Put your blog reading shoes back on...

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I imagine two initial reactions people may have upon finding out Mark and Liz created a new blog entry: "Finally! Those other blogs I've been reading are terribly unsatisfying" or "Ugh, I thought the west coast swallowed them whole." Truth is, the battery charger to my camera may as well have been swallowed by the Pacific. Instead it was forgotten (by me, oops!) during a stay with Liz's good friend Cassi. The charger is back and now so are the blogs.

Up until a week ago Liz and I were living in Harrisonville, MO which is about 30 miles south of the Kansas City. We are now officially into our own apartment in the city which we are extremely excited about. Once the apartment is set up we'll post a blog about the move including photos from what turned out to be an exciting day and of the finished product. For now though...

Immediately following our west coast tour we spent two and a half months living at the Lake of the Ozarks with Liz's mother, Vicki. I took the GMAT and applied to University of Missouri, Kansas City's MBA program. I was accepted and will be starting school a week from Monday. I have classes four nights a week during the fall semester and hope to have a job to keep me busy at least a few days a week. Both Liz and I jumped right into the job search when we arrived back in Missouri. I continue to struggle but Liz scored an interview several weeks ago and nailed it. She has now been working as an education specialist with ARMA for a little over a month and a half. When she started her job we moved in with Icenogle family friends, Ed and Nancy Long, and started searching for our own apartment. Less than a week into searching we found a place to live in the Hyde Park district of KC in a complex called Yankee Hill. The name is awful but the apartment is spectacular. We moved on August 6th, which was right after Liz and I were reunited.

Oh, yeah, Nicaragua. Liz spent several days there to see her friend, Molly, get married. Molly has been in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua for almost two years and is now married to a local guy named Lenin. Naturally, Liz was beyond excited about her trip, took some great photos and will be writing up a blog of her once the dust settles. The downside to the trip was that she and I would be apart for a full three weeks as she returned on the same day that I left for a two week trip home to Boston. Every year I go to Maine for a weekend with several friends from college for boating, horseshoes, strange "I dare you" type eating contests, and s'mores by the campfire. It was also my father's 60th birthday for which my brothers and I took him for a round of golf at the Country Club in Brookline. After two weeks full of reconnecting with old friends at new homes and, in one instance, with a new baby girl I returned to immediately prepare for the painting of our apartment as well as the move. Exciting times are ahead (new apartment, wedding prep, school, Liz's job, the kittens that have taken over Vicki's house, Royals games with my friend from college and recent addition to KC, and finding a bar to watch Pats games) and the blogs will continue but it's time for me take a look back at our departure from Jackson and trip along the west coast!!
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It was March in Jackson and it was time for Liz and I to leave. The snow was melting and it was starting to feel like spring. We would find out later that all the snow that didn't fall while we were there came down after we left. For better or worse, we were given a reprieve from a traditional Jackson winter. We probably missed out on some good skiing but also didn't have to put the snow chains on the tire as often.

The car was once again full. In fact, it was more full than when we arrived as we now carried ski gear with us. Go west to arrive east was the plan with our first destination being Portland, OR. Our decision to leave on St. Patrick's Day could have been a subconscious wish for good luck. I honestly didn't think about it then but looking back it's very possible that was the case. Portland would have been a monster drive from Jackson so our first pit stop came in Boise, ID. I used points to book a room at the local Hilton which would end up being the only time we'd stay in a hotel of that caliber. The rest of the trip was exclusively family, friends, and Travel Lodge. Liz and I went out for dinner in downtown Boise, taking in the holiday festivities. No green beer for us, just a Guinness please! I can't speak for Liz at this point but I remember being tired already and realizing what a long road we had ahead of us.

The road got more beautiful as we pulled out of Boise and pushed on into Oregon. Eventually the road met up with the Columbia River gorge and we took in the vistas of the beautiful valley. We made the always welcome detour to a local brewery, Full Sail at its Hood River location. It's a tiny brewery with a bar and deck overlooking the water. We were a few minutes late to the final tour of the day but they slipped us in and we were still able to walk away with a complimentary pint glass. During the winter, Liz's uncle had introduced me to one of Full Sail's products. Session, is a beer which gives the drinker the opportunity to play rock, paper, scissors with the the bottle cap. One, two, three, twist!

An hour later we were in Portland at the home of Ben, Meghan and Dottie (the dog) Cox. Meghan and Liz grew up together in Camdenton, MO. This was actually Liz's third visit to Portland in the past year, once including attending Ben and Meghan's wedding. This time it was all about eating great food, seeing the city, and experiencing the Pacific Northwest. The morning after some great barbecue Liz and I borrowed our hosts' bikes to take ourselves on a tour of Portland. Our first stop was Mount Tabor which gave us a pretty nice look out at downtown and the surrounding area. Inspired, we rode on to the heart of the city and found a spot along the water, next to a line of blooming Cherry Blossom trees, to enjoy our lunch. We then did a bit more touring, including a swing past the rows of food vendors, before starting the return trip.

The following day was Saturday, so free from work, Meghan and Ben decided to take us to the coast. We went on a short hike to the tip of Cape Lookout for what promised to be a beautiful view. It had been sunny and warm when we left Portland but the closer we got to the coast, the cooler and windier it got. The combination of steep cliffs, coastal vegetation and the ocean provided an outstanding scenery for the hike. However, the wind was blowing so hard that I could very nearly have leaned into it and been held up. Also, by the time we reached the tip the fog was so heavy that there was not much a view to enjoy. All that said, I'm glad we went and I think Liz was too - even though she had to work extra hard to keep the mud off her brand new sneakers! On our way back to the city we made a stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for free samples and ice cream.

Following our introduction to a couple more outstanding restaurants, it quickly became time to move on. We had made it all the way to the west coast and now it was time to go south. This was a part of the trip that Liz and I were excited about. The coastline of California, the famous highway 101, would lead us through varied topographies as we made our way to Los Angeles. First we moved SW from Portland toward the coast where we first picked up 101 shortly after crossing the border into California. Not long after our first view of the rocky coastline we were enveloped by the enormous trees of Redwood National Forest. We had to resist stopping at each turnout to capture the seemingly unlimited picturesque views. After passing through the forest we arrived back at the Pacific for quite some time and had planned to stay along the ocean. However, indecision about where to stay led to going further south and away from the coast. Highway 101 moved inland and we found ourselves realizing that our overnight options were becoming few and far between.

Decision time arrived and we pulled off the road to a town called Garberville which I can imagine survives thanks to straggling travelers such as ourselves. Hotel *cough*Motel*cough* options were limited but we priced them all out before deciding on one at the very end of the one mile strip that made up the city limits. We also inventoried the restaurant situation during our first pass through town and settled on Sicilito's Pizzeria. The restaurant was essentially decorated with a collection of license plates, oil signs and other memorabilia one might find on American Pickers. Liz and I were more than satisfied with the food even if the service left a little something to be desired. It was all about the experience, right?!?!

The next morning we continued on down the road making a quick side trip to see about driving Black Betty through a redwood tree. We followed several signs off the highway until finally we came to a booth where a woman requested a $5 entry fee. We declined and asked if we could turn around. She seemed completely unfazed as she directed to take our next right and it would lead us back out the way we came. Onward and downward along the coast we went to San Francisco. The extra driving we'd done the previous day bought us some time to stop in Sonoma Valley. We popped into a visitors bureau for a map of wineries and received free tasting coupons for our trouble. We enjoyed tastings at three vineyards before continuing into the city. One of my favorites parts of our trip was coming into San Fran across the Golden Gate Bridge. Liz captured what I thought was a neat image in the reflection of the side-view mirror.

Our host in SF was my cousin Michelle, whose job required her to work some unusual hours canvassing homes later in the day and returning to the office afterward. The night we arrived (and most others) she worked until 10PM so Liz and I entertained ourselves walking along the pier, up into the city and then back down to the water to find a restaurant for dinner. I had been to San Fran previously with my parents as a side trip from Monterey while visiting Dan at Pebble Beach. Liz visited in 1992, at the ripe age of nine, but there were certain spots she had no interest in, one being Alcatraz. Instead, her biggest aspiration was to find pearl earrings in Chinatown. She did. So if for no other reason our trip can be considered a success. She then promptly lost them after being in Missouri for a month.

After dinner we hopped in the car, filled to brim, and motored in the direction of Michelle's office. I had told her that we'd pick her up after work and she could direct us back to her apartment. On the way over Liz and I jokingly wondered who got to sit on whose lap. We managed to maneuver our belongings in such a way that Liz could sit in the back with only moderate discomfort. And fortunately it was a short drive! At the apartment we met Michelle's roommate Alexandra and chatted before succumbing to exhaustion. The next day Michelle took us on a tour of some lesser known attractions, including an Oakland cemetery with a great view of the city. For one reason or another Liz and I passed up the opportunity to get ice cream from the popular Fenton's Creamery which is only minutes from Michelle's apartment. I think that was a decision we both regret. Before long it was time for Michelle to leave for work and for the nomads to continue on their way. As a side note, Liz was excited because she realized Michelle lived only minutes away from her great aunt and uncles home in Piedmont, Ca that she remembered staying at as a child.

Our next official stop was in LA but we had hoped to visit Liz's family in Monterey. We picked up sandwiches prior to leaving San Francisco and Liz had high hopes of eating on the beach. However, the wind had other ideas. After deciding to pass on the beach concept we moved on to a nice spot on the side of the road looking out toward a lighthouse and the ocean. Serene. The family visit turned out to be a dud as there was some confusion about when we would be arriving. Our names did not appear on the requisite list granting access to their neighborhood- the well-known 17-mile drive that winds through Pacific Grove (monarch butterflies anyone) and Pebble Beach.. Alternatively we spent about an hour watching otters and sea lions goofing around near the aquarium. It would have been nice to stick around, possibly even eat along the water, but with the sun inching closer to the horizon we determined it was best to keep moving. As it turned out we left just in time. In time for what? Well, to see Big Sur of course!

Driving down the coast was an interesting experience. It was difficult not to look out in front to see what lay ahead but it was also very necessary to stay alert to each oncoming twist and turn. The sun was setting over our right shoulders so we made a couple stops at turnouts to capture the scene. The drive seemed to become more dramatic as the sun disappeared and darkness set in. We came upon a couple construction sites where only one lane was accessible due to rock slides. In these instances we had to sit at lights for up to five minutes waiting for one or two cars to pass from other direction. We had no plans to arrive in LA that night but we also didn't exactly have a destination in mind. We pushed on for as long as we could stand but by about 10PM we had decided that the next town of any significance would be our home for the evening. The Silver Surf Motel in San Simeon ended up being the lucky winner.

At this point we were barely a week into our journey and yet had traveled halfway down the coast of California. I'm exhausted just writing about it. More to come soon - we still need to visit LA, Arizona, Utah and Colorado before finally arriving back in Missouri.

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Photos

Cherry Blossoms
This row of cherry blossoms in Portland reminded Liz and I of Washington DC!

Artsy Flower Photo
There was lots of pretty vegetation in Oregon, including this flower I found along our hike on the coast.

Clovers for Luck
A patch of clovers in Oregon.

Wind Blown!
Not much of a view but we couldn't help but smile

First Stop at the Beach
Liz wanted to go to the beach badly...unfortunately the weather at our first stop along the coast in CA was not particularly warm or sunny.

Scale
This photo provides a scale for just how big some of these trees in Redwood National really were.

Approaching the Golden Gate Bridge
I was really excited about driving over the bridge and this was our first view of it.

View of the Cities
Oakland and San Fran from up high.

More Beautiful Coastline
We could have stopped at a hundred or more turnouts for one amazing view after another.

Wildflowers
A small field of wildflowers sat on the other side of Liz and I as we ate lunch along the coast in CA.