San Diego journalist and author Donna Lawrence doesn’t hide her nose in a book.
Sniffing out 77 parks, beaches and urban sites, Lawrence, her husband Bob Lawrence and Bailey, their mixed-breed dog, covered significant ground researching Donna’s new guidebook, “Leave Only Paw Prints: Dog Hikes in San Diego County.”
Lawrence will be signing her book at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla, today, July 6, from 1 to 3 p.m. Although Bailey won’t be joining her this time, other dogs and their humans are welcome.
According to Amy Pickell, Warwick’s event coordinator, the bookstore hosts dog-related events because many of their customers are dog owners and the management loves dogs.
“Our store is very dog-friendly, and we like to kid, though it may be true, that we have more dog books per square inch than any general bookstore,” Pickell said.
Lawrence, who has a master’s degree in geography and has written for National Geographic Traveler, the San Diego Natural History Museum’s Field Notes and numerous other publications, said she thought she knew the area pretty well. She had lived in San Diego for 22 years before moving to Temecula. But during three months of research, faithfully following every trail before including it, she was surprised by the number and variety of walks suitable for canines and their two-legged companions.
“I really hadn’t been exploring the area until the book,” Lawrence said. “I think it’s great that there are so many parks, so that we can get away from the rush of the city. We need this. It’s good for us, and it’s good for our dogs.”
Talking to dog owners also aided Lawrence’s research.
“They were very friendly and helpful, sharing their ideas,” Lawrence said. “I enjoyed the camaraderie.”
The book begins with tips for planning a trip and traveling with a dog, including health considerations, what to take along and various leash laws. It continues with sections on parks in the wild, such as Cleveland National Forest and California state parks.
Desert walks explore Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Nature hikes in town feature city, county and regional parks, while the section on walks in the city of San Diego includes Ellen Browning Scripps Park in La Jolla, Kate O. Sessions Park in Pacific Beach and Dog Beach in Ocean Beach.
Dozens of “dog parks” are listed, including the ones that allow dogs to run leash-free.
Each hike includes the degree of difficulty, directions and a detailed description of what to expect.
Lawrence said that choosing her favorite hike was difficult because the terrain is so varied.
“The first one that comes to mind is Lake Poway,” she said. “It’s just lovely. There’s a grassy picnic area and a trail around the lake.”
Bailey, whom Lawrence brought home from an animal shelter, doesn’t appear to favor one trail, park or beach over another.
“As long as we’ll take him, he’ll go,” Lawrence said.
In the event that people and pets decide to spend the night, an appendix with dog-friendly hotels and inns lists information such as pet weight restrictions, any additional charges and locations that welcome canine clients with treats, a pillow bed or other services.
Jennifer Redmond, editor-in-chief of Sunbelt Publications, the book’s publisher, said that she commissioned this guide after the success of similar ones for Los Angeles and Las Vegas. She had heard about Donna Lawrence from Jack Brandais, author of “Weekend Driver San Diego,” also published by Sunbelt.
“We met and I liked her enthusiasm ” she started working on it right away,” Redmond said. “She did a great job on the book ” and Jack ended up designing the book for us ” so it all worked out beautifully.”
According to Lawrence, the title came from the City of San Diego signs posted at all dog parks and beaches, “leave only paw prints,” borrowed from the human pledge to leave only footprints when exploring nature.
She stated in her book, “It is a lovely, succinct way of stating both a dog-friendly and land-friendly philosophy.”
When asked whether she preferred walking with her husband of 29 years or her four-footed friend, Lawrence laughed.
“Well, they’re both wonderful in their own way,” she said.”
Leave Only Paw Prints: Dog Hikes in San Diego County” sells for $14.95.
For more information, call Warwick’s, (858) 454-0347 or Sunbelt Publications, (619) 258-4911.