Asa and I had the best weekend ever!  We attended the 4th Annual New England Golden Jubilee at Dog Mountain!  Our weekend was filled with surprises, pure joy, and 120 Golden Retrievers!  It all began on Friday afternoon when Mom and Dad loaded us up for a long car ride to St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  Silly Asa thought we were going on just another hike, but I knew this was a much bigger adventure.  After all, it’s not every week that we randomly get a bath on a Thursday.  Another sign we were going on a grand adventure was Mom packed our kibble and other essentials for an overnight stay.  That could only mean one thing, we were staying at a hotel again!

Last year when we attended the New England Golden Jubilee, we stayed at a hotel for the first time, and I absolutely fell in love with the concept.  After all it has everything a dog could possibly want condensed into a single room.  There was a living room couch, the biggest bed we have ever seen, an equally big TV, a desk for Dad, a microwave and fridge for our treats, and even a bathtub in case Mom felt the need to bathe our muddy paws.  What more could we possibly need?  Comfort Inn and Suites thought of everything!  Even Asa’s Imaginary Friend was there!

After being greeted in the lobby with treats, and a quick ride in the elevator, we arrived at our home away from home for the next few days.  It was everything I remembered it to be, and infinitely more!  While Mom and Dad unpacked our stuff, Asa and I gave a the room a good sniffing, and then settled in for our first night.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, I realized the History Channel was having a marathon of my favorite show, Ancient Aliens!  We don’t get that channel at home, and as a renown Dog Ufologist I was excited to see the latest episodes.  Better yet, Mom kept the TV on all night so I could watch it!  Well that, and to distract me from the noises in the hallway.  Last year I got a bit ambitious, and thought I had to protect the entire hotel from intruders.  I may have barked once or twice in the night.  But not this time!  Instead, I curled up and drifted off to sleep listening to the television.

The next morning I made sure Mom was up nice and early at 5:00 AM so she could watch the Royal Wedding with me.  I felt bad turning down Prince Harry’s personal invitation to attend.  However, I’m sure he understood that I couldn’t miss the biggest event of 2018.  Over 100 Golden Retrievers were at the New England Golden Jubilee on Saturday.  Zero Golden Retrievers attended the Royal Wedding.  You decide which was the better event!

Little did I realize that staying one floor below me was my half brother Duke!  In fact on our second day at the hotel I realized many new and old Golden friends were staying at the hotel with us!  In the lobby I ran into my friend Cody, who I met last year at the jubilee.  Cody’s Dad once again treated him to his very own fish dinner at Riley’s Fish Shack!  Outside in the doggie promenade area I met Texas who came to Vermont by way of his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts.  This was his first time at the jubilee.  I also met Piper who not only was this her first trip to Dog Mountain, she was staying at a hotel for the very first time at the tender age of just four months old!  Oh to be that young and going on such a grand adventure!  But having the best time of all was Stanley!  On Sunday morning it was raining.  Stanley made the best of the situation by playing fetch in the long hallway!  He’s a therapy dog who came all the way to Dog Mountain from New Jersey, and needed to burn off some energy before the long trip back home.

To think all this fun was just at the hotel.  Wait until Wednesday when I tell you all about the 4th Annual New England Golden Jubilee!  But right now I need help wheeling an exhausted Asa to the lobby on the luggage cart if we’re ever going to check out of the hotel and head home!