Shenandoah Dog Friendly Rentals

19/12/2024

When you stay at Gracie's Place you can experience all the small town magic in Woodstock and the adorable towns just up (and down) Route 11. To learn more or book your stay, visit BringDogs.com.

09/12/2024

I'm sure if you've rented either of our properties, you know I'm seriously into dog rescue. And maybe you know I cofounded a nonprofit Who Will Let the Dogs Out? As part of that work, I have a new book coming out that we are hoping to give out to shelters/rescues for free. It shares the solutions and ideas we've seen work in our over 150 visits to shelters and rescues. It also invites everyone to get involved and to create a new paradigm of what animal sheltering can and should be. You can learn more and support our campaign here:
https://igg.me/at/wwldo/x/38162640 #/

05/12/2024

Created by recent guest, Caitlin of Dogwalkingdiaries on Tik Tok

04/12/2024

Who is up for a First-Day Hike (and a cool sticker). Chateau Frankie is less than three miles from the Shenandoah River State Park and Gracie's Place is super close to Seven Bends State Park. Learn more and book your stay at: www.bringdogs.com

One more month of 2024, means First Day Hikes are just around the corner! 🗓️ Check out our 2025 sticker that you can earn (while supplies last) by spending the first day of the year outdoors on a hike at a Virginia state park. 🥾

04/12/2024

How'd you like to get a stay at Gracie's Place AND support a great cause? A two night stay at Gracie's Place is just one of the awesome items you can bid on in the Tails of Hope online auction. I hope you'll check it out!

Did You Bid Today?

Auction Website: https://www.32auctions.com/HolidayAuction2024ToH

This evening marks the halfway point in our auction, and we're pretty far off from halfway goal-wise. If you've already bid, thank you! and if you haven't bid, please check out our awesome items. You can score so many great items for a steal (bidding for all items starts at 25% or lower of the market value--that's a 75% savings!)

We need your help to reach our goal--don't wait and miss out on the perfect item! We really need this $15,000 in order to continue supporting our spay and neuter programs. Please bid, share, and bid some more!

And please check out our AMAZING Auction Item Donors: https://www.tails-of-hope.org/holiday-online-auction-2024

01/12/2024

A few nice reviews left in the guest book at Gracie’s Place this fall. While Chateau Frankie is not always accessible in the winter, Woodstock does a good job of plowing out, so (knock on wood), weather has never been an issue for our renters. Learn more and book your stay:
Www.BringDogs.com

25/11/2024

Some new pics of Chateau Frankie to be used in updating the website. (We have our webmaster home for the holiday, so I'm putting him to work.)

21/11/2024

How about this handsome guy recently visiting Chateau Frankie?!
Looking for a winter getaway -- hope you'll bring your pack to our little slice of heaven. The only caveat is that Chateau Frankie has a long, gravel drive that takes you up to our six secluded acres, which is great for peaceful privacy but not great for snow plowing. Our policy is to refund or reschedule (your choice) should snow or ice hit us. Last year, there were only two weeks all winter when the cabin was unreachable, so it's a reasonable gamble!

If you're not a gambler, you can always opt for Gracie's Place which is in downtown Woodstock.

Check out availability at BringDogs.com

18/11/2024

Finally caught a bear on the bear-cam at Chateau Frankie. We used to see bears regularly (or renters did) but recently we haven't seen many. Not sure if it was the dry summer or what, but likely it's the ever-present canine guests that cause them to detour around us.

This bear is a big one and not the 'usual bear' (an elderly mama with a white face, usually accompanied by cubs). There were renters at the cabin when this picture was snapped, but I guess they slept through the visit.

If you're worried about bears, winter is a great time to visit Chateau Frankie. This bear and all the others are likely sleeping by now. Book your stay at BringDogs.com.

16/11/2024

For those of you staying at Gracie's Place in December - don't miss the holiday lights! We've still got availability there and some at Chateau Frankie. www.bringdogs.com

10/11/2024

Most of you know that Nick has done the renovations on both of our properties. Now that he has nothing else to do (ha), he's started his own business solving problems creatively for homeowners in the Shenandoah Valley. I thought those of you who have appreciated some of his work (doghouse under the stairs, steampunk light fixtures, both kitchens, the slide off the deck, built in bookshelves, built in bedstands, and a dozen other cool things might like to see the work in progress. Just pop over to his website and click on the buttons near the bottom - especially the 'whimsical' to see some of it in action.
www.shenandoahcreativesolutions.com

10/11/2024

Who doesn't LOVE fondue? North Mountain winery is less than ten minutes from Gracie's Place and we've still got availability for the weekend of Fabulous Fonue. Might be the perfect getaway you (and your dogs) need right now! book your stay at www.bringdogs.com

North Mountain Vineyard & Winery

08/11/2024

Does your dog know how to use a dog door? Bring them to Gracie's Place and teach them! I love the pictures renters share of their dogs figuring out the door. To book your stay and see availability, visit www.BringDogs.com (and click on the picture Gracie's Place). Woodstock is lovely at the holidays (and so are all the area wineries!).

05/11/2024

Every year, many trees change their leaf color from green to gold, crimson, amber, and even jewel-toned purple. For those who live in areas that don’t experience a major color shift or live on treeless plains, deserts, or deserted islands, (is that a cactus?) we see you. We be-leaf in you. But let’s talk leaves.

Why do some leaves fall off?

It’s because they’ve had enough of the tree’s drama. We said it. They’ve been putting up with all the photosynthesis and chlorophyll shenanigans for months, and frankly, they’re over it.

Sorry, checking notes. The supervisor is requesting a sidebar.

And we’re back.

Broadleaf trees are responsible for the colorful annual display that defines autumn. For most of the year, a bright green chemical called chlorophyll supports photosynthesis in leaves. When the days grow shorter, chlorophyll dies off and other chemicals become the main source of color. At the same time, the tree starts to grow a layer of scar tissue at the bottom of each leaf’s stem. Over time, the connection between the leaf and the tree weakens enough that the wind or gravity pulls the leaf down.

Why do some leaves stick around?

Conifer trees are like that coworker that never takes a sick day. While other trees are dropping leaves left and right, these evergreens soldier on, year after year. They show up to work, never complain (outwardly), and always look green and fresh. But seriously, let's focus on the trees. (The supervisor is right behind us.) The tree's needles, compared to broadleaf greenery, lose less water to the air. Most precipitation often comes in the form of snow during the winter, which needs to melt and turn into water before the tree can use it. That means trees are waiting all winter for a drink of water! While conifer needles can do a little photosynthesis on warm days in the winter, the main reason that they keep their needles is to save energy. Just like you might reuse water bottles to save money, conifers reuse their needles for several years before replacing them with new ones. That means they can’t just throw away their needles during the winter.

We hope this has been helpful, enlightening...well, we hope it's been something.

Image: Trees with striking golden leaves along Skyline Drive at Shenandoah National Park last fall. NPS/ Peter Forister

01/11/2024

Shenandoah Dog Friendly Rentals is a mouthful. We know that, but when we started this adventure in 2019, we chose that site name because it had all the important info. To make things easier, we've added another website address that will take you to the same destination! Now you can enter - BringDogs.com and you'll end up in the same place! Very cool, right? (especially since I did all of this without any assistance from anyone other than google) Try it right now! Enter: www.BringDogs.com and see what happens!

29/10/2024

These might be my favorite photos shared from one of our guests at Gracie's Place! The dog door pictures make me smile every time, and it's great to see pups enjoying the sandbox. We just bought a new herding ball for dogs to play with out there and I'm continuing to nag Nick about building a dog house/A-frame, so hopefully that will appear in 2025.
If you're looking for a getaway, consider Gracie's Place. We've got lots of openings this month and next. Woodstock definitely goes all out for the holidays. (the Christmas tree lighting and parade is Friday December 6)

visit: ShenandoahDogFriendlyRentals.com (and click on Gracie's Place to see availability)

17/10/2024

We have a special guest staying at Gracie's Place this week....(it's her second visit). This Gracie is a therapy dog and her human is a rescue hero. Pretty honored to have them here!

16/10/2024

The Zoo is one more fun thing to do when you stay at Chateau Frankie, so note the winter hours.

We've got plenty of availability at Chateau Frankie beginning in December. While winter is a quiet time in Bentonville, there is still plenty of excellent hiking, plus fun things like the caverns, shops, breweries, restaurants (and the zoo) in Luray and Front Royal. And of course, there are the wineries.