RVing With Dogs

Traveling in an RV is an exciting and popular way to vacation. So this summer my family and I embarked on a whirlwind tour from Austin bound for Yellowstone National Park. The crazy part wasn’t just that we traveled 4,000 miles in 13 days – it was that we traveled with our 3 dogs!

If you’re considering RVing with dogs I humbly offer the following tips based on my experiences! Enjoy the ride. And the read!

A Sensational Sunset In Ridgway State Park Colorado

RVing Isn’t For Everyone. If you’re more the room service, chocolate on the pillow, spacious room kinda person, RVing may not be most suitable for your traveler’s DNA. While I had to adjust on a few fronts, I was rewarded in many other ways. Things like ultimate freedom, big skies, and once-in-a-lifetime memorable moments with the family. If you’ve never been RVing you can get a good idea of the experience by watching the movie “RV” before your departure. The movie is hilarious and would only have been more funny with canine costars. Here’s the trailer:

Rent & Reserve Early. RVing is extremely popular! The RV Industry Association reports that the industry has tripled in size since 2009. With 25 million Americans RVing each year, if you plan to stay at state or national parks you’ll want to make your reservation early. 6 months would be a good starting advance timeframe to ensure you have ample time to “presearch” your itinerary and score the RV and campground you most desire. The Reserve America website was super helpful in securing our campsites, like our home away at Colorado’s Mueller State Park.

Me And The Pups In Mueller State Park Colorado

Flex Your Creativity. When we discovered we couldn’t find available state parks within an hour of Santa Fe and Yellowstone we took a left turn (figuratively speaking). We rented through Airbnb which resulted in a welcomed relief from the RV. Our modern cabin rental had a full-size washer and dryer, shower, satellite TV, and a large kitchen which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Harley, Libby, and Lucca in Bear Lake, Utah

Consider All Costs. RVs can be an affordable way to travel per the RV Industry Association. You’ll want to consider things like the daily rental fee, estimated gas, campground fees, and any extras – our rental levied a mileage fee and an hourly generator cost to run the supplemental AC (luckily we didn’t use the generator once we left Texas).

Right-Size Your Trip. 4,000 miles across 6 states in 13 days isn’t for everyone! In retrospect we should have taken more time to stop and smell the roses. Our friends have been asking “would you take another RV trip again?” I would but I’d opt for a much shorter travel distance like a weekend trip to the Texas Coast, a Round Top rendevoux, an outing into Texas Wine Country, or even colorful Colorado, which is not that far away.

You’ll Want To Stop In Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Travel With Tech. We used our grocery store app to make a convenient/portable list of things to take on the trip. You should be able to score forgotten items or restock ice/water, food, or dog supplies along the way. Our iPad, USB chargers, LED camping lights, and iHome portable speaker ensured we had a few comforts of home on the go.

Don’t Forget The Dogs! Remember to take food, medications, special toys, beds/blankets, bowls, collars and leads. We purchased a 7-gallon water container to ensure the pack was never thirsty.

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

Explore. There’s so much to see and do! Just in Texas alone we were able to enjoy Palo Duro Canyon State Park which is the second largest canyon in the US. Dubbed the “Grand Canyon of Texas” this park treated us to impressive, colorful views of the ruggedness of Texas. Did you know Texas has an official bison herd? Neither did I until we decided to stay at Caprock Canyons State Park. In addition to wild bison, you can enjoy the The Bats Of Clarity Tunnel plus over 90 miles of trails! In Telluride we rode their dog-friendly gondola which treated us to free and unforgettable 365° views of the valley from 10,540 feet above the valley below!

The Dog-Friendly Gondola In Telluride, Colorado Is Tops (Literally)

There was so much to see on our six state adventure! Perhaps the best part of RVing with dogs is the bountiful bond you’ll create. This form of travel will gift you with unique views and experiences that a plane or train simply cannot. Truly “home was where we parked it” and having the dogs with us only made the family vacation complete.

Have questions about RVing with dogs? Reach out to me – I’d love to collaborate!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

Recipe: Birthday Cake For Dogs

Pawsitively Irresistible

There are lots of “those” people out there – Dog lovers who consider their pets a front-and-center part of the family. Such is my pack of three to me!

So when my yellow rescue Lab “Harley” turned 12 I knew what I had to do – make him the best doggy cake ever. And boy, oh boy, he loved this peanut butter and carrot cake!

Foodie Tips:

❤  Know your Dog’s diet and whether or not cake is something that he/she can safely enjoy. When in doubt always check with your Vet. I feed my pets treats like this in moderation vs. an all-you-can-eat scarf-fest.

❤  While ours was a gift from a kind friend you can find the Wilton paw print pan locally at Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and online. You can also skip the paw print pan altogether and use an 8 inch round pan, or just any shape you’d like and freehand the paw print design to the top of the cake.

❤  We found all of our our cake decorations at HEB. We opted to go big or go home so we proudly displayed Harley’s age in candles (12) plus a Happy Birthday banner all surrounded by color-flame candles, which were amazing.

❤  You can use food coloring to make the icing to your chosen cake-paw colors. Sadly we realized we were out of yellow coloring so we couldn’t make brown icing for the paw pads… but then we got the idea to grind-up some of the Dogs’ grain-free treats and sprinkle them to make the paw design. We used a mini-blender to do the grinding after hand-crushing them with a rolling pin proved to be too difficult and messy.

Ingredients:

for the cake
1 Cup  |  Whole Wheat Flour
1 Teaspoon  |  Baking Soda
¼ Cup  |  Natural Peanut Butter (no sweeteners, colors or preservatives)
¼ Cup  |  Vegetable Oil
⅓ Cup  |  Local Honey (we used Round Rock honey)
1 Cup  |  Carrots, Shredded
1  |  Cage Free Egg

for the icing
4 Ounce Package  |  Low Fat Cream Cheese *at room temperature*
1 Tablespoon  |  Honey
Food Coloring  |  To Dye The Icing (optional)

What To Do:

1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your pan. Whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the rest of the cake ingredients and mix until well-combined. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 15 – 30 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Our paw pan only required 15 minutes. Remove the cake from oven and set it aside to cool.

The Dog Cake Before The Birthday Decorations Are Added

2. For the icing: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. In a mixer whip the cream cheese with the honey until fluffy. Decorate the cake and present. Be careful your Dog doesn’t get near lit candles! After blowing out the candles and removing them I cut a couple of small pieces and placed them in his Dog bowl.

This cake will last a couple of days covered in the fridge. Have fun with this recipe!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaulReider.KW.com

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes – there’s more than 50 recipes here on the Home Style Austin blog!

Recipe: Cheesy Carrot Dog Treats

An Easy Pack Pleaser

This is a treat recipe that my Doggies have enjoyed for many birthdays. So this month when my SuperLabby Harley turned 11, we knew exactly what to do!

This “mini muffins” recipe is surprisingly easy to make and we hope your pack digs it as much as ours.

Always check with your Vet about which foods are appropriate for you to share with your pet. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Cup  |  All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup  |  Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoon  |  Baking Powder
1 Cup  |  Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 Cup  |  Carrot, Grated
2  |  Cage Free Eggs
1 Cup  |  Milk
¼ Cup  |  Vegetable Oil

What To Do:

1. Grease a mini muffin tin with baking spray.

2. Combine the two flours and baking powder; mix well.

3. Add the cheese and carrots and mix well with opposable thumbs and the rest of your fingers.

4. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and whisk in the milk and oil. Pour the batter over the dry mixture and stir gently by hand or with a wooden spoon until everything is mingling well.

5. About this time preheat your oven to 350°F. While it’s preheating…

6. …Fill the mini cups to just underneath the top of the pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

7. Cool and serve. You just became your pup’s superhero! Again, and again!

Yields about 24 tail-waggin’ treats. 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Harley’s 11th Birthday Pic ~ He’s Never Looked Happier!

 

 

 

Who Rescued Who?

Meet Harley.

Given the chance, he will play fetch with you long after the setting sun.

He will lick you silly and steal your heart in the blink of a smile.

He loves handing out sucker punches for free and swims just for the heck of it. But don’t let this active boy fool you … he’s pondering his first release, a book on the joys of bedtime snuggling.

For Harley, life is a bountiful one; complete with fabulous food, a well-filled toy box, wrestling matches with his brother “Boomer,” tummy rubs and mastering new ways to continuously impress his 2-legged guardians for tasty treats.

Life for Harley wasn’t always an easy one. He had to fight incredible odds early in life, being under a year old. He lived in a home protected by a 3 foot tall fence which proved no fence at all, for a Lab that enjoys adventure.

Harley had been collected by animal control more times than we know until one day, when his former family decided they couldn’t bail him out of puppy prison anymore. So off he went to the pound. He was there a few days until he was slated to be euthanized.

Across town, a family was mourning the loss of their 14 year old doggie “Springs” who died the week of Thanksgiving, leaving his brother “Boomer” – a 6 month old chocolate Lab – the sole dog of the pack.

Boomer’s life was shaken up hard. He showed signs of depression – being uninterested in food or play… and spending much of the day searching the house and yard for his brother. Boomer never found Springs and after 2 solid weeks of sadness his family knew they had to take action to mend the pack’s broken hearts.

Initially, they thought they were searching for a yellow lab puppy, but after kennel cough prevented a litter of puppies from near-term adoption, they stumbled upon this picture (above) of a strapping young lad with a nose of pink who went by the name of “Sherwin.”

On the finest of days, the family of 3 piled into the car and drove to meet the little guy. After being greeted by an immediate sucker punch at the front door and an hour of effortless lab-tag later, the family knew this pup was the one.

Harley’s foster family shed tears when it came time for him to leave.

Harley had only been with them 2 short weeks after being plucked within hours of the end of his days, yet he still touched their hearts with his sweet, sweet soul.

Surmounting extreme odds, Harley has brought immeasurable joy and unforgettably funny stories to those who know him. He brightens his family’s days beyond expectation and Boomer and Harley remain the best of brothers. Two peas, they say.

To those who have experienced and propel the joys of animal rescue, a million thanks!

And for those who are considering a rescue pup, please save these souls who are fighting for their lives. Give them a second chance to live and share life.

You may just find, as did we, that the lucky soul saved wasn’t the one at the end of their lifeline … it was the one who created a new lifeline, by picking up where others left off.

Oh, what a great feeling that is!

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

PS ~ “Why did you name him Harley,” you ask? His foster Dad rode one. And we could think of no better way to honor this guy.

Want to read more about Harley? Learn about his amazing adventure to Italy with his brother Boomer!

 

Austin’s Dog Friendly Hangouts

You + Them = Best. Time. Ever!

As an avid dog lover, I’m often searching for places where I can hangout with my four-legged friends. I decided to put together this list of homegrown places where we’ve had a tail-waggin’ good time.

I’ll keep this list updated, so you might want to bookmark this page for future fun times!

Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. (ABGB) – One of our most favorite beer gardens. A great place to chill, have some brew and listen to some tunes. Here’s my blog post. And here’s even more info.

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden – You know a place freely welcomes dogs when you find events for the 4-legged … plus “people and pooches” search functionality on their site. Sausage, beer, “manmosas,” a Michelada Bar and more. The car is already loaded and in reverse! Visit Banger’s online.

Blue Corn Harvest Bar & Grill – Located on FM 1431 is this tree-covered patio where you can enjoy Southwestern cuisine under the Texas sky. Visit them online.

Botticelli’s – This popular South Congress Italian restaurant offers live music and tasty Italian food. You’ll enter the dog-friendly beer garden from the rear of the restaurant (shwon above). More info.

Brick House Tavern + Tap – Tucked along Research Boulevard, Brick House has a fully-covered patio which means when it’s raining cats and dogs, you and your doggie dear will be high and dry. More info.

Brushy Creek Regional Trail – One of Austin’s hidden gems is this 7-mile long stretch of paved and gravel trails. Waterfalls, historical markers, dinosaurs and more. You can read more about BCRT at my article here on the Home Style Austin Blog.

Don Mario – Don’t miss our favorite dog-friendly patio on your way to Lakeway. Their carnitas taco plate and five salsas were a pack pleaser. PS ~ Don’t miss the balloon lady – she’s a true artist! Don Mario online.

Flat Creek Wine Estate (Marble Falls) – The closest winery to Avery Ranch … and my favorite! Enjoy a half-hour scenic drive into the Hill Country and when you get there, dogs are welcome on the outside patio. Drink in the wine and the great view! More info.

Hill Country Water Gardens (Cedar Park) – Voted best nursery by water dogs! A large nursery and water garden with great inspiration. More info.

Lowes (Citywide) – Whenever I shop here the employees love on my dog. Harley even scored a dog treat here so he’s always ready to lend a paw with home improvement projects. Lowes knows pets. More info.

Lupe Tortilla (Abor Walk and Cedar Park) – Happy Hour specials, giant tortillas and great margaritas. If you’ve never been here before make sure and ask for the free fajita sampler. A new location is opening up at 183 and FM1431 and they will be dog friendly as well. Sniff here for more info.

Morelia Mexican Grill (Avery Ranch) – Voted best dog-friendly patio in Avery Ranch. Two outdoor televisions will keep you occupied while your pup is at your side. Super-easy entrance from the front parking lot. More Morelia.

P. Terry’s Burger Stand (32nd and N. Lamar) – Their french fries, veggie burger and root beer shake really hit the spot! “Rut Roh” – not every location offers patio dining. More P. Terry’s.

Pet Supplies Plus (183) – Shop ’till they drop at PSP. Great hours and a free Preferred Pet Club you’ll both want to join. We smell savings! More info.

Red Bud Isle Park – This park should be renamed Happy Dog Island. Perhaps Austin’s best off leash dog park that’s an island flanked by the Colorado River. You can read more about Red Bud here at my blog post.

Round Rock Garden Center – A native plant and organic gardening center since 2002. Also a great place to snap a pumpkin patch pic with your four-legged friend. Located in Old Town Round Rock. More info.

Have a favorite dog place of your own? Drop us an email and let us know – we’ll likely add it to our list!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Rosemary Veggie Dog Treats

The Best Dog Treat Recipe!

Their Favorite Dog Treat Recipe

I used to run an eco friendly pet specialty company, so I’m a big fan when it comes time to care for our furry friends. In fact, some of my very best friends have four legs and I consider myself the lucky one to have known some of these loyal, gentle souls.

To make a tasty dish they’ll really love, we make a batch of these homemade dog treats which were my company’s signature treat – I handmade thousands of them! I hope you enjoy these treats from my pack to yours! I can honestly say that my Labs love these treats as much as I love sharing them. They smell wonderful!

Foodie Tips:

❤  Have fun creating these crunchy treats with a variety of cookie cutter shapes! Some of our favorites include a mini Texas, heart, stars, cats, a fire hydrant and of course dog bones. You can also buy seasonal shapes which are perfect for gift-giving (shamrocks, pumpkins, candy canes, etc.). Williams-Sonoma has a great cookie cutter line-up.

❤  You don’t have to slow-cool the cookies overnight if you (or they) are in a hurry … but allow at least a couple of hours for the treats to crisp up.

Ingredients: 

½ Cup  |  Canned Carrots (no salt added)
½ Cup  |  Canned Green Beans (no salt added)
¼ Cup  |  Low Sodium Chicken Broth
¼ Cup  |  Fresh Rosemary, Finely Chopped
1 ½ Cups  |  Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup  |  Rice Flour
½ Cup  |  Wheat Germ
¼ Cup   |  Brewers Yeast
2 Tablespoons  |  Garlic Powder
¼ Cup  |  Olive Oil

Directions: 

0. Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Purée the carrots, beans and chicken broth. We used a Cuisinart Smart Stick (an immersion blender).

2. In a large separate bowl, combine the rosemary, the two flours, wheat germ, yeast and garlic powder. Add the puréed veggies and the olive oil. Mix well by hand. This is a dry mix so don’t give up – work out any frustrations on the dough until it comes together well enough to roll (about 4-5 minutes). Take a moment to enjoy the smell along the way – these treats smell wonderful!

3. Lightly dust a cutting board with a bit of the whole wheat flour. Roll the dough to about ¼” thick. Cut out your doggie treats with their favorite cookie cutter shapes and place them on a cookie sheet lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.

4. Bake for 15 minutes in your preheated oven. Turn off the heat and allow the treats to slow-cool overnight.

Yield: About 9 dozen Doggie treats if using small cookie cutters about 1-2″ in size.

Stores well in an airtight container or bag. 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Red Bud Isle Park

Whether you arrive to Red Bud Isle Park via canoe, car or your own two feet, everyone’s in for a treat in Austin’s great outdoors.

Red Bud Isle Park is about 13 acres in size and is one of Austin’s 12 great off leash dog parks. As a proud parent of two outdoor-loving Labs, I knew I had to take them for a great day in the sun. I scored major points from my dogs and we are already planning our return adventures.

The park features:

• A large off leash play area perfect for fetching toys or the sun’s rays
• Free park entry. Note: the parking lot can sometimes be a bit tricky to score a parking space
• Benches perfect for dog watching, people watching or just some “R and R”
• Wooded trails great for adventuring or picnicking
• Shorelines sporting great views of the Colorado River
• Complimentary dog waste bags

The park is located west of downtown Austin and west of Mopac Expressway near the beautiful neighborhoods of West Lake Hills, Tarrytown and Rollingwood. Here’s a handy map:

Red Bud Isle is a great place to adventure in Austin.

Enjoy the great outdoors . . . and more pictures below!

Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

The Great Walking Path At Red Bud Isle Park

The Dogs Of Red Bud Isle Park

A Happy Bernese Mountain Dog At Red Bud Isle Park

My Water Bound Dogs, Boomer and Harley, At Red Bud Isle Park

The Beautiful Peninsula At Red Bud Isle Park

Austin Beer Guide and The ABGB

Cheers For Beers

Yesterday’s visit with friends to The ABGB connected me with this useful guide.

If you like beer you’ll love the Austin Beer Guide. It’s published quarterly and contains the 411 on local brewers, where to enjoy their craft and includes handy maps for how to get there. There’s even some great editorial sure to wet the literary appetite of any beer advocate.

Best of all you can score this eco-friendly version of the guide right here. Go on, click this link and start reading (click your arrow keys to magically flip the pages). Last one to the pub buys the first pitcher!

The ABGB? We were doubly impressed. We met the owners so you could say we’re ABGB BFFs now. We pinky swear it.

In addition to great brews, the place is perfect for communal gatherings inside and out and has a super dog-friendly space which is a huge score for us as our Labs love people and the great outdoors. And the food? Don’t let the name fool you. ABGB is a place that celebrates food (not just beer) with options sure to delight. The pizza (above) was amazing. Their menu partners include local foodie favorites from Antonelli’s Cheese Shop and Salt & Time Butcher Shop & Salumeria and more.

How can you miss experiencing a place that strives to be “traditional, seasonal, ‘collaborational’, and a little unpredictable?” We enjoyed The Austin Polka Band, square dancing and a dunking/fermenting booth – just a smattering of some of fall revelry at The ABGB.

Enjoy the Austin Beer Guide, The ABGB and Falltime in Austin!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls Dog Treat Recipe

Holy Oatmeal, Batman! *

There isn’t an easier treat to make on the planet than these peanut butter and oat balls.

Best of all, this recipe requires no baking and just three ingredients! No kidding.

Your pup will keep their “eyes on the prize” while you’re making these tail waggers! Give this recipe a test drive and you’ll agree.

Ingredients:

3 cups  |  Rolled Oats
1 cup  |  Sugar-free, Organic Peanut Butter
1/2 cup  |  Milk, Soy Milk, Broth or Water

What To Do:

1. Hand mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the mixture and hand roll.

3. To clean hands, hold opposable thumbs and neighboring fingers in front of your pup’s nose for up to 20 seconds. Then wash hands with soap.

4. Store treats in the fridge or freezer.

5. Serve! Then bow… you just scored some “high fours.”

Yields about 75 treats. A puppy pack pleaser.

Always check with your vet about which foods are appropriate for you to share with your pet. Enjoy!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Love Oatmeal? Then you’ll flip knowing there’s a local Oatmeal Festival close to Austin in Bertram, Texas held each Labor Day Weekend. Why not celebrate all that is Oatmeal by making a visit. Click here for Festival Info.

* Holy Oatmeal, Batman? Watch this video for a “holy smokes” view of action-packed nostagia.

Meet Boomer (left) and Harley (right), Home Style Austin Doggies Extraordinaire. They have their eyes on their oatmeal peanut butter treats at all times!