Pentagon, Hexagon, Oregon

Alright, so before you even think about how clever I am for coming up with that title, I have to admit that I can't take credit for it. Alas, it was on a t-shirt I saw at the Portland Market.

This is going to be a pretty short entry as there is not a lot to talk about right now. The big thing has been the Oregon coastline which is absolutely breathtaking. After leaving Portland and picking up Megan, we drove about 5.5 hours to Gold Beach, Oregon to visit my friend Holly, an old friend/colleague of my cousin Stephanie. After making it throught the windy roads of the Oregon hills, we finally arrived in Gold Beach and we were instantly greated by the Pacific Ocean.

Gold Beach is a small town of about 2000 people. It is located right on the coast and about 40 minutes from the California border. Holly took us on some amazing/exhausting hikes that showed us some of the best mother nature has to offer. My personal favorite, Thunder Rock Cove, was a stunning overlook of ocean crashing against massive rocks into this tiny beach cove. It was brilliant. Later that night, we had a bonfire on the beach. The wind made it interesting but sure made the whole night an adventure. A great time was had by all.

Today, we drove from Gold Beach to San Francisco, the final stop of the Blue Asphalt Journey. The drive along the 101 highway was scenic at times. It did allow for a small detour into the California Redwoods which was beautiful. Our entry into San Francisco was greeted by a prompt journey across the Golden Gate Bridge--a great way to start a tour of the city. We finally arrived out our resting place for the next few days. Thank you to my roommate's cousin Andrew and his roommate Rob for allowing us to stay at their place...for free. Can't beat that.

Tomorrow looks to be a great day of exploring the city. And of course, some great food. I will let you know what we find! Until then, happy trails!

Picture 1: Me in a massive tree in Redwood National Forest
Picture 2: Thunder Rock Cove
Picture 3: Cape Sebastian (This was taken from the top of the mountain. We hiked to the bottom to that same beach. Awesome. I know)
Picture 4: Otter Point

Companions

The other day when we were on one of our drives, I was trying to brainstorm all of the classic examples of companionship we have seen in pop culture. I managed to come up with Frodo and Sam, Sunny and Cher, Thelma and Louise, peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti and meatballs, Huck Finn and Jim, Romeo and Juliet, etc. The list could go on longer but it is late and I want to get to the point.

I have been so fortunate to have a great travel buddy/companion for the first half of this excursion across the country. Over the past 10 days, my sister and I have spent approximately 240 hours together, mostly just the two of us, traveled well over 3000 miles, and, perhaps even more shocking, 10 whole days of bathroom sharing. I would be lying if I said that all of that time and all of that distance was rosy and peaceful. If you know anything about my sister and I, you would know that Republicans and Democrats have a slightly better track record than we do.

However, with all of that said, I have appreciated her on this excursion and perhaps even understand her just a smidgen more than I did before we left (It is a large smidgen, however). I thank her for spending the money, (our parents can keep those comments to themselves). I appreciate her spending the time. I appreciate her conversations. I appreciate my sister. Thank you for coming and tagging along. It has been great.

Now, enough of that sentimental stuff.

I also want to thank my dear friend Megan Hughes for coming in and taking Erica's place as my travel buddy for the last week. Megan and I work together but she is more than just a great co-worker. She is a phenomenal friend and I am grateful to her for spending her money and precious summer vacation time to explore San Francisco with me. Thanks Megan! I am looking forward to it.

Things are changing. Shift happens. Glad I have some great compadres.

Portland, Oregon is a laid back city. No other words to describe it. Even more than Seattle, it is almost as if Portlanders view their city as their own small town that they want to keep secret from the rest of the state and country. It is a big city with a small town feel. The downtown area is charming, the countryside, lined with wineries and rolling hills, is beautiful, and off in the distance you get the a view of some of the most beautiful mountains in the Pacific NW.

Our first full day in Portland was spent in wine country. After meeting some people from the San Francisco area who are quite familiar with Napa area, their thoughts of Oregon wine country was that it gives Napa a run for its money. I have nothing to compare it to, but this was a great tasting experience. Tons of local vineyards are ready to share their wine with you and answer any questions you may have. Oregon vineyards are known for their Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc, with a few other varieties tossed in. I picked up a few bottles from Erath Wineries. Can't wait to enjoy those bottles.

Day two was spent taking a scenic DRIVE. And I do mean DRIVE. We did go a bit out of our way to see Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge but the views were well worth it. The historic Highway 30 is worth the drive. Following alongside I-84 and lined with waterfalls and cliffs on one side and the Columbia River on the other, the drive is very enjoyable. Towards the end of the drive, we took a 14 mile detour from about 100 feet above sea level to just over 4000 feet above sea level. The drive promised a view of the 5 major points in the Pacific NW--Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Jefferson. All were visible. All were beautiful.

Today, our last full day in Portland, we enjoyed the downtown area. Portland has the largest open market in the country with some beautiful hand made treasures and great local food. I enjoyed a simple piece of pizza while Erica enjoyed the fish and chips sandwich. Both were fantastic! We also enjoyed Powell's Books, one of the largest bookstores in the country. A great place to pick up a new or used book. Our final stop today was the Japanese Gardens in downtown Portland. A quiet spot in the city with beautiful Japanese landscaping, flora, and fauna.

Check out some great pictures AND please read the other post that I am writing in conjunction with this Portland entry. A special farewell and welcome blog entry as the tides are shifting on Blue Asphalt.

Later!

Picture 1: Japanese Garden in Portland
Picture 2: Me! Enjoying a good slice!
Picture 3: Erica! Enjoying a fish and chips sandwich!
Picture 4: Mt. Hood from 4,000 ft.
Picture 5: Erica and I in front of Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge
Picture 6: Multnomah Falls
Picture 7: Oregon wine country

See ya Seattle

As I write this, the Kansas City Royals are one out away from sweeping the Seattle Mariners and improving to 7 games under .500.

Game over. The Royals swept the Mariners.

Seattle is in our rear view mirror. Looking back on our time in the home of Dr. Frasier Crane and an over hyped medical drama, the best word I can use to describe the city is...fresh. Perhaps the most environmentally sound big city I have ever experienced, Seattle encourages it's citizens to reduce and recycle. Locals risk being fined for not recycling certain items. Also, Seattle locals have very little tolerance for temperatures above 83 degrees. Many buildings don't have air conditioning because of the extreme mild temps so when it does start to get warm, look for people to go into ultra panic mode. (The leasing agent working in the Condo office of our temporary home had a fan blowing on a bowl of ice to help keep his office cool.)

We succumbed to the fact that we were going to be tourists in every since of the word. We purchased a Seattle City Pass which allowed us to enjoy the aquarium, a delightful harbor tour, and the Seattle Space Needle (which is not the tallest building in the city. Not even close actually). We also enjoyed the other traditional Seattle standards--Pike Place Market, a quick glance at the original Starbucks, and several other local coffee shops.

I have some serious recommendations for some amazing food. Cafe Nola on Bainbridge Island, which is a short ferry ride across the harbor, is a great locally owned restaurant. I enjoyed the dungeness crap sandwich. All crab. No bull. Bainbridge itself is a great community. Very quaint and enjoyable. Highly suggest making a day trip to the island if you find yourself in Seattle.

It would be a shame to not mention the most enjoyable activity in Seattle--watching the Kansas City Royals beat the Seattle Mariners in extra innings at Safeco Field. Safeco is a great place to watch a baseball game. True to Seattle culture, each concession has a local brew on tap in addition to your standard Miller Lite and Budweiser. Also in sporting tradition, a beer will run you about 8 or 9 bucks.

A day trip to Vancouver was also a pleasant experience (apart from some illness creeping its way into my body). It was the first time I had ever been to Canada, and Vancouver, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, was a great place to visit. A city with a breathtaking view of mountains and ocean, Vancouver sports a sleek and futuristic feel. Tall condo towers overlook another environmentally clean city.

I have to mention Society, a great restaurant in the Yaletown district of Vancouver. Trendy restaurants have a tendency to be a let down with their menu items. This restaurant is a huge exception. We each had a salad (Caesar and a tomato, basil salad with buffalo mozzarella on endive leaves). Both were fantastic. But the star of this meal was hands down, the best margarita pizza I have ever had. The crust was perfect, the sauce was great, the cheese delicious, and the basil just topped it all off. See pictures for a mouth watering view. (Side note: The Yaletown District in Vancouver would be a great area for some fantastic nightlife. It is lined with restaurants, bars, and great shops. Check it out if you are there.)

Now that we have left Seattle and are beginning our three day, four night stay in Portland, OR, I have a feeling this is going to be another great place to visit! On the agenda is wine tasting about 50 miles south of the city in Oregon wine country, a day trip to Mt. Hood, and the sights and sounds of downtown Portland.

As always, stay tuned. More to come.

Picture 1: The delicious pizza at Society in Vancouver, BC.
Picture 2: The harbor from Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC.
Picture 3: Erica and I with our original poster made for Royals/Mariners game.
Picture 4: The entrance to Pike Place Market.
Picture 5: Erica and I on our harbor cruise in Seattle.

"I Am Really Doing This."

Fewer things go more hand in hand than Seattle and coffee. Ask someone, "What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Seattle," and they will almost always say, "Coffee." Well as I sit here, drafting my latest Blue Asphalt blog entry, I am enjoying my first cup of Seattle coffee at a small cafe called Nina's on the corner of 8th and Marion, downtown. I am assuming Nina herself prepared my coffee. An older woman who doesn't speak any English except for the occasional word on her menu, runs this place all on her own. As I sit her, she is making crepes, bacon and eggs which are beginning to fill her cafe with a pleasant smell.

It would be a crime if I didn't mention Annie's extreme genorisity for allowing us to use her condo, for free, while she is out of town. THANK. YOU. A million times again.

As we were driving from Montana to Seattle, a drive that took roughly eight hours, this overwhelming feeling of, "I'm really doing this. I am really taking this vacation. This journey," kept creeping into my head. It could have been the dynamic landscape of, from what I have seen, the most beautiful state in the continental U.S.

Northern Montana is breathtaking. There is no interstate that takes people right through it. You have to work to get up to that part of the state. And perhaps it is this reason alone which makes it so beautiful. It is untouched. Most notably is Glacier National Park which sits just outside the town of Kalispell, Montana. Glacier sits right at the Montana border and does peek into Canada. In fact, when first arriving to Glacier, a Canadian welcome center greeted us with free hotdogs and chips in celebration of Canada's Independence Day. Erica was timid to take the handouts, fearing there might be some secret Canadian handshake or password you have to share in order to get the free food.

In Glacier, their is a stretch of road called the, "Going to the Sun Highway." It is a stretch of about 55 miles which takes you into the heart of Glacier, giving you a chance to take in the sights of the park. It is a curvy road full of plenty of roadside photo ops, hiking trails, picnic areas, lakes, rivers, mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and yes, even a little road construction. I won't even try to describe what we were able to view. I will post a few pictures and you can see for yourself.

But for now, it is back to urbania in Seattle, WA. Today will be our first full day in the city. A little seafood, a little coffee, a few other Seattle staples, and I think we will be in good shape.

Much more to come. Stay tuned.

Summit Fever

In his book Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer references a term used by mountain climbers called “Summit Fever.” Summit Fever is a mental impairment that many climbers suffer from as they get closer to the peak of some great mountain. Naturally, as one gets closer to their goal, they become more driven to achieve it even if it means putting their life in danger.

I experienced Summit Fever…and then I got scared so I turned around.

Taking a step back, so far the journey has gone safe and I have already seen some amazing things, most notably the landscape of South Dakota and Montana. While our drive from Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse was long (12 hours) it was quite possibly the most scenic twelve hour drive I have ever experienced. The Dixie Chicks song, “Wide Open Spaces” kept coming into my head. Not because I was leaving my daughter at college or somewhere other than her home, but because I had never seen so much of NOTHING. Miles and miles of nothing. Not even a billboard. Traffic in either direction was few and far between except when we would hit one of the “big Montana cities” such as Billings.

My food shout-out for this blog goes to Montana Brewing Company in downtown Billings. Not only was it the best fish and chips I have had in this country, (England still takes the crown) but they had free buffalo wings on Wednesdays at 5:00. Erica and I arrived to eat at 4:55. Fate.
After leaving Billings, Erica and I hit the road and watched the long sunset. (The sun didn’t totally disappear until 10:45pm.) John Denver was spot on. The skies of Montana are wild. I have never seen skies that are so vibrant, dramatic, and eventually borderline traumatic. Immediately after passing through Helena, it was becoming clear a storm was in our midst. This is where the whole Summit Fever thing comes in. We were three hours away from our destination. We had to keep going.

The rain started falling. Eh. I can handle this. Heavy rain and a scary sky. Used to it. I live in the Midwest. Then the Hail of God fell from the sky. Initially, I was determined to make it. For about five minutes. The hail was so loud, I could barely hear myself speak. We had to shout to each other. We turned around, waited it out, and eventually made it to our resting spot at 1:00am.

All is well. There is more to come. Stay tuned.