PuppyPalooza, Detour Winery, Granite Hill Campground, and The Mason Dixon Line!

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Cello participated in the PuppyPalooza Dock Diving Contest Hosted by Chesapeake Dock Dogs at Detour Winery in Keymar, MD.

For this event, we stayed at Granite Hill Campground in Gettysburg, PA, as this was the closest full-hookup campground to the winery.

Granite Hill is located on a 150 acre Civil War Era farm.

The campground had a cute “Red Shed Cafe” that offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Cello crossed over the Mason Dixon Line to get to and from the PuppyPalooza dock diving event!

Detour Winery is located in Keymar, Md. We drove on some really beautiful country roads to get there. The winery provided free tastings of their wines for the dock dogs participants, and offered wine by the bottle or glass for sale. They were also selling a really cool wine “sippy cup” that I just HAD to have…!

This was the first contest that we have attended where the dock was set up into a pond instead of a pool.

Although it started out as NOT Cello’s weekend, she wrapped it up nicely with a spot in the finals, and earned Second Place in the Masters Division Finals with a jump of 22’8″, just one inch shy of her personal best.

Cello’s results from PuppyPalooza were as follows:

Day 1, Saturday, May 31

19′ 11″ 18′ 8″ Cello did not place in this wave.

17′ 7″ 19′ 6″ Cello did not place in this wave.

18′ 9″ 20′ 8″ 2nd place Masters Division ribbon

Day 2, Sunday, June 1

21′ 19′ 11″ 4th place Masters Division (no ribbon)

21′ 6″ 21′ 4″ 3rd place Masters Division ribbon

Masters Division Finals

22′ 22′ 8″ 2nd place Masters Division Finalist (ribbon, prize bucket, $50 cash prize)

Cello and her proud PaPa accepting their awards:

The Masters Finalists 6th place to first place, Left to right:

Congratulations, Cello and Brian!

2nd Place Masters Division Finalist, 21′ 8″

The Rusty Nail, Cape May, NJ

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

The Rusty Nail (“The Nail”, as it’s known by the locals) is a well-known legendary surfer bar that dates back to the 70’s. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at The Nail, and of course, host an incredible happy hour with live music. Kids meals are served on a souvenir Beach Shack Frisbee, creating something for the little ones to do after they finish their meal and are waiting for the adults. There is indoor seating, outdoor picnic table seating, a fire pit, sand pit, and shuffleboard – this place has it all! Even the four-legged kids are welcome here!…and not only are dogs welcome, they have their very own Doggie Menu!

From the Doggie Menu, Cello enjoyed a Bowser Beer for starters, and a Nail Burger for dinner!

From the regular menu, Brian and I ordered the Baja Grilled Fish Tacos and the Jersey Style Lobster Hoagie to share. 🙂

Jessie Creek Winery, Cape May Courthouse, NJ

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Jessie Creek Winery was such a pleasant surprise! A couple who we ran into at a winery earlier in the day had told us that they did not like the wine here, nor was the staff friendly. Luckily, we decided to form our own opinion, and stop at this winery for a tasting. At Jessie Creek, the vineyard is harvested and processed on site by hand.

Not only was the girl presenting the tasting extremely nice, but the owner (seen far right in the above picture) was super friendly, and very interesting to speak with. He gave us lots of information on all of the wines we were tasting, and was a joy to converse with. The wine tasting was only $5, and included a taste of all of their wines, and a souvenir Jessie Creek wine glass to take home!

After our tasting, we enjoyed a glass of our favorite wine from the tasting on their porch with friends, Brandi and Stan.

The property also has a beautiful farm house built in 1846 that has been converted into a bed and breakfast.

I am so glad we all decided to stop at this vineyard despite what we were told!

Again, a recommended winery to stop at while in the Cape May area!

Natali Vineyards, Cape May Courthouse, NJ

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

Cello visited Natali Vineyards during our stay in Cape May.

The winery was setting up for a festival when we were arriving.

Even through they were getting ready for a big event later that day, everyone at the winery was helpful, friendly, and laid-back! The people here are super-friendly (very dog-friendly too!), and very knowledgeable about their wines and what foods to pair them with. Natali offers a variety of wines – some really unique, such as strawberry, plum, cherry, peach, blueberry, cranberry, and banana wine!

We learned a lot about their wines as we participated in their wine tasting, before enjoying a glass of wine on their outdoor patio with friends, Brandi and Stan.

We would definitely recommend a visit to this winery if you are ever in the Cape May area!

CHEERS!

Willow Creek Winery, Cape May, NJ

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Willow Creek Winery is a 50 acre vineyard located in Cape May, NJ. They offer a variety of wines, including red and white sangria.

The grounds are gorgeous!

We enjoyed a glass of the sangria with friends, Brandi and Stan, out on the patio at Willow Creek.

Light fare and tapas are offered here for purchasing and enjoying either in the tasting room, or out on the patio. An outdoor bar at the patio is almost completed, where they plan to serve wine slushies… YUM!

PJ Whelihan’s, Medford Lakes, NJ

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

After a hard-days-work of being a donation dog at Working Dog Winery, Cello made a stop for some dinner…we were all hungry!! PJ Whelihan’s was the perfect place to grab a bite to eat!

PJ Whelihan’s is located in Medford Lakes, NJ, a 1.2 square mile town with 22 lakes, and over 150 log cabins!

PJ’s has outdoor seating that is dog friendly. Cello was so well behaved, and enjoyed lots of attention from everyone!

Cello was very interested in my sangria!

photo (2)

Rita visited PJ Whelihans in May of 2016!

Check out PJ Whelihan’s events if you are ever in the area… it’s a fun place to relax and enjoy some food and drinks!

Working Dog Winery, Hair of the Dog 5k and Chesterfest Wine Festival, East Windsor, NJ

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Cello's Corner | 2 Comments

We made it out this Sunday to Working Dog Winery in East Windsor, NJ, for the Hair of the Dog 5k / Chesterfest Wine Festival!

Proceeds from the 5k race benefit local animal rescues. The Chesterfest Wine Festival immediately followed the race. $10 got us entrance to the festival, and a souvenir wine glass. Award winning wines from Working Dog Winery were available to buy by the glass or bottle. Flying Fish Beer had a tent set up to purchase their beer as well. Food carts from Nomad Pizza, and Zinna’s Bistro provided yummy food choices. Live music was also provided by Vic Della Pello.

Everyone brings blankets and chairs, and spends the day enjoying delicious wine and good music…all while supporting local shelters!

Located in Mercer County, NJ, and formerly known as Silver Decoy Winery, Working Dog Winery recently changed their name in honor of their hard-working good-natured dogs!

Originally our schedule did not allow us to make this event, but when plans changed, we jumped in the car and headed to the Festival! We missed the 5k by the time we got there, but Cello was able to volunteer as a donation dog to help raise funds for the GSP Rescue of NJ.

The owners of the winery have a German Shorthaired Pointer as well. We just love the winery’s name – and the wine labels!

It was a beautiful day, and we got to meet some fellow volunteers of the GSP Rescue of NJ that we have only known at this point through email. It was great to meet the other volunteers in person…and to meet their rescued GSPs.

While we were at the festival, Brian noticed that there was a woman selling some jewelry. I am not a big jewelry person, so I hadn’t even noticed the table of jewelry – but Brian told me that I “HAD” to go look at this woman’s jewelry. What I didn’t realize, is that this lady was selling jewelry made from sea glass. Brian knew that as a child, I would collect sea glass at the beach each year my family stayed at the Jersey Shore. Brian spotted this, and knew I would just love it! He bought me a necklace made from sea glass, with a charm attached that was shaped like a heart with paw prints on it. Brian is such a thoughtful husband…and I’m a lucky gal. 🙂

Visit Phyllis at PK’s Kreations to see some of her really cool jewelry made from sea glass!

Margarita visited this winery on July 24, 2016!

Lager visited here on November 11, 2017

Pic-A-Lilli Inn, Shamong, NJ

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

If you enjoy wings, or buffalo-style anything, the Pic is the place to visit! Pic-A-Lilli Inn not only has some really great NJ Pine Barren history, (beginning in the early 1920’s!!) it’s known to have the best wings around! Be sure to read the history of this place, and how it all began here! This well-known family-owned establishment is now in it’s 5th generation of ownership, and still going strong!

This weekend, we made a trip back to the Pic…this time with Cello.

We stopped in for some buffalo scallops and some cocktails…and they are super dog friendly! Cello quickly made friends with the bartender!

We chose to sit at their outdoor bar, and had a great time as we enjoyed our meal and drinks!

Lager visited The Pic on February 21, 2016!

Lager enjoyed this beautiful day at the Pic-A-Lilli, one of Brian and Jenny’s favorite places to stop for wings and drinks.

File Mar 10, 9 53 13 AM

Lager enjoyed himself, and watched all the motorcycles coming and going on this gorgeous day!

File Mar 10, 9 52 42 AM

Margarita visited The Pic on July 23, 2016!

So stop by and try the wings at The Pic-A-Lilli in ..betcha you’ll be back for more!

Bellview Winery, Landisville, NJ

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

We had the pleasure of discovering Bellview Winery in Landisville, NJ this weekend.

Bellview Winery is located on a 100 yr old 150 acre Farm in Southern NJ. This winery not only had delicious wines (wine tasting is only $5 for 8 selections of your choice), but they were extremely dog friendly. Cello was allowed inside in the tasting room, and anywhere on the grounds.

For the wine tasting, we chose the following wines: Chardonnay, Jersey Devil White, Pinot Grigio, Traminette, Nana’s White, Fiesta, Black Currant, and Cristallina.

After completing our wine tasting, we enjoyed a glass of wine on the grounds of the winery.

Cello hammed-it-up while playing with her ball on the grounds of the winery!

This winery also offers a free Vintner’s Club – a chance to earn rewards while enjoying Bellview’s wine!

We enjoyed the wine so much, we bought several bottles to bring home!

Margarita visited here on July 23, 2016

If you are ever in the area, this winery is a must-do stop along your way! Be sure to check out the many events they host at the winery as well!

Cheers!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Moms With 4-Legged Kids!

Killens Pond State Park, Felton, Delaware

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Cello was involved in a dock diving event at the Dover Days Festival in Dover Delaware this past weekend, so we hunkered down at Killens Pond State Park, about 25 minutes from the dock diving event.

We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Killens Pond. The campsites were arranged in small loops. We stayed on campsite D5 (loop D, campsite 5), and had a nice sized private space with a view of the pond from our living space, and a wooded scene out our rear bay window.

View from our living space:

View from our back bay window:

The campground was clean, and have several campground hosts located throughout the campground. We had an issue with our electric during our stay, and the campground host on our loop couldn’t have been more helpful.

The campground had a pretty hiking trail that ran along the pond and through the park. The trail was very flat and well-maintained.

This campground only has full hook-ups on the campground host sites, however our site had electric and water. There is a well-leveled and easily accessible dump station located on your way out of the campground.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Killens Pond, and very much enjoyed the “tent-camping” feel we got from the rustic, wooded setting of our site. We would definitely return to this campground if Cello is involved in the same dock diving event in Dover, De this time next year.

Dover Days Dip, Dover, Delaware

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

On May 3rd and 4th, Cello participated in her first outdoor dock diving event of the 2014 season at the Delmarva Dock Dogs Dover Days Dip, held at the Dover Days Festival in Dover, Delaware. Cello was the only German Shorthaired Pointer competing in this event!

This is the first year that Delmarva Dock Dogs set up a dock at this event. The weather was great, and the event had a nice turn-out. We saw many familiar faces, and even met some new ones. These events are so much fun…and truly filled with good-hearted, down-to-earth people. We have really enjoyed meeting so many great people and their pups!

We ordered team shirts for this year’s diving season!

Cello Jumped twice on Saturday, winning one first place medal.

Check out Cello in Slo-Mo:

One of Cello’s Instagram buddies, Dixie the GSP, saw a post that we were at this event, and sent us a message that they lived close by. Dixie and her family came to meet us, and to cheer Cello on! We were both honored, and excited!!

On Sunday, another two jumps earned her a second place medal, as well as another first place medal.

Cello’s longest jump of the 4 waves she competed in was 22’8″, placing her in the Masters Division Finals. During the finals, she was in first place with a jump of 22’9″ until another dog in her division leaped an amazing 23’3″ !! Cello earned a second place ribbon, money prize, and a bag of goodies! We were very proud of her!

RESULTS:

Saturday:

On the first wave, Cello did not win any medals. Her two jumps were:

18’4″

19’8″

On the second wave, Cello earned a first place medal. Her two jumps were:

22’8″

21’1″

Sunday:

On the first wave, Cello earned a second place medal. Her jumps were:

22’5″

19’5″

On the second wave, Cello earned a first place medal. Her jumps were:

21’6″

22’5″

Cello’s jump of 22’9″ earned a spot in the Masters Division Finals, where she wound up earning 2nd Place with a jump of 22’9′, tying her personal best. She was in First place until a lab leaped an amazing 23’3″!!! Her jumps during the finals were:

22’9″

22’3″

Pizzadili Vineyard and Winery, Felton, Delaware

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

Immediately after Cello got done at her Dover Days dock diving event, we headed over to Pizzadili Winery to celebrate the first place medal she won.

Pizzadili was a beautiful winery with a pavilion, pond with a fountain, trellises, and an adorable outdoor seating area. We chose to have a glass of their Pinot Gris, as we sat at the outdoor seating area.

Everyone who was entering or exiting the winery stopped over to say hello to Cello, and funny enough, two other people (not in the same party) were from Southern New Jersey as well! Small world!

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Cello's Corner | Leave a comment

After Cello got done both of her waves at the Dover Days Festival Dock Diving event, we decided to visit Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware. What a cool place! The atmosphere was laid-back, and the people were friendly…best of all?… they are dog-friendly! Cello was allowed on the grounds, inside at the bar, and in the store!

Brian and I have never been to a brewery for a beer tasting – Boy were we missing out! We also had a blast at the bar with Cello while we did our beer tasting.