Dexter and Two Humans

365 Days

One year ago today, we set out on quite the adventure. I would say the adventure of a lifetime but I’d like to think we’re all capable of having more than one of those in our life.

My husband Pat and I along with our German shorthaired pointer Dexter gave up the lease on our apartment where we had been happily living for five years, put all of our belongings into storage and packed up our VW station wagon to leave on a ten-week road trip around the country. What ensued was pure magic.

If you weren’t able to follow along with our journey originally, to briefly sum it up, we visited 31 states, 1 Canadian Provence and the District of Columbia, we traveled 13,748 miles and managed to do it all without any major marital discourse, speeding tickets or fender benders. We traveled from our home in Massachusetts and headed west via the northern route, went down almost the entire left coast and then back the southern way. Along the road, we had the honor of experiencing things like the Grand Canyon, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwoods, the Parthenon (ok it was just a replica in Nashville but still), Graceland, Bryce Canyon, In-N-Out Burger, Glacier, the Rocky Mountains and some pretty snazzy cheap motels. We also got to spend some amazing quality time with friends, loved ones and complete strangers. I blogged along the way which started as a tool to keep my mom informed that we were still alive and ended up becoming something so much more for me. I’ve always loved to write but since becoming a “grown-up”, I’ve put it on the back burner in hopes one day I would have something interesting to write about. Well, if driving across the country doesn’t spark some creativity then you’re out of luck! I loved that blogging stirred that passion for me again and I set an intention of continuing to write when we returned home. That unfortunately was not a deal that I upheld. After coming off of the excitement of the trip, I felt I no longer had a muse. Who would want to hear about my grocery shopping or doctor’s appointment? When you’ve had so much excitement come to a halt, it’s certainly difficult to find that drive again but I’m trying and this follow-up post will hopefully help keep my mojo alive.

I have to say that a year ago, I was a bit of a hot mess. I spent the weeks leading up to our trip so consumed by emotions that I could barely stand myself. I have always been a homebody so packing up our belongings to put them in storage and kissing our home goodbye was ridiculously hard for me. Pat and I had been dreaming of this trip for years and years and when it came down to making it a reality, I freaked my freak. My yogi friends will understand when I say my root chakra was seriously screwed up. To make matters worse, weeks before our departure, my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer so as you can imagine, I was also dealing with intense worry and guilt. I’m happy to report that my Mom is now cancer free…yahoo!!

Since returning home, I am continuously impressed at the impact the trip has made on me. I now truly feel that the sky is the limit. I have started to question any parameters I previously put on my happiness and started to take real, meaningful chances. I’ve tried to be more conscious of my attachment to material things. I mean, we went for nine months without seeing 99% of our belongings and it didn’t change a damn thing about me so how important is any of that stuff? Although if I’m being truly honest, I’ll say that I really did miss my couch and my plants but the rest not so much. I’ve become much more comfortable with allowing people to help me. One of the most important aspects of our trip was letting people take care of us- feed us, give us shelter and help meet our basic needs. We stayed in the homes of complete strangers and I allowed myself to be vulnerable in a way that I didn’t even realize that I needed. In a world with 24 hour news cycles and the world wide web always reminding us of life’s horror and destruction, I’m here to remind you that people are good, people are kind and mostly they want to help.

For my tens of followers that kept up with my blog while we were away, thank you for your support and kind encouragements. I believe it took me an entire year to let the effects of the trip really sink in and resonate and I’m setting an intention right here and now to get my mojo back. If I need inspiration, I’ll close my eyes and imagine the picturesque, snow covered arches at Bryce Canyon or remember what it felt like trying to wrap my arms around a giant Redwood or hell even go back to the taste of the best damn tacos we had in Wichita, Kansas of all places. Wanderlust and I have a love/hate relationship now but at the end of it all, every one of these 365 days I have spent feeling true gratitude for those ten weeks experiencing beauty and doing it with my two best friends.

Home for the Holidays

Truth be told, I’ve been subconsciously avoiding writing this post. I think it’s because in writing it, I will have to acknowledge that our trip came to an end and I’m not really into that idea. But alas, it’s true, we’re back in New England and trying to settle back into “real life”. It’s been hard for us to come home. I feel guilty each and every time someone says to me “aren’t you happy to be home??” with a huge smile on their face. But I’ve never been one to stretch the truth and the truth is that although I’m happy to see family and friends, I’m missing life on the road. I never anticipated feeling this way. I assumed that at the end of the trip, I would be craving home and would be ready to jump back into things or I would at least have some idea of how I want to move forward in life but none of that happened.

As we were starting to make our way toward home, Pat and I spoke at length about how we were feeling. We both wanted our adventure to keep rolling and we both felt anxious about coming home and falling into old patterns. Don’t get me wrong, our life here is amazing but there was something so special about exploring for the past two and a half months that made us want to keep carrying on. We felt as though we had just started to scratch the surface. Each and every day was something new and fresh. It felt like we were kids again and every day was a field trip (a cool field trip not like the ones where you felt like learning was being shoved down your throat). We were both rejuvenated and felt more enthusiastic and alive then ever before. The trip has most certainly awakened something in me- a sense of wonder, a feeling of strength, and most importantly knowing that I have indeed married the perfect person for me. One of the most surprising things about the trip was the fact that not only did Pat and I not really fight but by the end of the trip we were communicating and getting along better than ever. I mean, of course there were arguments, usually involving some type of wrong directions and u-turns but overall being stuck in a car with our pup for hours on end only seems to have strengthened our bond. How awesome is that?!?

One of the drawbacks of a trip like this is that you develop a codependency like never before. After ten weeks of the three of us being together pretty much 24-7, we’re having to adjust to doing things on our own. I mean, I haven’t even taken a tinkle in months without Pat or Dex in the bathroom with me. Just kidding, just kidding! But for real, we are all confused now when we have to do things on our own. I find myself calling Pat from the car or when I’m out running an errand just because I feel like I haven’t seen him in ages even though it’s only been a few hours. I’m sure as the days roll on, we’ll get used to the fact that we’re not living out of our VW station wagon anymore and start to enjoy our independence a bit more but until then I’m lovin’ this sick, psychologically unhealthy attachment.

After my last post in Washington D.C., we traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. My history buff stepdad highly recommended doing the auto tour of the battlefield so we paid our $22, put the CD in the car radio and started our drive. Unfortunately, the weather did everything but cooperate with us that day. The fog was so thick that you could barely see what was right in front of you and it was also cold and drizzling. Basically, it was the worst possible weather to explore Gettysburg but you can’t really plan for Mother Nature. After we were about 3/4 into the tour, we both decided it was not really very enjoyable given the conditions so we sped through the last few stops. We drove a couple of hours east and grabbed a hotel room in Lancaster, PA aka Amish Country.

Strangely, I was downright giddy about seeing the Amish. I find their whole culture to be so fascinating and I would love the opportunity to go back and visit again and spend some more time. We drove around the town of Intercourse for a while, which is not too far from Blue Ball…this is absolute, 100% real life town names and we had to try our best to be mature when looking at all of the Sex, I mean, Intercourse souvenirs. Luckily, it seems the local fornicators have a good sense of humor about their town name and also seem to be making a killing off of the “I love Intercourse” t-shirts. One of the more odd gift ideas we saw at the Kitchen Kettle Village was an “I love Intercourse” coffee mug, which in and of itself is not that strange but above that you had the choice of the mug also reading things like “#1 Dad” or “I love my Mom”. I’m sorry, is it just me or do these mugs seem to be encouraging incest? In whose world do the words “Intercourse” and “Dad” go hand in hand? A little too strange for Christmas gifts in my opinion but hey, to each his own.

Once we strolled through Amish country, we made the 7 hour trek back to Massachusetts. We’ve been lucky enough to have amazing friends who have opened up their home to us because if you remember, we gave up our apartment and put our belongings in storage to take this trip. Thankfully, we have made our home away from home here with our friends and their cat and dog and we are so grateful for them. In fact, one of the best parts of this trip has been witnessing people’s willingness to help. We were welcomed into the homes of friends, family and complete strangers and were made to feel at home each time. I think often times, we all lose sight of how wonderful and caring people are so it was a great experience to remember to trust and allow people to help take care of you.

So we made it 13,748 miles and through 31 states, 1 Canadian Provence and the District of Columbia without any speeding tickets or major marital fights. I can’t help but feel at the end of all of this, like the three of us have a secret, like we experienced something that will be with us forever and because of that, I am beyond grateful.

I appreciate you for following along as I fumble through blogging. I’ve enjoyed writing every word of this blog and am toying with ways to keep writing and traveling so stay tuned. In the meantime, I encourage you all to step outside and explore. It’s a damn beautiful country we live in.

Peace and Love

The end of this trip is looming. As we get closer and closer to home, our feelings become more and more tangled. While we’re both excited to go home and see our friends and families, we both want to keep on going. This journey feels unfinished but alas the road is turning towards home and we are grateful for all of the amazing memories we have created along the way.

Since my last post, we spent a few days exploring the wonderful Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is known as a “hippy haven”. Anytime you have a city that hosts weekly Friday night drum circles, it’s safe to say that the smell of patchouli will hang in the air and dreadlocks will be prevalent. Asheville is known as “beer city” so my hops-loving husband was in heaven! We spent one evening doing our own little beer crawl, hopping from brewery to brewery to sample some of the local tastings. The funny thing about me on a beer crawl? I don’t drink beer. Ha! Luckily, they are also known for their cideries, so I was happy sipping on my hard ciders while Pat indulged in his IPA’s. Along with some booze sampling, we also got to experience a bit of the local music scene. Every bar we went to had some type of band playing, whether it was bluegrass, mountain music or a cover band, there were tunes everywhere. Asheville lies at the base of the Smoky Mountains and is surrounded by lots of farm land. Those farms are celebrated in the city with year-round farmers’ markets and an extensive slow food movement- eating local in Asheville is not only easy but it’s almost a requirement.

While in Asheville, we rented a small cottage through airbnb.com that was basically the size of a glorified shed. After a few days, we put any thought of buying a “tiny house” out of our minds, two people most certainly need more than 250 square feet to remain happily married. We absolutely loved the vibe of Asheville, the people were kind, the scenery was beautiful and it felt good to be on the east coast again. The Blue Ridge Parkway, named the most beautiful drive in America begins in Asheville so we decided to take the scenic route as we made our way towards Washington D.C. The Blue Ridge Parkway is full of dogwoods, rhododendrons, aster and spectacular foliage. Now let me pause right there to remind you that this is December so while what we saw was still incredibly beautiful, everything is pretty much brown right now. There are no leaves on the trees and certainly no blooms on the rhododendrons that line the parkway. Our plan was to take the route all the way to Roanoke, Virginia but as soon as the sun went down, we realized we had to take an alternate route or face the fact that we were going to either run off the road or hit one of the hundred deer that had run in front of our car.

Along the ride, we paused for the night in Roanoke, Virginia and then continued our journey towards our Nation’s capitol. We got a little taste of the local flavor of southwestern Virginia that night driving through the town of Galax to see that they were hosting their annual Christmas parade momentarily. Everyone was lined up in their lawn chairs in front of the fiddle store and the Hillbilly barber shop (seriously, that’s the name) to watch Santa ride by on his sleigh. We drove through as quickly as we could for fear that they would discover we were yankees who don’t even own a fiddle.

Whenever we’re in a new place, I always consult tripadvisor.com to check out what people are saying about the area. The number one thing to do in Roanoke, VA is to see the Mill Mountain Star. The star is the largest, man-made star in all of the U.S. of A. Wow! Now if that’s not a fun and exciting thing to do then call me crazy. So of course we had to check out this star and let me tell you, it was just as fun and exciting as we anticipated. In all seriousness, if for some strange reason you do find yourself bored and in Roanoke, why not check out the star?!? I’d love to say that I recommend it but that would be a lie.

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Roanoke to make our way to Washington D.C. We are so blessed to have spent the last few days visiting with one of my dearest friends here in D.C. and getting to see all of the sights in the capitol. Pat has never been before so I’ve been playing tour guide and he’s been soaking up the history. We’ve gotten the chance to tour the Washington Monument, visit the Museum of Natural History, see the founding forefathers and pay our respects at the monuments but my favorite thing on the trip to the city has been the Holocaust Museum.

I can not say enough about the impact the Holocaust Museum had on me and I can not recommend it highly enough if you have yet to visit it. Exhibit after exhibit reminds you of the torture and pain people had to endure all because of one man’s lies and persuasion. We were truly moved after visiting three floors of exhibits and then we stepped into the Hall of Remembrance, a sacred round room with candles lit all around the outskirts to remember those that were lost during the Holocaust. As we entered the large room, there was only one other person there, a man proudly wearing his yamaka. After a moment, the man began to weep loudly and soon after, we were quietly joining him. The story behind his tears was never shared or spoken but there was a deep feeling of knowing. It was a powerful moment and a feeling that will be with me always.

The Holocaust is not just a moment in time for us to look back on and think “this will never happen to us”. The current fear mongering and hatred that is being spread and condoned by influential people, political or otherwise in this country is the same type of propaganda that started the Holocaust in the first place. We are on treacherous ground right now and need to remember that history can certainly repeat itself. We all have to put aside our fears and remember the rights and freedoms that this country was built on. We all deserve to be treated fairly and with compassion. All it takes is one person to spread hate.

I may not be joining in any Asheville drum circles anytime soon but I do believe in peace and love and you don’t have to be a hippy to join me.

Nash Vegas

You know that age old question wondering if you were stranded on a deserted island and had to pick just one album to listen to over and over again? Well for me that would hands down be Graceland by Paul Simon. I never tire of listening to that record and every time I hear the title track, I imagine road tripping down to Memphis to see Elvis’ home. It may sound corny but it’s true. So a few days ago as we were driving through Arkansas on our way to Memphis, Tennessee, I had a total geek out. My vision was coming true!! I was going to Graceland, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee!!

I have to say that the home of Elvis Aaron Presley did not disappoint. From the Jungle Room with shag carpeted ceilings to the rhinestone encrusted jumpsuits, I loved every damn second of that tour which is great because we gave a small fortune to Lisa Marie that day. Graceland ain’t cheap, tickets cost $40 a pop and then you obviously have to buy souvenirs. I mean, you can’t leave Graceland without an Elvis shotglass (or two), a guitar mouse pad and a pair of sequined Elvis flip flops.

Graceland was all lit up and decorated for Elvis’ favorite holiday, Christmas. The staircase leading upstairs, which sadly you’re not allowed to tour, was lined with poinsettias and the white Christmas tree in the parlor was dressed with colorful bulbs. I have to say that although Graceland’s decor isn’t necessarily my style, for the King of Rock n’ Roll, I dare say that it was rather tasteful. Elvis seemed like a pretty stand up guy with a poor diet. He was a quiet philanthropist, donating to causes and people in need without publicizing and seemed like someone you’d want to grab a beer with. It’s too bad that he couldn’t chill with the saturated fats, like taking a perfectly good peanut butter and banana sandwich and then frying it and pairing it with a pound of fried bacon and washing it down with a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts is probably not good for your ticker. The healthy diet coupled with what was rumored to be a lethal amount of prescription pills and you find yourself with a dead rock star. It makes me sad that Elvis went out like that, one day you’re the King and the next you’re dead on the toilet, of all places. Regardless of the ending, I’m still All Shook Up for Mr. Presley.

Memphis, besides being known as the home of Elvis, has also got quite the reputation for barbecue. We decided to check out Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous after several people said it was a must and we were glad we did! We ordered a large rack of ribs, potato salad and slaw and sat by the edge of the Mississippi River and gorged ourselves, Elvis style. I am so glad I don’t live anywhere near that restaurant because my arteries would not last long. Memphis BBQ is the real deal!

We kept on truckin’ after licking the BBQ off of our hands and made our way toward Nashville, Tennessee. My brother Mike lives there and we planned on spending a few days catching up with him and see the attractions in the home of country music. Confession time- I really don’t like country music. I can get down with bluegrass and I love me some Dolly Parton but country music is just not my thing but I decided to embrace Nashville and all things honky tonk. While in the city, we toured the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry which opened in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. The building is rich in history, opening doors not just for country music but for all other genres as well. Stepping into the auditorium, you can feel the energy from shows of the past. This is a place for true and honest music. Fun fact- Elvis only played at the Ryman once in 1954 as a teenager and though the audience clapped politely, after the show the Opry manager told Elvis that he ought to return to Memphis and resume his career as a truck driver. It’s easy to see why Elvis wasn’t keen on returning to Ryman after that reception.

In addition to touring the Ryman, we also got to visit the recording studio where my brother is an engineer. A little known artist named Taylor Swift has recorded there and last week Willie Nelson was dropping in, so I’ll just say it’s a pretty big deal. We also explored Lower Broadway, affectionately called Nash Vegas, where the street is littered with bright lights, bars, gift shops and restaurants. Robert’s Western World is a spot where you can purchase cowboy boots during the day and get hammered at night. Be sure to try their “recession special” which includes a fried bologna sandwich, bag of chips and PBR for only five bucks! Now that’s a bargain! If you like country music, this is the place to go. At any time of the day, you can bop into a bar or restaurant and hear live music and don’t forget when you leave Lower Broadway to drive a few minutes through the city to see an exact replica of the Parthenon, built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Random, I know.

Nashville has flavor, there’s no doubt. It’s definitely a fun little city where you can embrace the southern charm and whoop it up. Yee-haw y’all!

Giving Thanks

Greetings from the bible belt! I’m typing this post from West Memphis, Arkansas. That’s right- West Memphis, Arkansas not to be confused with Memphis, Tennessee that lies just across the Mississippi River about 15 minutes east of here. We’re hunkering down for the night and getting a good night’s rest in preparation of tomorrow’s visit to Graceland. I have to admit, of all of the amazingly wonderful things we’ve done on this road trip, I am over the top excited to visit Elvis’ home. I hope it lives up to the hype.

Since my last post, we’ve traveled what seems like a million miles. Earlier in the week we drove from Flagstaff, AZ through the Petrified Forest and finally landed in Taos, New Mexico. After learning that Julia Roberts had a ranch in Taos, I was firmly convinced that we would see the Pretty Woman around town but alas, my dreams were shattered. Maybe I’ll see her soon at My Best Friend’s Wedding. Sorry guys, I’m almost embarrassed of my outpouring of Julia dorkiness there but not sorry enough to hit the backspace key.

Taos is gorgeous, surrounded by mountains and fresh air and full of artists, culture and rich history. We spent our day in town walking around the square, eating authentic Mexican food and visiting the Pueblo Village. A friend of ours told us that she thought we would fall in love with Taos and I can certainly see why she thought that. It’s assuredly a place I could see myself spending quite a bit of time but I have to admit that I’m not sure if I’m quite rugged enough for the Southwest. There’s a quality to the people there that I admire- an essence that’s hard to explain, I’m not sure if it’s the rundown pick-up trucks some drive or the well worn cowboy boots but you just get the feeling when you’re there that these people are hardy, genuine and tough and I mean that in the best possible way. Of course like every other ski town we’ve been to, we just missed the opening day of the mountain. In fact, much to my skier husband’s dismay, the mountains were set to open the day after we left. Whomp whomp.

Once we were through exploring Taos, we drove the scenic byway, also known as The Enchanted Circle north to the town of Red River where we stayed for the night. We figured it being New Mexico and all that we could find another decent Mexican restaurant to eat at that evening (yes, we are obsessed with Mexican food- don’t judge!). After reading some rather rough Yelp reviews of one of the only eating establishments and the only Mexican place in town, we decided to give this small restaurant a shot against our better judgement and we instantly regretted it. Twenty five dollars later, we received bland tacos that had us wishing we had just gone out to get hot pockets or some other frozen crap. I should’ve known when I arrived to the restaurant to see it was owned by the Hoag family that maybe authentic Mexican food in Red River was not a thing. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Our goal after leaving Red River was to get to St. Louis, Missouri for Thanksgiving Eve since we had been invited by friends to enjoy the holiday with them and their family. We drove over 1,000 miles over two days to make sure that we wouldn’t be sitting in some sad, roadside diner in Kansas for the holiday, crying in our apple pie and wishing for my Mommy, so we put the pedal to the metal and got through boring Kansas as quickly as we could. I mean no offense if anyone has any affection toward Kansas but as one of our friends said “Kansas can blow me”. From what I saw, Kansas is full of farms, roadkill, anti-abortion signs, porn stores and Jesus billboards. One sign on the highway read “Jesus heals and restores. Pornography destroys.” the next sign a few feet over read “Lions Den Adult Superstore” so I’m willing to guess there’s either some strong differences of opinion going on in the state or just a whole lot of hypocrisy. I mean, my stance is rock on if you love Jesus, he seemed like a pretty rad guy, I just don’t understand the need to advertise it on the side of the road. I mean, this may come as a shock but I just don’t think you’re going to convert people to your chosen religion as they are driving down the freeway. I would be interested in hearing the statistics about people going and getting baptized after reading a billboard on the Kansas highway but if those numbers are out there, I’d happily check them out.

So, we followed the religious campaigns and the light of the full moon all the way through Kansas and finally into Missouri to be with our friends and their family. This may be corny but this is the first major holiday that I have not shared with my family and Thanksgiving morning I was feeling it. After I cried a bit on the phone with my Mom, I hung up and felt gratitude not just because of the theme of the holiday but because it solidified the fact that my home is back near my family. I realized that missing them is not how I want to feel on a regular basis. I need my people.

We are so blessed to have our friends take us in to spend Thanksgiving with them. We were spoiled with full bellies, great company and lots of love for our pup and we enjoyed our time immensely. Thanksgiving may not have been the typical day, surrounded by my huge Irish family but it was still full of love, laughter and great food and for that, I am thankful.

Miles driven- 11,787
Hours driven- 154
States visited- 23 (and 1 Canadian Provence)

Park Snobs

The past three days have included visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon National Parks. Not too shabby, eh? At this point in the trip, we have been officially spoiled by the unparalleled beauty we’ve seen at some of the parks and frankly, it’s turning us into National Park snobs. Up until yesterday, we had a few favorites- Goblin Valley, Rocky Mountain and Yosemite were all amazing but all that changed yesterday when we stepped out of the car at the breathtaking Bryce Canyon. Every turnout, corner, and short hike brought new views of snow-covered hoodoos (tall spires of rock), vibrant colors, amphitheaters, arches and unique rock formations. Our pup Dexter even got to enjoy Bryce! Even though as per usual with the parks, he was not allowed on the longer trails, we got plenty of sights in with the dog in tow as he was welcome on the paved trails and lookouts.

The tricky thing about a trip like this is that even though we are spending loads of time (ten weeks total) touring the country, we are not spending much time in any one place. This is by no means a complaint. The trip has provided a wonderful overview of our glorious country and we are compiling a list of places we must visit again and soon. That being said, we don’t have too much time to explore, meaning long hikes at national parks or really sinking our teeth into a city are not part of the deal. We are typically moving to a new local, often hundreds of miles away, each day. I have to say being a nomad has been much easier and more fun than I would’ve thought. I am such a homebody that I pictured homesickness creeping in early on in the trip but although I miss my people back home, I have easily found a comfort in being in new, exciting places each day.

So back to the title of this post “Park Snob”…I started by saying how much we loved Bryce Canyon but I have to say that we were not overwhelmed by Zion National Park. I believe we would’ve had a better handle and gotten a chance to see what the fuss is about had we been able to hike through the park. However, it was another place where Dexter wasn’t too welcome so that wasn’t an option and honestly, the weather hasn’t cooperated much in that department either. We had grand visions of getting to the Southwest and hiking each day and camping each night. What we didn’t prepare for was the fact that it snows even in the desert. I mean, I literally had no idea that it snowed in the desert! While it made for beautiful photos, it definitely hindered any plans for camping with overnight lows hovering in the teens in some places. I guess that just means we’ll have to plan a trip back out here soon so we can have a re-do.

Now onto the Grand Canyon, one of our country’s most popular and iconic wonders. I will say that the sheer size and enormity of the canyon is unreal. It certainly has a way of making you remember your place in the world and I find it’s good to remind yourself every now and again that you are just a small piece of the puzzle. Besides being spoiled by the beauty of all of the parks we’ve been to, we’ve also been spoiled by off-season crowds and pleasant people. All that changed at the Grand Canyon. Today was full of people more consumed with their conversations and selfie-sticks than they seemed to be about the scenery and fellow park-goers. I can only imagine what that place is like during the height of tourist season! Of course the Grand Canyon is splendid and awe-inspiring but I couldn’t get Bryce out of my mind. That darn park spoiled me!

So here I sit, blogging from snowy Flagstaff, Arizona in a crummy Howard Johnson’s with a sleeping dog and my handsome husband and I am thanking my lucky stars. Tomorrow brings more adventures to the Petrified Forest and Taos, New Mexico and I’m not taking a second of it for granted.

Side notes-

*My husband Pat’s advice if you plan on visiting Utah, which we highly recommend you do, is to bring your own beer. Most of the brewskis there are watered down to 3.2% and that’s just unacceptable.

*Selfie sticks have their place but by the edge of a canyon is a no-no. I saw many people today with those damn sticks, almost falling off the edge of the Grand Canyon just to get a picture of their own mug. I mean, come on, what happened to the days of asking another human if they will take your photo?

Dex wasn't as impressed with Bryce as we were. — Dex wasn’t as impressed with Bryce as we were.

Heading East

Today we said goodbye to the Pacific Ocean and we have officially started our journey eastward. I stood by the water’s edge alone, let the chilly water wash over my feet and I counted my blessings. I was sad to leave California and truth be told, I feel a bit blue to be heading towards home. Don’t get me wrong, I love my beautiful life back home but I’m just not finished doing whatever this magical thing is that I’ve been doing on the road. Traveling is so renewing and important. I’ve learned things about myself, my marriage, my relationships, my priorities and my goals that I would’ve never had the opportunity to reflect on back in my “real” life. Things are stirring within and my eyes are opened to the fact that life doesn’t have to be as difficult or as scripted as we think it has to be. We live in a beautiful country filled with amazing people and I highly encourage all of you to get out there and explore it.

We had the wonderful experience of seeing almost every inch of California’s coast, driving all the way from the border of Oregon down to San Diego. Along the way, we were able to stay with family in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego. We hit the lottery with awesome family members who happen to live in great spots to visit. A couple of days ago, we got the chance to catch up with my hubby’s cousin in Los Angeles and she took us on a tour of the city. My goals for the day were to

check out my favorite celebrity's star (Carlos Maria), — check out my favorite celebrity’s star (Carlos Maria obviously),

We had a fun day being touristy, checking out Hollywood, visiting the Griffith Park Observatory which offers unbelievable views of the city, obviously continuing our U.S. taco tour and ending with the infamous L.A. traffic jam. Tripadvisor.com’s #1 thing to do in Los Angeles is to get plastic surgery but we’ll have to save that for another trip out west.

I appreciate California’s overall vibe but I don’t know if I could ever get over living in a desert. The concept of year-round flowers, produce and suntans is definitely appealing but the idea of having earthquakes, rattlesnakes and tsunami evacuation routes doesn’t really grab me. I am starting to realize that I love New England because there are not so many other animals or natural disasters waiting to kill me. I mean sure we have blizzards, occasional hurricanes and small black bears up north but things like sneaker waves, rattlesnake bite vaccine shops, and warnings on trails telling you walk don’t jog on the trail because running might entice mountain lions to hunt and kill you are enough to make me run for the hills. Have you ever even heard of a sneaker wave? They warn you at the beach not to turn your back to the sea because apparently huge, random waves have been known to bust out of nowhere and eat you alive and swallow you hole. What the heck?!?

Since leaving the sneaker waves behind us, we’ve paused for the night in the one and only Las Vegas. Here you can find yourself a prostitute, fire a machine gun, and gamble your life savings away all in one square mile. Now that’s the true American dream.

Miles driven- 9,107
Hours driven- 105
States visited- 18 (and 1 Canadian Provence)

California Love

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” -John Muir

It turns out that we had to drive all the way to California, of all states, to drive through snow. Who would’ve thunk it? Yosemite had some delightful slush waiting for us today as we made our way to the beautiful valley to see magnificent waterfalls, rock faces, wildlife and tour buses full of selfie-taking Asian tourists. Side note: the tourists were obsessed with our dog and I’m pretty sure Dex is in about 500 people’s iPhone camera rolls.

After spending the day in Yosemite, it’s plain to see how folks like Ansel Adams and John Muir fell in love with the wonder of it. The weather impacted how much of the park we could see due to road closures, but we were able to tour the entire valley, and the snow covered trees and mountaintops next to rock faces like El Capitan and Yosemite Falls had us mesmerized. We were also happy because Dexter was allowed on “populated” trails throughout the park which meant we all got to enjoy ourselves and didn’t have to leave a sad pup behind in the car like we did at some of the other parks. On top of the beauty of the valley, we got some free entertainment watching west coast drivers try to maneuver their vehicles through a dusting of snow. They came equipped with chains on their tires, 4-wheel drive and white knuckles on the steering wheel and still managed to slide around but hey, part of me is jealous that they’ve never had to deal with such nonsense.

We’ve only driven through a small portion of California but it’s been enough to see why it’s so treasured. We have spent the past 5 days hunkering down in Alamo, a town in the East Bay about 30 minutes from San Francisco with my amazing aunt and uncle. I realized today that the thought of leaving them tomorrow gives me a big ol’ lump in my throat. Dang, there are those emotions sneaking back up again! But seriously, being with family has been so special and especially great because geography has prevented us from getting to spend a lot of time together over the years so I will treasure this visit always.

We had the day yesterday to explore San Francisco and like a lot of other places we’ve visited, wish we had loads more time to see it all. We crossed the infamous Golden Gate Bridge and paused at Fort Point which gave us a unique vantage point of the bridge and also provided a place to watch the absolutely insane surfers. Those brave souls were hangin’ ten and riding waves that landed not on a sandy beach but up against huge boulders and a rock wall. I thought for sure one of them was going to be decapitated but no blood was shed while we were there at least. From Fort Point, we drove through the mountains, err…hills of the city to reach Chinatown where we strolled down Jack Kerouac Alley for inspiration and ate the most divine noodle soup at a tiny Chinese cafe. Being hippies at heart, we of course had to visit Haight-Ashbury and see where the scene began. We visited 710 Ashbury Street, the roots of the Grateful Dead, a beautiful Victorian home that has since been painted purple and I would imagine stripped clean of any electric kool-aid acid. I certainly wasn’t there for the Summer of Love, hanging with Janis and Jerry but something tells me the vibe of the neighborhood has changed a bit since then. As soon as we got out of the car, someone was trying to bum a dollar off of me (I would’ve asked for five but I guess I’m a hustler) and there was a definite unsettling air about the place. One thing that remains the same though is the overwhelming smell of ganja in the air. We were able to meet up with a friend and finish our day in San Francisco with good company, food and drinks.

Tomorrow night, we keep this California train moving as we head down to Santa Cruz for a couple of days followed by more awesomeness down the Pacific Coast Highway. We are spoiled by beauty and loving every damn second of it.

Oregoonies

I have decided that I shall now be referred to as a “stay-in-the-car-Mom”. I am temporarily jobless and technically the VW Jetta is our home so I think the title fits. I spend my days scooping Dexter’s poop, making sure all of his needs are met and that he’s not being too much of an ass. I certainly understand that raising a dog doesn’t meet the same criteria as raising a human but let me tell you, living with your dog in the car presents a whole set of unique challenges. For instance, when you’re driving down a winding highway and your dog gets nervous and tries to jump in the front seat or when a hotel tries to charge you $25 for a one-night pet fee on top of the trillion dollars they are already charging for the room. Are you going to take my dog for a walk or bathe him for that price? Is he going to be fed out of a gold-plated bowl or get a big fat plate of foie gras for dinner because for that price something major better be going on. Pet fees are such a joke! I mean, you have my credit card on file so if my pup destroys the place please feel free to charge it up but otherwise your pet fee is a total scam. For the record, I didn’t pay the $25. My guilt almost got the best of me but I avoided telling them about the dog and hoped no one would notice. Luckily, they didn’t.

Since my last post, we’ve made a lot of headway in our travels. After leaving Vancouver, we went north to Whistler Mountain, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Since it’s shoulder season on the mountain and the snow has only just started at the top of the trails, we got great deals on our hotel stay and at local restaurants. Soon the resort town will be flooded with skiers and snowboarders flocking to the world famous slopes. Unfortunately the weather in Whistler wasn’t great so we were limited to what we could do but we had a nice time soaking in the jacuzzi, filling our tummies with food (that’s a trip theme if you couldn’t tell) and successfully avoiding the bears.

After a couple of nights in Whistler, we went back down the picturesque Sea to Sky Highway and made our way back to Seattle for a night where we were lucky enough to stay with friends again. Thanks Tracy and Derek! Since then we have spent four amazing days exploring Oregon. It’s easy to see why in 2014, Oregon was named U.S.’s “Top Moving Destination” because for every one family moving out of the state, there are two moving in. We saw a great t-shirt exclaiming “Oregon- where young people go to retire”. Once you visit beautiful Oregon, you can see why you might never want to leave it.

We spent one jam-packed day exploring the awesomely weird city of Portland, hitting up as many of the must-see spots as we could. We hit a few walls because of the wet weather but we marched on and were rewarded with a beautiful, sunny afternoon for trekking around. We walked through part of Forest Park, one of the country’s largest urban forests, strolled through Chinatown and made necessary stops at Powell’s Book Store, Voodoo Donuts, Hoyt Arboretum and ate a wonderful Thai dinner at Pok Pok Noi. We also continued our search for the country’s best street tacos. I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten tacos almost every single day on this trip and nothing can stop me now. Tacos aren’t just for Tuesdays anymore, my friends.

It was disappointing not to have more time in Portland but that the sadness quickly disappeared once we hit Oregon’s coast. Leaving Portland, we headed west toward Cannon Beach. Per a suggestion I found on the wonderful world wide web, we went a bit north of the town and stopped at Ecola State Park (not to be confused with E. coli State Park which is not as popular). Ecola State Park sits atop a grassy bluff that offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and the miles of beach that sits below the park. It’s one of the most photographed spots in the country. After leaving the park, we drove down to the town of Cannon Beach and hit the shoreline. Cannon Beach is famous for Haystack Rock, a 235-foot sea stack that is well known for it’s appearances in movies like The Goonies and Kindergarten Cop (in my opinion Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best work). Since I’m from The Ocean State and have spent every summer hitting the beaches of New England, I am no stranger to the beach but Oregon absolutely blew me away. I was so overcome with emotions as I stepped onto the beach…it quickly reminded me exactly why we’re on this trip.

The past two days were spent driving down the famous Route 101 which winds down the coast of Oregon. This evening we crossed into California and I felt a pang of sadness to leave Oregon behind. From the protected, pristine ocean front to the awesomely weird Portland, I enjoyed everything about the state and there’s still so much to explore! Weather kept us from seeing Crater Lake and Mount Hood so a trip back soon is definitely in order.

Welp, I gotta run to grab some tacos for dinner (for real). Tomorrow’s agenda includes some groovy trees in the Redwood National Forest.

Oh Canada

Attention shoppers- Canada is having a HUGE sale! Rollback prices are in effect on every item in all provinces!! Thanks to the Canadian dollar being worth only .76, a buck goes a long way here in America’s Top Hat. It’s so much fun, you go out and spend what you think is $30 and then get home and check your bank account to see that you actually only spent $22.50. How great is that?

We spent 4 days exploring the lovely city of Vancouver. We toured the famous Stanley Park, a 1,001 acre park (that’s 10% bigger than Central Park in NYC) that is almost entirely surrounded by ocean water. Walking around the seawall, you get a full panoramic of the city skyline. You could easily spend days exploring the park by foot, bike or even utilizing their rollerblading path. I guess people still use rollerblades in Canada. Didn’t those go out in the 90’s? Anyway, I loved the fact that one moment you were in a thick forest, full of trees that are hundreds of years old with leaves bigger than my head (literally), the next moment you can be skipping rocks on the beach and then admiring the city’s skyscrapers the next. One of my favorite parts of the city is how they protect and value green space. Besides Stanley Park, there are more than 220 parks in the city limits, occupying more than 11% of the city’s land mass. Now that’s a city I can get down with.

Besides Stanley Park, we spent some time strolling around the Granville Public Market, we experienced the local culinary scene and took an interesting hike to Quarry Rock. The apartment that we rented in the city was owned by a lovely, 60 something year-old woman named Rita. Rita gave us the low down on what to do around town and one of the “moderate” hikes she highly recommended is called Quarry Rock. We woke up that morning and it was a typical Pacific Northwestern day, meaning it was dreary, grey and rainy. We waited it out til the afternoon when the rain started to slow and decided it was a reasonable time to check out Quarry Rock. We headed off to North Vancouver and started out on the Baden Powell trail with Quarry Rock as our destination. Rita is clearly in damn good shape because this hike is definitely not what I would call “moderate” but we made it to the top of the trail albeit sweaty and out of breath. The best part of it was that as we were getting closer and closer to the top of the trail, Mother Nature rewarded our labor with an absolute drenching rain. We finally reached the summit which was supposed to provide us with some of the most beautiful views of the city and we couldn’t see one single thing. Alas, we had marched right into a lovely grey cloud. All in all, it was a beautiful hike but a beautiful vista? Yeah, not so much.

Vancouver is certainly a spectacular city but the Pacific Northwest isn’t really my thing, mainly because I need light. It’s so hard to crawl out of bed in the morning without the sun to greet you. I think if I lived here, I would just become a tea drinking hermit who curled up by the fire with a nice book and never take off my sweatpants. Actually, that kind of sounds amazing, maybe I will move to Vancouver.

So, we’ve officially reached the one month mark on our journey and we’ve certainly learned some things along the way-

I’m becoming really good at making roadside lunches and getting clever with dinner ideas using hotel microwaves.
My husband and I are pretty solid. Sure, we’ve had our arguments but all in all we’re still smiling at each other and managing to have pretty darn good conversation. Even in close quarters, I still enjoy his company and wouldn’t do this with anyone else.
Always stop for gas if you have a 1/4 of a tank or less on a trip like this. Just trust me. We haven’t run out of gas yet but we’ve had some real hairy moments and it’s not worth the inevitable fight you’ll have with your partner.
You’d be amazed at how many times you can wear the same article of clothing (underwear aside obviously) before it really starts to smell. Or maybe we’ve just crossed over into the world of being smelly people? That’s surely possible.
My dog is awesome. Sure, I’ve always known this but somewhere along the way I started to think that he was just the weirdest dog on the planet. The more time I spend with other pups along the way, I’ve realized that they’re we’re all weird, humans and dogs alike. At the end of the day, Dexter is the sweetest darn dog out there who is always up for snuggles and who makes me laugh all the time. Sure, he’ll bark at a dog if he’s on a leash and sometimes he eats other animal’s droppings but he’s my weirdo dog and I wouldn’t trade him for the world.