All that glitters

We pulled out of the driveway at 6:16 this morning and headed for the big city. It was a nice drive and the kids were happy. After a yummy lunch at Baja Fresh, we navigated the streets of downtown Portland and found Brad's hotel. Not only do we live in a small town, but we have always been a Motel 6 kind of family when it comes to lodging that we have to pay for. This, however, being a major Edward Jones event, is held at the Portland Hilton. After the coolness of having a doorman come out to the car just to be helpful, the kids got to experience the thrill of parking in an underground parking garage. Next stop was the lobby, so we headed for the elevator. It was, of course, very classy, and the kids had never before seen so many buttons in once place. The real gasping began as we stepped out of the elevator into the lobby. It was huge and plush and Julianne whispered, "This isn't a hotel; it's a mansion!" Brad went to the desk to get registered while I took my little clan of Clampets off to explore. The highlights included riding the escalator, seeing a real ballroom, and finding out that Daddy's room is on the 16th floor! (The room wasn't ready, so we didn't actually get to see it, but we'll save that adventure for another day.) We didn't register the family for the conference, so the kids and I are staying at Auntie's, but we will head back into the city to spend a free afternoon with Brad later this weekend.