R&R in the Hood

Hood River!

After warning the boys that any trouble could cost them deeply, I left Friday morning to pick up Michael and make our way to Hood River for a weekend of rest and relaxation.  Our first stop was Hood River Inn, where we met up with sis Julie for lunch.  We then made our way to sis Eilene's grooming shop to shoot the bull.  Following a quick Hood River drive through, we checked into our room.  Or should we say our small apartment!  Thanks to sis Julie, we received the Friends and Family discount then were upgraded to a suite, which included a balcony, fireplace, and in-room jacuzzi tub.  There were even two crisp white robes for us to use during our visit.   It was fabulous to say the least!!



Jube, Leash and Eilene

After unpacking, we met up with Julie, Eilene, and Eilene's hubby Gary at the Cebu bar for drinks and appetizers.  Michael had an Appletini (he's made better) while I had a Springtini, a concoction made with strawberry and rhubarb.  Interesting but not one of my favorites.

Following drinks, we relaxed before making our way around Hood River, hitting Walmart then looking for KFC.  The phone book said it was on 6th Avenue so we drove here, drove there, and everywhere in search of 6th.  Unfortunately, as Julie mentioned to us later, the nearest KFC is on 6th Avenue in The Dalles.  No wonder we couldn't find it!

We ended up ordering room service then indulged our guilty pleasures - Michael watched the Oklahoma vs. L.A. Lakers playoff game while I read the newest People magazine.

Saturday morning we made our way to the hotel dining room for a free breakfast then hit the road for Julie's house.  The weather was gorgeous - blue sky, sunny, and a marvelous predictor of our weekend.

Brown Cow

Michael was able to meet Carl, Julie's husband, along with Rusty the dog who, when given a ball, showed serious signs of a fetching OCD problem.  We also got to meet Brown Cow, their pet aka future dinner.  Julie rewarded Brown Cow with one of his favorites - a box of mini powdered sugar doughnuts.  That cow almost swallowed Julie's arm he was so excited to be given handful after handful of the sugary treat.

After Julie's, I took Michael on a tour of my hometown Carson, which took perhaps ten minutes (and I'm being generous here.)  We then drove out to Eilene and Gary's abode so Michael could get the full effect of her horses, her dogs, and her ranch.  We again witnessed the feeding of treats to animals, in this case Augi and Dusty, their horses.  It seemed when we appeared, treats would follow!

Augi

After Eilene's, we drove to Stevenson where we stopped for lunch at the Big River Grill before cruising over the Bridge of the Gods to Cascade Locks and back to Hood River.

Returning to our room, Michael decided it was time to test out the jacuzzi bath tub.  After my urging, he dumped a healthy dose of bubble bath to the tub then settled in for a soak.  Whirlpool jets on, the bubbles grew, then grew, then grew some more until they were out of control.  Those bubbles grew and attacked then threatened to swallow up Michael whole as if he were Steve McQueen in The Blob.   I ended up scooping wastebaskets full of bubbles, depositing them into the shower, then returning for more as we sought to reduce the number of bubbles threatening to overtake our room.  Thankfully we got it under control.  It was definitely a Lucy and Ethel moment!


Michael steering the Sternwheeler

Our weekend nearly over, we spent Sunday enjoying the brunch buffet on the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler.  Food was excellent, weather was acceptable, and Michael even drove the boat!  Finishing up our cruise, we then made our way to Portland so we could visit sis Luna and her hubby Mike.  Michael received the house tour and even went home with gifts - two bottles of wine, some homemade brandy, and an antique office chair! 

It was a long but very relaxing weekend.  Michael knocked out meeting three siblings in one weekend with only three more to go!  It was a great weekend of R&R and I'm looking forward to our next adventure!