Spokane to Hood River, Oregon

Lulu was a bit grouchy about leaving Grandma's house ("WAS NOT!!"), but we got going at a reasonable hour anyway. We stopped in the TriCities for lunch, and Lulu said, "Hey, this is the same Denny's where we ate lunch on our road trip last year!" And you know, she was right!

We crossed into Oregon (after a lovely Denny's lunch) and drove west along the Columbia River. The wind was blowing like crazy. We got out to take a picture of the river near the John Day Dam and nearly got blown off the cliff! When we got back in the car, we laughed at what the wind had done to our hair. We looked like witches :)

Our hotel in Hood River, the Vagabond Inn, is wonderful! If you're ever here, I recommend it. It's a sort of compound, with several buildings spread out across a large bluff just above the river. There's a playground, picnic tables everywhere under shady trees, BBQ grills, and best of all, Freckles, the official greeter cat. She hangs out by the front door of the office so everyone who passes can pet her. She's very fat and very friendly. Our room has a balcony with a view of the river. In the afternoon, a flock of blue jays flew by, and in the evening, we watched the hawks hunt for fish over the river. It's just beautiful.

Right next door is the Charburger Grill, which sounds like a burger joint but also has steak and seafood. Mom got a really good dinner of wild sockeye salmon. And Lulu was thrilled because they have a gift shop. Yes, folks, you guessed it: she bought YET ANOTHER stuffed animal, a stuffed chihuahua this time. Oh, well, at least it's small and doesn't bark.

And speaking of barking, Mom called Mike to check on Cindy, Mom's dog. We knew Cindy would be happy with Mike's dogs, but we were nervous that she wouldn't behave herself with the cat. Well, not to worry: Mike says the cat put Cindy in her place immediately. A few claws across the nose, and Cindy has instant manners.

Tomorrow: Newport, Oregon, and Lulu's favorite hotel, the Hallmark. She can't wait ("CAN TOO!!")