Let’s think about this. It’s going to be 105 on Saturday in Phoenix but in two hours you could be in Sedona, one of the world’s most beautiful places and where it will be 15 degrees cooler. And you can bring your pal, the dog, since Sedona prides itself on being dog friendly.

In researching Happy Dog Phoenix, I trolled a lot of metro Phoenix websites looking for dog friendly hotels and resorts and sometimes they were not too forthcoming with the info. Not the case in Sedona. Places like El Portal, the Lodge at Sedona and King’s Ransom Hotel really pride themselves on welcoming pooches:  dog parks on the property, treat bags, “Dog Guest in Residence’’signs for the doors and a lot of helpful info on local vets and dog-sitting services.

The hospitality doesn’t stop at the hotels. Because Sedona is so laid back and friendly, there are plenty of casual restaurants with patios that welcome your pooch:

• Chocolatree
• Cucina Rustica
• Dahl and DiLuca
• Ken’s Creekside Creekside Plaza
• Red Planet Diner
• René at Tlaquepaque
• The Secret Garden Cafe in Tlaquepaque
• Troia’s Pizza Pasta Amore 1885 W H 89A  Sedona 928-282-0123

After all of that food, feel free to move around Sedona. Many of the store owners are cool if you bring your well-mannered, leashed dog into their shops.

There’s also a dog park  at the northwest corner of  Carruth and Soldiers Pass roads.  Dogs, however, aren’t allowed in the pool area at the always busy Slide Rock State Park  in Oak Creek Canyon.

Feeling whimsical? Get a photo of your dog with the Snoopy Rock formation in the background. The rocks outside of Sedona line up to create a profile of Snoopy snoozing on top of his doghouse. One of the better viewing points for this someplace along Highway 179 between the Schnebly Hill Road turnoff and the highway 89 junction.

See you in Sedona!

It’s getting hot and Happy Dog Phoenix is hitting the road to look for cool things to do with your dog. Next stop: Prescott. Know of anything to do in Sedona or Prescott? Tell us.