re: vacation spot state parks suggestion

If you just want to get away for a quick trip close to home, go to Palmetto Island State Park, 6 miles south of Abbeville.
nice, new cabins with SAT TV
dog friendly, yes.
No real "hiking" to speak of. The Lagoon Trail is a straight end and out, with a small bayou running on the side of it. It's a good trail for seeing woodducks, snakes, wild hogs, and various songbirds. The other trails are really just walking paths through wooded wetlands.
No swimming. In the summer there's a "waterpark" that the young kids love.
There's a boat launch with very easy access to the Vermilion River, and a canoe launch accessing a 7 mile canoe trail through man-made lagoons. There are always small alligators in the 3 lagoons, but if they get to close to your canoe, just smack um on the snout with your paddle.
The scenery is coastal bottomland hardwood forest, and rustic.