On the road with barkin' Bella

We took Bella on her first road trip this weekend. I was able to redeem a handful of reward points for a free stay at the Travelodge in Dodge City, Kan., so we headed west to see new territory, through Pratt, Greensburg and all other points of interest along Hwy. 54. Bella was a terrific travel companion. She was fine in the car, loved stopping for a stroll through Pratt's lovely Sixth Street Park, and was fine staying parked in the shade with the windows open while Dave and I enjoyed a dandy (and quite inexpensive) steak dinner at the Central Station Club and Grill in Dodge City. She was rewarded with a few bites of my leftover filet mignon.

As we strolled around on our travels, she was pleasant to all strangers, even the prairie dogs yipping at us in their well-populated town along a lovely walking trail at the Dodge City Community College. The only time she barked was in the middle of the night, when we were awakened by fellow travelers laughing, cavorting and slamming doors outside our room some time after 2 a.m. She let out a couple loud barks and some growling then on our behalf, voicing our own sentiments exactly, ready to protect us should the revelers want to break into our oh-so-posh room.

This morning we toured the Gray County Wind Farm on our way to breakfast at the quite excellent Pancake House in Liberal. Now we're back in Wichita, and Bella is settled into her old routine, sneaking bites of the cats' food and chewing up the pad in her crate. There's no place like home.