Road Trip (aka Moving) 2014

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I have been wanting to start writing our blog again but I just hadn't sat down to do it. Not because I haven't had time, internet access, lack of travels or any other reason/excuse to write but today that is coming to an end. I have lots of blogs to catch up on since June 2013 and realize this is no simple task but one that I am willing to tackle. So much has changed in our lives and I realize that I haven't written since becoming pregnant in July 2013. For those of you who follow our blog this is new and exciting news, but for our friends and family that have seen Bennett, our son, grow up on FB or even had the pleasure of meeting him in person.

A quick recap of why we ventured on this Road Trip/Moving Trip from Anaheim, CA to Portland, OR. We lived in a larger one bedroom apartment next to Angels Stadium in Anaheim, CA. While it was amazing with so many amenities it was a pretty penny or should I say dollar(s)? Our son was born April 2, 2014 and our lease expired on July 31, 2014 so we knew we would be moving either to a larger place in Orange County or back to Portland, OR to save money and live with family. So we gave notice June 1st and wondered where the cards would land. Three weeks before our lease expired we decided on the later as Pete has started a new business venture with his partners, who live in Oregon also, and we wanted our son to have time with family.

We have moved many of times in our 8 years together; I counted up 13 addresses I have had since meeting Pete in May 2006. Let alone all the adventures we have packed up for. But this move was like no other; having an almost 4 month old to take care of while packing up, moving and unpacking once arriving in OR added a whole other type of busy. I hope you enjoy our blog about our Longest Family Road trip to date (had a few smaller ones that I will catch up on soon).




Day 1 (July 30th) - Anaheim to San Luis Obispo, CA

Pitstops: Brian & Erica Winter's home to say goodbye & hook up our trailer we parked at their house, Santa Barbara to visit UCSB, Santa Maria for gas, Arroyo Grande to have dinner with Pete's cousin, her husband and 3.5 yr old son & San Luis Obispo (SLO) to experience Madonna Inn

Stayed: Madonna Inn , 110 room hotel with each room having an individual theme

Highlights/Memorable Moments: 108 degrees while driving through San Fernando Valley, Having dinner with Family, staying at Madonna Inn and enjoying their beach entry pool

Miles Driven/Time Spent Driving: 251 miles/5 hrs

Total Miles Driven on Trip/Total Time Spent Driving: 251 miles/5 hrs



Day 2 (July 31st) - San Luis Obispo to Marina, CA

Pitstops: none as it was a short driving day and Bennett mostly napped

Stayed: Howard Johnson Marina at Monterey Bay (highest reviews on Trip Advisor & Wyndham Rewards Hotel)

Highlights/Memorable Moments: warm delicious cookies upon arrival at HoJo, Bennett's explosion which ended up all of my arm as it pulled him out of the carseat and didn't realize what had happened and going to dinner & wandering around in Monterrey, amazing service by our waiter at Turn12 Bar & Grill

Miles Driven/Time Spent Driving: 132 miles/2 hrs 20 mins

Total Miles Driven on Trip/Time Spent Driving: 382miles/7 hrs 20 mins



Day 3 (Aug 1st-3rd) - Marina to Sonoma, CA

Pitstops: Lighthouse along Pacific Coast Hwy, Sausalito,

Stayed: Hughes Family for 2 nights

Highlights/Memorable Moments: driving along Pacific Coast Hwy (CA 1) from Marina to Golden Gate Bridge, stuck in Friday traffic on CA 37 (where7 miles=1 hr), Bennett meeting the Hughes & Smith family for the 1st time,

Miles Driven/Time Spent Driving: 148 miles (mostly 2 lane road along the coast & through San Fran on a Friday)/6 hrs 30 mins

Total Miles Driven on Trip/Time Spent Driving: 531 miles/13 hrs 50 mins




Day 4 (Aug 2nd) - Sonoma to San Fran, CA Paul's Rugby Match

Highlights/Memorable Moments: Bennett turned 4 months old, Our family all witnessed our 1st Rugby match and Paul's team beat the other 2 teams, rode across the New Bay Bridge, went to Treasure Island for the 1st time (The Walking Dead could be filmed there/very eerie)



Day 5 (Aug 3rd) - Sonoma to Yreka, CA

Pitstops: Winters, Red Bluff for dinner & gas, Redding, I5 Rest Stop near Shasta

Stayed: Super 8 (Wyndham Rewards hotel and much cheaper than Ashland, OR)

Highlights/Memorable Moments: Bennett was over riding in the car as we stopped 4 times for Mommy to comfort or feed him, seeing all the fireman and fire trucks along the way as Nor Cal was having bad wildfires that started 2 days prior to our drive mostly from lightening strikes, smelled the wildfire smoke about 5 miles outside of Yreka, hotel parking lot was LOADED with Cal Fire trucks and vehicles, ash on our vehicles as we pulled out in the morning

Miles Driven/Time Spent Driving: 283 miles/7 hrs

Total Miles Driven on Trip/Time Spent Driving: 814 miles/20 hrs 50 mins



Day 6 (Aug 4th) - Yreka, CA to Portland, OR

Pitstops: Ashland, OR for gas, Roseburg for lunch, Eugene for University of Oregon visit

Stayed: Our New Home aka My Mother in Law's home

Highlights/Memorable Moments: Crossing the OR state line as Bennett's 6th state visited in 4 months of life, pictures at Autzen Stadium Home of the Oregon Ducks Football team, visiting the Ducks Store and pulling into our final destination (Gigi was so happy to see us, mostly Bennett). Bennett was great traveling today as I was a little nervous/scared as the night before he wasn't too happy.

Miles Driven/Time Spent Driving: 323 miles/5 hrs 40 mins

Total Miles Driven on Trip/Time Spent Driving: 1137 miles/26 hrs 30 mins



As you can see it took us quite a long time of driving as we had the Escape pulling a 5x10 foot trailer averaging around 60 MPH and I followed in the Optima Hybrid, which averaged 42.5 MPG fully loaded. I was the only one who rode in the car and I couldn't even use the arm rest due to items taking up the space. My husband drove the Escape with Bennett in the back seat surrounded by soft items but only to the bottom of his car seat so nothing would fly onto him during stops.



Today, we have been in Oregon for 2 weeks as we arrived around 6pm on Monday, August 4th. We are completely unpacked but need to put our art on the walls and feel like we are starting to get into our new routine. My husband started working the very next day after arriving and we are grateful he works from home so he can see Bennett throughout the day. Once the contracts start to roll in we are unsure where his work will take him. But if it is over an extended period of time Bennett & I will be tagging along and keeping our home base here in Portland.



We have a busy month coming upon us as my Sister in Law is getting married in less than 2.5 weeks, Bennett will be Baptized that same weekend which my parents and sister will fly to Portland to attend both events and we will fly to IL for Caitlin & Sam's wedding. Keep in touch and keep following our blog as many updates are due.

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