Now that we have a few extra minutes in Lithia Park, of Ashland, we'd like to give you more Portlandia details. We got in and after a day in a cold, dark and damp cave, that was totally badass, we wanted some big burgers and beer, we stopped at a McMeniman's close to Dan and Amanda's. We played paper football, which Gwen discovered she is totally a pro at, and headed to Dan and Amanda's with chocolate shakes. We were so warmly greeted by them and it was so special for Anderson to have the time to spend with close friends and for Gwen to meet some amazing people so important to Anderson. We took the time to catch up and get to know one another for the evening while slurping our shakes.
The next morning Anderson had an interview with Intercept in the morning in Oswego, a very fine to do neighborhood and Gwen used the agency internet while Anderson won over the interviewers. Afterwards, Anderson was excited to show Gwen the famous voodoo doughnuts shop in downtown Portland. Gwen, a huge sucker for doughnuts, had heard stories of a maple bacon doughnut and expectations were high. We drove into the city and quickly found the donut shop. Luckily the ridiculus line that Anderson experienced the last time he was in town was absent, so after a quick stroll in the city we went back and got some doughnuts! We got a maple bacon flavored one of course, a Memphis Mafia- peanut butter, banana chunks, and chocolate, a Mango Tango (Anderson: "Delicious heaven of doughnut")- a tangy mango jelly filled doughnut with a smooth and tangy marshmallow top, and a vegan VooDoo Doughnut- vegan just for fun, a chocolate covered doughnut with rasberry jelly filling and a pretzel stake through the heart, very artistic, Anderson insisted we get this classic. After finally obtaining these tasty treats we realized that we hadn't had a lunch yet that day and so many sweets would probably be a bad idea... So we decided to seek a more fulfilling meal before diving into the doughnuts. The quest for a lunch food cart was of course following a complete devouring of the bacon maple doughnut, quite shameless without the shame, and completely delicious. Doughnuts should absolutely involve more bacon. Anyway, we set off to find a yummy looking food cart menu and Gwen remembered seeing one for Pho which sounded yummy, and we found it pretty quickly. We decided to split the meal and thank goodness for that because chicken pho, a $6.50 meal took about 15 minutes to prepare and included a tub of broth with broccoli, a large container of chicken pieces, and a bag of sprouts, basils and lettuce. We couldn't wait to break into this meal but we wanted to enjoy it at a spot with a view so we set out for the test rose garden in Washington Park. From a bench with a view of the city, surrounded by crossbreed roses, we took our time to enjoy our late lunch. We decided we should explore some city suburban areas and decided to check out Mississippi, a Northeast district. We loved the quirky vibe and the colorful flavor of the Mississippi area and found ourselves feeling like we could see ourselves in a place like this.
From Mississippi, we hit the highway for a little rush-hour madness to scramble on back to Dan and Amanda's for dinner. We were adamant about making dinner for our oh-so-awesome hosts, but were slightly concerned how we would fare on time in our race against the rush hour. We figure that "normal" people eat around 6 or so in the evening. Now I know what you folks are thinking - "Gwen and Anderson are NOT normal, and they are always late." Well, while those two sentiments are mostly accurate, we managed to buy food at the grocery store and make dinner at a time that was acceptable to our not-so-normal hosts. Gwen impressed with a lemon chicken alfredo pasta and delicious asparagus. Dessert was the piece de la resistance: the rest of the voodoo doughnuts selections! We closed out the night with fond conversation and tasty beers before hitting the hay.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
A quickie update!
Hey there, all you blog following friends/fiends! We are currently in Ashland, OR under warm sunny skies! We have 9 minutes to get a quick post out here at the public library, so hold onto your hats! Here are a few quick highlights from our past week or so:
Portland: Dan, Amanda, and Emmaline are amazing hosts and friends! We so much appreciated getting to stay with them, laugh, relax, and spend some time catching up and getting to know one another. Emmaline is cute as a button and a total sweet heart! Finally getting our doughnut fix at Voodoo Doughnuts was delicious: maple bacon bar - 'nough said! We dig the East side of town - Mississippi St. and Brooklyn were great. POK POK - holy crap we won't ever be able to fully enjoy thai food again . . . until we go back there! The gorge is gorgeous . . . yeah I just said that! Multnomah Falls and Horsetail falls in the sunshine were most excellent. Carnival rides at the Rose Festival, also sweet. Not to be forgotten, the Saturday Market was stellar. Not cool = Hillsboro. Really happy to not be considering there as a future living place. Although, they do have a Winco grocery store which was awesome with tons of bulk stuff!
Fast forward through Albany, sweet little town, lovely historic homes, we will post pics when we get a chance.
Eugene: Most excellent. Funky funky blend of homes and people - hippy grand central with a sophisticated athleticism lended by University of Oregon. (4 minutes to go on the computer here!) There are tons of outdoor opportunities, incredible park with Steve Prefontaine inspired running trails, and really cool nightlife and edibles.
Onward to Ashland: home of incredible Shakespeare Festival and other theatre and arts, this place is so far amazing. Near the Rogue River, not too far from Crater, and the weather is amazing! We are digging on this mountain side town and definitely interested to check it out further, so here we go to Lithia Park! Alright - 2 minutes to go!
We love you all and will write with better info and more details soon!
Portland: Dan, Amanda, and Emmaline are amazing hosts and friends! We so much appreciated getting to stay with them, laugh, relax, and spend some time catching up and getting to know one another. Emmaline is cute as a button and a total sweet heart! Finally getting our doughnut fix at Voodoo Doughnuts was delicious: maple bacon bar - 'nough said! We dig the East side of town - Mississippi St. and Brooklyn were great. POK POK - holy crap we won't ever be able to fully enjoy thai food again . . . until we go back there! The gorge is gorgeous . . . yeah I just said that! Multnomah Falls and Horsetail falls in the sunshine were most excellent. Carnival rides at the Rose Festival, also sweet. Not to be forgotten, the Saturday Market was stellar. Not cool = Hillsboro. Really happy to not be considering there as a future living place. Although, they do have a Winco grocery store which was awesome with tons of bulk stuff!
Fast forward through Albany, sweet little town, lovely historic homes, we will post pics when we get a chance.
Eugene: Most excellent. Funky funky blend of homes and people - hippy grand central with a sophisticated athleticism lended by University of Oregon. (4 minutes to go on the computer here!) There are tons of outdoor opportunities, incredible park with Steve Prefontaine inspired running trails, and really cool nightlife and edibles.
Onward to Ashland: home of incredible Shakespeare Festival and other theatre and arts, this place is so far amazing. Near the Rogue River, not too far from Crater, and the weather is amazing! We are digging on this mountain side town and definitely interested to check it out further, so here we go to Lithia Park! Alright - 2 minutes to go!
We love you all and will write with better info and more details soon!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Mount St. Helens
And so onward we drove from Olympia in the afternoon drizzle, straight on to the Mt. St. Helens visitor center. Unfortunately, the cloud ceiling was far too low for us to get a look at the mountain, but that didn't stop us from having an awesome time exploring the area! From the visitor center, it was an incredible drive that topped out at a snow drifted 3,800', the highest elevation yet on our trip. Though the drive took us through a good deal of rain, by the time we reached our first hike around Coldwater Lake, it was overcast but without rain. It was amazing to consider the fact that within only 30 years, the lake has an ecosystem much like other lakes that are 1000's of years old. The lake was formed when the eruption damned up an end of a river. Other than the park service cutting a channel through the lake to prevent the flooding of thousands of homes further down the mountain, the lake has been allowed to flourish on its own, and it is now teaming with life and surrounded by mountains that are doing the same. Charred stumps dot the hillsides, remnants of an old forest that used to thrive. We wondered whether the trees that once belonged to those stumps had been burned following the eruption or washed into the lakes and rivers, leaving their stumps as grave markers. Compared to the forests that we had previously explored, the mountain forests around Mt. St. Helens are young and full of vibrant green energy. Saplings abound, taking root and pushing upwards. Beautiful birds flit here and there, hiding as we neared. There were no other hikers out on this lovely Memorial Day. We had the entire lake to ourselves, well, ourselves and several bald eagles that we watched soaring majestically above the lake and ridge lines. Gwen's sharp eye even caught a glimpse of a beautiful little northwestern salamander, saving him from imminent death by way of being trampled under my boot! The hike would have been a little over ten miles, but because it was already late in the day and we still had to find a campground and set up camp, we opted to cut it short. We did however make time for one more short hike before heading back to camp. Our next hike was a 2.5 mile hike through a hummocks field. Hummocks are the debris that a volcano throws out when it erupts, which have been found up to 30 MILES away from some blast sites! The hummocks field that we explored was roughly 7 miles out from the center of the mountain. The landscape was characterized by lots of uneven mounds of dirt and volcanic rock. Many of these mounds had recently sheared away, as evidenced by newly exposed dirt. As it rains and rivers flow past, the hummocks break down. Pools of water in the craters between them turn into unstable ponds where new life takes hold. Over time, weather will smooth the landscape and soften the jagged edges of the hummocks. As we hiked the trail, we saw many signs of elk (poop and lots of hoof prints traversing our trails) but no elk. The weather was on and off rain and sun. We kept hoping to see a glimpse of the mighty mountain, but no opportunity presented itself, and a steady rain set in by the end of the hike. At times, it seemed like we were in Ireland. We even got lucky with the weather as a rainbow unfolded right before our eyes. Sadly there was no pot of gold at the end . . . nor was there any jiffy pop! It truly was an incredible hike. Getting to see a landscape that is in such a state of constant change was really exciting and gave an up close look at how nature takes its course following an eruption.
We drove back through the snowy mountains in heavy fog and rain, hoping for clearer skies when we got to camp. Our hopes were realized when we pulled into Seaquest State Park just across the road from the visitor center. We found a great campsite and got the tent set up under a canopy that wasn't so different from the rainforest that we had called home just a few nights before. We churned out a post draft that we saved for future uploading to the blog. Yes, we realize that sounds crazy - we were sitting in a tent in a pseudo (pronounced "sway-dough" or "sue-dough," you decide) rainforest writing a blog post on an iPad . . . we are dedicated, people! Make our craziness worth it by continuing to follow us! By the time we were ready to eat dinner at our status quo dinner time: 9:00PM, it had started to drizzle. By the time dinner was ready, that drizzle had turned into a steady rain, so we had dinner in bed, which was quite cozy in the light of Anderson's headlamp and the sound of rain on the tent fly. The rain was no big deal, save for the fact that it meant we would have to forego our newly discovered dessert delicacy of apples roasted on a stick over the fire - mmm mmm mmm. Sleeping in the rain was lovely - having to leave the tent to go to the bathroom (multiple times, in Anderson's case) was not. No, momma Gould, in case you were wondering, we did not use an old coffee can as a urinal in the tent for the night!
The next morning did not bring with it a return to sunny skies. The rain definitely deterred our exit from the tent, but we eventually got ourselves moving and quickly stuffed our wet items into the trunk and opted to get ready for the day and cook breakfast under the dry shelter of the area outside the volcano visitor center. With not even a hint of shame, we cooked our oatmeal and hot tea as visitors shuffled past to see the exhibit inside, and Gwen even gave herself a little birdbath in the ladies room. Gwen is a master at cleanliness on the road. She might be the best smelling camper traveller out there! We decided to use our last day at Mt. St. Helens to explore Ape Cave, a 2 mile long 2,000 year old basalt lava tube that was first explored and named by a boy scout troop. This seemed like a good option for the day, as it was not weather dependent, and the rain did not seem to be going anywhere fast. From the visitor center it is roughly a 90 minute drive through twists and turns up through the mountains to get to Ape Cave.
Ape Cave has two sections: a .8 mile easy lower section, and a 1.2 mile upper more difficult section. It is recommended that you take three light sources and wear sturdy boots. We had one light source (Anderson's headlamp) and Gwen was wearing her hiking sandals. We quickly realized upon entering the lower section of the cave that it was going to be wetter than anticipated, with lots of puddles, and that one headlamp was going to be a worthy test of team Gwanderson's teamwork! A quick return to the car to put on Gwen's (waterproof) hiking boots and grab a cellphone as a second light source should the trusty headlamp fail us (it's ok, you can laugh here, but don't worry, we make it out alive) and we were on our way into the cave. The cave is literally pitch black, and it maintains a cool damp 42 degrees year round. The walk through is a gradual downgrade going in, and the tunnel is wide and tall, roughly 25' at its highest point. We encountered three other hikers on our walk, and a ranger. There are constants drips from the ceiling of the cave, and walls are lined with a slimy white fungus, which we later learned is a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and bacteria that is invisible at temperatures above 42 degrees and exists in dirt and is recognizable only by its smell (earthy and rich, like dirt). At the furthest end of the cave, it narrows down to about 2'. We stopped at this point; going further would necessitate crawling through mud, and we weren't really feeling that. The cave closes to such a narrow opening at that point because of the mud flow that filled the lava tube when Mt. St. Helens erupted in the 1980's. The tube was originally 4 miles long and had a lake at one end. The rest of the tube can be accessed past the constriction, but is off-limits to civilians and is one of the only places in the US Park System that is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, so unless you can find the skylight into the cave, which is on protected land, you're not getting in there without some heavy credentials! The reason for the secrecy surrounding the cave is that it is a protected habitat for bats.
On our return trip to the entrance of the cave, we ran into the other three hikers and the ranger, who was giving them a spiel about the cave. He was a younger ranger and very interested and informed about cave life. He told us that within the next month, the cave would be crawling with hundreds and thousands of visitors, and that it would echo with a deafening cacophony. We were grateful to realize what a special opportunity we had in getting to experience the cave in its true serenity. The ranger also told us about how to read the flow and lines in the cave, citing erosion and deposits left by lava flows, places where smaller lava flow tubes had formed and collapsed within the larger tube, and how to notice grooves cut into the ground from drips that blow in the shifting wind in the cave. As temperatures outside the cave rise and fall, the winds in the tube shift from blowing into and out of the cave (into the cave when outside is warmer and out of the cave when outside is colder), which are most noticeable in the narrow sections of the cave as the air flow is constricted, much like water flowing from a wide section of river being calm and turning into a torrent as they squeeze through a narrow section. Over the course of just a few months, the drips carve grooves into the muddy deposits on the floor that were left by the Mt. St. Helens eruption some 30 years ago. During the months when tourists are more popular, these grooves will disappear under heavy foot traffic, only to be recut again over the less popular winter months. Another major part of the ranger's talk was about white nose syndrome, which is a condition that is killing millions of bats in caves all across the eastern half of the United States. Bats go into caves to hibernate, and while they are asleep a fungus grows on the sleeping bats that eventually kills them as they awake too often from temporary hibernation, depleting their fat and energy stores and depriving them of the necessary energy to seek out food when they awake from hibernation. Scientists are still researching this condition in an attempt to understand just where this condition came from and what the long term implications could be. In order to stop the spread, which occurs from bat to bat contact and from humans brushing up against surfaces in caves where the fungus lives and then brushing against surfaces in uninflected caves, caves all across the eastern half of the country are being shut down to visitors. The ranger seemed pretty nervous when he learned that we are from Virginia, but neither of us have been in any caves in Virginia recently, so we are pretty sure we are all clear. If you have been in caves in the eastern half of the country, don't freak out - white nose syndrome is harmless to humans and you simply need to disinfect any clothes, boots, or gear that you were using in the cave. Fish and Wildlife Departments have a disinfecting process that you can access, or you can wash your clothing, etc. at a temperature above 120 degrees, which kills the fungus. So, if you didn't know, now you know! Running into the ranger definitely enriched the experience for us, and the hike out was even more exciting as we were armed with so much extra knowledge.
Given our limited lighting and the lateness of the afternoon, we opted to not risk it in the upper cave, and relished in our excitement about how amazing caves are. While Ape Cave really has zero to do with the Mt. St. Helens eruption, it is an incredible piece of the National Volcanic Monument that we were glad to experience. During the long and winding drive down the mountain, the sun broke through, sending shafts of light through the glistening trees and steam rising from the road. We even caught a fleeting glimpse of another rainbow over the river below us. A quick stop near Starbucks for some internet access got us set on our directions and had us en route to Beaverton, OR, which would become home base for 5 nights.
We drove back through the snowy mountains in heavy fog and rain, hoping for clearer skies when we got to camp. Our hopes were realized when we pulled into Seaquest State Park just across the road from the visitor center. We found a great campsite and got the tent set up under a canopy that wasn't so different from the rainforest that we had called home just a few nights before. We churned out a post draft that we saved for future uploading to the blog. Yes, we realize that sounds crazy - we were sitting in a tent in a pseudo (pronounced "sway-dough" or "sue-dough," you decide) rainforest writing a blog post on an iPad . . . we are dedicated, people! Make our craziness worth it by continuing to follow us! By the time we were ready to eat dinner at our status quo dinner time: 9:00PM, it had started to drizzle. By the time dinner was ready, that drizzle had turned into a steady rain, so we had dinner in bed, which was quite cozy in the light of Anderson's headlamp and the sound of rain on the tent fly. The rain was no big deal, save for the fact that it meant we would have to forego our newly discovered dessert delicacy of apples roasted on a stick over the fire - mmm mmm mmm. Sleeping in the rain was lovely - having to leave the tent to go to the bathroom (multiple times, in Anderson's case) was not. No, momma Gould, in case you were wondering, we did not use an old coffee can as a urinal in the tent for the night!
The next morning did not bring with it a return to sunny skies. The rain definitely deterred our exit from the tent, but we eventually got ourselves moving and quickly stuffed our wet items into the trunk and opted to get ready for the day and cook breakfast under the dry shelter of the area outside the volcano visitor center. With not even a hint of shame, we cooked our oatmeal and hot tea as visitors shuffled past to see the exhibit inside, and Gwen even gave herself a little birdbath in the ladies room. Gwen is a master at cleanliness on the road. She might be the best smelling camper traveller out there! We decided to use our last day at Mt. St. Helens to explore Ape Cave, a 2 mile long 2,000 year old basalt lava tube that was first explored and named by a boy scout troop. This seemed like a good option for the day, as it was not weather dependent, and the rain did not seem to be going anywhere fast. From the visitor center it is roughly a 90 minute drive through twists and turns up through the mountains to get to Ape Cave.
Ape Cave has two sections: a .8 mile easy lower section, and a 1.2 mile upper more difficult section. It is recommended that you take three light sources and wear sturdy boots. We had one light source (Anderson's headlamp) and Gwen was wearing her hiking sandals. We quickly realized upon entering the lower section of the cave that it was going to be wetter than anticipated, with lots of puddles, and that one headlamp was going to be a worthy test of team Gwanderson's teamwork! A quick return to the car to put on Gwen's (waterproof) hiking boots and grab a cellphone as a second light source should the trusty headlamp fail us (it's ok, you can laugh here, but don't worry, we make it out alive) and we were on our way into the cave. The cave is literally pitch black, and it maintains a cool damp 42 degrees year round. The walk through is a gradual downgrade going in, and the tunnel is wide and tall, roughly 25' at its highest point. We encountered three other hikers on our walk, and a ranger. There are constants drips from the ceiling of the cave, and walls are lined with a slimy white fungus, which we later learned is a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and bacteria that is invisible at temperatures above 42 degrees and exists in dirt and is recognizable only by its smell (earthy and rich, like dirt). At the furthest end of the cave, it narrows down to about 2'. We stopped at this point; going further would necessitate crawling through mud, and we weren't really feeling that. The cave closes to such a narrow opening at that point because of the mud flow that filled the lava tube when Mt. St. Helens erupted in the 1980's. The tube was originally 4 miles long and had a lake at one end. The rest of the tube can be accessed past the constriction, but is off-limits to civilians and is one of the only places in the US Park System that is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, so unless you can find the skylight into the cave, which is on protected land, you're not getting in there without some heavy credentials! The reason for the secrecy surrounding the cave is that it is a protected habitat for bats.
On our return trip to the entrance of the cave, we ran into the other three hikers and the ranger, who was giving them a spiel about the cave. He was a younger ranger and very interested and informed about cave life. He told us that within the next month, the cave would be crawling with hundreds and thousands of visitors, and that it would echo with a deafening cacophony. We were grateful to realize what a special opportunity we had in getting to experience the cave in its true serenity. The ranger also told us about how to read the flow and lines in the cave, citing erosion and deposits left by lava flows, places where smaller lava flow tubes had formed and collapsed within the larger tube, and how to notice grooves cut into the ground from drips that blow in the shifting wind in the cave. As temperatures outside the cave rise and fall, the winds in the tube shift from blowing into and out of the cave (into the cave when outside is warmer and out of the cave when outside is colder), which are most noticeable in the narrow sections of the cave as the air flow is constricted, much like water flowing from a wide section of river being calm and turning into a torrent as they squeeze through a narrow section. Over the course of just a few months, the drips carve grooves into the muddy deposits on the floor that were left by the Mt. St. Helens eruption some 30 years ago. During the months when tourists are more popular, these grooves will disappear under heavy foot traffic, only to be recut again over the less popular winter months. Another major part of the ranger's talk was about white nose syndrome, which is a condition that is killing millions of bats in caves all across the eastern half of the United States. Bats go into caves to hibernate, and while they are asleep a fungus grows on the sleeping bats that eventually kills them as they awake too often from temporary hibernation, depleting their fat and energy stores and depriving them of the necessary energy to seek out food when they awake from hibernation. Scientists are still researching this condition in an attempt to understand just where this condition came from and what the long term implications could be. In order to stop the spread, which occurs from bat to bat contact and from humans brushing up against surfaces in caves where the fungus lives and then brushing against surfaces in uninflected caves, caves all across the eastern half of the country are being shut down to visitors. The ranger seemed pretty nervous when he learned that we are from Virginia, but neither of us have been in any caves in Virginia recently, so we are pretty sure we are all clear. If you have been in caves in the eastern half of the country, don't freak out - white nose syndrome is harmless to humans and you simply need to disinfect any clothes, boots, or gear that you were using in the cave. Fish and Wildlife Departments have a disinfecting process that you can access, or you can wash your clothing, etc. at a temperature above 120 degrees, which kills the fungus. So, if you didn't know, now you know! Running into the ranger definitely enriched the experience for us, and the hike out was even more exciting as we were armed with so much extra knowledge.
Given our limited lighting and the lateness of the afternoon, we opted to not risk it in the upper cave, and relished in our excitement about how amazing caves are. While Ape Cave really has zero to do with the Mt. St. Helens eruption, it is an incredible piece of the National Volcanic Monument that we were glad to experience. During the long and winding drive down the mountain, the sun broke through, sending shafts of light through the glistening trees and steam rising from the road. We even caught a fleeting glimpse of another rainbow over the river below us. A quick stop near Starbucks for some internet access got us set on our directions and had us en route to Beaverton, OR, which would become home base for 5 nights.
Chez Cascadia and Olympia
No thanks to Karen, our extremely untrustworthy and befuddled GPS, we made it to our hostel in Olympia, Chez Cascadia. We stopped to get gas and snag a photo of a Sasquatch themed pizza shop before getting rather mixed up around the interstates near town. At any rate, we arrived in time for check-in and were greeted by our most delightful host, Collin. With a cheerful greeting and quick tour of the hostel, we were all set for the night.
The hostel stands out upon arrival as a colorful home within a quaint neighborhood. The name of the hostel is prominently displayed on a toilet lid hanging next to the front door, below which is a microwave bearing a sign that reads "I'm a mailbox of course." The interior of the hostel is warm and welcoming, as were the inn-keepers, Collin and Hisham. There are two bedrooms in the main house, one a dorm style that could accommodate 5 people in bunk beds, and the other room a private room with a queen bed. We opted for the cheaper route and chose to share the double bed in the dorm-style room. A bathroom was situated between the rooms, painted in vibrant greens and purples to look as though the paint was oozing down the walls - very funky. A communal living room and vegetarian-only kitchen provided ample space and amenities for our two-night stay. Thankfully laundry services were available because after several days of camping and hiking, our clothes were smelling fuuuunkay! The hostel had a very Eco-conscious vibe; recycling and composting were encouraged, chickens roamed the back yard, communal food supplies were available for use (spices, canned goods, an assortment of teas, cooking oils - all of which we were greatly encouraged to use throughout our stay), a garden grew verdantly in the backyard, and rain barrels were situated to collect water for gardening. Even the dishwasher was only used as a drying rack. The hostel and it's residents made us feel quickly at home and embraced us during our stay. There was a separate dorm style room located behind the main house as well, which appeared to be occupied primarily by people contributing to the operation of the hostel by cleaning, gardening, and running the seed exchange which seemed to be a community effort encouraging community members to grow their own produce.
Collin informed us about a local food co-op a few blocks away, to which one of the residents volunteered to accompany us. It was a short walk under grey skies that gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs after our drive and get a better look at the neighborhood around the hostel. The houses were cute, many of them with a great deal of personal character and overflowing flowerbeds. Along the way, Michael shared with us his stories about life as a film-maker and actor, as well as his knowledge and thoughts about Olympia and the Northwest.
The food co-op was a pretty excellent experience. Gwen was sold on the fact that they had not one, but several varieties of essential oils, and even a kambucha starter kit. For those of you who don't know what kambucha is, it is a fermented tea that helps with the digestive system. Anyway, the food co-op was well-stocked with delicious, organic, locally grown or sourced foods that had our mouths watering. The staff were super helpful, many of them volunteers. Eastern Indian music played in the background as we procured some food for breakfast and lunch the following morning, including a delicious baguette, goat Brie, fresh eggs, and a tomato. Michael was kind enough to wait for us to show us the way back as neither of us had paid much attention to directions as we walked and talked with him on the way to the food co-op. Given that it was about 9 and we still had not showered, we decided to get cleaned up and make our way downtown for some dinner, nightlife, and a good cold beer.
Once we were showered, Collin pointed us in the direction of Fish Tale Ales, a local brew pub, for dinner and a drink. His directions were spot on, sending us straight through Olympia's small downtown on our way. Downtown Olympia is made up of a strip of many taverns and restaurants that is hustling and bustling on a weekend night. Fish Tale Ales is just off the beaten path and had a lively atmosphere and local art displayed on the walls. We shared an amazing meal of coconut encrusted red snapper and a pitcher of amazing clams! We thought it might have been too much for us, but our appetites were up to the task and we gorged ourselves on the delicious fare. The beers were a tasty reward as well after the days travel. We finished our evening downtown with a post dinner saunter, noting coffee shops and other spots we might like to check out on the following day. Gwen was really digging one restaurant that was packed, called King Soloman's Reef. We didn't stop in as we were full from our dinner, but it definitely looked like a good time. Much like the downtown scene back home, the streets and bars were populated with young folks looking for a drink or causing some kind of rowdiness in the streets. We found it hard to fit in amongst the bar scene tattooed nightlife of downtown Olympia.
Back at Chez Cascadia, Collin was still up and happy to hear that we had enjoyed his recommendation. Tired from the day, we hit the sack. What we had hoped would be a great nights sleep turned into a nightmare. Our roommate had perfected his art of snoring. It was terrible. Neither of us could get to sleep. We attempted to drown out the cacophony with wads of toilet paper in our ears, though this did little to lessen the brutality of our slumbering neighbor. Somehow a few short naps were managed during the night. Anderson had a strange dream that his mom had tooth surgery and couldn't talk right, so she kept making this strange mumbled sound over and over whenever Anderson would talk to her. Anderson awoke from the dream only to realize that the strange noise was actually the evolution of the snoring going on in the bed next to him. Gwen awoke before 6:00 (if you know Gwen, then you know this is totally out of the ordinary) and hung out with her buddy Colin, catching up on his life's adventures. In their conversation, she disclosed to him that Michael SNORED! Collin seemed very aware of this, and Gwen got the feeling that Michael was aware of this too. When Michael joined the conversation with Gwen and Collin in the kitchen at about 8:30, animatedly sharing his most recent music film festival invitation in New York, Gwen saw an opportunity for a quiet nap. While Gwen caught a couple hours of much needed rest, Anderson began experimenting with the blog! Updating pictures has been particularly difficult as you may be able to tell (note: please refer to the picture album for pics of the trip, though they are unorganized we hope you are able to identify our words in these snapshots).
Slightly better rested and eager to explore, we set out for the city. We were given some suggestions of things to do in the area by the innkeepers and residents, but mostly decided to follow our noses. We began driving and decided to head towards the capital. Being that it was a Sunday, tours of the capital were unavailable but we were able to explore the building, which was beautifully built in marble and decorated with a gigantic chandelier and fire pots from Tiffany's. The state flower of Washington, the rhododendron, decorated the capital lawn in bright bold colors. On the upper levels of the capital building, we found a photography exhibit documenting the effects of homelessness for children and families across the state of Washington and the nation. It was a very moving exhibit, with poignant images and stories captured in black and white. We found it particularly encouraging that such a serious and devastating issue was being put on display in such a prominent location where senators and delegates would be confronted with it frequently. As we explored the building, a high school choir group from Bellingham, WA assembled in the main corridor under the rotunda. Their voices filled the building, showing off the acoustic qualities of the space. A particularly interesting effect was achieved when the choir assembled around the four balconies of the second floor, arranged by pitch, and sang together. Their voices were beautiful and we both felt fortunate that we were able to share in the experience of the choir.
Our next stop was at the farmer's market. Forest Hill may have the best farmer's market in Richmond, but it is nothing compared to the farmer's market in Olympia (and probably a lot of the rest of the northwest). The farmer's market here was full of amazing greens and produce, scented bath goods, bakery items, plants for the garden, and other handcrafted goods. To make things even better, it was all totally covered by a really beautiful permanent structure, which was obviously a great idea given the consistency of the rainy weather in the state. We picked up a quick gift for Amanda (a friend who we will be staying with in Portland) and then checked out the boardwalk at the harbor. It was a pleasant enough place to check out and we dug the barnacles, oysters, and clams that had congregated on the mooring pillars. We figured they probably would not be too good for eating given the amount of boat traffic in and out of the harbor.
We then made an attempt to find the visitor's center that we had seen a sign for in town. Our search led us all over the vicinity, but not to any visitor center. We headed out of town toward Lacey, discovering a behavioral health center that we thought might have some job openings. With it being Sunday, we couldn't do much with that, and so we headed back to "downtown" to find a coffee shop and hang out for a bit. We had a hard time finding a coffee shop, which was surprising given that we have seen tons of them everywhere out here! We finally found a spot called Burial Grounds. The morbid name intrigued us and the vibe inside was definitely somewhat in keeping with the name. The was a kind of dark theme to the restaurant, and the bathroom was decorated with hand drawings of various kitsch sayings and pictures related to death or burial grounds and coffee. Anderson asked the barista about what folks do for fun in town, and the barista replied that mostly drink. This was not too encouraging. We sat outside and enjoyed our coffee and chai, talking over job potentials and thoughts about Olympia. Our verdict was that while Olympia had it's good points, we were not overly impressed with it and figured it was not substantially different enough from Richmond to be worth considering a move. We had the interesting pleasure of meeting one gentleman who was a professional viola player and had played with Arlo Guthrie in Richmond and a proclaimed singer/songwriter who sang us a little ditty and spout out a slew of facts about Mt. St. Helens (a cubic mile of debris blew out of the mountain). The affect and general demeanor of this fellow led us to believe that he was certifiably diagnosable.
We then decided to visit a bookstore that we had passed earlier. On our walk to the bookstore, we passed a parking lot with a pipe coming out of the ground and water flowing from it. A young dad and his little girl were filling up several gallon jugs with the water. Perplexed, we stopped to inquire about what they were up to. The father informed us that it was an artesian well, which we later learned simply means that it is a self-propelled well that does not need a pump to continue to supply water. Apparently the well has supplied many local businesses with water for years and maintains a steady flow that this fellow proclaimed to be "the best water in the state; it's been tested." He went on to tell us that he and his family only use this water to drink and cook with because "he's kind of picky," noting that they have to come and refill their water about once every few weeks. We got a total kick out of this and headed for the bookshop, making a note to return to fill our water sources here.
The bookstore turned out to be quite cool, and we enjoyed the time out of the rain by looking through new and used books and finding a few freebies to take with us. From here we headed back to the hostel to take a walk over to the food co-op and also to check out the nature trail that Collin had told us about the previous day. During our quick stop-in at the hostel, Collin informed Gwen that he would be moving us to the private room for the night so that we could get some better sleep, with no additional fee! This was a welcome relief after the rough sleep that we had the night before. We headed out for our walk feeling extremely grateful for Collin's amazing hospitality. Despite the rain, we enjoyed a walk through the nature trail, viewing more ferns and moss along the way before its terminus at a riverside park with plenty of open green space. At the food co-op we picked out foods to make dinner using a great simmer sauce, mushrooms, red pepper, onion, and bulk couscous. We figured our bill would be huge, but we got everything we needed for under $15. Back at the hostel, Gwen cooked (she is a total rock star, especially in the kitchen) while Anderson set to the task of writing blog updates and posting photos. It's a grueling process, this trip haha! Dinner was amazing, and we still had food left over. Dinner therefore came out to roughly $5/person. Not bad for shopping at the local food co-op. Healthy and cheap, can't beat that. We finished up some blogging before bed, relishing in the fact that outside of our room we could already hear Michael snoring away like a log, but inside the room, peaceful quiet.
The next morning we enjoyed delicious egg sandwiches for breakfast and washed our laundry. This provided us with some relaxing time to drink tea, upload photos, and write blog entries. Look at how hard we work at keeping you all informed and up to date! It is a lot of work this blogging thing! You don't know it, but a good deal of this post was actually written laying in a tent in the rain at the foot of Mt. St. Helens! That's right, we risk volcanoes to bring you all the juicy details of our trip. Hopefully you are enjoying them and not just getting totally bored. It has been a fun process for us to share our stories and experiences with you all back home, and a fun way for us to capture some of the memories that we are making while traveling. As I mentioned, this post was written at Mt. St. Helens, so you know where we are heading next . . .
The hostel stands out upon arrival as a colorful home within a quaint neighborhood. The name of the hostel is prominently displayed on a toilet lid hanging next to the front door, below which is a microwave bearing a sign that reads "I'm a mailbox of course." The interior of the hostel is warm and welcoming, as were the inn-keepers, Collin and Hisham. There are two bedrooms in the main house, one a dorm style that could accommodate 5 people in bunk beds, and the other room a private room with a queen bed. We opted for the cheaper route and chose to share the double bed in the dorm-style room. A bathroom was situated between the rooms, painted in vibrant greens and purples to look as though the paint was oozing down the walls - very funky. A communal living room and vegetarian-only kitchen provided ample space and amenities for our two-night stay. Thankfully laundry services were available because after several days of camping and hiking, our clothes were smelling fuuuunkay! The hostel had a very Eco-conscious vibe; recycling and composting were encouraged, chickens roamed the back yard, communal food supplies were available for use (spices, canned goods, an assortment of teas, cooking oils - all of which we were greatly encouraged to use throughout our stay), a garden grew verdantly in the backyard, and rain barrels were situated to collect water for gardening. Even the dishwasher was only used as a drying rack. The hostel and it's residents made us feel quickly at home and embraced us during our stay. There was a separate dorm style room located behind the main house as well, which appeared to be occupied primarily by people contributing to the operation of the hostel by cleaning, gardening, and running the seed exchange which seemed to be a community effort encouraging community members to grow their own produce.
Collin informed us about a local food co-op a few blocks away, to which one of the residents volunteered to accompany us. It was a short walk under grey skies that gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs after our drive and get a better look at the neighborhood around the hostel. The houses were cute, many of them with a great deal of personal character and overflowing flowerbeds. Along the way, Michael shared with us his stories about life as a film-maker and actor, as well as his knowledge and thoughts about Olympia and the Northwest.
The food co-op was a pretty excellent experience. Gwen was sold on the fact that they had not one, but several varieties of essential oils, and even a kambucha starter kit. For those of you who don't know what kambucha is, it is a fermented tea that helps with the digestive system. Anyway, the food co-op was well-stocked with delicious, organic, locally grown or sourced foods that had our mouths watering. The staff were super helpful, many of them volunteers. Eastern Indian music played in the background as we procured some food for breakfast and lunch the following morning, including a delicious baguette, goat Brie, fresh eggs, and a tomato. Michael was kind enough to wait for us to show us the way back as neither of us had paid much attention to directions as we walked and talked with him on the way to the food co-op. Given that it was about 9 and we still had not showered, we decided to get cleaned up and make our way downtown for some dinner, nightlife, and a good cold beer.
Once we were showered, Collin pointed us in the direction of Fish Tale Ales, a local brew pub, for dinner and a drink. His directions were spot on, sending us straight through Olympia's small downtown on our way. Downtown Olympia is made up of a strip of many taverns and restaurants that is hustling and bustling on a weekend night. Fish Tale Ales is just off the beaten path and had a lively atmosphere and local art displayed on the walls. We shared an amazing meal of coconut encrusted red snapper and a pitcher of amazing clams! We thought it might have been too much for us, but our appetites were up to the task and we gorged ourselves on the delicious fare. The beers were a tasty reward as well after the days travel. We finished our evening downtown with a post dinner saunter, noting coffee shops and other spots we might like to check out on the following day. Gwen was really digging one restaurant that was packed, called King Soloman's Reef. We didn't stop in as we were full from our dinner, but it definitely looked like a good time. Much like the downtown scene back home, the streets and bars were populated with young folks looking for a drink or causing some kind of rowdiness in the streets. We found it hard to fit in amongst the bar scene tattooed nightlife of downtown Olympia.
Back at Chez Cascadia, Collin was still up and happy to hear that we had enjoyed his recommendation. Tired from the day, we hit the sack. What we had hoped would be a great nights sleep turned into a nightmare. Our roommate had perfected his art of snoring. It was terrible. Neither of us could get to sleep. We attempted to drown out the cacophony with wads of toilet paper in our ears, though this did little to lessen the brutality of our slumbering neighbor. Somehow a few short naps were managed during the night. Anderson had a strange dream that his mom had tooth surgery and couldn't talk right, so she kept making this strange mumbled sound over and over whenever Anderson would talk to her. Anderson awoke from the dream only to realize that the strange noise was actually the evolution of the snoring going on in the bed next to him. Gwen awoke before 6:00 (if you know Gwen, then you know this is totally out of the ordinary) and hung out with her buddy Colin, catching up on his life's adventures. In their conversation, she disclosed to him that Michael SNORED! Collin seemed very aware of this, and Gwen got the feeling that Michael was aware of this too. When Michael joined the conversation with Gwen and Collin in the kitchen at about 8:30, animatedly sharing his most recent music film festival invitation in New York, Gwen saw an opportunity for a quiet nap. While Gwen caught a couple hours of much needed rest, Anderson began experimenting with the blog! Updating pictures has been particularly difficult as you may be able to tell (note: please refer to the picture album for pics of the trip, though they are unorganized we hope you are able to identify our words in these snapshots).
Slightly better rested and eager to explore, we set out for the city. We were given some suggestions of things to do in the area by the innkeepers and residents, but mostly decided to follow our noses. We began driving and decided to head towards the capital. Being that it was a Sunday, tours of the capital were unavailable but we were able to explore the building, which was beautifully built in marble and decorated with a gigantic chandelier and fire pots from Tiffany's. The state flower of Washington, the rhododendron, decorated the capital lawn in bright bold colors. On the upper levels of the capital building, we found a photography exhibit documenting the effects of homelessness for children and families across the state of Washington and the nation. It was a very moving exhibit, with poignant images and stories captured in black and white. We found it particularly encouraging that such a serious and devastating issue was being put on display in such a prominent location where senators and delegates would be confronted with it frequently. As we explored the building, a high school choir group from Bellingham, WA assembled in the main corridor under the rotunda. Their voices filled the building, showing off the acoustic qualities of the space. A particularly interesting effect was achieved when the choir assembled around the four balconies of the second floor, arranged by pitch, and sang together. Their voices were beautiful and we both felt fortunate that we were able to share in the experience of the choir.
Our next stop was at the farmer's market. Forest Hill may have the best farmer's market in Richmond, but it is nothing compared to the farmer's market in Olympia (and probably a lot of the rest of the northwest). The farmer's market here was full of amazing greens and produce, scented bath goods, bakery items, plants for the garden, and other handcrafted goods. To make things even better, it was all totally covered by a really beautiful permanent structure, which was obviously a great idea given the consistency of the rainy weather in the state. We picked up a quick gift for Amanda (a friend who we will be staying with in Portland) and then checked out the boardwalk at the harbor. It was a pleasant enough place to check out and we dug the barnacles, oysters, and clams that had congregated on the mooring pillars. We figured they probably would not be too good for eating given the amount of boat traffic in and out of the harbor.
We then made an attempt to find the visitor's center that we had seen a sign for in town. Our search led us all over the vicinity, but not to any visitor center. We headed out of town toward Lacey, discovering a behavioral health center that we thought might have some job openings. With it being Sunday, we couldn't do much with that, and so we headed back to "downtown" to find a coffee shop and hang out for a bit. We had a hard time finding a coffee shop, which was surprising given that we have seen tons of them everywhere out here! We finally found a spot called Burial Grounds. The morbid name intrigued us and the vibe inside was definitely somewhat in keeping with the name. The was a kind of dark theme to the restaurant, and the bathroom was decorated with hand drawings of various kitsch sayings and pictures related to death or burial grounds and coffee. Anderson asked the barista about what folks do for fun in town, and the barista replied that mostly drink. This was not too encouraging. We sat outside and enjoyed our coffee and chai, talking over job potentials and thoughts about Olympia. Our verdict was that while Olympia had it's good points, we were not overly impressed with it and figured it was not substantially different enough from Richmond to be worth considering a move. We had the interesting pleasure of meeting one gentleman who was a professional viola player and had played with Arlo Guthrie in Richmond and a proclaimed singer/songwriter who sang us a little ditty and spout out a slew of facts about Mt. St. Helens (a cubic mile of debris blew out of the mountain). The affect and general demeanor of this fellow led us to believe that he was certifiably diagnosable.
We then decided to visit a bookstore that we had passed earlier. On our walk to the bookstore, we passed a parking lot with a pipe coming out of the ground and water flowing from it. A young dad and his little girl were filling up several gallon jugs with the water. Perplexed, we stopped to inquire about what they were up to. The father informed us that it was an artesian well, which we later learned simply means that it is a self-propelled well that does not need a pump to continue to supply water. Apparently the well has supplied many local businesses with water for years and maintains a steady flow that this fellow proclaimed to be "the best water in the state; it's been tested." He went on to tell us that he and his family only use this water to drink and cook with because "he's kind of picky," noting that they have to come and refill their water about once every few weeks. We got a total kick out of this and headed for the bookshop, making a note to return to fill our water sources here.
The bookstore turned out to be quite cool, and we enjoyed the time out of the rain by looking through new and used books and finding a few freebies to take with us. From here we headed back to the hostel to take a walk over to the food co-op and also to check out the nature trail that Collin had told us about the previous day. During our quick stop-in at the hostel, Collin informed Gwen that he would be moving us to the private room for the night so that we could get some better sleep, with no additional fee! This was a welcome relief after the rough sleep that we had the night before. We headed out for our walk feeling extremely grateful for Collin's amazing hospitality. Despite the rain, we enjoyed a walk through the nature trail, viewing more ferns and moss along the way before its terminus at a riverside park with plenty of open green space. At the food co-op we picked out foods to make dinner using a great simmer sauce, mushrooms, red pepper, onion, and bulk couscous. We figured our bill would be huge, but we got everything we needed for under $15. Back at the hostel, Gwen cooked (she is a total rock star, especially in the kitchen) while Anderson set to the task of writing blog updates and posting photos. It's a grueling process, this trip haha! Dinner was amazing, and we still had food left over. Dinner therefore came out to roughly $5/person. Not bad for shopping at the local food co-op. Healthy and cheap, can't beat that. We finished up some blogging before bed, relishing in the fact that outside of our room we could already hear Michael snoring away like a log, but inside the room, peaceful quiet.
The next morning we enjoyed delicious egg sandwiches for breakfast and washed our laundry. This provided us with some relaxing time to drink tea, upload photos, and write blog entries. Look at how hard we work at keeping you all informed and up to date! It is a lot of work this blogging thing! You don't know it, but a good deal of this post was actually written laying in a tent in the rain at the foot of Mt. St. Helens! That's right, we risk volcanoes to bring you all the juicy details of our trip. Hopefully you are enjoying them and not just getting totally bored. It has been a fun process for us to share our stories and experiences with you all back home, and a fun way for us to capture some of the memories that we are making while traveling. As I mentioned, this post was written at Mt. St. Helens, so you know where we are heading next . . .
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Backpacking Second Beach is never second best
The trail into the beach entrance ended with tons of bordering driftwood skeletons of ancient trees, washed white by the sun and the waves, all along the coast. We climbed through this drift wood pile up with the weight of our backpacks like two giddy kids on Christmas! We kept our eyes on the sea ahead of us and the sea stacks, remnants of headland, broken off by years of erosion. The tide pools beckoned us onward but first we had to find a campsite.
Anderson ditched his backpack for the moment with Gwen and explored trail heads leading into the dense headland. He was vigilant. Though he reported that many scenic spots had already been claimed, he found us the perfect perch, nestled amongst the scrubby bushes of the coast, up steep steps indented in the raised headland, lined with helpful rocks for climbing. Situated at a point, we enjoyed a clear view of the length of Second Beach. Our nook on the coast provided a ready made fire pit surrounded by driftwood benches and a privy! This was no ordinary privy. This privy was just that, a smelly hole with a toilet seat above it about 20 yards from the campsite that itself boasted some scenic views! We took the time to make our room with a view, or view with a room rather and Anderson went to pump some water for dinner and we gathered firewood, which was plentiful.
The tide was out and on its way in, and we used the sea stacks as a playground to explore the filling tide pools. We walked to each end of the beach, taking in the scenery and observing the many starfish, green and aggregating sea anemones, sea grasses, limpets and barnacles inhabiting the tidal pools. On one end of the beach we rounded a corner just in time to scare a bald eagle into flight! We love bald eagles. They're huge and majestic and really exciting to find. When we made our way to the spot the bald eagle was hanging out we could see just how amazing these birds are! It's talons were as big as Gwen's hand and we could see where it's wings had brushed the sand as it took flight. At the end of the cove was a small, shallow cave which we were just able to explore before the tide forced us out. We walked back to our campsite into the sunset for a warm fire, Gwen's first mountain house meal, feeling so lucky to have come upon this treasure of an adventure.
If you haven't had a mountain house meal-even Gwen says they're freaking delicious! We had chicken Alfredo. We enjoyed our hot meal with some hot green tea and roasting apples over the fire. This was a successful Gwenvention as roasting the apples cartelized them from the inside and we enjoyed a sugary dessert. As the sky darkened and the stars flickered on, we wondered what stars we were seeing while away from home. The serenity of our evening was interrupted when Anderson noticed signal flares from a boat in the water. Two flares, followed by search lights from the boat made us curious and a little concerned. Minutes after the second flare we heard a helicopter approaching, which shined a search light as well extensively up and down the coast. We couldn't read the side of the helicopter to get an idea of what was going on but after the initial curiosity, the extra noises became a bother. We retired to the tent for good conversation and peaceful sleep.
We woke on the beach and enjoyed a lazy morning and after pumping more water from the creek together we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of oatmeal, tea and bananas. We again took our time exploring the sea stacks up and down the coast. Anderson even scaled one of the exceptional sea stacks - pics to come, and made it back down in time just before the tide could close in around us.
We hiked back up the steep trail, this time ascending instead of descending, and made our way back to the car. After a quick lunch we headed to Chez Cascadia, the hostel in Olympia which we would be staying for two nights, looking forward to the opportunity to have a hot shower and a cold beer.
Anderson ditched his backpack for the moment with Gwen and explored trail heads leading into the dense headland. He was vigilant. Though he reported that many scenic spots had already been claimed, he found us the perfect perch, nestled amongst the scrubby bushes of the coast, up steep steps indented in the raised headland, lined with helpful rocks for climbing. Situated at a point, we enjoyed a clear view of the length of Second Beach. Our nook on the coast provided a ready made fire pit surrounded by driftwood benches and a privy! This was no ordinary privy. This privy was just that, a smelly hole with a toilet seat above it about 20 yards from the campsite that itself boasted some scenic views! We took the time to make our room with a view, or view with a room rather and Anderson went to pump some water for dinner and we gathered firewood, which was plentiful.
The tide was out and on its way in, and we used the sea stacks as a playground to explore the filling tide pools. We walked to each end of the beach, taking in the scenery and observing the many starfish, green and aggregating sea anemones, sea grasses, limpets and barnacles inhabiting the tidal pools. On one end of the beach we rounded a corner just in time to scare a bald eagle into flight! We love bald eagles. They're huge and majestic and really exciting to find. When we made our way to the spot the bald eagle was hanging out we could see just how amazing these birds are! It's talons were as big as Gwen's hand and we could see where it's wings had brushed the sand as it took flight. At the end of the cove was a small, shallow cave which we were just able to explore before the tide forced us out. We walked back to our campsite into the sunset for a warm fire, Gwen's first mountain house meal, feeling so lucky to have come upon this treasure of an adventure.
If you haven't had a mountain house meal-even Gwen says they're freaking delicious! We had chicken Alfredo. We enjoyed our hot meal with some hot green tea and roasting apples over the fire. This was a successful Gwenvention as roasting the apples cartelized them from the inside and we enjoyed a sugary dessert. As the sky darkened and the stars flickered on, we wondered what stars we were seeing while away from home. The serenity of our evening was interrupted when Anderson noticed signal flares from a boat in the water. Two flares, followed by search lights from the boat made us curious and a little concerned. Minutes after the second flare we heard a helicopter approaching, which shined a search light as well extensively up and down the coast. We couldn't read the side of the helicopter to get an idea of what was going on but after the initial curiosity, the extra noises became a bother. We retired to the tent for good conversation and peaceful sleep.
We woke on the beach and enjoyed a lazy morning and after pumping more water from the creek together we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of oatmeal, tea and bananas. We again took our time exploring the sea stacks up and down the coast. Anderson even scaled one of the exceptional sea stacks - pics to come, and made it back down in time just before the tide could close in around us.
We hiked back up the steep trail, this time ascending instead of descending, and made our way back to the car. After a quick lunch we headed to Chez Cascadia, the hostel in Olympia which we would be staying for two nights, looking forward to the opportunity to have a hot shower and a cold beer.
Monday, May 21, 2012
May 18: Onward Hoh, to the beach we go
We woke up-in the Rainforest(!) to another beautiful, sunny day. As our luck with weather would have it, we can go to the rainforest and not be rained on. We got ourselves packed up for the morning and at about 10 began the Hoh River Trail. This trail is about 17.5 miles, ending in Blue Glacier, next to Mount Olympus. We hiked about 5.5 miles into this trail, just enough to feel like we were entering the dense greens of the forest ferns rather than the short hikes closer to the Ranger Lodge.
Breaking into such enchanting territory solemned us as we enjoyed taking in our surroundings though other tour groups close by did not appreciate the quiet and natural sounds of the water, winds, birds, and squirrels. True to our "winging it" strategy/ADD, we also enjoyed breaking from the main trail onto smaller paths for extra opportunities to explore the riverbanks and waterfalls. This trail had two beautifully cascading waterfalls and though we attempted to get ourselves to the top of the falls for a changed perspective of below, we only got so far. Along the path we saw just how huge these spruce trees were! Fallen trees along the path, cut for the passing of tourists such as ourselves measured Anderson's height in diameter. We were always on the lookout for bears and elk but instead we ran into many small birds, squirrels, and colorful slugs. We enjoyed watching the friendly squirrels, who are smaller and darker colored than the furry rats on the East Coast, nibble pine ones on the forest floor. We spotted two woodpeckers scaling the trees, black with a red spot on the head of one, and saw much of their trace on trees along the path as well. Our animal sight seeing was finally satisfied when in a clearing by the crystalline blue waters we spotted a bald eagle!
We ended our journey just after Five Mile Island, and found a clearing by the river to sit and have lunch, PB&Js, apples, trail mix and lots of water. Our eyes were pealed for animals across the bank but still no elusive elk or bear spottings. The clearing where we stopped had reminents of previous fire pits. It would have been the perfect stop for backpacking the whole of the trail as it also had a privy and permanent bear bag rigging. Though we had plenty left in us after lunch, we decided we should head back if we were going to journey onwards during daylight hours. Seeing the deeps blue scaping of Mount Olympus high above us at our lunch spot, knowing it was on the same trail we were trekking, left us wanting more. We agreed that the next time we were in the Hoh we would backpack the trail till the end, which we estimated might be a 3-4 day trip.
The trail inward, with frequent stops and extra excursions took about 2.5 hours, and the hike back about 1.5. We tried to make sure we had all the photo opps we would need to capture the experience, though no picture could illustrate the surroundings to completeness.
When we made our way back to the visiter's center, Anderson was directed by the ranger to a coast campsite for the night at Second Beach. Though this was not in our original plan, winging it yet again proved to be predetermined destiny for our Olympic adventure! An hour later, after driving back through the few blocks of Forks yet again, we passed the vampires and entered "werewolf country." We parked at Second Beach, creatively loaded our necessities for the night in Anderson's legit backpacking backpack and Gwen's big day bag, we took the mile hike to the coast. As we descended the steep drop to the beach on the trail, through the trees we saw
Breaking into such enchanting territory solemned us as we enjoyed taking in our surroundings though other tour groups close by did not appreciate the quiet and natural sounds of the water, winds, birds, and squirrels. True to our "winging it" strategy/ADD, we also enjoyed breaking from the main trail onto smaller paths for extra opportunities to explore the riverbanks and waterfalls. This trail had two beautifully cascading waterfalls and though we attempted to get ourselves to the top of the falls for a changed perspective of below, we only got so far. Along the path we saw just how huge these spruce trees were! Fallen trees along the path, cut for the passing of tourists such as ourselves measured Anderson's height in diameter. We were always on the lookout for bears and elk but instead we ran into many small birds, squirrels, and colorful slugs. We enjoyed watching the friendly squirrels, who are smaller and darker colored than the furry rats on the East Coast, nibble pine ones on the forest floor. We spotted two woodpeckers scaling the trees, black with a red spot on the head of one, and saw much of their trace on trees along the path as well. Our animal sight seeing was finally satisfied when in a clearing by the crystalline blue waters we spotted a bald eagle!
We ended our journey just after Five Mile Island, and found a clearing by the river to sit and have lunch, PB&Js, apples, trail mix and lots of water. Our eyes were pealed for animals across the bank but still no elusive elk or bear spottings. The clearing where we stopped had reminents of previous fire pits. It would have been the perfect stop for backpacking the whole of the trail as it also had a privy and permanent bear bag rigging. Though we had plenty left in us after lunch, we decided we should head back if we were going to journey onwards during daylight hours. Seeing the deeps blue scaping of Mount Olympus high above us at our lunch spot, knowing it was on the same trail we were trekking, left us wanting more. We agreed that the next time we were in the Hoh we would backpack the trail till the end, which we estimated might be a 3-4 day trip.
The trail inward, with frequent stops and extra excursions took about 2.5 hours, and the hike back about 1.5. We tried to make sure we had all the photo opps we would need to capture the experience, though no picture could illustrate the surroundings to completeness.
When we made our way back to the visiter's center, Anderson was directed by the ranger to a coast campsite for the night at Second Beach. Though this was not in our original plan, winging it yet again proved to be predetermined destiny for our Olympic adventure! An hour later, after driving back through the few blocks of Forks yet again, we passed the vampires and entered "werewolf country." We parked at Second Beach, creatively loaded our necessities for the night in Anderson's legit backpacking backpack and Gwen's big day bag, we took the mile hike to the coast. As we descended the steep drop to the beach on the trail, through the trees we saw
May 17: to da Hoh
Rainforest of course! We were smart to camp right next to the ferry and were awoken to the sounds of the ferry boat (as Anderson predicted the night before as we set up camp), got ourselves together and took the short trip (about 1/2 hour) to Port Townsend from which we would continue on to Olympic National Park. As Anderson navigated the winding roads and abrupt changes in speed limit we realized how fortunate we were not to have ventured to the park the night before.
We inevitably had to pass some opportunities to explore towns along the way, determined to spend as much time as possible in the park itself. We got gas in Sequim, known for their lavender. Though our timing was unfortunately about two months early for the lavender festival, when Anderson rolled down his window we both thought we smelled lavender in the air, before we hit the gas station. Port Angeles looked like a cute town by the water, and we stopped to ashamedly take advantage of their wal-mart in search of fuel for the camp stove. Wile they didn't have the fuel we needed, we did score plenty of food for the next few days of camping. Gwen's quest to find more jiffy pop was foiled, so the search must continue. We did meet an overly helpful woman in the wal-mart who directed us to Swain's, an all around outdoor and garden supply store, where she believed we might find the camp fuel we needed. Her directions were spot on, though they did not carry the correct fuel either. We pressed on.
The drive was beautiful! Lush greens all around, moss covered towering trees and all around views of the snow capped mountains. The surrounding water overlooks on this incredibly scenic drive were of clear blue glacial water, courtesy of the snowy peaks above us. We stopped at a pullout by Crescent Lake to appreciate the purity of the water, which was icy cold for a brief photo opp and kept on.
As the drive became an elongated series of saddening views of logging operations that skirt Olympic National Park, Gwen took advantage of her passenger status and caught a little nap until we arrived in Forks. Some of you Twilight series buffs may recognize the name of this town, as it was the setting for Twilight, etc. Bella had good reason to dread moving to Forks. There isn't a whole lot going on there, just one main small town drag of shops, many of which boast of the Twilight connection, advertising Twilight souvenirs, tours, and firewood. We opted to not take the Twilight tour, surmising that we too may be at risk of coming under the spell of the local vampires. A quick stop in the local Ace Hardwear proved successful as we were able to find our much needed cooking fuel! Without delay we headed the last 12 miles south on 101 to the Upper Hoh Road that leads you about 8 miles into the Hoh Rainforest.
Logged forests quickly gave way to lush moss-carpeted tree branches, Sitka spruce, western hemlocks, red alders, cottonwoods, and huge ferns in a variety of shapes and sizes. The Hoh River flows just to the south of the road, weaving through the dense rainforest among smoothed pebbles and rocks worn from centuries of glacial runoff. The river is a chalky light blue, running full of tiny sediment of ground rock from further up in the mountains. The river bed is much wider than the river itself and is flanked on either side by younger alders and cottonwood trees that will eventually give way to the spruce and hemlocks as the forest matures. At a pull off, we stopped to bask in the sun and appreciate the views of snowy peaks, glacial waters, and beautiful shades of green all around. At this point we still had not officially entered Olympic National Park or the Hoh rainforest. The last few miles before the park were full of little farms nestled amongst the forest. We imagined what an amazing experience it might be to live there, though completely removed from the rest of civilization.
Anderson made Gwen take his photo with the Hoh rainforest national park sign - yep, he's that silly tourist guy, and with the photo in the bag we headed into the rainforest. There really aren't words enough to describe the experience of driving into the only temperate rainforest in America. The scale of the trees is immense, lending to a sense that this place is sacred. Forest encloses all around you, moss sweeps in the breeze, clinging to overhanging tree branches. There is a quietness and reverence to the place that is calming, pure, full of an energy that can only come from such verdant and fertile environs. After stopping at the visitors center to pay our fees for the night and inquire about hiking, we selected a campsite less than 100 yards from the Hoh river. The weather was sunny and cool, a few small clouds drifting past, and small chickadee sized birds flitted here and there as we set our tent up on a grassy patch near wildflowers, mossy logs, and the sound of the river. We had to keep reminding each other that we were truly camping IN A RAINFOREST!
We took advantage of the extended daylight hours to complete two short hikes on the Hall of Mosses trail and the Spruce Nature Trail, totaling about 2.5 miles of oohs and aahs. Both trails provided interpretive markers along the way, written with a poeticism befitting such a landscape. Gwen was particularly drawn to the description of the "tapestry of mosses" and we took our time to inspect around logs and in creeks for plant or animal life that would surprise and excite us. The Hall of Mosses trail provided great views of an old growth rainforest, with a short spur off the main trail to a grove of maple trees whose sprawling branches are shrouded in sweeping mosses. We enjoyed trying to differentiate between the huge variety of ferns that are present, including sword ferns and lady ferns, which appeared to be the most present. We didn't see any animal life aside from some robins on these hikes, but we learned a great deal about "nurse logs." During storms, huge trees blow down, often times knocking down other trees in their path. With sunlight and uninhabited ground being scarce in the rainforest, downed trees provide a valuable real estate for seedlings trying to take hold. Over time, these logs become the growing grounds for colonnades of new trees. Eventually the nurse log will decompose, leaving buttress roots with hollowed out spaces under them where the log once was. We made many attempts to capture the colors, sizes, and shapes of the plants we saw, though no photo can truly do justice. As the sun moved lower in the sky, the lighting afforded us views through backlight shadows of silvery green mosses.
After not having dinner the previous night due to our last minute bolt to try to catch the ferry, a hot meal of beans and rice proved delicious. Gwen was particularly excited, it being her first camping beans and rice experience. We quickly devoured the delicious food next to a blazing campfire, patiently waiting for the stars to turn on. The sound of the river provided a soothing backdrop for our memories of the day and excitement for the next.
We inevitably had to pass some opportunities to explore towns along the way, determined to spend as much time as possible in the park itself. We got gas in Sequim, known for their lavender. Though our timing was unfortunately about two months early for the lavender festival, when Anderson rolled down his window we both thought we smelled lavender in the air, before we hit the gas station. Port Angeles looked like a cute town by the water, and we stopped to ashamedly take advantage of their wal-mart in search of fuel for the camp stove. Wile they didn't have the fuel we needed, we did score plenty of food for the next few days of camping. Gwen's quest to find more jiffy pop was foiled, so the search must continue. We did meet an overly helpful woman in the wal-mart who directed us to Swain's, an all around outdoor and garden supply store, where she believed we might find the camp fuel we needed. Her directions were spot on, though they did not carry the correct fuel either. We pressed on.
The drive was beautiful! Lush greens all around, moss covered towering trees and all around views of the snow capped mountains. The surrounding water overlooks on this incredibly scenic drive were of clear blue glacial water, courtesy of the snowy peaks above us. We stopped at a pullout by Crescent Lake to appreciate the purity of the water, which was icy cold for a brief photo opp and kept on.
As the drive became an elongated series of saddening views of logging operations that skirt Olympic National Park, Gwen took advantage of her passenger status and caught a little nap until we arrived in Forks. Some of you Twilight series buffs may recognize the name of this town, as it was the setting for Twilight, etc. Bella had good reason to dread moving to Forks. There isn't a whole lot going on there, just one main small town drag of shops, many of which boast of the Twilight connection, advertising Twilight souvenirs, tours, and firewood. We opted to not take the Twilight tour, surmising that we too may be at risk of coming under the spell of the local vampires. A quick stop in the local Ace Hardwear proved successful as we were able to find our much needed cooking fuel! Without delay we headed the last 12 miles south on 101 to the Upper Hoh Road that leads you about 8 miles into the Hoh Rainforest.
Logged forests quickly gave way to lush moss-carpeted tree branches, Sitka spruce, western hemlocks, red alders, cottonwoods, and huge ferns in a variety of shapes and sizes. The Hoh River flows just to the south of the road, weaving through the dense rainforest among smoothed pebbles and rocks worn from centuries of glacial runoff. The river is a chalky light blue, running full of tiny sediment of ground rock from further up in the mountains. The river bed is much wider than the river itself and is flanked on either side by younger alders and cottonwood trees that will eventually give way to the spruce and hemlocks as the forest matures. At a pull off, we stopped to bask in the sun and appreciate the views of snowy peaks, glacial waters, and beautiful shades of green all around. At this point we still had not officially entered Olympic National Park or the Hoh rainforest. The last few miles before the park were full of little farms nestled amongst the forest. We imagined what an amazing experience it might be to live there, though completely removed from the rest of civilization.
Anderson made Gwen take his photo with the Hoh rainforest national park sign - yep, he's that silly tourist guy, and with the photo in the bag we headed into the rainforest. There really aren't words enough to describe the experience of driving into the only temperate rainforest in America. The scale of the trees is immense, lending to a sense that this place is sacred. Forest encloses all around you, moss sweeps in the breeze, clinging to overhanging tree branches. There is a quietness and reverence to the place that is calming, pure, full of an energy that can only come from such verdant and fertile environs. After stopping at the visitors center to pay our fees for the night and inquire about hiking, we selected a campsite less than 100 yards from the Hoh river. The weather was sunny and cool, a few small clouds drifting past, and small chickadee sized birds flitted here and there as we set our tent up on a grassy patch near wildflowers, mossy logs, and the sound of the river. We had to keep reminding each other that we were truly camping IN A RAINFOREST!
We took advantage of the extended daylight hours to complete two short hikes on the Hall of Mosses trail and the Spruce Nature Trail, totaling about 2.5 miles of oohs and aahs. Both trails provided interpretive markers along the way, written with a poeticism befitting such a landscape. Gwen was particularly drawn to the description of the "tapestry of mosses" and we took our time to inspect around logs and in creeks for plant or animal life that would surprise and excite us. The Hall of Mosses trail provided great views of an old growth rainforest, with a short spur off the main trail to a grove of maple trees whose sprawling branches are shrouded in sweeping mosses. We enjoyed trying to differentiate between the huge variety of ferns that are present, including sword ferns and lady ferns, which appeared to be the most present. We didn't see any animal life aside from some robins on these hikes, but we learned a great deal about "nurse logs." During storms, huge trees blow down, often times knocking down other trees in their path. With sunlight and uninhabited ground being scarce in the rainforest, downed trees provide a valuable real estate for seedlings trying to take hold. Over time, these logs become the growing grounds for colonnades of new trees. Eventually the nurse log will decompose, leaving buttress roots with hollowed out spaces under them where the log once was. We made many attempts to capture the colors, sizes, and shapes of the plants we saw, though no photo can truly do justice. As the sun moved lower in the sky, the lighting afforded us views through backlight shadows of silvery green mosses.
After not having dinner the previous night due to our last minute bolt to try to catch the ferry, a hot meal of beans and rice proved delicious. Gwen was particularly excited, it being her first camping beans and rice experience. We quickly devoured the delicious food next to a blazing campfire, patiently waiting for the stars to turn on. The sound of the river provided a soothing backdrop for our memories of the day and excitement for the next.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Travel Lessons for a Successful Trip (with your partner)
Sometime during the second day of the trip, unbeknownst to Gwen, I began to reflect on important lessons I was learning about traveling with a partner. Gwen and I seem to very naturally have a lot of fun and function effectively while traveling, not that I am surprised, but it makes for a lot of happiness and enjoyment everyday we are here together. So, I started my own little list, which I then shared with her, of lessons for a successful trip with your partner - you know, for my next career as a self help book writer! Here is the run down of our list thus far, which we will hopefully update as our journey unfolds:
1. Be flexible - this is what we refer to as "wingin' it" - making great plans doesn't always mean you need to follow them. Let your sense of adventure guide you when you can!
2. Allow time for healthy rituals - whether it is for hygiene, journaling, or just having some quiet time, it makes all the difference. Even if you just think the other person needs it, you'll likely get just as much out of letting them have their time as they do.
3. Be silly - you're on vacation, and while that sounds relaxing, being in a new place everyday can get stressful really fast. Remember to be silly, goof off, laugh a lot. It's healthy and will recharge your batteries for when inevitable challenges arise.
There you have it, a work in progress. We aren't experts by any means, but we do have our masters, and so far we are having a spectacular trip, so we just might be onto something.
1. Be flexible - this is what we refer to as "wingin' it" - making great plans doesn't always mean you need to follow them. Let your sense of adventure guide you when you can!
2. Allow time for healthy rituals - whether it is for hygiene, journaling, or just having some quiet time, it makes all the difference. Even if you just think the other person needs it, you'll likely get just as much out of letting them have their time as they do.
3. Be silly - you're on vacation, and while that sounds relaxing, being in a new place everyday can get stressful really fast. Remember to be silly, goof off, laugh a lot. It's healthy and will recharge your batteries for when inevitable challenges arise.
There you have it, a work in progress. We aren't experts by any means, but we do have our masters, and so far we are having a spectacular trip, so we just might be onto something.
May 16: Orcas Island Day Trip
Today we got a relatively early start, though not nearly as early as the previous day! After a full nights sleep, we were excited to get on our way. It was a little surreal to be waking up in such a beautiful place to another sunny day here in the pacific northwest. We took advantage of the showers at the campground, not knowing how long it might be before these two hippy kids would shower again! However, they were pay showers, $.50 gets you three minutes. Anderson was able to keep things snappy, with time to spare; New Dominion served him well again. Gwen splurged and took a four and a half minute $.75 shower, which apparently lasted much longer than that according to her estimation. At any rate, banana and jelly sandwiches filled our bellies as we headed toward Anacortes to catch a ferry to Orcas Island. Anacortes is a port town that seemed somewhat more normal than La Conner. As we waited for the ferry to arrive, Gwen got her first coffee of the trip and we learned that the port used to be home to a large salmon cannery that shut down due to financial reasons during the 20th century. A few phone calls to inquire about whale-watching left us slightly disheartened to learn that no whales had been spotted within the past six days. We are about three weeks early for the Orca whales, and the minke whales aren't much of an attraction. We decided to decide later on whether or not to follow through with our sea kayaking plans. The ferry ride over to Orcas Island was lovely, and not too windy from the back deck, allowing us to sun ourselves and take in the sights of the Puget Sound. An hour later we were winding through the streets of Orcas Island, which meandered through farmlands nestled amongst the hills. Quirky houses were tucked into forested coastline, and it was easily evident that the inhabitants of Orcas Island love the water and live an extremely relaxed life. We started our day on Orcas by exploring Moran State Park. First we stopped at the trailhead to Cascade Falls. A short .3 mi hike through lush moss-laden forests took us to the falls. At 100', Cascade Falls is the largest waterfall in the San Juan Islands, and well worth the trip. We then drove the steep winding road up to the 2,409' summit of Mount Constituton, the tallest peak in the San Juans. The view overlooks all of Puget Sound, and is even more impressive from the top of the lookout tower, which resembles a castle tower, built from local sandstone by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. We picnicked and sunned ourselves at the rocky summit before heading down with the mission of finding a good place to rent some sea kayaks. On the far end of Eastsound Village, we checked out Crescent Cove kayak rentals, operated out of a super funky little house just across from the rocky beach. The proprietor, Janet, a middle-aged earthy woman, assured us that we would see all sorts of wildlife without a guide. A quick tutorial on how to kayak, set to funky trance-esque music playing from a nearby boom box, and $36/person for two hours was all it took for us to get on the water! There were no waivers to sign in case we were mysteriously eaten by a sea lion or managed to wreck her boats. Janet instructed us to have fun, noting that she probably wouldn't be there when we got back because she had a meeting and to just put the boats, life jackets, and paddles back where we got them! That sounded great to us, and we were off! A short paddle to a rocky point at the edge of a grassy field (reportedly an old Indian burial ground) afforded us views through crystal clear waters of starfish in an assortment of bright colors. Across the cove we watched a sea otter feeding, diving under time and again for food, and explored around a pretty waterfall running down the side of the hills into the water. We paddled back across the sound against a headwind and the tide, arriving to return the kayaks on time. On the way, Anderson spotted what he swears was a sea lion on the surface of the water! Janet was indeed nowhere to be found, and so we put away our gear and headed back to the ferry terminal for a beautiful sunset ride back to Anacortes. In Anacortes, we realized that our drive to the Olympic Peninsula would require another ferry crossing, which we had overlooked in our planning. Some quick research led us to believe that the last ferry would depart at 9:45, leaving us just enough time to reach the ferry terminal if we hurried. People in Washington don't seem to be in much of a hurry, so speeding was not much of an option. This didn't turn out to matter much; we arrived at 9:50 to a dark and deserted ferry terminal. A look at the schedule told us the last ferry had run at 9:15. We laughed at ourselves and decided to camp at the Fort Casey campground just next to the terminal, which had two sites left and was full of RVs. Not to be discouraged, we made a fire, recapped on our favorite experiences of the day, and headed to bed to catch the 8:45AM ferry to Port Townsend. Day 2 was a grand success, and we began to see that winging it only made for a richer adventure!
We have arrived!
May 15, 2012: Gwen and I safely arrived ahead of schedule in Seattle, WA and easily grabbed our luggage and made haste to get our rental car. We used the light rail, which was very easy to navigate and, more importantly, very cheap, to get to our rental car pick-up location. After a smooth check-in and Gwen eyeing the rental locations coffee maker with dreams of caffeination after our 4 hours of sleep the previous night and 3:30 AM wake-up, we hopped in our bright red Chevy Aveo (affectionately named "Ava") and put the pedal to the metal toward Bay View State Park, situated on the edge of Padilla Bay just across from La Conner. With no worries we found our way to the campground, driving past snow-capped peaks and through Mt. Vernon, and fields of beautiful flowering bushes. Bay View State park is a cute little campground with great ammenities and an excellent beach area on the bay. Stepping out of our car, we smelled the wonderful aroma of the evergreens that shaded our campsite and found ourselves surrounded by ferns unfurling new fronds and wild salmon berry bushes - similar in nature to rasberry bushes but with lovely pink flowers. After setting up camp, we explored the waterfront, which was beautiful, though the view was sadly marred by the sight of the oil refinery on the opposite side of the bay. In need of sustenance and curious to explore, we stopped into La Conner, just a few miles down the road from camp. The town is situated on the water and surrounded by fields that about a month ago were filled with flowers, mostly tulips - we were just about a month late for the annual tulip festival, but yards everywhere were full of amazing colorful blooms. La Conner is a quaint little destination with streets lined in cute dollhouse-like homes with lots of quirky character. The cool sunny evening provided the perfect opportunity to meander the streets and boardwalks, pondering on the experience of living in such a place. The local grocery store was well-stocked with necessities, and we procured foods for dinner and breakfast, including some fruit, firewood and kindling, bread, snacks, hotdogs to roast, and Gwen's first jiffy pop! We realized while cooking dinner over the fire that nightfall comes much later in the pacific northwest than back home in Virginia. We didn't need a headlamp to see until well after 9:30. The jiffy pop experience fell short of its true expectations. Anderson got carried away with the fire, resulting in some minor premature charring of pop corn. Nevertheless, it was delicious, and Gwen has made it her personal mission to locate more jiffy pop for future inevitable fires. We fell easily to sleep, anticipating with excitement the adventures to come the next day in Orcas Island. To see pictures of our first day and ensuing trip to Orcas Island, click on the link below that will take you to our Picasa page!
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| The Gwanderson Adventure |
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
And we're off!
Good morning, friends! Under rainy skies we await our flight from Regan International to Wisconsin. Big thanks to Momma Paulson for being our rock star chauffeur this morning - she is awesome! Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed we are not, but excited indeed! It seems only fitting that we depart for the Pacific Northwest in rainy weather, which isn't so bad considering we are in for gorgeous weather once we arrive in Seattle! We are still trying to figure out how to post photos on here, so bear with us, and know that we are sitting being totally dorky together on our new toys overlooking the Tarmac.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
And the countdown is on! T-minus one day to lift-off! Soon we will be Seattle-bound, headed for the Pacific Northwest and three weeks of unknown adventures and excitement! While we'll miss the East coast and all of our wonderful friends and family, we're super excited to experience this trip together. Subscribe to our blog for updates and more over the course of the next three weeks! Just enter your email above and we'll take care of the rest!
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