The End... or the Begining....

With a title like "The End... or the Begining..." one may guess that this appears to be the last post - well at the least the last post in this current series of adventues.

I have to begin (or end) by saying Thank you to all that have chose to follow our adventures and a special thank you to those who have open their hearts, homes, bed and lives to use during our travels. We are forever thankful.
We managed to travel 3800 miles, through seven states and numerous National Parks in just under three weeks. I can not even being to tell you the magnitue of memories that will forever be in our minds. It has been quite the adventure!!

Now some of you may be wondering what I have titled this last post as I did - well I have to admit I may have left a part of my heart in the Pacific Northwest so I feel that I will have more adventures to come!

Thanks!!

Days....

Some of you may be wondering - that is if anyone is still following this thing - what the heck happened to those three? We left off in Utah - Torrey to be precise. When then ventured through Capital Reef - Did you know that Capital Reef was named so by the rock formations that look like the capitol dome and the rock formations that look like a reef - the nautical term meaning an impassible formation. Now that we have some of the history out of the way - on to the wonder... see pictures attached.




We then ventured on to Zion. It is amazing to me a mere 100 miles apart are two national parks that are so very different in formation. At Zion we scaled some mountains, teetered on the edge and continued to gawk at the amazing views.




We then set off for Vegas -- two days later all I can say is Nine Fine Irishmen/Denny's will never be the same - and what happens in Vegas - stays in Vegas.




We rounded out our trip with a 'scenic' drive home complete with a detour to the Grand Canyon.

Day 15 - Mt. Pleasant UT to Torrey, UT

As I sip my morning coffee, gazing out at the magnanimous view that surrounds me, I am yet again baffled by nature. Sean and Susan’s house is located in the foothills of Mt. Pleasant and there is not a bad view from any window – believe me – I checked them all! Tired of sitting in the car – we decided to explore on ATVs. Sean loaded them up and took us exploring. We traversed rocks and washouts, ruts and ditches as we made our way to several of what I consider the most beautiful vistas. With the very wet spring and a day of warm weather – the mountains were a virtual rainbow of colors, brimming with new flora and fauna and even a few animals. We winded our way back down the mountain, as Mary and I tried our hands at driving – and who would of thought no one even got thrown or hurt! We washed off the layer of dust, packed the car yet again and headed south to Pat’s in Torrey, Utah. During our short 2 ½ hour drive we managed to cause a herd of cows to stampede towards the road and make the day of two kids selling lemonade for 10 cents a glass. We arrived in Torrey and sat with Pat chatting and catching up and were greeting by yet another familiar face – Tim. The four of us (Zack, Mary, Tim and I) headed off to the local watering hole ‘The Patio’ for nourishment, liquid refreshment and some horseshoes! After a pleasant visit we turned in for the night – tomorrow we will view the splendor of Capital Reef, Zion and the lights of Vegas!

Day 14 – Whidbey Island, WA to Mt. Pleasant, UT

Today has been a very interesting day to say the least! We woke up at 4am, packed the car and said our goodbyes. With about 850 miles behind us, we hit four states and made it safely to Mt. Pleasant, Utah to Sean and Susan’s before the sun set. Tonight we will sleep well, awaiting whatever adventures Utah brings tomorrow!

Day Thirteen - Whidbey Island, WA

After yet another relaxing and leisurely morning, and being well fed we set off to explore this beautiful island. We headed north towards the Deception Bridge. Some interesting facts to ponder about the bridge: it is approximately 180 feet from the bridge to the water, on average 20,000 cars cross over it each day, and the current runs at about 9kts under the bridge depending on the tide. In the spring of 1792, Joseph Whidbey, master of HMS Discovery and Captain Vancouver's chief navigator, sailed through the narrow passage that is now called Deception Pass and proved that it was not really a small bay as charted by the Spaniards (hence the name "Deception"), but a deep and turbulent channel that connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the Saratoga Passage, which separates the mainland from what they believed was a peninsula (actually Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island). Every year this bridge becomes the last step for many people as they choose to end their lives by jumping in the frigid waters; with a 90% fatality rate, many are ‘successful.’ After a brief hike up, over and around the bridge we set off to for some higher sights – Mt. Erie. At an elevation of about 1200 feet, Mt. Erie provided a picturesque panoramic view of Whidbey and the surrounding areas. Back at Paul and Sue’s we feasted on crap and steak while visiting with more family. We turned in early on the longest day of the year in preparation for our longest drive yet.

Day Twelve - Forest Grove, OR to Whidbey Island, WA

After a leisurely morning, reorganizing the car and some delicious buns – we were on the road again in search of a new state and a continuation of our adventures. We kissed the OR wine country behind and headed north towards Seattle. We arrive in Seattle and take in the sights. We visit Pike’s Market, seeing some flying fish and rubbing noses with the legendary pig. We then take the walk to the space needle all while acquiring some more souvenirs. With a few pictures taken we pile back in the car and head to the island, Whidbey Island. After a delicious ice cream cone and a ferry ride we find ourselves at Paul and Sue’s door. No sooner do we approach the door, both Mary and Zack notice the distinct smell of sauce cooking while I marvel at the location – Paul Sue sit on the Puget sound. We are greeted once again with a meal fit for royalty and good company. As the sun sets and we refill our drinks we look west and can actually see Canada! Tomorrow we will explore the island, take a photo of the world’s most photographed bridge and feast on some Dungeness crab.

Day Eleven - Forest Grove, OR

You know the saying ‘when in Rome…’ - well when in Oregon taste the wine! Today Michelle, Mary and I set off for a few hours to have some girl time and explore local wine country. We visited two vineyards soaking in the beauty of this county and sipping up wine.
In the later afternoon Zack, Mary and I ventured into Portland to see what it had to offer and in attempt abolish our negative views on big cities. We entered the city in search of sushi and boy did we find it! We ate at Todai – a fantastic seafood buffet filled with all types of sushi and various other deliciousness! We successfully at ourselves stupid again! We strolled around Portland and I do believe our view of cities has softened. Tomorrow we will head north and explore Seattle before heading to Whidbey Island.