challenge-- lodgings, meals, activities, potty breaks, etc. I know we can%26#39;t do everything everywhere, but I%26#39;m open for any suggestions-- esp. from dog lovers.

btw: I%26#39;m also checking a few dog-friendly websites, too, but I really like tripadvisor feedbacks.

July 4th get-away FROM philly-- with dogs. Any suggestions?

A couple of thoughts:

Gettysburg area, Hershey area, Lancaster.. I know Hershey has a fireworks show usually sometime around then, there must be at least one pet-friendly hotel or B+B in those areas.

July 4th get-away FROM philly-- with dogs. Any suggestions?

I have done a fair amount of travel with a large (85 pounds and tall), but well-mannered female chocolate Lab. Some hotels want large deposits and others charge hefty fees for dogs, but a surprisingly number of Holiday Inns permit dogs in the rooms without charge (which is good, because my Lab didn%26#39;t have her own credit card or income).

Recently stumbled across www.petswelcome.com, a useful website that lists hotel chains that generally are pet-friendly. One caveat: hotels in specific locations are operated by individual franchise owners and may deviate from chain policy, so it is important to verify if they accept pets and under which conditions.

The Delaware beaches are a possibility. The is a thread on the Delawre forum about this now...Read dogmom';s post.

I took my 50lb dog to the Eastern Shore of Maryland a few years ago, stayed in Easton, walked her around there and St. Michael%26#39;s, drove down to Tilghman. Beautiful landscape, old towns. Very Colonial, reminded me of Society Hill.

We stayed at a Comfort Inn on the highway. It was nice, clean, has a scrub woods out back where a dog can %26#39;unwind%26#39; a bit without being next to the traffic, and is close to all the usual fast food places (handy, since one drawback of travelling with dogs is having to do takeout) One place I walked by in Easton%26#39;s downtown was the Tidewater Inn; website says pet-friendly.

http://www.comfortinneaston.com/index.htm

www.tidewaterinn.com/amenities_and_services/

Easton%26#39;s holiday celebration:

eastonmainstreet.com/event_independence_day.…

They seem to have fireworks, which some dogs don%26#39;t endure well.

I don%26#39;t have dogs myself, but know that many dog lovers enjoy going camping with their dogs. Most campsites have sections that allow pets.