2 Weeks in Review

So as of yesterday we were two weeks into our 3 1/2 week journey across America. Its hard to believe that a little over 2 weeks ago JD and I were walking across the graduation stage and driving away from Grantham to explore our beautiful country. Now here I sit, 2 weeks down the road and as far away from home as we will be getting on this voyage- Portland Oregon. Since I really dont have a whole lot to talk about from the last few days I will give a quick recap of the last 2 days and then recap some highs, lows, and reflections of the trip from Grantham to Portland.

Yesterday morning we drove across the golden gate bridge and out of San Francisco. It was too bad because I think we all really enjoyed our time in the bay area and the hospitality that the Pope offered us while we were there. We decided that to fully get the coastal experience we would take THE 1 along to coast until we eventually ran into THE 101 on our way to Redwood National Park. The sites on the 1 are as good as advertised and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a gorgeous drive. The only complaint that I have about the 1 is that it is unbelievably windy and takes FOREVER to get anywhere. Luckily for us we have nowhere to be and therefor can take our time doing whatever suits our fancy. We rolled into a rest area just south of Redwood National Park around 9:30pm. After making some pasta in the bathroom the three of us settled into the van for what was surprisingly a good night's sleep. Derek and I slept on the makeshift bed in the back while JD reclined the front seat and made that his bed for the night. Other than the fact that Derek was convinced the guy in the truck next to us was going to kill us, we all slept relatively well considering the circumstances.

We woke up today around 9:30 and made the short drive into the National Park. Fortunately Redwood is a free park to enter and thus we were able to keep our paid park total to 1. We didnt spend a ton of time in the park because lets be honest, once you drive, walk, and stare at the redwoods for a little while, there really isnt a whole lot left to do. We did hike a nice 1 mile trail through the woods called the Lady Bird Johnson Nature Trail. It was a really cool trail with a lot of breathtaking trees. Im convinced I could comfortably live in one of those trees if I hollowed it out.

We finally left California today!! After a full week in Cali we entered into the beautiful state of Oregon. 5 or 6 hours after entering the state and one big gulp later we arrived in Portland at the home of one of JD's friends from Ecuador. We made a quick trip to the grocery store and then Derek and I made an absolutely scrumptious dinner while JD chatted with the locals. This particular dinner included spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread, salad, and some lovely limeade. If thats not a good dinner I dont know what is.

To give you a taste of what we've experienced and what this trip to the left coast has been like I'll run down a few of the highlights...

Favorite State: Too close to call

Least favorite state: Kansas in a landslide although I could definitely see myself going to grad school at KU, gorgeous campus, great athletics.

Closest encounter with heaven: I am going to have to say hiking in Zion on Angel's landing. While we have done some pretty unsafe things on this trip (just kidding dad), Angel's landing was just a poorly constructed hike for any normal person. They did have some precautionary railings but most of the final ascent was free climbing on a narrow walkway. What I left out of the story the first time is that it started to rain as soon as Derek and I reached the top making all the rocks on the way down extremely slippery. Oh well, I guess God looked out for us on that one. Thanks big guy.

Most uncomfortable night of sleep: In what was possibly the worst night of sleep in my life, Zion takes the cake. Here I was sleeping half on the road, half on the gravel next to the road in a bug infested area. To top it all off, we were in an area we shouldnt have been. Unbelievable but certainly memorable.

Favorite Park: This was extremely tough but my vote goes to Zion National Park. Yosemite was a close second but I think we captured Zion better than we did Yosemite. Between the near death hike, the breathtaking trek through the narrows, and the incredible sunset the first night we were there, its hard to beat.

Most mind boggling quote of the trip- Derek to JD after JD told him he couldnt throw a frozen ice container out the window- "Its not littering if the plastic is frozen."

A few things we've learned thus far:
1) Park and Rides make for great places to set up camp
2) Pasta made from a hot pot in a bathroom is just as good as pasta made at home on a normal stove
3) People are generally very welcoming, hospitable, and friendly if you show them the same courtesies.
4) A tank of gas isnt empty until the car stops running
5) Kansas really is as boring as advertised
6) People from Rhode Island, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Connecticut dont travel the same places as us.

In closing, I just want to thank everyone who reads this blog for supporting our trip. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated daily.

I will leave you with these words from Alex Hitchens "Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away."

Brett