I’m Luke, Lucy’s dad. We absolutely love taking Lucy on holiday with us, she loves to investigate new places to stay, new pubs and restaurants and DogFuriendly stores and attractions. Since we adopted Lucy in September 2017 we have embraced the UK staycation and are constantly looking new dog friendly hotels, b&b and cottages to stay in. As we live in Manchester, we’re used to a bit of rain so we don’t mind a trip to Wales, Yorkshire or the Lake District.
Where we stayed in Anglesey
We traveled to Anglesey in May to celebrate my boyfriends 35 (shhh) birthday. We stayed at the White Beach Holidays Cottage, located in Llangoed, just north of Beaumaris. We stayed here in September 2017 for my birthday and couldn’t wait to go back.
We choose this cottage as has enough room for the three of us, plus any additional quests that want to visit (as long as they bring gifts for the birthday boy and Lucy). The self-catering Cottage has a hot tub (i was serving up Ariel realness every day), a four-poster bed with an en suite (which was luxurious) and most importantly it has a secure garden at the rear, and once the front gates are closed, it is secure at the front of the Cottage too. Lucy is asleep 98% of the time, 1% of her time she’s eating and the other 1% she’s running around like she’s never left the house before. We love the security of the secure garden and it helps us relax knowing that we don’t have to worry about Lucy escaping.
Our Favourite Coffee Shop
Once we unpacked our bags (one each for the humans and what felt like 6 for Lucy), apparently Lucy can’t go anywhere without three coats, pj’s, two blankets, her duvet, a selection of treats (pigs ears, dentastix and cod bites), and of course her regular raw meat and grain-free biscuits. We visited our favourite Dog Furiendly place in Beaumaris, Jolly’s coffee house and patisserie. They have a huge selection of hot and cold drinks (the milkshakes are amazing) they have also have a huge display of cakes including gluten-free and vegan options. I had their gluten-free chocolate fudge cake, the slice was huge and delicious. We visited Jolly’s every day bar one and took our visitors there too. Lucy was given a water bowl and lots of ear scratches. If you can get a seat at the back, you can see the sea and pier from the window.
Spot of Shopping
We visited the Janet Bell store on Church Street in Beaumaris on day two. We stumbled upon the beautiful store as we were wondering around Beaumaris and noticed the handwritten Dog Furiendly message on the door so Lucy went to investigate. The inside of the store has a scandi feel and style and it smelt amazing. There was water bowl at the entrance for Lucy to help herself to a drink – luckily she didn’t spray or drip it everywhere like usual. Janet Bell sells a variety of home and beauty items, including books, vases and candles, they also have a selection of towels, blankets and soaps. We treated ourselves to new books (the Skincare Bible for Richard and for me the Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k – it’s life changing – buy it immediately). The staff in there are lovely and gave Lucy attention which she lapped up.
Dog Friendly Restaurant
To celebrate Richards birthday we booked a Dog Furiendly table at Dylan’s Restaurant. This restaurant is perfectly located at the Menai Bridge with a view over the sea with the Telford bridge as a backdrop. Dogs are allowed in the bar area, which is where our table was located. As the sun was shining, the doors at the back were open, making the place very bright and welcoming for all of us. Lucy was given a water bowl (which she made a right mess of drinking), treats from the staff and some cheeky head pats and strokes. The restaurant is famous for its seafood and the food lived up to the reviews – everything we had was perfect plus the wine was great too!
Lucy the Beach Babe
Once our guests had left on Thursday morning, we headed straight for the beach. There is nothing better than watching Lucy’s pointy face light up when she first feels the sand on her paws and the sea breeze on her fur. The weather was perfect – the sun was shining and we even had shorts on! We visited Benllech beach, a short drive from Beaumaris (only 20 minutes). It was on our list to visit last time but we spent too much time eating cake at Jolly’s.
There is a large sign on the promenade showing which parts are Dog Furiendly and which bits aren’t. I was quite surprised by how small the non Dog Furiendly beach area was and how much space there was our four-legged friends. The beach was very clean and there were lots of dogs living their best lives running alongside the shore line. Lucy was like we’d imagine she was like a puppy, jumping and skipping around in the sea with a huge smile on her face. We walked along the beach and stopped at the Tavern on the Bay for a refreshing lemonade for us, water for Lucy and cheeky sunbathe while our feet and paws dried off.
We will be visiting Anglesey again as we absolutely love it there and highlights included Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey Arms and Pier House. We have the Plas Newydd National Trust house and gardens and Holyhead on the list to visit next time.
Follow Luke and Lucy’s adventures via Instagram @lucyinvestigates
