The sun is out, the sweaters are going back into the closet and many of us are just itching to get out of the house for a weekend getaway or heck, a real vacation. But what to do with the dog? You could get a house sitter or board Fido up at a kennel, but maybe you should consider taking him along. (What pup doesn’t want to go for a ride?) Now it begs the question, “Where would we go?” Here are 25 suggestions…

In honor of National Pet Month (It’s May. Who knew?) HomeToGo did some research on the best cities to vacation with a pooch in the U.S. Okay, the Most Pet-Friendly Cities Index is also good for cat owners, but seriously, who vacations with their cat? Anyway, the company looked up the country’s largest cities based on population and researched the number of pet-friendly accommodations, restaurants, attractions and parks per 100,000 people. After they obtained the raw data, they assigned each data point a numerical value with 40 being a “perfect” score.

To rank each city featured in the Most Pet-Friendly Cities Index, HomeToGo researched the following data points:

• Restaurants: Number of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, breweries and other eateries that welcome pets to join diners
• Parks: Destinations with the highest percentage of city area designated as parkland
• Attractions: Number of dog parks, dog beaches, hiking trails and other places for pups to get out and play
• Accommodations: Destinations on HomeToGo.com with the highest percentage of pet-friendly accommodations

Those who live in the top five cities will not be surprised to learn that these towns are so accommodating to our four-legged friends:

1. Portland, OR (Total Score: 37.63/40):
“Boasting one of the highest numbers of off-leash dog parks per capita, in addition to its unique beer and wine scenes, Portland is a great place for vacationers and furry visitors to make new friends, enjoy crisp brews and explore pet-friendly vineyards.”

2. Seattle, WA (Total Score: 31.82/40):
“Surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, active travelers can enjoy the great outdoors by foot, plane and boat, or explore the city’s best pet-friendly farmers markets, ‘Barkerys’ and tasting rooms.”

3. Boston, MA (Total Score: 31.58/40):
“In Boston, pet owners can bring their best friends along for historical walking tours, professional pet photoshoots or take a sailboat along Boston Harbor to watch the sunset. History buffs can discover Boston’s Freedom Trail and see 16 of Boston’s historic sites.”

4. Austin, TX (Total Score: 31.49/40):
“Famous for its unique street art and trendy atmosphere, Austin invites people and their pets to take mural and art tours to capture their memories in front of the most Instagram-able destinations within the city.”

5. Washington, DC (Total Score: 31.43/40):
“With so many attractions to see in Washington D.C., active travelers and their energetic pets will love participating in running tours of the monuments. Those who prefer a slower pace can explore the streets of Georgetown or discover Embassy Row through the city’s amazing walking tours.”

Here are the other 20 places on the list:

Visit HomeToGo to see the full report.

Main Image: HomeToGo