So, they didn’t tell me it would be horrible.

And, in reality, ‘horrible’ is kind of a strong term. Maybe ‘difficult’ would be better.

My daughter and son-in-law were invited to a ‘destination wedding’ recently in the Tahoe National Forest. Originally, I was called on to house, baby and dog sit – it was a late afternoon wedding on a Saturday so I was going to stay at their house as they were spending the night at the rustic lodge/hotel where the wedding was taking place and coming back on Sunday.

Granddaughter Lorelei – who turned eight months old on Sept. 15 – has been doing well with her sleep schedule and routine so we thought it might be best to keep her at home in familiar sleep territory. But the closer we got to the actual trip, the more my daughter and I both started to feel it might be better and less stressful if I just went along. The lodge was pet friendly, so taking the dog wasn’t an issue. They had also booked a ‘King Room’ which indicated it had a king bed and a loft area. My daughter tried to find out if the ‘loft’ had a couch or anything but it took her several attempts to actually reach a live person and when she finally did, they couldn’t tell her definitively what their room was like. She changed the party size from ‘two adults’ to ‘three adults, a dog and a baby’ and asked if perhaps she should switch to a larger room. But, of course, all the rooms were booked as the lodge itself was being closed for the private wedding event.

Regardless, they already had the king room and we figured, just make the best of it. I had a borrowed camping cot and sleeping bag in case there was no couch.

First, though, we had to get there. Turns out – something my daughter failed to mention before we left – that neither the dog nor my granddaughter like long car rides.

Tahoe National Forest is kind of a long car ride from here.

Sonny the Corgi also sheds. A lot. Like more than any dog I’ve ever seen. I would not have worn a black shirt had I known he shed that much. My daughter Ally and Sonny spent the trip trading places; Ally would come to the backseat when Lorelei would get to the fussy point where I couldn’t help anymore and Sonny would jump up front to ride shotgun with my son-in-law Judd.

Upon arrival at the lodge, we discovered that the rooms on either side of us were rooms with lofts; ours was not. No couch, no separate loft area. Time for some togetherness.

The pack and play for Lorelei to sleep in was set up on one side of the bed, Sonny’s food and water bowls were in the corner next to the door. My foldaway camping cot was sandwiched in between the wardrobe and table/desk, blocking the mini fridge. Luckily, we had made a stop at a grocery store on the way and I got a sandwich and some chips; turns out there was nowhere at the lodge to get dinner or anywhere for me to go with a dog and a baby. We did venture out with the stroller so Lorelei and I could enjoy the mountain air while Sonny took care of business, just staying on the grounds of what really was a very pretty lodge in a beautiful setting.

Ally and Judd were able to take Lorelei to the reception for a little bit and brought me back a couple of tasty dessert bites.

But it was a rough night for sleeping, as we were all out of our element and even the sound machine with its ocean waves/rainstorm/white noise options wasn’t as soothing as it usually is.

It was a quick turnaround, as we packed up and headed out Sunday morning, back on the road for the long drive home. We made it and it only took me three lint rollers to de-shed the Sonny fur off me. So, difficult, but not horrible. Next time, though, I’ll stay behind with the house, the dog and the baby.

Marg Jackson is editor of The Escalon Times, The Oakdale Leader and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 847-3021.