Photo courtesy of Sam Hjelle.

They don’t call them the dog days of summer for nothing, so before you hit the road for a chilly three-day weekend up north or you pack the cooler and head west for the ocean, check out BringFido.com and see what kind of dog-friendly itinerary these destinations can accommodate.

BringFido.com is worldwide database of dog-friendly hotels, beaches, trails, restaurants and more in almost any city. Not to mention veterinary services and discussion forums.

After your trip be sure to share your dog-friendly experience upon your return so other travelers and their canine companions can enjoy the same attractions and adventures in the future.

Local dog parks provide our four-legged friends with much-needed exercise, so if you are staying in town this summer be sure to visit a dog park in Chandler, Scottsdale, Phoenix or Cosmo Dog Park in Gilbert in the mornings or evenings to avoid peak temperatures. Happy tails trails.

We love our wine. We love to travel. And this past summer, we fell in love with the beautiful, quaint wine country town of Healdsburg, California.

That’s why we have to invite you jet-setting, Pinot Noir lovers to head for the Healdsburg next weekend for the 8th Annual “Pinot On the River” event on Sunday, October 23rd. Over 80 wineries with their limited-production West Coast Pinot Noirs plus local artisan cheesemakers will take over the Healdsburg Plaza Town Square for an all-day tasting party. For a list of wineries, click here. VIP tickets are $85 and general admission is $75 and can be purchased here. 

Can’t make the Pinot fest date, mark your calendars and book your flight (may we suggest to Sacramento and road-trip it from there) for the “Heart of Healdsburg“ Celebration, November 11-13. Local wino’s will be honoring the beautiful downtown Hotel Healdsburg and Dry Creek Kitchen’s 10-year anniversary, with a cocktail reception followed by a gala dinner by chefs Charlie Palmer and Dustin Valette of Dry Creek Kitchen. The cocktail reception kicks-off Friday, November 11 at 5:00 p.m and tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased here. The gala dinner follows at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $180 per person and reservations can be made by calling 800-889-7199. »READ MORE

While there are plenty of spots here in the Valley to get your haunted highs, here are some scary spots around the Southwest worthy of a Halloween road trip.

The Trilogy of Terror
Three of the biggest haunted houses in Vegas join forces this year at the same location. Castle Vampyre, Circus of Horrors and Gates Of Hell, the first-ever R-rated haunted house in Vegas, make for a one-stop shop of fear. Tickets are $12 for each, $27 for all three or $32 for the sadists wanting an all-night pass.

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Has the reality of work and school kicked in? Ready for a weekend of carefree, summer-like fun?

Well, then pack up your beach bag and head to Lake Powell for the Powellapalooza Beach Party, September 22-25.

Sportin’ a little bit of Lollapalooza, with a little bit of Coachella, Powellapalooza is a good-old-fashioned music-n-more festival, with a lakeside twist. So come kick it at the “beach” while listening to the sounds of Slightly Stoopid, Mimosa, Beats Antique and many others. 

If you can’t join the party this weekend, but maybe want to escape the daily grind later this fall, try a relaxing houseboating excursion from Lake Powell Resorts & Marina. The marina is offering 20-50 percent off on many popular houseboats, making it an affordable weekend or extended vacation option. And with the water up, the crowds down and the weather an average of 85 degrees, a long-weekend at the lake sounds like a peace of heaven.

Is there an official Arizona wine month? California’s taken September as their official month, endorsed by Governor Jerry Brown, celebrating the state’s vintners, wineries and of course, the consumers. Have we gotten Governor Brewer on the boozin’ bandwagon to launch our own 30-day celebration of our favorite chardonnays and cabernets? Until then or until we find out about our own, jet West this month and celebrate your favorite California wines near the vines.

From Los Angeles to Napa Valley, find out about events and tastes going on this weekend and throughout the month here.  

ASU meets Lake Havasu. No, not the spring break boozers on the lake, but rather an extension of Arizona State University with another campus. Although an ASU at Lake Havasu City webpage has been up and running for some time now, the expansion of the University is becoming a reality as the Havasu Foundation for Higher Education board of directors have chosen local Havasu architect Jerry Clark from Clark & Associates.

However, for this endeavor to truly become a reality, the HFHE must raise $2 million for the project to become a reality. The new opportunity for undergraduate programs will reach students in new places and unlike Arizona’s research programs, the  College@ASU initiative program, will offer lower tuition costs. The new program and campus is said to promote higher education opportunities along with community involvement. So, for those ASU students who can’t manage to leave their spring break go-to destination, higher education opportunities are around the corner, complete with lake views, London bridges, restaurants, shops on nearby Main Street, and beaches only a short distance away.

If you happen to get an itch for some East Coast beach action, we suggest Montauk.   Here we have a little cheat sheet for your voyage courtesy of Gridskipper.

[Gripskipper]

Here’s a film festival after our own hearts. The Second Annual Clips of Faith Tour, sponsored by New Belgium Brewing (makers of Fat Tire), combines the wonderful world of independent cinema with the even more wonderful world of beer. Not that hard-to-find, delicious crafty beer is necessary to watch the work of amateur film makers, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. Submissions for up-and-coming directors to have their films featured at the festival are due May 1 and will be reviewed by the experts at New Belgium with prizes for the top three submissions.

The tour kicks off on May 19 in St. Louis and hits Flagstaff July 8. And, if hanging out watching movies and drinking beer isn’t enough of an incentive, Clips of Faith also raises money for local, non-profit organizations with an emphasis on those that specifically support bicycling. Careful though, drinking and biking can still result in a DUI.