Today we left Corvallis and Oregon for good (until we go back to visit). We started out the day fairly well by getting the oil changed in the car 2 hours before we had scheduled it since the person who had the 8 AM slot didn’t show up on time. Yesterday we had spent some time downtown visiting a couple of places, most notably the Book Bin where we bought more books (because we can’t resist), including an Essentials of Geology textbook for $15 so I can learn more things about rocks, so we just grabbed a bit of breakfast at New Morning Bakery (for those of you in Corvallis, go there and get their hazelnut pancakes with Marionberry syrup, it’s soooooooo good) while the car was worked on and meandered back through downtown Corvallis one last time.
Tag: Driving
Days 15-17 – A Break to Reality
We’re finishing up a break from the road trip in Corvallis. We returned to the routine of having errands to do.
We left the motel in Newport (advice, don’t stay there), and went on a quest to find breakfast. We went to a nice, but busy, café on the bayfront called The Coffee House. The food was good (they said they have great corned beef hash, and I’ll say it was good, but not the best I’ve had). We left the coast and headed inland, playing “get around the RV’s” all the way to Corvallis.
In Corvallis, we met up with some of Lara’s friends, I got to do some work, we scheduled an oil change for Wednesday morning, updated the blog, and relaxed a bit. While I only still know a few people in Corvallis, they were all busy, so we couldn’t meet up.
Tomorrow: leave once the oil’s changed; hit the coast; drive south, out of Oregon; and camp in Redwoods National Park.
Day 14 – Cape Disappointment
Today had promise, but fell apart. We woke up to a massive rain storm, in a rainforest – whodathunkit? We packed up the stuff inside the tent, and then dismantled the tent under the rainfly to try to stay as dry as possible.
Day 14 – The Crankiest Day Yet
It has rained, on and off, all day. Normally I wouldn’t mind so much, but the car is full and it’s practically impossible to keep wet and dry separate. Continue reading “Day 14 – The Crankiest Day Yet”
Day 13 – Mountains, Ocean, and Rain Forest
After the amazing moonlit silhouettes of the Olympic range last night, the views did not disappoint from Deer Park. We got a pretty good start on the day, although we missed sunrise (which may not have been all that great since it was overcast). We each had a KIND bar for breakfast and struck the tent after checking out the view and then headed up to Blue Mountain summit. Continue reading “Day 13 – Mountains, Ocean, and Rain Forest”
Day 12 – Burned Out on Beauty
We got a late start to the day. We had planned on that. I had to do some work, so that ate time. Also, we applied heat to my knee last night, and that only made it worse. I woke up at 2AM with pain and swelling. The swelling persisted most of the day.
Day 12 – Mount Rainier
Well, Robert had a work phone call this morning, so it was another late start, but the bed was nice at the Cedars Inn. We got some coffee and breakfast sandwiches from the little coffee hut next to the inn and pondered our route for the day. Originally, we had planned on camping at Mowich Lake and hiking up to Spray Park, but with Robert’s knee slightly worse (we heated when we should have iced) and some info from a local, we decided that we would drive around Rainier and maybe camp on the south side of the park. Continue reading “Day 12 – Mount Rainier”
Day 11 – A Less Windy Pass
The Cascade Pass hike was very pretty (and a lot less terrifying than Red Gap). Just the view from the parking lot was amazing, and it got even better. Pretty meadows and glaciers and jagged peaks surrounding us all the way up. It was the most enjoyable hike so far on this trip since we didn’t have full packs, just water, snacks, and an extra layer of cloths on our backs and we flew up the trail! Continue reading “Day 11 – A Less Windy Pass”
Day 11 – Back on the Trail
We felt rested enough today that we went on a simple hike. The 7.4 mile round-trip hike to Cascade Pass was relatively easy.
Day 10 – A Quick Trip Through Reality and Beauty
Today was a day of immense beauty and a reminder that, despite the remoteness we can occasionally feel on this trip, the world keeps on going.
We woke up late in Okanogan. We really needed the rest after the backpacking in Glacier. My injuries felt a lot better. Even my face has begun to return to it’s usual appearance. We loaded up the car and decided to grab a hot meal before leaving. Continue reading “Day 10 – A Quick Trip Through Reality and Beauty”