sleigh bells ring ...

I had such a fun time in Leavenworth.

The best part was when we went for a sleigh ride with Icicle Outfitters. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were all snuggled into the sleigh with blankets.



That's me with Bob. Notice that he has a Swiss Army hat on and that my cap is a Swiss sock. It's one of a pair that Sue received from her friends Stoeff and Monica in Switzerland.

Oh, I was the only bear on board.



Here are two of the cowboys at Icicle Outfitters. That's George Ulin on the left and owner Bruce Wick on the right.



Sue took a picture of our two horses, Hank and Sis.



Bernita, Bob, Sue and Bob are ready to ride.


Bruce put me atop Hank. Ride 'em, cowboy!



After the ride, we went into a big tent for cocoa and homemade chocolate chip cookies. That's Wendell rustlin' up the grub.


I can't wait for my next sleigh ride!

XO TEDDY

i've been snowed in!

Leavenworth in the winter. Photo by Sue Frause.


We have had such a wild winter, that Sue has not been traveling much.

So I guess my name this winter should be Non-Traveling Teddy!

But it finally looks like the wind, rain, snow, ice and power outages are going to be a thing of the past.

In fact, the past week or so I've been out at Sue's mom's house at Useless Bay, hanging out with all of her other stuffed animals.

It's been fun and I was glad I could keep "Grandma Bjorn" company.

But good news --- Sue and I are back on the road.

We're off to the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington tomorrow. It's located in the Cascade Mountains and we will take a two-hour bus trip from Everett to Leavenworth.

Sue's husband is going to drive over Friday afternoon, so it would be silly for Sue to take her car, also.

We will spend the first night at a very nice little inn called Solstice Spa & Suites. You know how Sue loves her spa treatments, especially after this cold winter.

Then we'll join Bob at one of their favorite places in the Pacific Northwest, Run of the River. They have a brand new "lodge within a lodge" where we'll stay Friday night.

The next day we'll go for a sleigh-ride (whoopee!), snow shoeing with friends Bob and Bernita, and spend the night in Wenatchee.

There's a cool old restaurant there called the Windmill -- I hope they take me along!

I'll try and send you notes from the road.

In the meantime, stay warm and hug a friend.

XO TEDDY

postcards from the couch

Maienfeld in Switzerland is where you'll find Heidiland. Photo by Sue Frause.


Even though I'm a Traveling Teddy, sometimes bears have to rest up!

Well, that's what I've been doing during the Christmas and New Year's holiday.

In fact, I've been out at Sue's mom's house since Christmas Day. She has a lot of other bears and animals, so it's really quite fun.

I also have been looking through Sue's postcards from places she's been ... and places I'd like to go.

So come along with me on a postcard journey. It's free!

Plus, there are no long lines at the airport.

Molokai Mule Ride: Sue rode a mule name Buster Brown on the Kalaupapa Trail on the island of Moloka'i in Hawaii. She said it's the scariest thing she's ever done. The trail has a 1,786 ft. decline with 26 switchbacks, and a lot of the time Sue kept her eyes squeezed tight. At the end of the ride was the famous leper colony founded by Father Damien.

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: This postcard has a beautiful reproduction of Ms. O'Keeffe's Black Door With Snow, 1955. Sue saw it while visiting the famous museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico several years ago.

Tigh-Na-Mara: Sue loves Vancouver Island and she's been to this family resort in Parksville several times. The last time she stayed in one of the cabins with a friend, which was within walking distance to the beach and a wonderful spa.

R.C.M.P. Museum: I bet you didn't know that the RCMP's (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) have a museum in Regina, Saskatchewan. Sue was lucky to go there a couple of summers ago, and she even met some of those handsome RCMP's! They have a very nice museum, although it is currently being moved to another locale. It will move to the new Heritage Centre and re-open on May 23, 2007.

Hotel Le Germain: This is one of Sue's favorite hotels in Montreal. I was lucky to go to Montreal with her, but we didn't stay here. I just love Quebec!

One&Only Palmilla: I'm not sure if this is really a place for little bears. The resort looks quite exotic and romantic and Sue and Bob had a wonderful three-night stay here. It's located in San Jose Del Cabo in Baja, Mexico. Sue said John Travolta had his 50th birthday here and even Oprah showed up!

Hotel Tamina, Bad Ragaz: Sue and her friend Monica stayed in this spa town in Switzerland. They had a great time, and it was close to Maienfeld, where Heidiland is located. I just love the Heidi stories by Johanna Spyri!

The St. Regis New York: This is the prettiest post card and features Maxfield Parrish's amusing mural in the hotel's King Cole Bar and Lounge. Sue said that this is the bar that created the Bloody Mary, originally known as the Red Snapper cocktail. I definitely need to be older to go here!