> See more local restaurants near Clearwater/St. Cloud Minnesota
From searches on the Internet to recommendations by new friends at the CACM Agility Trial in St. Cloud, it was clear that a must-go-to restaurant in the area was Nelson Bros’ Restaurant & Bakery in the Clearwater Travel Plaza. The complex includes a sit-down restaurant, pub, bakery, food court, and gift shop that all operate separately.
> See more pictures and details about CACM training and trial grounds
The Canine Agility of Central Minnesota club (CACM) surprised me at their outdoor agility trial held at 6305 Glenn Carlson Dr., St. Cloud, MN.on June 17-18, 2017. Expecting to find temporary fencing, typical equipment, and a bumpy running surface, this trial provided quite the opposite.
More dog friendly campgrounds near Pekin IL
Along the banks of the Illinois River at 3703 N. Main Street (access road #7) in East Peoria is the Fondulac Park District-managed Carl Spindler Marina and Campground. The campground offers 52 paved sites with 50-amp electric and varying combinations of water or sewer hookups. They also offer 26 primitive sites with electricity, and 3 cabin rentals.
More details on parks, trails and off leash areas in Pekin IL
There are dog parks, and then there are better dog parks. Happy Tails Dog Park at 1701 Court St. in Pekin IL, a few miles from a recent dog agility trial at Avanti’s Dome, is one of the better ones. It is spacious, grassy, has fresh water stations throughout, and contains several growing shade trees in both the small and large dog areas. My dogs loved running in this park, despite the very hot day.
More local restaurants near Pekin, IL
Mexican food is by far one of my favorites, so when I find a great restaurant, people know about it. Hacienda Fuentes at 2912 Court St. in Pekin Illinois is one of those new faves.
More dog friendly lodging near Pekin IL
A stone’s throw from a dog agility trials held at Avanti’s Dome in Pekin IL is economical lodging for handlers and their dogs: EconoLodge.
I didn’t stay there during the latest trial as I had my own RV, but did stay Sunday night following the trial. Since the hotel was booked full during the trial but not on Sunday, your experience may have been different if you stayed during that busy time, and I encourage you to comment on your stay!
More details on dog agility trials at Avanti’s Dome
There were no cramped quarters to be found at the POTC’s (Peoria Obedience Training Club’s) Agility trial held at Avanti’s Dome in Pekin, Illinois on June 9-11, 2017. The 75,000-square-foot inflatable dome, a 7,100-square-foot reception building, and four outdoor softball/baseball diamonds reside on a 33-acre plot.
About a mile from TNT in Midland, MI is an authentic Mexican restaurant called Elvira’s. The casual passer by might dismiss the place when driving along 829 E. Saginaw Road: the building looks small, with a dirt parking area. The road sign and building trim are both in need of a paint refresh. But looks are deceiving when it comes to what Elvira’s has to offer.
Not far from TNT in Midland is a local favorite eatery called Sanford Lake Bar & Grill. The food is a few notches up from traditional bar food as they offer dinners complete with baked potato and salad bar.
The night before the April, 2017 agility trial at TNT, I was joined for dinner with agility peeps Jackie Fleming, her husband (and trial photographer) Rick Fleming, and Nancy Brissette. Some popular favorites here are the prime rib and lobster bisque, although we all opted for other dinners or pizza. Several of us visited the salad bar, which had traditional salad toppings, as well as side salads and a few desserts. Everything was tasty, service was excellent, and the environment surprisingly quiet enough to enjoy good conversation despite the crowd.
TNT Dog Center in Midland, MI is my all-time favorite place to trial, although I have not visited every agility location yet so I’ll keep you posted. There’s magic in the air at that place. TNT’s owner, Lisa Lundahl, had the building specifically built for agility trials, along with spaces for both agility and obedience classes. Later, she added another building in back of the agility building for dock diving and canine water therapy. Although Midland Michigan Kennel club put on this trial, their isn’t much of a difference between other clubs sponsoring trials here, since the same staff usually run the trials. Same staff means familiarity, better organization, and continual improvement.