An Adventure for Our Perfectly Imperfect Pack
There’s a special kind of magic in the air on the morning of a road trip, a buzz of excitement that even the dogs can feel. As my boyfriend Jeremy and I woke up on Saturday, the usual quiet of the morning was replaced by a thrum of anticipation. Today was the day we were taking our little family camping at the beautiful Windfall Vineyards in Amity, Oregon.
Our pack is a wonderfully mismatched one, a perfect blend of youthful exuberance and soulful wisdom. There’s Billie, a five-month-old rescue puppy whose every movement is a burst of joyful, chaotic energy. And then there is our sweet old girl, Beth. Beth is a three-legged Frenchie, a pint-sized warrior with a personality that is far bigger than her small, tripod frame. She is the calm, steady heart of our family, the quiet observer and the reigning queen of cuddles. This trip, with its promise of new scents and open spaces, was especially for her.
The morning was a flurry of activity as we packed up our camper van. We made sure to gather all the essentials for a successful trip with our two furry co-pilots: plenty of their favorite food and fresh water, piles of extra blankets for the cool Oregon night, and, most importantly, Beth’s special carrier for when her three little legs would inevitably get tired. Every item we packed was a small token of our love, a tangible piece of the promise we have made to our dogs: to give them a life full of adventure, comfort, and unwavering love.
The Journey and the Vineyard
We hit the road with the pups excitedly gazing out the windows, the world speeding by in a blur of greens and blues. Beth, in her typical fashion, was quite vocal for the first leg of the drive, offering her throaty, Frenchie commentary on the passing scenery before the gentle motion of the van inevitably lulled her to sleep. Billie, on the other hand, was a wide-eyed tourist on her very first road trip. Her nose was pressed against the glass, a collection of foggy smudges her only evidence, as she tried to take in every new sight and smell the world had to offer.
After a few hours, we stopped for a much-needed driving break, finding a quiet trail that wound its way through a peaceful forest. I carefully strapped Beth into her carrier on my chest, her little head peeking out, her ears twitching. This way, she could be part of the adventure, enjoying the fresh air and the scent of the pine trees, without tiring herself out. It was a joy to watch Billie, a true puppy, experiencing the wonders of a forest for the first time. Her nose was glued to the ground, her tail a blur of motion as she deciphered the secret, invisible stories left by the woodland creatures.
By early evening, we finally arrived at the vineyard. It was breathtaking. Rows upon rows of lush, green grapevines stretched out across the rolling hills, bathed in the golden, honey-thick light of the setting sun. We found our spot and set up camp, letting the dogs explore their new, temporary kingdom. Billie, true to form, roamed through the open grass, a bundle of pure, unadulterated puppy joy. Beth, however, stayed closer to us, her comforting presence a steady anchor as I prepared our dinner. As Jeremy flew his new drone, capturing cool, sweeping shots of our little family from above, I looked at our two dogs—one at the very beginning of her life, and one in her precious golden years—and my heart felt completely full. This, right here, was everything.
A Storm and a Starry Sky
As night fell over the vineyard, a deep and profound sense of peace settled over our little campsite. The day’s heat gave way to a gentle coolness, and the sky transformed into a dark velvet canvas, dusted with a million brilliant stars. We started a small, crackling campfire and opened a bottle of wine from the vineyard, a perfect souvenir from a perfect day. We enjoyed a simple dinner, our faces lit by the warm, flickering glow of the fire, feeling like the only four souls in the entire world. Using a stargazing app on our iPad, we traced the constellations, our quiet whispers the only sound in the vast stillness of the night.
Eventually, the long day of travel and excitement caught up with the pups, and they both drifted off to sleep in our laps, their soft, rhythmic breathing a comforting soundtrack to our peaceful evening. It was a perfect, serene end to a perfect day. Our little family of four snuggled into the camper van, warm and content, ready for a restful night under the stars.
But around 3 a.m., we were jolted awake by a sound that was anything but peaceful. A violent storm had rolled in with a sudden fury, the wind howling like a mournful ghost and the rain lashing against the van in a relentless torrent. In a sleepy haze, we quickly realized we were parked in a low-lying area that was at risk of flooding. Working together in the dark, with the storm raging around us, we moved the van to a more sheltered spot on higher ground. It was a brief moment of chaos in an otherwise tranquil trip, a powerful reminder of the untamable and unpredictable beauty of nature.
The Sweetness of a Slow Morning
By morning, the storm had passed as quickly as it had arrived, leaving behind a world that felt washed clean and new. We woke up to the soft, gentle light of a post-rain sunrise, the air crisp and smelling of damp earth and wet leaves. Jeremy and I brewed coffee, its warm, rich aroma filling the small space of the van, and we made a big, leisurely breakfast, sharing little bites with our two very attentive supervisors, who had slept through the entire storm without a care in the world.
Afterward, we took the pups on one last, long jaunt through the vineyard, savoring our final moments in this beautiful place. The ground was soft and damp from the night’s rain, and the leaves of the grapevines glistened with a thousand tiny diamonds of water. We let the dogs sniff and explore to their hearts’ content, creating one final, sweet memory of our little getaway.
The drive home was quiet and reflective. The events of the night had left us tired but also deeply grateful for our cozy, safe little van. I looked back at our two sleeping dogs, Billie tuckered out from her first big adventure, and Beth, our sweet, resilient old girl. In her golden years, every moment with her feels precious, like a gift. The simple, quiet act of spending quality time with her, of seeing her happy, comfortable, and loved, is a blessing I will never take for granted. This trip, with its perfect, peaceful moments and its chaotic, stormy ones, was another beautiful chapter in our shared story, a memory I will cherish forever.
