Spring 2018 THE NEW BARKER 67 www.TheNewBarker.com A Visit to the Hostess City of the South. EVERY TRIP IS AN ADVENTURE for Shantelle Morgan and her dogs.Whether it’s down the street for a cup of coffee at Brew-D-Licious Coffee Shop or across the Florida-Georgia line, the well-behaved dogs and their human make every moment count. It’s more about the journey for Shantelle, not the destina- tion. She enjoys the research and preparation as much as she does the travel. Two years ago, Marcella, her Chihuahua, lost her three-year battle with cancer.“Traveling with her across the country was always a dream,” said Shantelle.“Since her passing, I found the hole in my heart could only be filled by adopting again.Two pups later, I vowed to create a special dogcation every year. So far, our dogs have traveled six states.” This past September, Shantelle visited Savannah, Georgia with her dogs Desmond and Akahana, a Chihuahua and a Pekingese.“It was such a lovely and pet-friendly city,” she told us. She shared some of her journey with The New Barker. IN SHANTELLE’S WORDS. This would be my first visit to Savannah.After searching online for all of the beautiful accommodations the city has to offer, I chose a pet-friendly carriage house in the historic district through Airbnb.com. It was right across the street from a beautiful park. What struck me most about the city were the streets, all lined with gorgeous trees and even bigger homes.The entryway to each home had dramatic stairways leading up to their front doors. From the sidewalk, I admired the breathtaking chandeliers through the windows. One of our favorite pet-friendly dining options, for obvious reasons, is Leopold’s Ice Cream. It has been a Savannah tradition since 1919. I ordered a double scoop for myself and one doggie ice cream for the pups to share. We enjoyed so many wonderful things and people during our Savannah trip, including Bonaventure Cemetery (made famous when it was featured in the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) and TheWaving Girl statue. I would have to say, though, our favorite excursion was driving out of the city to Wormsloe Historic Site, the colonial estate of Noble Jones (1702-1775). It's absolutely magical.The mile and a half straight road is canopied with live oaks that are draped with Spanish moss.We stayed for a couple of hours, watching nature change colors as the sun set.The perfect ending to our trip. Oh, and one more visit to Leopold’s Ice Cream. “Savannah is not like the rest of Georgia. We have a saying. If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, ‘What’s your business?’ In Macon they ask, ‘Where do you go to church?’ In Augusta they ask your grandmother’s maiden name. But in Savannah, the first question people ask you is, ‘What would you like to drink?’” –From Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. Wormsloe Historic Site 7601 Skidaway Road, Savannah, Georgia GaStateParks.org/Wormsloe Note: Dogs are allowed on historic site trails, but not in buildings (with the exception of service dogs). Leopold’s Ice Cream 212 East Broughton Street, Savannah, Georgia LeopoldsIceCream.com Since Amtrak introduced its pet travel program in Illinois in 2013, roughly 66,000 dogs and cats have hopped along by rail, including a record number of pets (5,322) last December. The $25 service is available on 35 routes in the East, West, Midwest and Northeast quadrants of the country, including such popular lines as the Capitol Limited, the California Zephyr, the Cardinal and the Northeast Regional. (Acela Express is weekend-only). Trains on 10 itineraries feature a pet-friendly coach car. Amtrak allows only five to eight animals weighing no more than 20 pounds per trip, so book early and don’t stuff your pet with peanut butter treats before the trip. The voyage can’t exceed seven hours. For more information, visit Amtrack.com/onboard/carry-on-pets U Photograph by Shantelle Morgan