It’s been a month since we returned to our trip to the Northwest.  I’m not going to Seattle because Seattle is just another Dallas to us and we enjoyed everything else about the trip more than visiting the city.   Our plan was to camp in our Prius all the way up to Seattle and explore the area.  We camped all but 4 night in the Prius which wasn’t that difficult to sleep in.  The first night we traveled to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.  We arrived at the sunset and had to set up the tent in the headlights and swatting at all the bugs.  Once we got everything arranged in the tent and out of the car we prepared the car and little one to lie down.  What was nice, was this is the only night we needed to run the car all night to keep cool and the only night we had to fight the bugs.  We got a little sleep and learned a lot.  We woke when the sun came and packed the car and went into town for breakfast.  Our next stop is Moab, Utah.

Our next campsite is almost 11 hours away.  I never really thought about it but just knew we had to do it to get where we were going.  But our next stop is lunch in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Elissa is excited about it.  Being a photographer, you know I want to slow roll it everywhere I go so that I can stop and get photos.  Well, that is the last thing we need on this road trip so I did what I could to get some photos from the driver seat.  I just sold my Canon 60d and bought a 5d MK I just weeks before this trip and I had to learn it quickly to know how to get shots.  When I switched cameras too, I lost a few lenses.  All I had to shoot with was my 50mm and 100mm.  I tried to get an adapter for some Olympus lenses that I had and hoped I could use on the trip and I’m glad there was a hiccup with the delivery because the lenses aren’t auto-focus.  So I did what I could with what I had.  More about the Olympus soon (lots to talk about with this setup).  We arrive in Albuquerque and chow down and roll out.  We didn’t get to stop anywhere but we’ll return one day because it’s a beautiful city.  It’s crazy to think back now and think that it was going to take forever to get anywhere.  But it flew by.

We made a few more stops along the way and arrived in Moab about 10 or so.  We get to the site where we’re going to stay and it is CROWDED!  Moab is the playground of the outdoor enthusiasts.  So we decided to stay in a hotel and take it easy for one night.  We wake and order some food and I walk down the block to Denny’s and what a view!!  It’s amazing what you can’t see at night.  We’re in the middle of these beautiful mountains.  We load our gear up and head to Arches National Park just up the road, no, like 2 miles from the hotel.  We arrive and Elissa starts to get anxious because of the heights.  We pay and start driving up the steep entrance road.  I have to stop at the first spot to get of a shot of Moab down below.

This park is amazing!  There are some many turn-offs for you to get out and look at all the beautiful surrounding.  I didn’t want to leave because I could have taken a billion photos.  The sun was just right and the clouds were in and out making for gorgeous photos.  The family loved seeing such beauty.  We even got out and hiked up to the Devil’s Playground area in the park.  WOW!  Not just for the beauty but the deer that leaped across the hiking trail just 2 feet from Avery and I.  I heard it in the are just behind us and as we turned it leaped passed.  Avery loved it, excited and scared.  It stopped nearby so we got to have a look at it.  We headed back to the car and set off for our next stop.

Salt Lake City is our lunch destination.  The road is being good to us and we didn’t think we’d run into too many issues.  We arrive in Salt Lake City and it is MASSIVE!  I never knew it was so big.  We stop for lunch and let Avery burn off some energy for a while.  We didn’t stop to see anything because we still have a few states to get through.  We’re making good time and decide to push a little further on into Ontario, OR.  We get out of SLC and get to northern Utah and it is BEAUTIFUL!!  I never knew Utah was so pretty, we joked about just moving there.  Elissa loved seeing all the different terrains and I couldn’t stop taking photos out the windows.  We blow through Utah because of the 75mph speed limit and into Idaho, where it’s 85!!  Idaho is a place I could call home.  I loved the contrast between the jagged rocks of Utah to the smooth rolling mountains of Idaho.  One of my favorite albums is Paradise Valley by John Mayer and I knew that he created the album because of his time in the area but didn’t know there was a city named Paradise Valley.  I didn’t get a photo of the sign because we were flying but I have a feeling we’ll be back by there soon enough.

We’re already 1500 miles into our trip and it’s starting to set in.  We opt for our 2nd night in a hotel because it’s going to be close to midnight when we arrive in Ontario.  Avery is being great with a few hiccups but we’re happy she isn’t causing any big issues.  We’ve done well so far.  The goal for the next day is to get through Oregon and meet our friends in Portland for a pint at Widmer Brewing.  We load up the car and need coffee and food.  So Elissa looks up a place and sees that there is a small coffee place just down the road.  We get a few things at the store and head over to Dutch Brothers Coffee.  We pull up and a young girl comes up to the car.  We start ordering and tell her that we need some good coffee to get us to Portland and asked if she could fill our thermos.  She asks where we’re from and we tell her Texas.  We order 2 coffees and the thermos and she said that going to give us a deal for our long travels.  She only charged us $2.75!!  We tried to give ‘her’ a tip but she wouldn’t take it and stuck it in the tip jar.  We pull up to get out coffee and I see they have some really cool stickers on their windows.  So I asked about getting one and they said they were out but one of the employees had some in their car.  I said that was ok but they gave them to me anyway.  Really awesome experience and helped us have a great start on the road.

Off we go!!  But before we leave we have to cross the Snake River so that we can get a photo of the Welcome to Oregon sign.  We have about 6 hours before we’re in Portland but there is so much to see.  We travel along the Colombia River for many miles and just across it is Washington.  This is the part of the trip that gets us the most excited about being in this area.  It is beautiful and lush scenery that we’ve been waiting for and it doesn’t disappoint.  We get to Portland about 2 pm and pull up to the brewery.  A guy comes over and asks if I can take him up the road.  He didn’t look like a bum but I was confused.  Told him that I was from Texas and I was on vacation.  I get out and go to get Avery and he comes up again and he is shocked to see that I’m getting a kid out of the car.  I tell him again that I’m on vacation.  We make it into the Brewery and wait for our friends.  Avery finds that the stage and starts putting on a show.  David and Emily arrive and the real party begins.  We have a flight and some food as the kids play.  We talk about what is going on in life and talk about what to do while we’re there.  We leave there and they take us to the Pittock Mansion that overlooks Portland.  The kids get to run around as we watch the sunset.  We decided to offload most of our stuff at their place where we’re staying and go get a bite to eat.  They live in Hillsboro and the drive through the town is just amazing.  Elissa and I are just enjoying the scenery and wishing we had more time to explore.  We have dinner at this really cool place that you could only pull off in Portland.  Most of it is outdoors which was awesome and made us want to stay more.  We had back to the house and crash for the night because we’re leaving for Seattle in the morning.  We get up and out the door may be around 10 am and have some breakfast.  Back to the house and load up the car.  We were worried that the kids were going to throw a huge fit over leaving because they all really enjoyed playing together.  David and I grew up down the street from each other and have known each other for over 30 years.  It was great to hang out with them and SUPER thankful for their hospitality.  It was great seeing and talking with his dad as well.  I can’t wait till they finish the cars in the garage because I’m ready to return to photograph them.

This is when we get to start making lots of stops to see things we have been wanting to see.  Time to Explore!  We head to Route 101 for a beautiful trip North.  I haven’t been in this part of the US in almost 30 years and I have the same feeling that I did when I was 15.  The land is so lush and green and there are proper windy roads.  Our first stop of the day is Cannon Beach. Elissa planned a few places just for me.  This is the first and I’m excited to get there and get me some photos.   I know the beach and you do as well but being there is so much different.  I didn’t get a lot of time there because we had a lot to see but I captured the images that I wanted.

I could have stayed the day there and shot so many images.  I totally would have got on that island, it was so cool.  This was Avery’s first time going to a real beach and the Pacific Ocean.  She was so happy to get dirty in the sand and chase seagulls.  I had to go park the car so the girls got to play on the beach before I did.  When I found them I ran over to Avery and she started telling me about everything she saw.  I asked her if she wanted to put her feet in the water and you know she said yes.  I let her know that it was going to be cold but I’d be there with her.  We get up to the water line and her feet get a little wet.  Then the tide came up and she didn’t know it was going to do that and she LOVED it!!  We stood there a bit and just enjoyed the water.  I felt her start to shake and knew she was cold.  I go to pick her up and her shorts are wet.  I know that the water didn’t get that high so I figured the cold made her pee.  No biggie, we were having a blast and enjoying the sand.  I went and got my photos and then went and got the car.  We changed Avery right there and set off for our next stop, Astoria!  Goonies Forever!!

Off to find the Goonies’ house in Astoria and finally, cross into Washington.  Route 101 up is just stunning, trees for days!!  And it is making us ready to move or just not return to Texas.  It takes a while up going up Rt 101 but we’re in no rush.  We arrive and it’s like the picturesque harbor towns you see in the movies.  I’m guessing that’s why they filmed the Goonies’ here and War Games and several other movies.  We get into town and it’s time to eat and Elissa wants me to enjoy some fresh fish.  We dine and look around the pier and start looking for the house.  Emily warned us that she had heard the owners covered up parts of the house because they had so many visitors.  Well, we found that to be true.  We find the Jail and we find the house and it was covered up.  The next stop Cape Disappointment, no, not the house covered up.  An actually place called Cape Disappointment, which it doesn’t disappoint at all.  We cross into WA over a long bridge (which Elissa is terrified of) and make it into the park within a few minutes.  We pay to get into the park and the Ranger said that where we were going to is run by the Coast Gaurd and to be careful.  We park and find the trail and start hiking and almost get lost in this gorgeous forest.  Then we find the place we want to go and it is not for the faint of heart. You really need to a ladder to get down to the beach.  We make our way down just as the sun is setting and it is gorgeous.  It’s just a little cove with a small island in the middle of it.  The girls play as I start shooting as fast as I can before I lose the light.  I really wish we could stay for the sunset but it would be too hard to get back up.  We make our way up another route and it’s just as bad as the way down.  We rush to get back to the car because it’s starting to sprinkle a bit and do so just in time.  We had back into town and then head East to Mt St Helens to camp at our next KOA. We get there late, set up camp and then crash.  This night it was a bit better in the car because we knew how to set it up and be comfortable.  We pack up, get coffee into and head North to our next stop, Vashon Island where we’re going to stay in Teepees.  Avery has no clue we’re camping in them and we can’t wait till she sees them.

We go through Olympia and Tacoma and make it to the ferry about noon.  The ranch is on the North side of the island so we have to suffer through the long beautiful scenic drive for 15 minutes to find the place.  This area is so gorgeous!!

We arrive and find the caretakers and get all the details about the place and where we’re staying.  Apparently, we’re arriving at the end of their season and they are going to start getting things ready for winter.  Up there the colder weather starts about October so they have about 3-4 weeks to get it all done.  We unload, we’ll be part of only a handful of guest on the ranch.  AYH Ranch is kind of what we’d like to build in the future.  Very simple place and buried in a forest.  We go into town to look around and get a few supplies for the next two days.  We have Kellie meet us later at the ranch and then we go back into town to eat.  It’s great seeing Kellie and he tells us several spots we should visit.  We visit for a few hours and it’s time to head back to camp to have some fun.  We say our goodbyes and plan to meet in Seattle the next night to have some beers.  There is a burn ban going on, so we’re not able to build a big fire so we build a small one in the teepee so that we can make some smores for Avery.  We do alright until we put some wet wood on the fire and start smoking out the tent.  We clear it all up and get to bed because tomorrow we got to Seattle!

Everyone sleeps well on the beds that are provided and we even sleep in a bit.  We hop on the ferry and make it into Seattle, an hour later.  Have to wait around a lot here for the ferries and all the traffic.  We make it to Pikes Place and start exploring.  We’re winging it with a few places we’d liked to see dashed in.  I brought the wagon instead of the backpack for Avery since the backpack took up a lot of space.  We sample some foods, get some donuts and coffee and walk around.  It’s a really cool place and it isn’t really packed while we there.   We’ve done our walking up and down the large hills and the wagon is helped a lot.  It’s about time for lunch so we visit the Ferris Wheel and get a great view of the city.  I thought Avery would maybe not want to ride it but she was completely gung-ho about it and did really well.  We take a look around at the shops and buy a few things and Avery even gets to ride a carousel.  We have lunch and then head back to the island because we liked it better than the crazy city.  Let’s RELAX!  We really enjoy our time on the island and we only return to Seattle to pass through on our way home.  I wish I could have visited other spots there but it just felt like Dallas and Dallas ain’t nothing but headaches.

We get breakfast in the morning and start heading East to view the area we would like to buy property.  We make a few stops along the way and enjoy the scenic views, they are everything we’re looking for.  I’d love to see it in the winter, one day.  Elissa wants to take me to a specific National Park for a little road break.  East Washington is beautiful and I can’t wait till we live there.  We have lunch in a small dinner in Roslyn after visiting the city of Cle Elum.  Both of us enjoy the vibe of the town and could see us settling there.  The park is beautiful and we’re in a rush so we didn’t want to take up too much time because now we have to cover a lot of miles to get South quickly.  We do stop to take some photos and to visit a beautiful clear pond.  We get Avery out and let her throw some rocks in the river and even get her little feet wet.  We snap some photos and get back on the road.  The area is so beautiful and is exactly what we’re looking for, time to save the money and buy the land.

It’s a few hours till we get to the border of Idaho and we’re watching the fuel gauge because there aren’t a lot of stops.  We just about drain the tank before we find an old gas station amongst Vineyards and large swaths of Hops farms.  I can’t remember the last time I saw a pump like this one.  We fill up and make our way through the rolling hills of Idaho.  There are several wildfires in the area and the sky is full of smoke.  It makes for a very idyllic post-apocalyptic looking movie scene.  Our next overnight stay is in the middle of Utah.  Not too many miles spent in the corner of Idaho but the drive through Northen Utah seemed to drag on.  We calculated the miles and picked where we were getting gas next.  Not sure if we didn’t calculate correctly or someone added miles but we almost ran out of gas.  Elissa did everything she could hyper-mile the hell out of the car.  We were going to Goblin Valley Park which we had to pass to get to the gas station.  The sun was setting and it was getting dark already.  We were pretty much the only ones on the road and if we ran out of gas we would have been waiting a while for help.  We coasted as much as we could and then we arrived at a station!  From our last fill in Idaho still this stop we put 463 miles on a tank of 10.5 gallons.  Freaked out beyond our minds.  So thankful that we made it and happy to be back on the road.  We drive back 10 miles up the road we just came to the entrance of the park.  Then we drive 8 miles back the other direction in the park to the campsite.  If only there were a South entrance!.  We unload, made a little dinner and decided that we were going to sleep in the tent, the only night we do.  It was beautiful!!  It is designated an International Dark-Sky location.  So it was the most stars we’d seen on the trip.  I snapped a few photos but didn’t a lot of time to play because the girls were tired and ready to lay down.  I set up the tent and let them enjoy some time under the stars.

It is a beautiful the park, which I discovered when I woke before the sun rose.  It was quiet.  I mean dead quiet.  No one was up yet and it was so peaceful.  I grabbed my gear and started hiking around the area and snapping some photos.  I get about 2 hours to shoot and we had to start getting ready to go.  We pack up and head back into town where we got gas for breakfast.  We set off for our next must-see stop, Mine.  Monument Valley on the border of Arizona.  I wanted to go here because I saw someone else’s post on Instagram of Forrest Gump point.  We head South on 95 and the area of southern Utah is so gorgeous.  I wish I could stay there for weeks to capture the beauty of the state.  The road to the Point isn’t very straight and it has quite a few drops on it.  We’re going down the road and Elissa is navigating and notices the road ahead makes several Zig-zags and shows me.  I tell her to get ready for some very tight switchback roads but what I didn’t know was the conditions of the roads.  We come to a stopping place, the overlook.   It’s seriously a few thousand feet drop off on a gravel road, like the edge of the cliff kind of road.   Elissa isn’t excited about it and wants me to take my time and be careful.  We make our way down once we have a look at the overlook and all the beauty that lies below.  It’s slow going but we make it down without issue.  Back on the paved road and we have a few hundred miles till Monument Valley.  There isn’t a spot on the drive that you don’t get a beautiful view.  So many places I want to pull over and snap some photos.

We arrive at Monument Valley or Forrest Gump Point and there are already several cars stopped.  We find a place to park so that I can get out on the road and take some pictures.  It is a very picturesque spot.  Robert Zemeckis was wise to have this location in his film.  It shows what the land has gone through over thousands of years and what beauty lies below the surface.  With the long road to the Valley, you get the sense that it takes time to grow and become enlightened.  I’ll let the photos finish the story.

Next stop is Albuquerque.  Our last stop before home.  We’re at the end of our travel fever and are ready to be home.  The long trip down a road we’ve been down several times before, I-20.  We arrive in Dallas at about 9:30 pm and the odometer just rolls over 4900 miles when we’re about 10 miles from home.  I asked Elissa if she wants to go 50 miles out and back to make it a 5,000-mile trip.  She says Hell No!  We exit for home and are relieved that we survived and had a great time.  It was an amazing trip and we got to see so many beautiful parts of our nation.  We hope that Avery remembers some of it and not just the Motel 6 signs.