The Three Chis

WOW....It has been a whirlwind of a weekend!  We arrived on Friday and our first destination....SUN VALLEY DOG.  We popped in and texted Nicole..."Look at the door"  and for the first time ever, we met in person one of the greatest people in the world, Nicole.  And to add to the excitment, Nicole was 90 minutes from the grand opening of SUN VALLEY DOG!  At 4:00pm, the doors opened and the people came!  The store is a hit with its amazing items for the stylish Isabella Cane & Sun Valley Dog collars & leashes to the fun dog toys like the Bark Street Journal and Puptrone and Ipaw!  Idaho is big BIG BIG dog country!  So lots of cool items for the bigger dogs! 

In addition to the fun of the grand opening was the amazing opportunity to stay with Nicole and her pack at her fab home in Ketchum.  We loved the Hoss, Lilly and Creole!  And Peter is a winner, too!

The dogs have a great life with Nicole!  Lots of space, lots of love and lots of hiking!  We got to enjoy the amazing hikes around the area.  Mingo tackled the hills and won!  And Mingo loved the long, long halls at Nicole's home.  She bounded up and down like a little gazelle!

Oh, and don't forget the fun adventures around town from the encounter with the black bear at the antique fair.  Mingo took that nasty scary bear down!  There was the amazing gondola ride up Mount Baldy....cold and windy, the view was amazing!  Concerts all weekend long at the new town square...Ketchum wisely converted a parking lot to a community hot spot where concerts will be held and ice cream sold and other fun events!

Little Mingo made it to Idaho and is now in love with the town, Nicole and of course, Little Hoss!  Time passed quickly..way too quickly!  But tomorrow, find out more about the fun journey home! 

I am gonna keep it brief since I have a weak Internet connection and who knows if the person is gonna figure out I am on his/her network and kick me off.

We made it to Idaho!  Yes, we did. And I have NOT yet seen a single solitary potato!  Not one.  We are just 80 miles from our destination point...Sun Valley.  We almost stayed in Twin Falls but it was just a mass of fast food and chain restaurants and motels/hotels and it overwhelmed Kt.  So we opted to go to a smaller town of Jerome.  We found a sweet old fashion motel and it turns out the owner was from Mountain View and so she waived the no small dog rule for me.  Yes, NO SMALL DOG rule.  She said small dogs pee where they shouldn't but that I was too cute to be a peeing machine.  But she did ask Kt to walk me before bed.  Whatever!    And then there were some nice people outside in the cool courtyard...kinda cute, too!  And they carried ALL of our luggage in for you.  Idahoians!  I think I love them. 

Alright...more tomorrow.  Tomorrow is the BIG BIG BIG day!  It is the GRAND OPENING of SUN VALLEY DOG...And its the first time we meet Nicole Kohn live and in-person!  And Hoss!  And Creole! And Lily!  Can't wait....

Love, Little Mingo!

Idaho, here I come!  Today, I decided to pack up the car and head off to Sun Valley, ID.  Kt and I thought about this spontaneous journey for a few long hours and weighed out the pros & cons.  And this morning at 8:15am, we went for it.  It made for a morning rush.  Tim stepped up to make sure that the car was safe for a long, long, long road trip.  Oil, gas, tires, windshield fluids...all check and topped off.  He even cleaned the car!  Kt packed but we sure couldn't bring much.  The car has NO trunk and no real space.  But we did it.  I had to bring several outfits!  I am going to the GRAND OPENING of SUN VALLEY DOG...I am planning on wearing my KARA SAUN.  I look marvelous! 

We left at 3:00pm and thanks to bad advice from the GPS and an accident on the Bay Bridge, we went less than 70 miles in the first  three hours.  Yes, 70 miles in the first 3 hours.  We could have gone faster on a bicycle   But then things picked up and tonight, I am resting my head in The Biggest Little City...I am in Reno, NV.  But I am sleepy..so so so sleepy.  I can barely keep my eyes open so for now, I say good-bye.  Come back tomorrow for Day TWO of the Road Trip to Idaho! 

Love, Little Mingo

We love Carmel...We love it!  Carmel-by-the-Sea is truly a fantastic town and it is all the better because of its love of the dog.  Dogs are welcome in this town and it makes this a perfect destination for our family.  We always start the day off with a long, long, long stroll on the amazing off-leash beach.  We love to feel the sand between our paws.  There are dogs of all sizes enjoying the beach.  Big dogs, little dogs, dogs who love the water, dogs who love tennis balls...After a walk along the shore, we love to hit the town of Carmel.  Who wouldn't love to stroll along the streets of this place...nearly every store has treats and outside the shops are bowls of nice cool water.  And I can never hear enough of the compliments... Ooohs and aaaahs and belly rubs abound.  And then there is the Cypress Inn.  What an amazing dog-friendly place for dogs.  We enjoy the outdoor dining.  And maybe one day, we will even enjoy an overnight stay!  You have to...you simply have to...you must go and enjoy a day at Carmel.  Tell them Little Mingo sent you!