Most people go to Las Vegas with lots of money, leave with no money and consider it a great time.  But you actually can visit Las Vegas and have a great time without going broke.  In between rolling the dice, make sure you take a break and visit some of these awesome local attractions with your pup.

Lady luck treated Mr. Eko to a great week in Sin City

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Dog Park - Sunset Dog Park - The dog park isn't huge, but it doesn't have to be.  Even the mighty Eko didn't want more room to run.  At Sunset your dog will romp in the sun for a while and then quickly join you in the shade to cool off.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Walking Tour - The Strip - No matter why you're in Vegas, you owe it to yourself to take a stroll down the Strip and marvel at the spectacle of it all.  Make sure to do the walk at night to get the full experience.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Hike - Frenchman Mountain - This hike is not for the faint of heart! Between the steep inclines, the rocky terrain and the desert heat, you and your dog will need to put in some serious effort to conquer Frenchman.  If you have the mettle to reach the top, you will be rewarded with a view of the city that few ever see.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Hotel - La Quinta - The newly built La Quinta just south of the airport was a great home base for our trip.  If you are a high roller you can get your dog into just about any hotel on the strip, but it seems like more hassle than it's worth.  We had a corner room by the door and could hop right into our car and go.  As an added bonus it is also the closest hotel to Sunset Dog Park

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Event - Pet-A-Palooza - Like us, maybe you'll get lucky and your trip to Vegas will happen to coincide with this awesome festival. If you have the chance, go!  It's a very unique and fun event.

We hit it big in Vegas without ever stepping into a casino.  If you and your pup are up for some serious outdoor adventures then you will definitely want to add Vegas to your itinerary.

The temperature is rising here in Phoenix, but Eko is itching for a run so we are going to head over to Chaparral Dog Park to see how long he lasts. Let us know if you're around!

Behind every good Marking Our Territory post is a person who knows what they are talking about.  That person is never me.  This week we owe most of our awesome finds to one of our readers, Lilliam.  Not only was her name very easy for me to remember, Lilliam also shared with us some of the best parks and hikes in the area.  Luckily we were able to meet Lilliam and her dog Apollo yesterday morning for one last run at Parleys Dog Park.

It was a gorgeous day in Salt Lake and Apollo and Eko had a blast romping along the trail

The boys cooled off in the water, and as usual Eko played the role of the stick thief

I also made a new friend - I think he really liked me!

And without further adieu, here are the awards for Salt Lake City:

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Dog Park - Parleys Dog Park - No surprises here.  Your dog can run, jump, romp and swim to his heart's content in one of the most beautiful off leash areas we have ever visited.  You can make it from the heart of downtown to Parleys in under twenty minutes, so you don't have any excuses not to make the trip!

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Walking Tour - Temple Square - There are a number of nice walks in downtown Salt Lake, but you absolutely have to take a stroll through Temple Square.  The grounds are beautiful and you can easily lose track of time as you enjoy the view.  Don't forget to bring your camera.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Hike - Mill Creek Canyon - Hands down our best hike of the trip thus far was at Mill Creek.  The Canyon belongs to dogs on odd numbered days, so you can climb and explore without having to hold on to a leash.  Pack some water for you and your dog and set aside at least half a day for any one of the amazing hikes.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Hotel - Radisson Hotel - The location is great and Eko was a big hit with both the staff and the guests.  Plus as an added bonus for staying at the Radisson, you can teach your dog how to walk through an automatic revolving door.

Thanks Salt Lake for an awesome week, and thank you Lilliam for showing us all the best spots!

Whether turning Eko into a Rhodesian Ridgebunny or racing each other through the fields, we had a great time in Denver.  Denver combines all the best parts of the city and the outdoors into one of the most incredible dog-friendly destinations we have visited thus far.  We would have needed months and months to visit all the places we wanted to see, but here are the most awesome stops from our week:

There were plenty of pet-friendly spots to scope out in Denver

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Dog Park - Cherry Creek and Chatfield Park - Eko and I did a two for one stop at these parks and recommend them both highly.  Both parks have vast tracks of land, a pond for swimming, and a good crowd of friendly dogs.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Time Travel Trip - Dino Ridge Trail - As someone who has seen the movie Jurassic Park at least 76 times, I feel that I am entirely qualified to say that Dino Ridge Trail is awesome.  The trail is a fun, informative hike and your dog will definitely be whipped after making the trek.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Indoor activity - Zoom Room - Bad weather is a dog owner's worst enemy.  Luckily for dog owners in Denver, Zoom Room has you covered.  For $5 you can take your dog through their indoor agility course.  Zoom Room keeps you dry and sane! 

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Hotel - Hotel Monaco - At Hotel Monaco the staff would look at me with disappointment any time I walked through the lobby without Eko as if to ask me,  "How could you deprive us of more time with the puppy!?"  No pet fees, plenty of pet amenities, and best of all, $10 pet-sitting in case you need to duck out without your pup.  Hotel Monaco is awesome!

Denver is an amazing city and it's a trip that your dog would love to take with you.  With so many great outdoor hikes and activities, it is the perfect city to have a pet.

Storm clouds are rolling in over Salt Like so we need to get a move on to Mill Creek Canyon.  If any locals have any indoor pet-friendly destinations in the area, now is probably a good time to share them!

A couple weeks ago Eko and I had the chance to go on live TV in Austin and talk about our adventure.  I did most of the talking.  Eko managed to stay in one place for a couple minutes and I was also pretty well-behaved.  It was nothing short of a miracle.

Check out our appearance on the local CBS afternoon show, We Are Austin Live.

Next stop, the big screen!

It is good to be a dog in Texas.  Over the past three weeks we have found some of our favorite destinations in the whole country and it was tough leaving those places behind.  Here are some of the awesome places we'll miss in Dallas:

Eko will definitely miss his steer buddies

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Dog Park - Bark Park - We visited Dallas' three most popular dog parks, and while each one had something going for it, Bark Park won us over with it's unique design and atmosphere.  We always love it when dog parks can help make the community   come together - even if it's under a freeway.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Tour - M-Line Trolley- Kick up your feet/paws on a ride in one of Dallas' historic trolleys.  There is no better way to get a (free!) tour of Uptown and your pup will enjoy cruising the streets in style as much as you do.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Time Travel Trip - Heritage Village - For nine bucks you can take a stroll through time to see how Texans lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The grounds are a great place for a walk and you can check out some really cool historic homes on the way.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Park - Pioneer Paza- It's worth the trip just to see the bronze statues, but the plaza also has a Civil War era cemetery and plenty of green space.  If you're downtown, you should definitely swing by.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E Hotel - Aloft - One word: perch.  Thanks to Aloft, I may have to build a permanent perch for Eko when we aren't living in a car anymore.  Aloft is a cool hotel in the heart of downtown and it puts you close to Bark Park and tons of other great spots.

In sum: Texas you have a special place in our hearts and you have set the bar for the rest of the trip!

We dodged some flash floods getting to OKC and it now looks like we may have to contend with Thunderstorms for the week.  But if Ben Franklin and his key could handle it, then Eko and I got this no problem.