Welcome to Northwest Arkansas!

As you know, Mom has said I can't travel for awhile. I was sick a few weeks ago, and although I feel much better, she said it was a serious illness and I need to rest over the winter. I guess she does know best and she takes good care of me, so I think I'll do as she says.

Since I can't go visit anyone right now, I'm going to invite everyone to come and visit me. Northwest Arkansas is a great place. I can't wait to share all that it has to offer with you. When you do decide to visit, make sure you let me and Mom know so we can get together. We might even put your picture on my blog so everyone can see what a great time we had.

When you come, the first thing you will need is a place to stay - providing of course, you don't just stay with me and Mom and Dad. My personal favorite is the Embassy Suites in Rogers. Dogs (and other pets) up to 10 pounds are welcome here with a deposit. I'm a small dog so it works great for me. The Embassy Suites has very comfortable beds and there is a refrigerator and a microwave in every room - for those midnight snacks I like so much. They even have room service so they just bring my snack right to my room. Heaven! Check them out at http://www.embassysuitesnwa.com.

If you're a bit bigger than 10 pounds, don't worry because there is a great place for you to stay also and it's just up the road in Bentonville, home of Walmart. It's the La Quinta Inn & Suites Bentonville. They allow dogs of all sizes with a refundable deposit. And they make the best biscuits and gravy - if your mom will bring you some from breakfast. You can find out more about them at http://www.lq.com/lq/properties/propertyProfile.do?ident=LQ790&propId=790.

Of course, there are many other places to stay and when I publish my travel guide for NWA, I will list them all. But since I don't have much room here, I will only share my favorites.

Now that you have a place to stay, what are we going to do. Some of that depends on when you come. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is go out on Beaver Lake in Dad's boat. He says I am a good boat dog! We speed across the lake to his favorite fishing spot. Then he fishes while Mom reads and I nap in the sun. It's a great time - except for the time I fell off the boat into the lake. I didn't like that very much. But Dad jumped right in and got me and Mom held me all wrapped up in a towel until we reached the marina. Sometimes we take the tube or a raft out and watch Jessica and Carter try to ride it. That is funny! They always have trouble staying on, especially when Dad is driving the boat. They seem to do better when Mom is driving. I wonder why? If you come when it's warm enough to take the boat out, I promise we won't make you ride the raft! You can find out all you need to know about the lake at http://www.beaverlake.com/.

When it's too cold to be in the boat but still nice enough to be outdoors, I love to go hiking with Mom in Devil's Den State Park. It is located in Winslow which is close to Fayetteville, home of the U of A Razorbacks. There are lots of trails for us to explore. Dogs are allowed throughout the park and in the campground for no additional fee; they are not permitted in buildings or public swim areas. Dogs must have proof of inoculations, be leashed, and under the immediate control of their owner at all times. One year she even took me camping there. The camping and tent areas allow dogs also. That was the best. There's nothing better than a nice walk and then a good hot dog cooked over a campfire! I slept on Mom's sleeping bag so she wouldn't get scared. In the morning she let me have some bacon with my regular food. Have you ever noticed how everything tastes better cooked over a campfire? Learn more about Devil's Den at http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden/.

If you are a history buff like my Mom, then you will want to go to Pea Ridge National Military Park. Mom says a battle was fought here during the Civil War and that some of Dad's relatives fought in it. She says it's the only battle in the war that had Cherokee fighting in it. There are lots of trails to walk or you can walk on the tour road if you watch for cars. Sometimes you can see deer or turkeys, but you are not allowed to chase them. I saw a snake once too. Mom said it was a rattlesnake. I didn't get to chase it either. You can learn about all there is to do here at http://www.nps.gov/peri/index.htm.

People in NWA love their dogs and are always hosting events for us. This past April, the city of Rogers held Dog Days Downtown. Local businesses had a variety of activity stations set up throughout Frisco Park for our sheer pooch pleasure. Mom and I enjoyed the demonstrations and helpful speaker sessions on Frisco Stage. And if your family was looking for a new addition, the Animal Shelter and Humane Society had pets available for adoption. It was so much fun, I hope they do it again this year. And before that, in March, there was the Easter Egg Hunt at Murphy Dog Park. Now that was fun! I hope they do that again this year too! And the Kennel Club is having a dog show next weekend. I'm not going. It's for fancy dogs like Austin. But Mom said she might go just to take a look at what sort of competition Austin might face if she decided to show him.

Now, about the food. Did I tell you my FAVORITE dog treats are made right here in NWA? BigWag Dog Bakery is right here in Rogers. My favorites are the honey bears and the bacon roll and of course - THE BEEFIE BOOTS! There is nothing better in the world than a beefie boot. Okay maybe sausage and biscuits, but Mom won't let me have that very often. But I can have a beefie boot every day if I want. Check out all their treats at http://www.bigwag.com/. Aspen, Pixel - if you're good, Santa might bring you a bag of honey bears or beefie boots...if you're good.

You can see NWA is a dog's paradise. Good fun, good food. What more could a dog ask for? I hope you'll come and visit me soon.

I'm An Entrepreneurial Dog!

Just a quick update. Mom and I are putting together all of the information about NWA for you. But while we are working on that, we also put together my store! It's on CafePress. I am very excited about all of the great merchandise we have to offer. And once my travel guides are published, you'll be able to purchase those through my store also.

I have to admit, it's not as pretty as I want. Mom is still learning to how to use CafePress resources. But at least it's up and functioning and I didn't want to to wait until it was finished to share it. So here's the link! Stop by and check it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.cafepress.com/travelwithbob

Look at me! I am a business dog now!

I've been busy!

It's been a while since I've been able to get Mom to type for me. I'm getting stronger every day, but I still sleep a lot now and Mom won't wake me so we can blog. She thinks I need to rest. I don't know how she thinks I get much rest with the rat - I mean Austin - always pestering me to play. But I am feeling better.

I haven't been completely lazy. First, did you notice the new look to my blog? Our friend, the PopArtDiva, has finished my portraits. This is the masthead she created for me. Isn't it great? Now I can start working on my store. I'm excited at all the great ideas I have. I just need to get Mom busy on my stuff instead of hers so we can get started.

I also have a MySpace page! Mom helped me get it all set up. I'm still working on it so if you have some suggestions, let me know. I'm kinda new at this stuff. If you want to visit my page, here's how: http://www.myspace.com/adventuresoftravelingbob.

Mom still won't let me travel so I'm going to be working on several projects. I'll keep you updated on them. And I am going to take her suggestion and write about my favorite places to visit. But first I'm going to tell you all about the place I live. Hopefully, once you see all the great things to do here for you and your Mom and Dad, you'll come visit me. I love meeting new people and since Mom won't let me go to them right now, I have to find a way to bring them to me. So next post - A dog's eye view of Northwest Arkansas!

No Travel for Awhile - I Have to Recover...

It's been a rough week for me. Sunday evening Mom noticed I was shaking and not eating. She thought maybe I was just cold so she put me on my blanket. But later when I went outside, I was having some other issues (I think the blood scared Mom). She called Dr. Karen and was told to bring me in right away. When we got to the Dr. Karen's office, the nice new vet, Dr. Hobbs, was there. She took my temperature (105!) and did some tests and discovered that my liver was not working properly. She asked Mom if I had eaten anything like a toadstool (Yuck!) or if I had shown any other signs of being ill. Mom said no. Dr. Hobbs decided I needed to stay there for a few days until they decided whether I had an infection or a tumor. They put an IV in me and gave me all kinds of fluids and medicine. The good news is I'm feeling better. It must have been some kind of infection. I even ate a little bit today. Dr. Hobbs gave me some baby food and it tasted real good. Mom brought me home tonight but I'm still a little weak. So she said no traveling until I have fully recovered. In fact, she said we might just not go anywhere until summer so I have lots of time to rest and get strong.

I asked Mom what I could write about and she suggested I could share some of our favorite places from past trips. Plus she reminded me that I was still sharing my favorite things on my packing list. And I have to get MySpace up and running and I've been working on my store. So I guess I do have enough to keep me busy.

I guess she's right. I'll just rest and get well for now. I like Dr. Karen and Dr. Hobbs but it's good to be home!

There's a Rat in my House!

It even has a name! Mom calls it Austin! She brought him home Sunday. She says he is my new playmate. He looks more like a cat toy than a playmate!

Mom says he is a registered Yorkshire Terrier and that his full name is Baron Sir Austin III of Oak Valley. He has papers and is worth a lot of money. I don't know much about fancy dogs like this one, but the only papers I've seen so far are the newspapers Mom puts down to housebreak him. Heck! It that's all it takes to be a fancy dog, I can piddle on all the newspapers Mom needs.

Mom used to raise fancy dogs like this a long time ago - before she met me. She says she wants to start doing it again. Dad doesn't seem too excited about the idea. I'm siding with him this time.

Am I looking properly pitiful? I must be, because Mom just told me that I was still her baby boy and that no one would take my place. Austin will not have a blog like mine. He might get to travel because she will be taking him to shows, but she said I could go too. And he is not going to have his own PopArt!

Mom is picking the rat up and putting him next to me. I'll just show him some teeth and maybe snarl a little just to show him who's in charge here. Yuck! He just licked me! Mom likes my puppy kisses, but I don't like Austin's! But he is trying hard to be nice. Maybe he won't be so bad. And it would be fun to have another dog to share my adventures with me. Don't all hero's have a sidekick? He's very tiny so he won't eat much or take up much space in the bed. And Mom really seems to like him, so he must be a good dog. I guess I'll give him a chance. Maybe we can call it the Adventures of Traveling Bob and Austin. What do you think?

Back from Orlando and into the Storm!

We're back from Orlando. We arrived home last Thursday. So why am I just now sharing the news about our trip? Because we arrived home just in time for a storm! Hurricane Ike hit the U.S. and had a big impact on many of my family and friends.

We spent Friday waiting to hear from Christine and baby John. If you remember, they live in Corpus Christi and for a while they thought they would have to leave. If so, Mom was going to go help because Christine is going to have another baby besides John and Mom wanted to be there to help if necessary. But we heard Friday evening that they could stay and so we thought we could rest a little easier. We knew that we still had many friends in harm's way, but all we could do for them was pray that they would be safe.

Saturday we got up early and went car shopping. Mom thinks she wants a new Jeep. We didn't buy one but Mom found a couple she is interested in. We got home, called Christine to see if they were okay, had dinner, and settled in for a quiet evening. Both Mom and I must have fallen asleep in our chair because suddenly we heard noise like a train heading straight for the house. Mom got up fast and went outside. The wind was blowing and it was raining so hard that even Iris, our outdoor cat, decided to come in! Mom was going to turn on the television to see what the weather man said, but just then the lights went off! I don't like the dark and the noise scared me so I started to cry but Mom picked me up and went to get a flashlight. She took Iris upstairs to Dad and then came back down and lit some candles. She said she was going to wait a bit to see if the power came back on. We waited for what I thought was a long time and then we finally went to bed.

So now you know why I haven't posted yet. By the time the lights and then the computer came back on it was Monday. And then Mom got busy trying to find out about our friends. And she also found out that a hotel in Texas where one of Mom's friends was supposed to have a meeting soon - well it got the roof blown off. So Mom has been busy trying to find another place for them. When she is busy she tells me she doesn't have time to type for me so I have to be patient and wait. Today she finally called me into the office and said we could write about our trip.

We stayed at the Residence Inn Orlando Lake Buena Vista. Mom said she had heard really good things about this hotel and wanted to check it out. I was a bit disappointed. The rooms were small! Smaller than other hotels we've stayed in and I like to have room to walk around and stretch my legs after a long drive. And Mom said they charged $100 extra for me to stay there. That's more than many other places we've been. The air conditioner made a lot of noise but fortunately, Mom never leaves it on at night so I was able to sleep. The staff was nice to me and they did bring me a different snack every night. Mom says they do that for all of the guests but I think Lola and I had a special bond! All in all I would give it 3 bones. (By the way, my bones aren't working on my computer. Mom said something happened to them because Dad was on the computer during the storm. But she said she can fix it - she just needs to find time. So meanwhile, you just have to imagine bones!). You can check out the hotel at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcorl-residence-inn-orlando-lake-buena-vista/.

Whenever we are in Orlando, Mom always takes me to Hip Dog. I love it there! It's got a place where I can swim in warm water. Mom comes in the pool with me. She says lots of people bring their dogs here to help them after they get hurt or get old. Mom and I just come to swim in the warm water. But I have to admit, I do walk a little better after I've been in there. Hip Dog is one of my favorite places in Orlando. 5 bones!!! Check them out at http://www.hipdog.net/.

Orlando has a lot of parks just for us. At many of them, I don't even need to wear my leash! My favorite is Downey Dog Park. It has a play area for small dogs like me so I don't have to be afraid of the bigger dogs, a time out area, water fountains, and even poop stations! Mom and I go there whenever we come to Orlando. 5 bones for Downey Dog Park. Mom says they don't have a website but you can find them by looking for information on Orange County Dog Parks.

Mom had to meet with a client. That's why we came to Orlando. Mimi was one of Mom's very first clients and knows me. That's why Mom said I could come. We met Mimi for lunch so I could come too. We went to Cafe Bravissimo which has really good lasagna! That's what Mom had and she shared a little bit with me. We had to sit outside because I'm not allowed in the actual restaurant. But Mimi said she prefers dining outside anyway. And the person who brought us our food said it was okay for dogs to be there as long as they were well-behaved and on a leash. We have never been here before - Mimi chose it - but I liked it so I give it 5 bones. You can see their menu at http://www.cafebravissimo.com/.

We also had dinner one day at Dexter's of Thornton Park. I like it here because they bring me a water bowl. I can't go on the weekend, because they say it's too busy and I get in the way. But on Tuesday night, when we went, it was nice. Mom got something with meatballs so she could share a couple with me. They were yummy! And I got to just rest under the table while Mom and Mimi talked. I enjoyed it - especially the meatballs! 5 bones for Dexter's meatballs! http://www.dexwine.com/

We soon left for home. It's a long drive and we only went for a couple of days to see Mimi. But I got to swim and go to the dog park - and have some yummy meatballs! I know Mom was tired but it was a good trip for me. Next time, I am going to take PopArtDiva's advice and make Mom take our video camera so we can put movies online so you can see these places too.

Until our next trip!

Boomerang Tags "For Pets That Come Back"

We are getting the car packed to head for Orlando in the morning. I'm excited! I haven't been to Florida in a while. I'll be sure to tell you all about it.

Mom and Ms. PopArt had a long phone call the other day. Mom said Ms. PopArt suggested I start setting up other sites of my own like a MySpace page and some YouTube videos. I don't know what all of that is but I'm all for anything that lets me show everyone how smart I am about traveling with Mom so they can learn too. I think we'll get started on these when we get back from Orlando.

Mom has my packing list out and she is putting all my stuff in my little travel bag - my collar, my leash. She packed the collar with my dog tags on it even though I have a microchip. She says it's an extra layer of protection.

I like my dog tag. It doesn't hang down and get in my way or get caught on things like other dogs' that I have seen. It's a collar tag. And it doesn't clink when I walk which helps a lot when I'm stalking cats or squirrels! If you aren't sure what a collar tag is, I have a picture so you can see what it looks like. This isn't my collar. Mine's already packed and I'm not letting Mom dig it out to take a picture! I love my Mom but she forgets things when we travel. That's why she has a list. But sometimes even that doesn't help. I could tell you stories..... But back to the tags. This is a picture off the Boomerang website. That's where mom buys my tags. It looks just like my red collar so you will still be able to see just how cool it is. Mine looks like the top one.

Mom said she first checked Boomerang out because she just liked their advertising: Boomerang Tags "For Pets That Come Back". Then she read more about them and she says they are the best dog tags on the market. She says they may not be "cute" but when it comes to keeping me safe she'd rather have functional than cute. And besides I'm cute enough already! And I think they look great - I'm a manly dog and I don't want anything "cute". Aspen, Pixel and Zeena can wear "cute"!

Mom says Boomerang tags are more durable (that means they last a long time) than those cheap aluminum tags. I've had mine for 6 years now. That's how long they last!

You don't have to get a tag like mine. Boomerang also makes those "hangy" tags if you really want one. You can get a metal one like mine or you can get a plastic one. They are both guaranteed, just like mine.

Mom says she buys my tag to keep me safe so if she gets lost, someone will know how to help me find her again. She says since that's what it's for she wants me to have one that will stay on my collar. She wants the people helping me find her to be able to read my name so they know who I am, and my address and phone number so they know where I live and how to reach Mom. Mom has never been lost, but it makes me feel safer knowing that she has done things to help me find her again.

If you want to find out more about Boomerang tags, check out their website at www.boomerangtags.com. And tell them Travelin' Bob sent you. I don't get anything if you do, but I want them to know how much Mom and I like their tags.

Heading for Orlando in the morning! I'll keep you posted on my trip!