"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.