September 2021

This is a photo memoir of my first year of dedication to dog-friendly travel. In the past, Mom and Dad took me on plenty of mini road trips through Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. They took an America road trip without me and missed me every single day. As we became increasingly obsessed with traveling together, we realized we wanted to learn and explore dog travel more. We decided to move to Portland, Oregon and our lives changed forever. In the past year, we’ve journeyed across America, explored the Pacific Northwest, and hiked through Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, Canada. My purpose is to show dog owners the beauty of traveling with your best friend while raising awareness of breed discrimination. I hope you enjoy these memories and that they inspire you to take your dog along on your next family road trip.

Kayaking with Dad on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida.  Kayaking with Dad on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida.  Posing at the Tennessee Welcome Sign.  Hiking with Mom on the Gatlinburg Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Enjoying downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  Enjoying the arch in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  Fearing the corn fields in Nebraska. Observing Sioux Falls with Dad in South Dakota.  Observing Sioux Falls with Mom in South Dakota.  Looking majestic in front of Sioux Falls in South Dakota.  Observing Sioux Falls with Mom in South Dakota.  Observing Sioux Falls with Mom in South Dakota.  Enjoying cozy hotel beds. Posing with goofy roadside attractions. Posing with goofy roadside attractions. Posing with goofy roadside attractions. Enjoying the Badlands National Park.  Hiking through the snowy Willamette National Forest.  Hiking through the snowy Willamette National Forest.  Hiking with Pluto through the snowy Willamette National Forest.  Enjoying more delightful hotel beds. Checking out Mount Hood and the hotel from the Shining in Oregon. Tiptoeing through the tulips at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Oregon. Tiptoeing through the tulips at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Oregon. Hiking to the top of Angel’s Rest in the Columbia River Gorge.  Hiking to the top of Angel’s Rest in the Columbia River Gorge.  Staying at a haunted hotel in Centralia, Washington. Discovering my new favorite hobby at the Sandy River Delta in Troutdale, Oregon.  Discovering my new favorite hobby at the Sandy River Delta in Troutdale, Oregon.  Hiking Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.  Hiking Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.  Discovering the beauty of the Oregon coast.  Discovering the beauty of the Oregon coast. Discovering the beauty of the Oregon coast.  Hiking Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada.  Hiking Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada.  Hiking Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada.  Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

How lucky can one dog be? 

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I hike the Painted Hills!

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel community. Join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration. Scarlett is also a regular contributor for Travel Pass magazine where you can read more of her work: www.travelpassmag.com.

After our long, incredible day hike in the Willamette National Forest, I was pooped from running around on the ice all day. Mom and Dad bought me a delightful, comfy hotel room at the dog-friendly Lodge at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Ore. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my own bed because Jena, Brian, and Pluto spent the night.

Please let me have my own bed tonight, guys!

In the morning, we went to look for a yummy breakfast around Redmond when Mom and Dad started freaking out. I thought there must have been some great meaty bones, a dog park, or a fun dog waiting for me, but they ended up taking me to the oddest place.

Blockbuster still exists?

Apparently, Blockbuster was a nostalgic part of Mom and Dad’s childhood, so we explored.

The sign that specified Blockbuster is now dog-friendly.

We walked around, and I was appalled to find out that Blockbuster was just a bunch of smelly old movies and video games. Boring! The lady there said the famous chain closed, and now they only have individually-owned franchises, with two locations in Oregon. My parents said they used to spend hours in there as children. Alrighty then.

Panorama by Papa.

Do you recognize the lady floating in the star of the panorama pic? Peanut butter points if you do! The nice lady at the counter gave me a treat, and we finally left Blockbuster to go on a real adventure.

View from the top of Mount Hood.

We drove a few hours and finally made it to the famous Timberline Lodge, where the outside of “The Shining” was filmed. Mom and Dad love scaries, so they played creepy music on the way up the mountain until we arrived at the iconic resort.

The Timberline Lodge.

It looked like a scary movie, and I honestly didn’t want to go in. But in we went!

Me scared in front of the main entrance.

I was not smiling when we took this picture. I could feel that this place was haunted, and I was ready to go home! (We found out later that the Timberline lodge is rumored to be haunted.)

Waiting to see if the lodge is pup-friendly. All work and no play makes Scarlett a dull girl.

Mom went to check and found out that fortunately the lodge wasn’t dog-friendly, and only allowed service animals. My dream came true, and I was lucky enough to hang out outside while Mom explored.

Picture of the Timberline Lodge dog.

Mom was very upset that the lodge wasn’t dog-friendly, since this dog was pictured enjoying the lodge all over the hotel. She read that since the 1930s, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the lodge, Saint Bernards were the lodge’s resident dog and roamed the resort freely. Over the years, many St. Bernard mascots lived at the resort, with names such as Hansel, Gretel, Heidi, Bruno, and more. Heidi even had a famous children’s book written about her in the ’80s! There are currently two new resident St. Bernards named Heidi and Bruno, who live on a 40-acre farm nearby and visit the Timberline often to greet guests.

Skier descending the slope. Come play with us, skier. Forever. And ever.

It was beautiful out, so we enjoyed the snow and watched the skiers and snowboarders having fun. I tried to catch them as they sled by us. It was overall a fun little day trip back home to Portland, and we watched “The Shining” as soon as we got home. It was really woofing scary, and I’m again happy I didn’t have to go in there!

Ratings: 

Lodge at Eagle Crest Resort:

I only gave the lodge one paw up because although it was pet-friendly and had comfy beds, the resort charged us a hefty pet fee of $25 per night, and you know how much we don’t like pet fees!

Blockbuster:

I gave Blockbuster a paw because even though it was a weird, old, smelly video store, they did let me in and gave me a treat.

Timberline Lodge:

Although the Timberline Lodge is a wonderful, beautiful destination for humans, they were not dog-friendly — unless you are a service dog. However, I don’t recommend it because it’s haunted and I’m a scaredy pup.

Stay tuned for my next blog post for more dog-friendly reviews of Oregon.

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel community 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.

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.

After our long, incredible day hike in the Willamette National Forest, I was pooped from running around on the ice all day. Mom and Dad bought me a delightful, comfy hotel room at the dog-friendly Lodge at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Ore. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my own bed because Jena, Brian, and Pluto spent the night.

Please let me have my own bed tonight, guys!

In the morning, we went to look for a yummy breakfast around Redmond when Mom and Dad started freaking out. I thought there must have been some great meaty bones, a dog park, or a fun dog waiting for me, but they ended up taking me to the oddest place.

Blockbuster still exists?

Apparently, Blockbuster was a nostalgic part of Mom and Dad’s childhood, so we explored.

The sign that specified Blockbuster is now dog-friendly.

We walked around, and I was appalled to find out that Blockbuster was just a bunch of smelly old movies and video games. Boring! The lady there said the famous chain closed, and now they only have individually-owned franchises, with two locations in Oregon. My parents said they used to spend hours in there as children. Alrighty then.

Panorama by Papa.

Do you recognize the lady floating in the star of the panorama pic? Peanut butter points if you do! The nice lady at the counter gave me a treat, and we finally left Blockbuster to go on a real adventure.

View from the top of Mount Hood.

We drove a few hours and finally made it to the famous Timberline Lodge, where the outside of “The Shining” was filmed. Mom and Dad love scaries, so they played creepy music on the way up the mountain until we arrived at the iconic resort.

The Timberline Lodge.

It looked like a scary movie, and I honestly didn’t want to go in. But in we went!

Me scared in front of the main entrance.

I was not smiling when we took this picture. I could feel that this place was haunted, and I was ready to go home! (We found out later that the Timberline lodge is rumored to be haunted.)

Waiting to see if the lodge is pup-friendly. All work and no play makes Scarlett a dull girl.

Mom went to check and found out that fortunately the lodge wasn’t dog-friendly, and only allowed service animals. My dream came true, and I was lucky enough to hang out outside while Mom explored.

Picture of the Timberline Lodge dog.

Mom was very upset that the lodge wasn’t dog-friendly, since this dog was pictured enjoying the lodge all over the hotel. She read that since the 1930s, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the lodge, Saint Bernards were the lodge’s resident dog and roamed the resort freely. Over the years, many St. Bernard mascots lived at the resort, with names such as Hansel, Gretel, Heidi, Bruno, and more. Heidi even had a famous children’s book written about her in the ’80s! There are currently two new resident St. Bernards named Heidi and Bruno, who live on a 40-acre farm nearby and visit the Timberline often to greet guests.

Skier descending the slope. Come play with us, skier. Forever. And ever.

It was beautiful out, so we enjoyed the snow and watched the skiers and snowboarders having fun. I tried to catch them as they sled by us. It was overall a fun little day trip back home to Portland, and we watched “The Shining” as soon as we got home. It was really woofing scary, and I’m again happy I didn’t have to go in there!

Ratings: 

Lodge at Eagle Crest Resort:

I only gave the lodge one paw up because although it was pet-friendly and had comfy beds, the resort charged us a hefty pet fee of $25 per night, and you know how much we don’t like pet fees!

Blockbuster:

I gave Blockbuster a paw because even though it was a weird, old, smelly video store, they did let me in and gave me a treat.

Timberline Lodge:

Although the Timberline Lodge is a wonderful, beautiful destination for humans, they were not dog-friendly — unless you are a service dog. However, I don’t recommend it because it’s haunted and I’m a scaredy pup.

Stay tuned for my next blog post for more dog-friendly reviews of Oregon.

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

This is a photo memoir of my first year of dedication to dog-friendly travel. In the past, Mom and Dad took me on plenty of mini road trips through Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. They took an America road trip without me and missed me every single day. As we became increasingly obsessed with traveling together, we realized we wanted to learn and explore dog travel more. We decided to move to Portland, Oregon and our lives changed forever. In the past year, we’ve journeyed across America, explored the Pacific Northwest, and hiked through Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, Canada. My purpose is to show dog owners the beauty of traveling with your best friend while raising awareness of breed discrimination. I hope you enjoy these memories and that they inspire you to take your dog along on your next family road trip.

Kayaking with Dad on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida.  Kayaking with Dad on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida.  Posing at the Tennessee Welcome Sign.  Hiking with Mom on the Gatlinburg Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Enjoying downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  Enjoying the arch in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  Fearing the corn fields in Nebraska. Observing Sioux Falls with Dad in South Dakota.  Observing Sioux Falls with Mom in South Dakota.  Looking majestic in front of Sioux Falls in South Dakota.  Observing Sioux Falls with Mom in South Dakota.  Observing Sioux Falls with Mom in South Dakota.  Enjoying cozy hotel beds. Posing with goofy roadside attractions. Posing with goofy roadside attractions. Posing with goofy roadside attractions. Enjoying the Badlands National Park.  Hiking through the snowy Willamette National Forest.  Hiking through the snowy Willamette National Forest.  Hiking with Pluto through the snowy Willamette National Forest.  Enjoying more delightful hotel beds. Checking out Mount Hood and the hotel from the Shining in Oregon. Tiptoeing through the tulips at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Oregon. Tiptoeing through the tulips at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Oregon. Hiking to the top of Angel’s Rest in the Columbia River Gorge.  Hiking to the top of Angel’s Rest in the Columbia River Gorge.  Staying at a haunted hotel in Centralia, Washington. Discovering my new favorite hobby at the Sandy River Delta in Troutdale, Oregon.  Discovering my new favorite hobby at the Sandy River Delta in Troutdale, Oregon.  Hiking Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.  Hiking Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.  Discovering the beauty of the Oregon coast.  Discovering the beauty of the Oregon coast. Discovering the beauty of the Oregon coast.  Hiking Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada.  Hiking Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada.  Hiking Golden Ears Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada.  Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Hiking and exploring the Painted Hills at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

How lucky can one dog be? 

Pin this, pups:

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I hike the Painted Hills!

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel community. Join us to share travel stories, get travel advice, or read travel inspiration. Scarlett is also a regular contributor for Travel Pass magazine where you can read more of her work: www.travelpassmag.com.

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.

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.

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.

After our long, incredible day hike in the Willamette National Forest, I was pooped from running around on the ice all day. Mom and Dad bought me a delightful, comfy hotel room at the dog-friendly Lodge at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Ore. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my own bed because Jena, Brian, and Pluto spent the night.

Please let me have my own bed tonight, guys!

In the morning, we went to look for a yummy breakfast around Redmond when Mom and Dad started freaking out. I thought there must have been some great meaty bones, a dog park, or a fun dog waiting for me, but they ended up taking me to the oddest place.

Blockbuster still exists?

Apparently, Blockbuster was a nostalgic part of Mom and Dad’s childhood, so we explored.

The sign that specified Blockbuster is now dog-friendly.

We walked around, and I was appalled to find out that Blockbuster was just a bunch of smelly old movies and video games. Boring! The lady there said the famous chain closed, and now they only have individually-owned franchises, with two locations in Oregon. My parents said they used to spend hours in there as children. Alrighty then.

Panorama by Papa.

Do you recognize the lady floating in the star of the panorama pic? Peanut butter points if you do! The nice lady at the counter gave me a treat, and we finally left Blockbuster to go on a real adventure.

View from the top of Mount Hood.

We drove a few hours and finally made it to the famous Timberline Lodge, where the outside of “The Shining” was filmed. Mom and Dad love scaries, so they played creepy music on the way up the mountain until we arrived at the iconic resort.

The Timberline Lodge.

It looked like a scary movie, and I honestly didn’t want to go in. But in we went!

Me scared in front of the main entrance.

I was not smiling when we took this picture. I could feel that this place was haunted, and I was ready to go home! (We found out later that the Timberline lodge is rumored to be haunted.)

Waiting to see if the lodge is pup-friendly. All work and no play makes Scarlett a dull girl.

Mom went to check and found out that fortunately the lodge wasn’t dog-friendly, and only allowed service animals. My dream came true, and I was lucky enough to hang out outside while Mom explored.

Picture of the Timberline Lodge dog.

Mom was very upset that the lodge wasn’t dog-friendly, since this dog was pictured enjoying the lodge all over the hotel. She read that since the 1930s, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the lodge, Saint Bernards were the lodge’s resident dog and roamed the resort freely. Over the years, many St. Bernard mascots lived at the resort, with names such as Hansel, Gretel, Heidi, Bruno, and more. Heidi even had a famous children’s book written about her in the ’80s! There are currently two new resident St. Bernards named Heidi and Bruno, who live on a 40-acre farm nearby and visit the Timberline often to greet guests.

Skier descending the slope. Come play with us, skier. Forever. And ever.

It was beautiful out, so we enjoyed the snow and watched the skiers and snowboarders having fun. I tried to catch them as they sled by us. It was overall a fun little day trip back home to Portland, and we watched “The Shining” as soon as we got home. It was really woofing scary, and I’m again happy I didn’t have to go in there!

Ratings: 

Lodge at Eagle Crest Resort:

I only gave the lodge one paw up because although it was pet-friendly and had comfy beds, the resort charged us a hefty pet fee of $25 per night, and you know how much we don’t like pet fees!

Blockbuster:

I gave Blockbuster a paw because even though it was a weird, old, smelly video store, they did let me in and gave me a treat.

Timberline Lodge:

Although the Timberline Lodge is a wonderful, beautiful destination for humans, they were not dog-friendly — unless you are a service dog. However, I don’t recommend it because it’s haunted and I’m a scaredy pup.

Stay tuned for my next blog post for more dog-friendly reviews of Oregon.

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