June 2021

The original plan was to head to Seattle for the second part of my birthday excursion. Unfortunately, we were rained out of Washington, so we headed back to Oregon to explore more of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. On the way, we recalled hearing about what locals call the Thousand Acre Dog Park, formally known as the Sandy River Delta Park. The Sandy River Delta Park, located in Troutdale, Oregon, is a dog’s paradise. The park has 1,400 acres of looping trails to explore, endless open fields to run around in, two rivers to swim and play in, wildflowers to adore, and wetlands to admire. The park, which is part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, is also very popular for mountain biking, birding, and horseback riding. I have decided that this is my new favorite dog park in Oregon, and I hope to be able to visit often!

Stretching before the hike. There were miles of looping trails to explore. Beautiful wildflowers lined the trails. The colors were beautiful. Dad brought my new birthday present to kick around the trails for me! I popped it almost immediately.  There were paw prints everywhere.  Mom and Dad did not want to play in the muddy parts. We finally happened upon the Sandy River, where buttloads of dogs were playing! Like this one. And this one. To my parents’ surprise, I jumped right in! (I am known to not love swimming in the pool/ocean.) It took me a bit to understand where to go!  I finally got the hang of it when Mom and Dad started playing fetch with this big cigar-looking branch. All the doggies were racing for the cigars! I couldn’t stop smiling because it was one of the happiest days of my life.  After a long, successful day of swimming and hiking, I was pooped!

Rating for Sandy River Delta Park

I gave this park two paws up because it was lively, scenic, and full of adventure. The trails are very easy, and dogs are allowed off-leash unless they are on the handicap-accessible trail, which is marked throughout the park. Always remember to assess your pup’s health before hiking or swimming, make sure to bring plenty of water, and stay close to your pup on your adventure.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore the Oregon coast!

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel, #weekendwanderlust, and #theweeklypostcard communities on Facebook; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

For my 6th birthday, I thought it would be fun to go off the beaten path and explore a small town in Washington called Centralia. Centralia has a perfect name, located centrally between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. We found a pretty sweet dog-friendly hotel that I’ve been excited to share with my pups.

McMenamins Olympic Club Hotel.

McMenamins is a unique chain based out of Oregon that specializes in renovating old historic buildings into charming hotels, brewpubs, venues, and movie theaters. They offer some of the best movie brewpubs in Portland, so we knew they would be a unique place to stay. Plus all of their locations are dog-friendly, which is a major woof in my book.

Exterior of the hotel. 

This particular Mcmenamins hotel, the Olympic Club or Oly club, has a fascinating history. The hotel was built in the early 1900s and was originally a gentlemen’s resort and Old West railroad hotel. The hotel featured a card room, pool room, barbershop, bar, shoeshine stand, and elegant furnishings. The hotel was recognized for hosting high rollers, miners, loggers, and ladies of the night. The hotel became significant after the notorious train robber Roy Gardner was captured in one of the rooms in the 1920s. The hotel has a history of paranormal activity, which includes reports of laughter in empty rooms, mysterious music playing in the halls, candles being mysteriously lit, and ghostly apparitions. Based on the history, I was prepared to protect Mom and Dad throughout the night.

Old railroad behind the hotel.  Exterior of the hotel. 

Upon arrival, I was immediately given treats by the front desk lady. She then proceeded to give me a dog bowl, more treats, and poop bags. Win!

My welcome package. 

We went to explore our hotel room and were surprised by our accommodations. Our room was called the Don Iverson and featured the history of his time working at the Oly club painted all around the room. There were bunk beds! I was so confused by them. The room had well-thought-out, intricate details, and we felt like we were back in the 1900s. I started immediately growling at the ghosts, which terrified Mom and Dad.

The history of our room.  The history of the hotel. The history of our room.  Lovely details. Bunk beds? Me enjoying my water bowl. How the heck am I going to protect you up there? Mom and Dad played cards all night to go with the hotel theme.

This hotel was one of the coolest, most unique hotels we have ever been to. Style-wise, the hotel was absolutely perfect. The beds were actually comfy, even though we had a bunk bed room. I only had two complaints: One, there was a $15 pet fee for accidents, and you know how much we don’t like pet fees; and two, our particular room had no air conditioning, fans, or windows. We all felt very claustrophobic and had to sleep with the covers off because it felt roughly a million degrees. The room had a skylight that was too high to reach and open. Other rooms had windows, and we will definitely spring for a better room next time we stay at a McMenamins hotel.

Ratings:

McMenamins Olympic Club Hotel:

I only gave the hotel one paw up because although the hotel had treats and beautiful accommodations, the pet fee and the hot rooms would deter us from staying here often. We will definitely spring for a nicer room next time. However, McMenamins hotels are unique, and I would recommend staying, eating, or watching a movie there when you have a chance!

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I tell the interesting story of my birthday trip to Centralia, Washington.

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel, #weekendwanderlust, and #theweeklypostcard communities on Facebook; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written regularly, since my Mom was finishing her grad degree. She is FINALLY free, and we have so many wonderful adventures to catch up on. One of my new favorite dog-friendly adventure spots is in the beautiful town of Camas, Washington. Lacamas Park is an easy 45-minute drive out of Portland, and the Lacamas Creek Trail is a 4.3 mile loop hike. The hike has light elevation gain and boasts incredible waterfall and wildflower views. Since it’s been forever, we have pictures of this hike from our winter and spring adventures for you to enjoy.

My, “Shoot, it’s way too cold out today,” face. Here we go!  The snow-blanketed forest. A snowy stump.  Me and my friend Jena, chillin’.  A view of the lovely lower falls.  A view of the pristine upper falls.  Still cold.  Still cold.  All right ladies, I’m freezing. Let’s head back!  We came across a magical, raging river.  Mom trying to warm me up.  Our beautiful walk back through the snowy, mossy forest.  The beginning of this hike in the spring (note my elated expression). The sunny, glowing forest.  Camas flowers, which the trail and city are named after. The flowery view of upper falls. Perfect for a picnic. Both seasons were perfect in their own way. After this magical day, I was bundled up on the couch for my nap.  Thank you for sharing my adventure! 

Rating for Lacamas Creek Trail

I gave this hike 2 paws up because the views are magical in every season, and there are so many perfect little spots for a picnic and a treat. The mossy trees, wildflowers, and racing creek are stunning to explore. The trail is rated easy, and pups need to be leashed throughout the hike. As always, I recommend assessing your pup’s health before the hike, making sure to bring plenty of water, and staying close to your pup throughout the trail.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I catch up on more hiking adventures!

Happy Birthday, Grammy!

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel community; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

The original plan was to head to Seattle for the second part of my birthday excursion. Unfortunately, we were rained out of Washington, so we headed back to Oregon to explore more of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. On the way, we recalled hearing about what locals call the Thousand Acre Dog Park, formally known as the Sandy River Delta Park. The Sandy River Delta Park, located in Troutdale, Oregon, is a dog’s paradise. The park has 1,400 acres of looping trails to explore, endless open fields to run around in, two rivers to swim and play in, wildflowers to adore, and wetlands to admire. The park, which is part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, is also very popular for mountain biking, birding, and horseback riding. I have decided that this is my new favorite dog park in Oregon, and I hope to be able to visit often!

Stretching before the hike. There were miles of looping trails to explore. Beautiful wildflowers lined the trails. The colors were beautiful. Dad brought my new birthday present to kick around the trails for me! I popped it almost immediately.  There were paw prints everywhere.  Mom and Dad did not want to play in the muddy parts. We finally happened upon the Sandy River, where buttloads of dogs were playing! Like this one. And this one. To my parents’ surprise, I jumped right in! (I am known to not love swimming in the pool/ocean.) It took me a bit to understand where to go!  I finally got the hang of it when Mom and Dad started playing fetch with this big cigar-looking branch. All the doggies were racing for the cigars! I couldn’t stop smiling because it was one of the happiest days of my life.  After a long, successful day of swimming and hiking, I was pooped!

Rating for Sandy River Delta Park

I gave this park two paws up because it was lively, scenic, and full of adventure. The trails are very easy, and dogs are allowed off-leash unless they are on the handicap-accessible trail, which is marked throughout the park. Always remember to assess your pup’s health before hiking or swimming, make sure to bring plenty of water, and stay close to your pup on your adventure.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore the Oregon coast!

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel, #weekendwanderlust, and #theweeklypostcard communities on Facebook; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to take my first international trip to British Columbia, Canada. We took a girls trip that included me, Mom, Mom’s sister, and one of Mom’s best friends. We found an amazing hiking expedition in Golden Ears Provincial Park at Gold Creek Falls. The hike was an easy 3.5 mile trip with little elevation gain, but the mossy rain forest views were like nothing I had ever seen before.

A misty view of the forest. The water was incredibly clear. I was so ready to go for a dip. A view of the pristine Allouette Lake. C’mon, Mom, it’s time to swim! I found the perfect stick to play fetch with. Oof, actually it was slightly awkward. After over an hour of fetch, I was ready to hike! Me and Mom’s friends exploring the foggy trail. The views were captivating. This picture looks like the beginning of a horror movie. We finally reached Gold Creek Falls after about 1.5 hours of hiking. At this point I was over it because it started pouring out, and Mom forgot my raincoat! After the long, beautiful hiking day, I was ready to be bundled up in the car for my nap.

Rating for Gold Creek Falls

I gave this hike 2 paws up because the views were impressive and there were tons of refreshing lakes where I could grab a stick and play fetch. The mossy trees and clear lakes made a stunning backdrop for exploring or a picnic lunch. The trail is rated easy, though it is probably safer to have your dog on a leash on this hike since bears live in the park. According to the park’s site, dogs can be off leash once they are at least 1 km into the trail. I recommend assessing your pups health before the hike, making sure to bring plenty of water, and staying close to your pup throughout the trail in case any creepy critters decide to visit you.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore Vancouver, British Columbia.

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel and #weekendwanderlust communities; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

The original plan was to head to Seattle for the second part of my birthday excursion. Unfortunately, we were rained out of Washington, so we headed back to Oregon to explore more of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. On the way, we recalled hearing about what locals call the Thousand Acre Dog Park, formally known as the Sandy River Delta Park. The Sandy River Delta Park, located in Troutdale, Oregon, is a dog’s paradise. The park has 1,400 acres of looping trails to explore, endless open fields to run around in, two rivers to swim and play in, wildflowers to adore, and wetlands to admire. The park, which is part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, is also very popular for mountain biking, birding, and horseback riding. I have decided that this is my new favorite dog park in Oregon, and I hope to be able to visit often!

Stretching before the hike. There were miles of looping trails to explore. Beautiful wildflowers lined the trails. The colors were beautiful. Dad brought my new birthday present to kick around the trails for me! I popped it almost immediately.  There were paw prints everywhere.  Mom and Dad did not want to play in the muddy parts. We finally happened upon the Sandy River, where buttloads of dogs were playing! Like this one. And this one. To my parents’ surprise, I jumped right in! (I am known to not love swimming in the pool/ocean.) It took me a bit to understand where to go!  I finally got the hang of it when Mom and Dad started playing fetch with this big cigar-looking branch. All the doggies were racing for the cigars! I couldn’t stop smiling because it was one of the happiest days of my life.  After a long, successful day of swimming and hiking, I was pooped!

Rating for Sandy River Delta Park

I gave this park two paws up because it was lively, scenic, and full of adventure. The trails are very easy, and dogs are allowed off-leash unless they are on the handicap-accessible trail, which is marked throughout the park. Always remember to assess your pup’s health before hiking or swimming, make sure to bring plenty of water, and stay close to your pup on your adventure.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore the Oregon coast!

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel, #weekendwanderlust, and #theweeklypostcard communities on Facebook; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written regularly, since my Mom was finishing her grad degree. She is FINALLY free, and we have so many wonderful adventures to catch up on. One of my new favorite dog-friendly adventure spots is in the beautiful town of Camas, Washington. Lacamas Park is an easy 45-minute drive out of Portland, and the Lacamas Creek Trail is a 4.3 mile loop hike. The hike has light elevation gain and boasts incredible waterfall and wildflower views. Since it’s been forever, we have pictures of this hike from our winter and spring adventures for you to enjoy.

My, “Shoot, it’s way too cold out today,” face. Here we go!  The snow-blanketed forest. A snowy stump.  Me and my friend Jena, chillin’.  A view of the lovely lower falls.  A view of the pristine upper falls.  Still cold.  Still cold.  All right ladies, I’m freezing. Let’s head back!  We came across a magical, raging river.  Mom trying to warm me up.  Our beautiful walk back through the snowy, mossy forest.  The beginning of this hike in the spring (note my elated expression). The sunny, glowing forest.  Camas flowers, which the trail and city are named after. The flowery view of upper falls. Perfect for a picnic. Both seasons were perfect in their own way. After this magical day, I was bundled up on the couch for my nap.  Thank you for sharing my adventure! 

Rating for Lacamas Creek Trail

I gave this hike 2 paws up because the views are magical in every season, and there are so many perfect little spots for a picnic and a treat. The mossy trees, wildflowers, and racing creek are stunning to explore. The trail is rated easy, and pups need to be leashed throughout the hike. As always, I recommend assessing your pup’s health before the hike, making sure to bring plenty of water, and staying close to your pup throughout the trail.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I catch up on more hiking adventures!

Happy Birthday, Grammy!

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel community; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to take my first international trip to British Columbia, Canada. We took a girls trip that included me, Mom, Mom’s sister, and one of Mom’s best friends. We found an amazing hiking expedition in Golden Ears Provincial Park at Gold Creek Falls. The hike was an easy 3.5 mile trip with little elevation gain, but the mossy rain forest views were like nothing I had ever seen before.

A misty view of the forest. The water was incredibly clear. I was so ready to go for a dip. A view of the pristine Allouette Lake. C’mon, Mom, it’s time to swim! I found the perfect stick to play fetch with. Oof, actually it was slightly awkward. After over an hour of fetch, I was ready to hike! Me and Mom’s friends exploring the foggy trail. The views were captivating. This picture looks like the beginning of a horror movie. We finally reached Gold Creek Falls after about 1.5 hours of hiking. At this point I was over it because it started pouring out, and Mom forgot my raincoat! After the long, beautiful hiking day, I was ready to be bundled up in the car for my nap.

Rating for Gold Creek Falls

I gave this hike 2 paws up because the views were impressive and there were tons of refreshing lakes where I could grab a stick and play fetch. The mossy trees and clear lakes made a stunning backdrop for exploring or a picnic lunch. The trail is rated easy, though it is probably safer to have your dog on a leash on this hike since bears live in the park. According to the park’s site, dogs can be off leash once they are at least 1 km into the trail. I recommend assessing your pups health before the hike, making sure to bring plenty of water, and staying close to your pup throughout the trail in case any creepy critters decide to visit you.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore Vancouver, British Columbia.

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel and #weekendwanderlust communities; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

For my 6th birthday, I thought it would be fun to go off the beaten path and explore a small town in Washington called Centralia. Centralia has a perfect name, located centrally between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. We found a pretty sweet dog-friendly hotel that I’ve been excited to share with my pups.

McMenamins Olympic Club Hotel.

McMenamins is a unique chain based out of Oregon that specializes in renovating old historic buildings into charming hotels, brewpubs, venues, and movie theaters. They offer some of the best movie brewpubs in Portland, so we knew they would be a unique place to stay. Plus all of their locations are dog-friendly, which is a major woof in my book.

Exterior of the hotel. 

This particular Mcmenamins hotel, the Olympic Club or Oly club, has a fascinating history. The hotel was built in the early 1900s and was originally a gentlemen’s resort and Old West railroad hotel. The hotel featured a card room, pool room, barbershop, bar, shoeshine stand, and elegant furnishings. The hotel was recognized for hosting high rollers, miners, loggers, and ladies of the night. The hotel became significant after the notorious train robber Roy Gardner was captured in one of the rooms in the 1920s. The hotel has a history of paranormal activity, which includes reports of laughter in empty rooms, mysterious music playing in the halls, candles being mysteriously lit, and ghostly apparitions. Based on the history, I was prepared to protect Mom and Dad throughout the night.

Old railroad behind the hotel.  Exterior of the hotel. 

Upon arrival, I was immediately given treats by the front desk lady. She then proceeded to give me a dog bowl, more treats, and poop bags. Win!

My welcome package. 

We went to explore our hotel room and were surprised by our accommodations. Our room was called the Don Iverson and featured the history of his time working at the Oly club painted all around the room. There were bunk beds! I was so confused by them. The room had well-thought-out, intricate details, and we felt like we were back in the 1900s. I started immediately growling at the ghosts, which terrified Mom and Dad.

The history of our room.  The history of the hotel. The history of our room.  Lovely details. Bunk beds? Me enjoying my water bowl. How the heck am I going to protect you up there? Mom and Dad played cards all night to go with the hotel theme.

This hotel was one of the coolest, most unique hotels we have ever been to. Style-wise, the hotel was absolutely perfect. The beds were actually comfy, even though we had a bunk bed room. I only had two complaints: One, there was a $15 pet fee for accidents, and you know how much we don’t like pet fees; and two, our particular room had no air conditioning, fans, or windows. We all felt very claustrophobic and had to sleep with the covers off because it felt roughly a million degrees. The room had a skylight that was too high to reach and open. Other rooms had windows, and we will definitely spring for a better room next time we stay at a McMenamins hotel.

Ratings:

McMenamins Olympic Club Hotel:

I only gave the hotel one paw up because although the hotel had treats and beautiful accommodations, the pet fee and the hot rooms would deter us from staying here often. We will definitely spring for a nicer room next time. However, McMenamins hotels are unique, and I would recommend staying, eating, or watching a movie there when you have a chance!

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I tell the interesting story of my birthday trip to Centralia, Washington.

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel, #weekendwanderlust, and #theweeklypostcard communities on Facebook; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to take my first international trip to British Columbia, Canada. We took a girls trip that included me, Mom, Mom’s sister, and one of Mom’s best friends. We found an amazing hiking expedition in Golden Ears Provincial Park at Gold Creek Falls. The hike was an easy 3.5 mile trip with little elevation gain, but the mossy rain forest views were like nothing I had ever seen before.

A misty view of the forest. The water was incredibly clear. I was so ready to go for a dip. A view of the pristine Allouette Lake. C’mon, Mom, it’s time to swim! I found the perfect stick to play fetch with. Oof, actually it was slightly awkward. After over an hour of fetch, I was ready to hike! Me and Mom’s friends exploring the foggy trail. The views were captivating. This picture looks like the beginning of a horror movie. We finally reached Gold Creek Falls after about 1.5 hours of hiking. At this point I was over it because it started pouring out, and Mom forgot my raincoat! After the long, beautiful hiking day, I was ready to be bundled up in the car for my nap.

Rating for Gold Creek Falls

I gave this hike 2 paws up because the views were impressive and there were tons of refreshing lakes where I could grab a stick and play fetch. The mossy trees and clear lakes made a stunning backdrop for exploring or a picnic lunch. The trail is rated easy, though it is probably safer to have your dog on a leash on this hike since bears live in the park. According to the park’s site, dogs can be off leash once they are at least 1 km into the trail. I recommend assessing your pups health before the hike, making sure to bring plenty of water, and staying close to your pup throughout the trail in case any creepy critters decide to visit you.

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore Vancouver, British Columbia.

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel and #weekendwanderlust communities; join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration.