The Perfect Get-a-way...........

Sunday morning we took a drive to Timberline Lodge for their Father's Day buffet lunch.  We started out in Portland with mild spring weather and rapidly progressed into winter.  The last three miles of the drive add 4,000 feet to the elevation so when we arrived we were at 6,000 feet.  We were met with a freezing cold rain and skiers of every age, getting ready to hit the mountain.  The lodge is huge with massive two story fireplaces and lots of lounging areas.  Typically, buffets aren't my favorite way to eat but, I'll have to admit that this one was the finest that I've ever experienced.  All the food was beautifully prepared and delicious!

 

After lunch we returned to spring weather while driving over to Hood River, a cute village that rests on the Hood River and the Columbia River.  It's usually windy there so it's a wind surfer's haven.  The downtown is very quiet with little shops and cafes (reminding me of Healdsburg about 40 years ago).  There are many wineries in the area and this is where much of the farm produce is grown.  They were busy harvesting cherries when we were there.

We stayed downtown at the Hood River Historic Hotel that offers several rooms for dogs.  We ended up in a suite with kitchen, living room and bedroom and Bella was greeted with a big sign at the front desk with "Welcome Bella" and a bag of doggy treats, a ball, stuffed toy, water dish and a blanket.   She received a genuine VIP treatment the whole time we were there.  With Futbol on the TV, Roger headed straight for the flat screen while Bella and I did some exploration so it was a leisurely and pleasant day.

Iran is playing today in the World Cup so, after breakfast, it was just a short one hour drive back home in time for the game.  Even better, this afternoon U.S. has a

match, so you'll find both of us in front of the tube.