There's No Crying in Roadtrips!

Friday Morning, Denver

I didn't understand why at first, but as we were loading up the car for the last time, I felt a lump in my throat. What the hell is wrong with me?! Jo and I really couldn't even look at each other..."There's no crying in roadtrips!" we kept saying out loud.

As we drove to the airport, we played a few tunes that got us through the trip and kept our moods up: "Right Round" by Flo-Rid-A and "Hey Soul Sista" by Train. Ironically, as we pulled into the airport, my IPOD shuffled to Motley Crue's "Home Sweet Home". Seriously. (And yes, I have it on my ipod...don't hold it against me.)

*Click My Heels Three Times*

Friday Night, Boston
I'm now home in Boston, doing some laundry, feeling a bit surreal. I'm kind of sad, but also happy to get re-settled and enjoy the rest of my summer here. This roadtrip was so intense. It was go, go, go, pack, unpack, pack, unpack, drive, drive, drive...but we saw so many amazing places and interesting people. It was a lot of fun. Jo and I learned a lot about ourselves and each other, and the rush of emotions at the end sort of caught us both by surprise, I guess.

The best part...Jo and I would absolutely do it again. And I'm pretty sure Mojo and Suneow would too (as long as we stayed out of Vancouver). Now, if I could only figure out how to bring my cat...

Tara and Joanna's Best and Worst of...

We're having a working breakfast. Very important stuff to relay before this trip inevitablely ends...

Best Sights
Redwoods
Trinidad Beach
Owl sighting in the woods of Trinidad Beach
Dan - kayak guide
Orcas off Lime Kiln Point
Bald Eagle sighting during kayak tour
Double rainbow at Mono Lake
Morning Manager at Panzano's

Best Hotels
Hotel Monaco - Denver
Honorable Mention: Argyle House Inn - San Juan Islands

Worst Hotels
Ramada - Laramie, Wyoming
Honorable Mention: Super 8 - Las Vegas, Nevada

Best Breakfast
Besaw - Portland, Oregon
Honorable Mention: Brio - Arcata, CA

Best Lunch
Panzano - Denver, Colorado
Honorable Mention: Bolovo - Sonoma County, CA

Best Dinner (It's a TIE!)
Veritable Quandry (VQ) - Portland, OR
Panzano's - Denver, CO

Best Coffee
Brio - Arcata, CA

Worst Coffee
Any place in Canada

Best Beer
Any brewery in Oregon, with a special nod to Deschutes' Black Butte Porter

Best Camping
Bend, Oregon

Worst Camping
Clam Beach - Arcata, CA

Biggest Rip-off (Congrats, Canada!)
Capilano Bridge ($30pp to cross)
Fairmont Nachos ($21)

Biggest Surprises
Dan and Evan showing up at Herb's
Tara likes camping
Florence Park Motel
Paul's wedding ring (Don't worry, we called him out...but got a free dinner anyway.)

Biggest Disappointments
No Orcas during the kayak tour
Clam Beach camping
Arcata, CA
"Italian Dinner" at Mazzotti's - Arcata, CA
Vancouver (Whatever)


Best Travel Companions
Mojo and Suneow
Honorable Mention: Tara and Joanna

Places We'd Like to Spend More Time In
Portland, OR
Bend, OR
San Juan Islands, WA
Denver, CO
Sonoma/Napa County, CA

Most Interesting and Memorable People
Dan and Evan

Lady with cat on a leash...cat was very healthy, but was eating grass like it was nobody's business. (Tara gave the lady $5 and made her promise she'd buy the cat proper food.)

Dennis, Richard, and Bryce at Herb's

Trucker Hat Guy at June Lake Cafe

Paul at Brewfest in Portland

The Shah Family (From the car accident we witnessed at Columbia River Gorge. All ok!)

Transient Girl with kitten on her backpack (Tara and Jo both gave her money...for the kitty.)

Red Sox fan in Ft. Collins, CO

Phillip, Tom, Jack, Aliana, and Ellen (from The Pillars of the Earth...we listened to all 10 hours of the novel on tape.)

Dr.'s Meds That Came In Very Handy for Tara
Benedryl - puffy eyes in June Lake

Zpack - persistent cough for 2 weeks (turns out, it was Tara's allergic reaction to down in the hotel pillows)

Ranitidine - heartburn

Steroid Cream - private issue (What's needed after sitting in a car 5-12 hours almost everyday for 2 weeks)

Memorable Quotes
"Tobbbbeeeeeey!" - Clam Beach Idiot

"Seriously?! SERIOUSLY?!?!" (Repeat that 5x's) - Girl on cellphone in Vancouver

"Seriously guys, WHAT HAPPENED?! Was it THAT bad?" - Tara's take on what she wants to say to the transients in Arcata

"Do you guys just look at people coming off the ferry and think, 'These people need their own plane!" - Joanna to the married couple at the Argyle Inn. (They flew on their private plane to the island.)

"Dude, why didn't you tell me there was kelp on my dorsal fin?!" - Evan's take on what the killer whales say to each other after getting kelp stuck in their fins

"I like Suds...it has an awning." - Girl at gas station in Evanston, WY giving us advice on restaurants in the area.(It was actually pretty good.)

"Did you NOT read the manual? You have to paddle!" - Tara's outward thought on the lame kayak couple in their group

"Tara, I hate to tell you what's under the chair." - Joanna in the Ramada

"You look like Lois Lane!" - Streetguy to Joanna in Denver

Lessons learned
Joanna drives better in the country, Tara drives better in the city
Tara learned how to use cruise control
Joanna can handle the ER, but not city traffic
The dogs are awesome travel companions and great alarm clocks
Our friendship can withstand distance, time, and 3 weeks living out of a suitcase

***Would we ever do this again, and with each other?***
ABSOLUTELY!

Last full day=Spa day!

Aaaah, Colorado!

Jo and I are on our final 2 days of this trek. On our way to Denver, we stopped at several places, including Estes Park. This is what we both needed to clean-off our Laramie experience. In addition, our hotel (Hotel Monaco) is already living up to it's 4-star reputation. Even Mojo and Suneow are happier!

Pics from today.

The Ramada and Laramie Can Go Suck It

Here's a recap of last night:
11:45 - check-in to room 133.
12:05 - check-out of room 133 and into room 221.

During that 20 minutes this is what occurred:
1. The door to our room wouldn't open unless you threw your shoulder into it.
2. The room smelled of cheap strawberry perfume.
3. Stains on the rug.
4. 5 mosquitos located on walls.
5. Mojo puked up his dinner. (Do you blame him?)

And then, Joanna discovered #6.
"Tara, do you see that under the chair?"

My heart went through my chest. What was it? A bug? A mouse? Any guesses?

It was a turd. A left-over turd from someone's pet.

There's not much to say after that, except that Jo and I slept with a night light on and were packed up and on the road out of Laramie at 7:30am. We didn't stop for coffee until we got to Ft. Collins, Co.

Out of Wyoming and into Colorado. Yay!

12:05am. Changed hotel rooms. Strawberry scent just the beginning.

Of all places....Just shoot me.

Jo and I just spent 12 hours in the car. Our original goal was to do Boise to southwestern Wyoming. But that soon changed to a "big push" for Cheyenne. We never made it, and it really didn't matter if we did because every place we called along the way was booked. And, our only options of setting up camp were behind gas tanks at "RV World".
So, Jo and I finally found a place in lovely Laramie, WY. Really. 12 hours, and this is where we land. The only thing I know about this place is what happened to that poor Matthew Shepard kid years ago. And now, Jo and I show up near midnite with 2 dogs.
We're at the Ramada. Our room smells like strawberries. I completely imagine that some stripper just used our room and sprayed her perfume before she left. We also got "2 for 1 drink coupons" to use at the bar. It's still open.
On the plus side, Jo and I will be heading into Colorado and landing in Denver tomorrow - and it'll only take us a few hours. As a reward, we've planned spa treatments for ourselves at the hotel.
Night...from LARAMIE!

Long-ass drive thru Wyoming. Trying to get to Cheyenne.

Out of Oregon (Sad Face)

Jo and I have landed in Boise, ID. Not much else to say there, so I'll recap the last few days.

On Friday, we re-routed our trip back towards our favorite place, Portland. We saw a whole other part of the city, including a Saturday Market which consists of great food, music, and local artists. There was so much to see, and I especially liked the glasswork and jewelry stands. I did some serious damage there. Even my cat got something.

On Sunday, we drove 3 1/2 hours east, to Tumalo Campgrounds. This site was about 5 minutes outside of Bend. It was our first camping since the Clam Beach/Tobeeeeeeeyyy Fiasco. What a difference at state and a place make! The weather was warm and dry. The grounds were clean. And the people around us were normal...like us. I had one of my best night's sleeping on this trip here.

Bend, in itself, is a cute town. It has one main street and 5 cross streets. It's got some serious money too. Jo and I walked the dogs around the town's park and then went to Deschutes Brew Pub for dinner. My favorite beer of all-time (that I discovered on this trip through Oregon), "Deschutes Black Butte", was being served..and I bought a 6-pack to go.*

*By the way, I realize I'm writing a lot about drinking. To be fair, I don't do this often, but I do appreciate good wine and good beer. Oregon's nickname is "Beervana", so it seems fitting I bring home the right souvenir for myself.

Jo and I both loved Oregon. In retrospect, I would've blown Vancouver off the map(if you work for National Security, I mean that figuratively) and spent more time exploring Oregon. It has so much to offer: coastline, metropolitan areas, wine country, high-desert...

I hope to return to Oregon someday soon.

In the meantime, Jo and I have just landed in Boise. I think it'll be a "night in" for us....we have beer in the fridge. (See * above.) Tomorrow, Jo and I hope to make good time and land in southwest Wyoming (for our last tent-night), near the Colorado border.

Joanna dropping cash like it's nobody's business, in Portland.


Heading towards Bend, we passed miles upon miles of burnt forest. The fire was in 2003 and burned 90,000 acres of the Deschutes National Forest.


Camping near Bend, OR.


This is what happens when you park your car under a tree overnight in OR.


Eastern Oregon

Boise, ID. Springhill Suites.

Setting up camp near Bend, OR. Gorgeous place!

Back in Portland, OR!

Jo and I made it to Portland last night around 7pm. What was supposed to be a 6 hr trip, ended up being almost 9 hours. We spent an hour at the US/Canadian border and then I-5 South in Washington State was backed up for 2 hours. The interstate was a parking lot. The only thing that kept us sane and from killing each other was the fact that we were going back to Portland.

Jo and I love this city. And to convince us even more, we had the most amazing dinner last night at a restaurant called VQ. Jo had a scallop plate (the scallops were the size of fists) and I had a Nicoise salad. I would've taken pictures, but it almost seemed insulting to photograph such beauty.

This morning, we're going to check out the Saturday markets, the Powell Bookstore, and then some local restaurants and breweries.

Tomorrow, onto Bend, OR for some camping.

Vancouver: The only thing wrong is all the Canadians.*

*We kid, we kid.

Some pics from Vancouver. Beautiful city. However, the traffic, over-priced amusements, bad coffee, (and did I mention mosquito bites?) wasn't what we were expecting.

Boat Houses


Downtown Vancouver


Mountains and Ocean surround the city


Can we go now?


Totem Poles


View from the Capilano Bridge


"Smile! You just paid $30 for this!"

USA! USA! USA!

We're going ROGUE*!

Here's our Vancouver experience:

$10 for Internet Access (at a 4-star hotel)
$15 hotel martini
$21 Nachos
$25 Breakfast (with crappy coffee) at a local bistro
$30 Capilano Bridge ticket (which was about $25 overpriced)
And lots of traffic and a crammed city vibe.

So, CHANGE IN PLANS. We're re-routing our trip and going back through Portland. ('Cause it's not only the journey, it's also the destination.)


Fri/Sat - Portland, OR
Sun - Bend, OR
Mon - Boise, ID
Tues - Green River, WY
Wed/Thurs - Denver, CO

*As I type, Jo and I are sipping down some Rogue Microbrews we got from Portland.

An Ode to Canada

Oh Canada!
Your traffic sucks for thee!
You make no signs
To keep us from freaking!

You are beautiful
But confusable
We need to figure out thee!

You have mountains
And Ocean
And parks for our doggies!

God help us out
Glorious this is
Please help us find the Capilano Bridge!

Please help us find the Capilannoooooo Bridge!

---------------------------------

We're in Vancouver staying at the Fairmont. Last night we took the dogs for a long walk in Stanley Park. Jo and I then crashed in the hotel's piano lounge to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink (it was stressful traffic) before bed. The nachos were $21. HA!

We're up and getting ready for breakfast now. We're going to check out the Capilano Bridge which is just outside the city.

Tomorrow, our plan is to go along the southern Canadian border (just north of Washington State) and camp somewhere near Grand Forks, Canada. Saturday, we head back into the USA and stay in Spokane. Can't believe we've hit the apex of our trip here! One more week of adventures on the road!

Not sure re: Internet/cell in Vancouver. Stay tuned.

Saw Orcas from Lime Kiln Point!

Our Day Kayaking with Killer Whales

Here's a quick summary of our day kayaking with the killer whales.

10:30 am - Get picked up in a van by a very hot tour guide. (We made the right decision to do this.)
11:30 am - Start to unpack our kayaks and equipment on a beach on the other side of the island. We see about 5 orcas whiz on by, going at about 10 knots.
12 noon - Get into the water to chase the orcas and meet up with them in their feeding grounds.
5:00pm - No Orcas
8:00pm - Have beers with hot tour guide.

Did I mention that our guide was hot? This is very important because it helped us get through the kayak tour. We never made it to the Orcas. It was very disappointing. The winds were up and it was quite choppy, despite the fact that Jo and I were totally cruisin' in the kayak. We were such a team. Clearly the best out of the other 10 people. There was one couple from Seattle that basically didn't know what the heck they were doing and we had to turn back for a while. I seriously wanted to use my Boston attitude and yell, "Did you NOT read the manual? You have to PADDLE! Get it together!" After 3 hours in the choppy waters, we did see a bald eagle and some seals, but alas, no Orcas. (Sigh.) We felt a little better to hear that the other tour groups who went past us (and who didn't have slackers in kayaks) didn't see Orcas, either. Basically, it was really bad luck. The chances of NOT seeing an orca were pretty slim. Grrr...

Jo and I made the best of it and re-ennacted scenes from Hawaii Five-O and Duran Duran Rio videos. WE WERE AWESOME. So awesome, we got the hot guide's phone number to meet us out later in the night...which he did. Yeah, we still got it. This ended up being a GREAT day!

We leave the island in a few hours and head to Vancouver. Before doing that, Jo and I are going to try one more time to see the Orcas. We're driving to Lime Kiln Point on the other side of the island. Dan (hot guide's name) told us he'd let us know when he sees the Orcas come by, so we can catch a glimpse.

One other success: upon landing back on shore, we observed the very rare Land Orca. Notice it's distinct black and white markings and passive nature. It has easily adapted to it's surroundings.

We look good, even on land.


Setting off!


Jo, Dan, Me


The aloof Land Orca

Big plus...our guide is HOT!

Kayaks and killer whales today. We're gonna need a bigger boat..

Owner of Argyle House is from West Roxbury,MA. Small World!

Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands (Pre-kayaks and killerwhales)

Took the hour ferry ride to Friday Harbor today. Have our own cottage at the Argyle House Inn. Super cute! Here are some pics from today.

Suneow took a dip in the harbor


Boats moored up in Friday Harbor


View from the ferry


Mt. Baker

On the ferry to Friday Harbor!

Mount Vernon, WA. Where the sun is still up at 9:15pm.

We have made our next stop at the Best Western Cottontree in Mount Vernon, Washington. This is just a quick overnight/crash pad for us. Tomorrow morning, we catch the ferry out of Anacortes, WA and go to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. We'll be spending 2 nights at the Argyle Inn. We'll also be doing something pretty significant on Tuesday involving kayaks and killer whales. (But that's for another post...)

It was hard to leave Oregon. Such a beautiful state. Portland was a great place to end our Oregon tour as well. I hope to get back there at some point, and maybe even visit other parts, including Bend. But, we still have so much to look forward to. Looking on the map, it's hard to believe Jo and I have been on the road for 10 days and have covered so much. By the way, if you've every spent 6-7 hrs/day on the road with someone for a long period of time, you soon realize that you can solve all the world's problems. Healthcare? Done. Education? Done. Prison Over-crowding? Done. Car Accidents? Done.

UPDATE: Nobody was injured in the car accident we witnessed, though Jo went into full doctor-mode and rushed to the scene. This is good since Jo packed the first-aid kit under 2 boxes of wine and beer and it would've been an embarassing delay. Jo did provide emotional support to the driver and his family who caused the accident. They were quite scared and shaken up, and didn't know what to do. The cops arrived and we were on our way.

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Saw Columbia River Gorge and witnessed a car accident.

Portland, My Love

Jo and I settled into Portland last night and made it in time to join the Beerfest. When I say we made it in time, I mean we ran across several streets to get to the gate at 7:59pm. They stopped letting in people at 8:00pm. The Oregon Beerfest was outside, under several tents, next to the Willamette River. By the way, we were schooled that you pronounce that river: Wil-LAM-ette, not Willam-ette. Anyway, we bought our plastic mug and tokens to get our taste of some local breweries. In an hour (they stopped serving at 9pm), Jo and I managed to get down 2 pints each, including an Organic Acai Pale Ale and a darker brew called Destination. They were very yummy and with 6-7% alcohol content, got us loving Portland a little bit more.

This morning, we ate at a yummy bistro and then took a walk to the local park to check ou the "scenery" (ahem).

Portland is a mix of Providence, RI and Cambridge, MA. The vibe, the sites, the urban professionals...we're already conspiring how to get back here again. And for good measure, I've noticed real estate is cheaper than back east. Hmmm...

"Operation Beerfest" a success.

Sea Lions, Sea Otters, and Cheeeeeessssse

Busy day today. Jo and I left Florence around 11:00am. We took Route 101 North and stopped at the Sea Lion Caves, The Oregon Coast Aquarium, and the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We landed in Seaside, OR.

The Sea Lion Caves brought us down 20 stories into a cavern exhibit. Pretty cool, except it stunk to high-heaven; but I suppose that's to be expected when you can look through a fence and see 200 seals hanging out in their natural habitat.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium has a nice set-up. It had both outside and inside exhibits. Being from Boston, I have to admit, the New England Aquarium is much better - more exhibits and more informational. However, there's one thing that the New England Aquarium doesn't have that the Oregon Coast Aquarium has...SEA OTTERS!!!! These guys were so freakin' cute!

Our final destination was the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We knew we were within close range because of the smell of manure, which lasted for about 10 miles. When we finally got there, Jo and I bypassed the tour and went straight for the cheese samples and cheese store. $30 dollars later, we now have several blocks of Special Cheddar Reserve, Habenero Cheddar and Garlic Chili Cheddar. We had lunch at the cafe and unfortunately didn't have enough room in our tummies for the icecream. (We'll make up for it with the blocks of cheese in our backpacks.)

Finally, we ditched our camping plans for tonight. First, we realized there weren't any overnight camping sites near us. Second, we're too tired to deal with the tent and the chill in the air to put in any more effort in looking for a site. I'm justifying it on here because I'm feelin' a little Catholic/Italian guilt here for not stepping up in effort in finding a campsite. But seeing that Jo is ok with this as well, I feel a bit better. Plus, a warm place to stay with blocks of cheese and bottles of wine leftover from Sonoma....see, I'm still justifying. I'll get over it with another glass of wine.

We parked ourselves at the Seaside Inn in Seaside, OR. It's right on the beach - perfect for Mojo and Suneow to take a long walk.

Tomorrow, it's on to PORTLAND!!! Jo and I will be spending 2 nights there. Our first stop is the annual Oregon Beerfest. Drink up!

We just bought $30 worth of cheese at Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire...

Jo and I are "home" at the Park Motel in Florence, OR. The owners have a son that lives in Pembroke, MA. For motels, this is pretty snazzy. We have adjoining bedrooms with a microwave, fridge, and bathroom. The walls are knotted pine with scenic pictures on the walls, as well as "The Footprints of God". We also have the heat cranked to 70. I looked on the calendar. It's still July, even in Oregon.

Honestly, Jo and I had had our fill of Northern California. We both loved the Redwoods. They're massive and quite frankly, the pics don't do them justice. On our way to Oregon today, we visited Lady Bird Johnson's Redwood Grove. In addition, we checked out Trinidad and Crescent Beaches again. Both are stunning with their rocky cliffs and crashing waves.

But the town of Arcata, CA got to be a bit depressing. A person can only handle so much chill, cloud cover, and pot smoke. Incidentally here's a typical conversation: "Oh, look Jo...a glassblowing store." As we walk by, "Tara, apparently glassblowing is another name for pot-pipe store." We then went to an "Italian" restaurant. There's a reason why Italian is in quotes. But, we both really liked the Aracata Hotel. I felt like I was staying at the same hotel that was featured in 3:10 to Yuma. Lots of red carpeting and copper bathroom fixtures. Comfy beds, too! Regardless of the strange and dark experiences in Arcata, Jo and I realized it's just part of our journey and makes a good story and an interesting memory.

Oregon has a different vibe: positive and lively. Tomorrow we head north to see the aquarium, seals, and cheese in Tilamook. We're also researching possible campsites.

Here are a few more pics from Northern California.

It's 9:00. Jo and I and the dogs are wiped and going to bed.

Jo and I are having our first Oregon microbrew. Yum!

Made it to Oregon and there's sun!

Mojo and Suneow

Enjoying the ride!

So, um...let's book a hotel tonight.

After driving through the Redwoods yesterday, Jo and I set-up camp at Clam's Beach, just north of Aracata, CA. It was very crisp and chilly (55-60 degrees), but we were thrilled to have made it to our next destination. We set up camp in a small, protected dune of sand with a few other campers. It was so cool to sleep on a beach and hear the ocean's waves continue rolling in. It was great until about 4am, when we woke up to "Tobeeyyy! Tobeeeeeeey!!!! Dude, where are ya?!" and then at 5am, "Yo...heh, heh, dude, like when I was drunk that one time and hitch-hiked, and, heh..." To make the image even clearer: picture a man with dreadlocks and a nose ring (no, not Lenny Kravitz) who wears flannels and hasn't showered in 3 weeks. One of these legends actually passed out on the sand with the tent flat on top of him. He didn't even have the energy to unfold it and put it together. Who needs a tent, right?

Needless to say, it was a sign for Jo and I that we're better off in a hotel tonight. Besides, most of our gear got pretty damp and sandy. We need to recharge and pat ourselves on the back for surviving last night. We're staying at the Aracata Hotel and will explore some of the local eateries. We head up to Oregon tomorrow.

Below are some pics from Clam Beach (place of camping) and Trinidad State Park (where we hiked after breaking down camp).

THE REDWOODS

On our way north yesterday, Jo and I took a 30 mile detour through the Avenue of the Giants. There's not much to say about these guys. They're magical and mystical. It truly felt like another world, yet amazing that it's our own. Go hug a tree, people!
PS I'm the little spec at the bottom right of the first pic.

More of Sonoma: Good Wine, Good Food, Good Friends

Bella Vineyards

Fontina Grilled Cheese with Rabi


Me, Joanna, and Leah (Go SU!)

Staying at Hotel Arcada tonight!

Great night camping on beach until we woke up with transients next to us.

Sonoma County, CA

Now, this is what Joanna and I have been looking forward to! It was great not having to travel and drive 6-7 hours to another destination. Jo and I slept late and had our complimentary continental breakfast. The breakfast was below-par, but we got some good coffee across the street. We then took off for the Preston and Bella Vineyards. The scenery was breathtakingly gorgeous. And let's just say, there's no better way to enjoy a wine than at it's origin. I gotta tell ya though, they really suck you in with $5 tasting fees. After 5 different wine tastes, you're ready to buy 6 cases. Fortunately, I only broke down once and bought 1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (Preston Vineyards). Jo, on the other hand, bought a jug of red wine at Preston Vineyards and then joined some "wine club" at Seghesio Vineyards. But really, is that a bad thing? Of course not!

Preston Vineyards was on a small farm. There were olive trees, chickens, and 5 cats that roamed the gardens. (Yes, I took a picture of one of the cats.) Bella Vineyards had a more social atmosphere, with a guitarist and a part to hula-hoop. (Yes, there were hula-hoops.) The wine tasting at Bella Vineyards was in a cave. Super cool, literally and figuratively.

Around noon-time, Leah met us as well. We had a great time catching up over lunch and then touring a few more vineyards together. Right now, Leah and Jo are doing some yoga by the pool. We plan on regrouping and having a nice dinner tonight.

Tomorrow, Jo and I pack up and head to Aracata, CA. We'll be camping for 2 nights there and then 2 nights on the Oregon Coast. I'm not sure how much WIFI we're going to have between now and then, so stay tuned. We're in Portland, OR Thurs or Friday.

PS
Special shout out to Mojo and Suneow. They have been unbelieveablely patient and all around fun so far for this trip. They clearly love, love, love Joanna, but it feels good to see they recognize me and love to receive my attention too...even if I have about 12 different kinds of wine in me. (They were TASTES, not glasses!)

Some Pics to Share, Days 2 and 3

Yosemite National Park


Mona Lake, CA




Death Valley