There are two compelling reasons to visit Savannah in the next few weeks – the first is the Dog Days of Summer event on August 7th & 8th at River Street, including an outdoor movie and a photo op for humans wearing the cone of shame! The second is BaconFest on September 4th & 5th. Really, BaconFest. Need we say more?

Our top side-trip recommendation (just 10 minutes from the center of Savannah) is the ‘hauntingly beautiful’ dog-friendly Bonaventure Cemetery – 100 acres of Southern Gothic sprawl, dripping with Spanish Moss and immortalised on the cover of John Berendt’s bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil.

“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?” But in Savannah the first question people ask you is “What would you like to drink?”

The Bird Girl statue has since been relocated to a museum but Bodie seemed particularly mesmerized by this lady…

It was a weekday morning when we visited and there wasn’t another soul around. Or perhaps we were surrounded by them. The Bonaventure Historical Society describes how death became more romanticized and ritualized in the Victorian era and cemeteries became lush, ornate ‘cities of the dead’. It’s heart-shimmeringly beautiful here – the stillness and the sighs on the breeze, the peace, the pondering, the intriguing inscriptions. Even Bodie seemed wistful…

Here he contemplates The Grace of Life…

And then says a little prayer…

We’d reached the water’s edge now – a scenic bluff on the Wilmington River. Just trees and fields as far the eye can see. A serene final resting place.

I would have have happily spent the rest of the day here exploring, maybe even having a brush with the ghostly pack of hounds said to haunt the walkways, but it was time for us to head back to our life on the road…

CEMETERY ADDRESS: 330 Bonaventure Rd, Thunderbolt, GA 31404

BONAVENTURE CEMETERY WEBSITE: For opening times, tours, maps etc

MINI DOG-FRIENDLY GUIDE TO SAVANNAH

WHERE TO EAT: Paula Deen’s infamous Southern eaterie The Lady & Sons. The cravings began as soon as I heard mention of Crispy Fried Chicken and Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. There may be lines out the front but you and your pup can stroll around to the takeaway door at the back. A nice man watched Bodie as I went inside and shuffled down the $16 lunch buffet loading up with collard greens, macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes and peach cobbler, then we crossed over to the park and picnicked beneath a shady tree. Bodie’s jaws have never chomped so eagerly at a morsel of chicken. Stomach-groaningly delicious!

WHERE TO STAY: Probably not The Thunderbird Inn – we were on a budget and my love of all things retro/kitsch got the better of me (not to mention the prospect of a MoonPie and can of RC Cola on your bedside table). The lobby is cute and in return for the $50 pet fee your pup gets a pet tag that says Thunderbird Inn Loves Me! but it’s totally at odds with the olde worlde Southern charm you come to Savannah for. Speaking of which, The Hamilton Turner Inn on Lafayette Square looks particularly gorgeous – if your pup is under 25lbs. How I wish Bodie had adjustable size settings. I wouldn’t mind that for myself, actually.

DOG-FRIENDLY CITY TOUR & DOG BISCUIT CLUB: Oliver Bentley’s (Purveyor of Premium Dog Products) is more than just a swanky dog boutique selling soy deodorizing candles and botanical dog soap. Their dog biscuits are hand-baked in small batches and designed for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Bodie tried their original Honey & Ginger recipe, impressed that each artisan biscuit is stamped with a replica pawprint of namesake Oliver B – a particularly fine-looking Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. If you join their Biscuit Club you receive a monthly batch of biscuits and a posh glass biscuit jar featuring the Oliver Bentley coat of arms!

They also offer Oliver Bentleys Historic Dog Walk Tour, just $20 for you and your dog, taking in many of the city’s 22 signature squares. Bodie is pictured here in Chippewa Square looking suitably stoic/heroic in front of the statue of one General James Oglethorpe, founder of the colony of Georgia. The general gets upstaged on a regular basis by Forrest Gump – this is where Tom Hanks’ character sat waiting for the bus with his box of chocolates! The bench used for filming now resides in the Savannah History Museum and the spot (on the north side of the square facing Bull Street) is now a garden. Tours run for 90 minutes from 4.30pm Tuesday-Saturday.

ANOTHER SNACK OPTION: We humans like to eat native cuisine when visiting a new locale, so why not your pup? Look Who’s Happy dog treats are made in Georgia and come in such tempting flavors as Chicken with Blueberry and Venison Jerky. Available at TailsSpin and the Woof Gang Bakery in Savannah.