May 2022

Before I start today’s review, I want to update you on a few New Year changes for my blog. I am planning on transitioning our blog into a photo blog (more photos with captions, less writing between pics). The reason I’ve decided to take this route is to save time on writing while placing increased focus on our new YouTube channel. The videos take many hours throughout the week to edit, and it’s not feasible to do both while maintaining good quality. We’re working on quality over quantity, so please bear with us on this transition!

Thank you for reading my pups!

On that note, I am going to play catch-up and introduce last week’s video and adventure first. We had a lovely rainy day adventure in Portland, and we hiked Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. To read more about Latourell Falls, check out this post on the hike I wrote a couple of years ago: https://bigdogtravelblog.com/2017/08/24/hiking-spotlight-latourell-falls/

Our rainy day adventure video:

Sammich is an amazing sandwich spot; they gifted me a brisket treat! The cute storefront. Smelling the delicious meat! Mom didn’t gift me any of her sammie, which was quite rude! Spotted this cutie who was serious about no solicitors on his property. Mom and Dad wanted a tea and coffee break. The obligatory sign shot 🙄 No pups allowed inside! Mom taunting me with a picture of the treats! I get her back in the video 😉 The rain subsided just in time for our hike. Looking dope in front of the falls.

Our next video adventure is our hike in the old growth forest in Mount Hood National Forest. Roughly one hour east of Portland, this hike is worth the drive for the stunning views, mossy ancient trees, and the swift raging river.

Our Mount Hood hiking trail video:

The trail welcomes leashed pups! A rec pass is required from May to October. Someone left these cute painted rocks along the trail. My friend Luna’s Mom took some beautiful photos while Mom was filming! This was my favorite 😂 such a diva! My Aunt Kathy cartooned this picture too 🥰 Me and my little bestie. I love her! Derpin! Enjoying the views. I was so happy that day!

Rating for both hikes:

You really can’t go wrong hiking in the Pacific Northwest. From the mossy trees to the stunning waterfalls, there is beauty for every hiker and their pup to enjoy. I may be a bit bias because I live here, but I think these are some of the best hiking spots in the United States. Both hikes are relatively easy and good for pups of all skill levels. As always, remember to bring plenty of water for your pup to stay hydrated. If an area of the trail looks too hard for your pup to traverse, don’t be afraid to test it and turn around if it’s too tough. I hope you are enjoying our new YouTube content. Let me know what else you would love to see on this channel!

Pin this, pups!

Happy trails pups!

If you are ever lucky enough to drive up or down the Oregon coast, there is a tiny beach with views of a gorgeous lighthouse that is worth the detour. Between Florence and Yachats on the Pacific Coast Highway lies Cape Cove Beach and the Heceta Head Lighthouse. The beach and lighthouse are located in Devil’s Elbow State Park, which is home to miles of hiking trails, amazing bird- and seal-watching, and stunning views of the coastal sea stacks. We took a family trip and spent the day playing fetch in the ocean.

The beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. Me, ready for adventure! The Heceta Head Lighthouse above the shore.

We spent the day mostly playing fetch until Mom got tired.

It was a perfect day.  C’mon, Mom, let’s play! I chased her around the shore. Until we finally found a stick!  The water was freakin’ freezing.  We had to take a break when our feet were numb. Dad was exploring the rocks around the shore.  I wanted to join them, but I couldn’t climb up! So I did my own thing for a bit. When it was cloudy, Mom took pictures of the lighthouse.  The old lighthouse keeper’s house was renovated into a bed and breakfast. Inside the lighthouse was an iron, swirly staircase.  We couldn’t climb up because the lighthouse was under renovation.  Overall, it was a perfect family trip, and I hope to be back soon!

Rating for Cape Cove Beach:

I gave this beach two paws up because it was scenic and packed with adventure. There are many spots to have a picnic lunch, hike around the lighthouse, and relax by the shore. I would recommend pups to be careful if they plan on playing fetch in the Pacific Ocean. Although I make it look easy, I am a very strong swimmer. The currents of the Pacific Ocean are very swift and strong, and the water is lined with sharp and jagged rocks. Be careful, bring plenty of water, and assess your pup’s health before letting them play in the Pacific.

Pin this, pups: 

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore more of the Oregon Coast.

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

Did you know I don’t like camping?

Over the years, I’ve brought up how much camping terrifies me. All the sounds and smells are a lot for a pup to handle. Plus sleeping on the ground is not as cozy as a hotel bed. I can, however, get behind a warm and cozy glampsite. Mom recently found a beautiful yurt in Springfield, Oregon.

Here is a link to the yurt AirBnB if you are interested in checking it out: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/36519937

We also did an amazing snow hike in Mount Hood National Forest called the Pioneer Bridle Trail. We had tried this hike before, but it was even more magical in the snow. I found out I love to eat lots of snow to stay hydrated on our adventures.

The beautiful Pioneer Bridle Trail I’m a snow dog at heart The magical yurt The bed was cozy and warm The stars in the skylight at night

Ratings for the Yurt and Trail:

Are you surprised? I rate a lot of my adventures two paws up because I love most of the places we go. We only have a couple of one paw up ratings, and I don’t believe I’ve ever rated anything no paws up. Both of these adventures were so magical, I had to give them a top dog rating. I hope you’re enjoying our new channel. Please let me know if there is anything you’d like to see from us!

Happy Trails Pups!

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.

If you are ever lucky enough to drive up or down the Oregon coast, there is a tiny beach with views of a gorgeous lighthouse that is worth the detour. Between Florence and Yachats on the Pacific Coast Highway lies Cape Cove Beach and the Heceta Head Lighthouse. The beach and lighthouse are located in Devil’s Elbow State Park, which is home to miles of hiking trails, amazing bird- and seal-watching, and stunning views of the coastal sea stacks. We took a family trip and spent the day playing fetch in the ocean.

The beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. Me, ready for adventure! The Heceta Head Lighthouse above the shore.

We spent the day mostly playing fetch until Mom got tired.

It was a perfect day.  C’mon, Mom, let’s play! I chased her around the shore. Until we finally found a stick!  The water was freakin’ freezing.  We had to take a break when our feet were numb. Dad was exploring the rocks around the shore.  I wanted to join them, but I couldn’t climb up! So I did my own thing for a bit. When it was cloudy, Mom took pictures of the lighthouse.  The old lighthouse keeper’s house was renovated into a bed and breakfast. Inside the lighthouse was an iron, swirly staircase.  We couldn’t climb up because the lighthouse was under renovation.  Overall, it was a perfect family trip, and I hope to be back soon!

Rating for Cape Cove Beach:

I gave this beach two paws up because it was scenic and packed with adventure. There are many spots to have a picnic lunch, hike around the lighthouse, and relax by the shore. I would recommend pups to be careful if they plan on playing fetch in the Pacific Ocean. Although I make it look easy, I am a very strong swimmer. The currents of the Pacific Ocean are very swift and strong, and the water is lined with sharp and jagged rocks. Be careful, bring plenty of water, and assess your pup’s health before letting them play in the Pacific.

Pin this, pups: 

Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I explore more of the Oregon Coast.

This blog is a member of the #feetdotravel, #weekendwanderlust, and #theweeklypostcard 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.

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.

Did you know I don’t like camping?

Over the years, I’ve brought up how much camping terrifies me. All the sounds and smells are a lot for a pup to handle. Plus sleeping on the ground is not as cozy as a hotel bed. I can, however, get behind a warm and cozy glampsite. Mom recently found a beautiful yurt in Springfield, Oregon.

Here is a link to the yurt AirBnB if you are interested in checking it out: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/36519937

We also did an amazing snow hike in Mount Hood National Forest called the Pioneer Bridle Trail. We had tried this hike before, but it was even more magical in the snow. I found out I love to eat lots of snow to stay hydrated on our adventures.

The beautiful Pioneer Bridle Trail I’m a snow dog at heart The magical yurt The bed was cozy and warm The stars in the skylight at night

Ratings for the Yurt and Trail:

Are you surprised? I rate a lot of my adventures two paws up because I love most of the places we go. We only have a couple of one paw up ratings, and I don’t believe I’ve ever rated anything no paws up. Both of these adventures were so magical, I had to give them a top dog rating. I hope you’re enjoying our new channel. Please let me know if there is anything you’d like to see from us!

Happy Trails Pups!

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.

Before I start today’s review, I want to update you on a few New Year changes for my blog. I am planning on transitioning our blog into a photo blog (more photos with captions, less writing between pics). The reason I’ve decided to take this route is to save time on writing while placing increased focus on our new YouTube channel. The videos take many hours throughout the week to edit, and it’s not feasible to do both while maintaining good quality. We’re working on quality over quantity, so please bear with us on this transition!

Thank you for reading my pups!

On that note, I am going to play catch-up and introduce last week’s video and adventure first. We had a lovely rainy day adventure in Portland, and we hiked Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. To read more about Latourell Falls, check out this post on the hike I wrote a couple of years ago: https://bigdogtravelblog.com/2017/08/24/hiking-spotlight-latourell-falls/

Our rainy day adventure video:

Sammich is an amazing sandwich spot; they gifted me a brisket treat! The cute storefront. Smelling the delicious meat! Mom didn’t gift me any of her sammie, which was quite rude! Spotted this cutie who was serious about no solicitors on his property. Mom and Dad wanted a tea and coffee break. The obligatory sign shot 🙄 No pups allowed inside! Mom taunting me with a picture of the treats! I get her back in the video 😉 The rain subsided just in time for our hike. Looking dope in front of the falls.

Our next video adventure is our hike in the old growth forest in Mount Hood National Forest. Roughly one hour east of Portland, this hike is worth the drive for the stunning views, mossy ancient trees, and the swift raging river.

Our Mount Hood hiking trail video:

The trail welcomes leashed pups! A rec pass is required from May to October. Someone left these cute painted rocks along the trail. My friend Luna’s Mom took some beautiful photos while Mom was filming! This was my favorite 😂 such a diva! My Aunt Kathy cartooned this picture too 🥰 Me and my little bestie. I love her! Derpin! Enjoying the views. I was so happy that day!

Rating for both hikes:

You really can’t go wrong hiking in the Pacific Northwest. From the mossy trees to the stunning waterfalls, there is beauty for every hiker and their pup to enjoy. I may be a bit bias because I live here, but I think these are some of the best hiking spots in the United States. Both hikes are relatively easy and good for pups of all skill levels. As always, remember to bring plenty of water for your pup to stay hydrated. If an area of the trail looks too hard for your pup to traverse, don’t be afraid to test it and turn around if it’s too tough. I hope you are enjoying our new YouTube content. Let me know what else you would love to see on this channel!

Pin this, pups!

Happy trails pups!