Doggin' Orlando

Have you ever considered how far you walk with your dog? If you walk just 15 minutes a day you will have walked far enough in your dog's lifetime to cross the United States. With all that walking ahead of you, aren't you ready for a new place to take a hike with your dog? Doug Gelbert, author of 26 books on hiking with your dog, has brought his pack to the Orlando area to sniff out the area's best tail-friendly parks and trails for the new book, DOGGIN' ORLANDO: THE 31 BEST PLACES TO HIKE WITH YOUR DOG IN Central Florida. Orlando can be a great place to hike with your dog. Within a short drive your canine adventurer can be climbing ancient dunes that leave him panting, trotting through paw-friendly pine flatlands, exploring heritage cattle ranches or circling lakes for miles and never lose sight of the water. DOGGIN' ORLANDO explores the region's top trails with your best friend in mind...Where can your dog hike down the historic brick Pershing Highway, constructed in 1917? (page 61)Where can your dog see Indian shell middens 2,000 years old? (page 27)Where can your dog hike through largest phosphate deposits in the world?(page 50) No Dogs!Is there any more dispiriting day for a dog owner than driving to a new park and encountering the dreaded "NO DOGS" sign? DOGGIN' ORLANDO tells you the parks that don't welcome dogs. Also packed inside these 90 pages are......tips on getting your dog ready to hike ...tips on outfitting your dog for a hike ...tips on practicing low impact hiking with your dog ...and much moreWhat makes a great place to take your dog hiking? Well, how about a paw-friendly surface to trot on? Grass and sandy soil are a lot more appealing than asphalt and rocks. A variety of hikes is always good - long ones for athletic dogs and short ones for the less adventurous canine. Dogs always enjoy a refreshing place to swim as well. For dog-friendly parks our guides describe the trail options for your dog, evaluate park traffic from other users, tell you whether you will need a guide dog to find your way around and, of course, tell you how to get to the park.While walking the dog around Orlando, author Doug Gelbert also brings along generous helpings of local history, botany, geology, architecture and more. So what are you waiting for? Your dog will want to hike where Queenie, "The World's Only Water-Skiing Elephant" started her performing career (page 53), see the only bird native only to Florida (page 63), hike through 100-year old orange groves (page 57)...