theboyandthegirl

We heard so many stories, so many opinions, so many people who said, "You HAVE to go to Asheville!" When Allen asked me a week ago if I wanted to go on a road trip, I didn't hesitate. At that moment, our getaway became what we have called a "Yes Trip." Anything that comes our way, we have vowed to greet with open arms. Having left our puppy, Misma, in the warm and loving care of Guille and Cris, we set off on our adventure. During the beautiful four hour drive, Allen connected his phone to Wikipedia and we revived an old tradition from our touring days. We took some time to read up on our new destination and learn as much as we could to help us provide context for the world we were about ... read more

As Marce learned this morning, allergies have a funny way of turning into colds. While Marce slept in to recover as quickly as possible, Allen discussed several of his business ideas with Diego. It seems that Diego has saved his piece de resistance - homemade pancakes with real maple syrup! Tara, always the gracious host, steeped a warm cup of Gypsy's Cold Remedy tea for Marce and alleviated Marce's doubts by explaining that both she and Zoe had just gotten over a mild cold days before. What originally was scheduled to be an early morning departure, quickly turned into an early afternoon while Marce napped and Allen finished packing our things. Minutes after leaving the Davila home, we found ourselves on a green steel bridge crossing the Columbia River. We were surrounded by signs thanking us ... read more

We woke up this morning in the Presidential Canopy Suite of Portland's White House. After receiving several birthday calls from friends and family, The Boy (and The Girl) went downstairs for a delicious birthday breakfast. Over French toast and bacon, we enjoyed the company of our fellow inn patrons. Across the table, sat a couple from Seattle, Matt and Amy, who were spending a few days in Portland on vacation. We told them about our West Coast Adventure and smiled as we discovered that Matt works at Adobe Macromedia in Seattle in the Sales and Support department. He explained that Adobe Macromedia was undergoing several exciting changes following their recent merger, and was hiring in many departments. We still do not know where our path will take us, but in honor of our West Coast Synchronicities, ... read more

This morning Allen was reluctant to leave the warm sheets behind, but after much persistence and the promise of tree-hugging in his immediate future, he braved the cold shower and followed Marce in her quest for breakfast. We paid a brief visit to the motel lobby and found Nick, dressed in a towel, blessing the lobby area with Champa incense. We gathered our blessing-sprinkled continental breakfast and continued our drive to the town of Legget on Pacific Coast Highway 1. The Pacific Coast Highway, now more often called The Redwood Highway, meanders through spectacular vistas, following the turbulent Eel River and cutting through towering Redwood Forests. Our first close-up encounter with the tallest living beings on earth happened at the World Famous “Drive-thru” Redwood Tree in Legget. There we drove Aveo, our trusty steed, through the ... read more

We awoke at Hotel La Rose to a wonderful continental breakfast. Scones and granola and OJ, Oh My! With a full tummy and a Christmas Eve smile, we climbed up the Hotel La Rose grand staircase to our room. Once we got there, Allen noticed some movement by the windowsill... upon further inspection, we discovered an entire family living in the room with us... Ladybugs! All over the place! Did you know that ladybugs cuddle at night when they sleep? Against our better sense, we went to the Santa Rosa mall on Christmas Eve. But much to our surprise, it was actually quite pleasant! The people were friendly and Marce even got an early Christmas present - waterproof boots! We walked back to the hotel where we learned a little bit more about the place. Hotel ... read more