Spring is on the way and Yosemite and Mariposa County are ready for you. The National Park Service is working to increase access to the park on a phased approach. Reservations are not currently required to drive into Yosemite and some services and facilities are limited. Spring is the perfect time to visit with your pups as temperatures are on the rise, the snowpack melts, waterfalls rush and wildflowers start to bloom. Yosemite is the most dog-friendly of all National Parks, providing those in easy driving distance with a place to feel elated, inspired and energized. Check out the park with a virtual tour.

Three year old Major is the White House's first shelter dog! He is a rags-to-riches story that showcases the potential of shelter dogs when they're given a chance through adoption. Major joins Champ, a 12-year-old German Shepherd, making it the first time since the administration of John Kennedy that both first dogs were German Shepherds. The Bidens first fostered Major, who was at the Delaware Humane Association, in late 2018, and it was love at first tug. Three days before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the DHA held an "indoguration" for Major. More than 7,400 people attended via Zoom and it featured a performance by Josh Groban. The event raised $200,000 in donations for the association.

Not many of us think of heading north to Redding and the eight-county Shasta Cascade region in winter; it’s known to be a spring-summer-fall destination for the most part. But now, as the COVID crisis continues, is a great time for you and your dog to enjoy gorgeous landscapes in uncrowded conditions. Snow? Every once in awhile in the city, but white stuff can be found in every direction but south (and south is for the birds, anyway)!

Whew, 2020 is over and as we look to jump ahead to 2021, there are some silver linings from 2020 that we can remember and treasure. If you are like most of us, you were able to spend more time with your dogs than ever before. And the great thing was that whether we were sheltering in place or carefully venturing out, the great outdoors was for the most part not off limits. The DogTrekker team worked like dogs over the past nine months to bring you color-coded updates, park-by-park openings and restrictions, and close-by hikes and beaches where you and your best buddies could walk, run and splash. Our rescue/adoption team also provided suggestions of worthwhile shelters and other animal welfare organizations that you could support throughout our great state. All of us at DogTrekker wish you and yours, two and four-legged, the very best in the new year. We will be here to lead the way to new and exciting on the road and on the path experiences for you and your pups as California begins to carefully reopen. Happy New Year!

The City of Benicia has long been a DogTrekker favorite for daytrips and the occasional overnight stay. This hidden gem of the San Francisco Bay Area, Benicia has it all: a quaint, historic downtown, wonderful "retail therapy" shopping and lots of dog-friendly fun. The City has now launched Shop Benicia, an eGift Card program designed to reward people for supporting small local retailers in Benicia while providing the public with a safe and convenient holiday shopping experience. The gift cards can be redeemed at any participating business in the city. Cards can be purchased online, used personally  or sent to loved ones as gifts via email or text messages. In addition, the City has donated $10,000 of free bonus gift cards for gift cards purchased from Shop Benicia. Purchased cards never expire, City bonus cards expire February 28, 2021.