HERE WE GO!

We're off to Washington!
May 29 to June 2, 2008

We left on May 29th...with the truck loaded and the trail full of very expensive appliance that we were delivering to Neskowin, Oregon on our way to Everett, Washington to pick up our second angel! We didn't leave as early as we wanted so instead of making it to Reno, we made it to ELKO, Nevada! We stayed at Comfort Inn...and it was VERY comfortable...probably the most comfortable stay we had on the whole trip as far as the hotel situaiton was concerned!

On May 30th, we got up. We had waffles, bagels and juice at the hotel. We loved those complimentary breakfasts! We drove most of the day. We stopped in Reno to play in the park and have lunch. I am so grateful for technology! Breoni was an absolute doll. She got all cozy in her seat and watched her videos! BUT...towards the end of the day, she started getting pretty fussy, so I had her sit on my lap...and, well, she got sick. She threw up all over me...literally. I ended up taking all her clothes off and wrapping her in the extra blanket we had. I, however, wasn't as lucky. It's just my luck that we were in 'the middle of no where'. I ended up having to 'sit' (granted I did take my shirt off, and pile all the 'yucky stuff' UNDER the other extra blanket) in the mess for quite a while. We finally found a place (Indian Creek) to stay that had LAUNDRY service! I took a shower and gave Breoni a bath and then did some laundry. Breoni and Jerry were both excited to meet the inn mascot!

On the 31st, we got up at the quaint little inn (no breakfast here) and loaded up. It didn't take long before I was feeling pretty car sick. We were on this narrow, winding road that looked over into a deep ravine. I finally had to ask Jerry to stop. We ended up sitting at a pull out area for close to an hour before I started feeling good again. I really hate the fact that I am prone to car sickness! We made it to the California coast! It was pretty chilly, but we just had to go play in the sand for a bit. Breoni just would not put her bare feet in the sand (something we are going to have to cure her of before we go to Hawaii again!). The ocean was VERY cold, so we didn't spend too much (if any) time splashing around in the water. We had a wonderful time. I love the smell of the ocean...and the wind was refreshing.

Our 'load' was doing well (luckily!) We travelled a bit more and made it to REDWOOD NATIONAL FOREST. The slug...it's called a BANANA slug...and it is literally as long as a banana. It smelled absolutely heavenly in the forest. We had a great time looking for 4-leaf-clovers and walking sticks. We saw lots of interesting bugs, insects, and snails. The trees were incredible.

We decided that when the girls are older, we will have to dedicate a trip to the Redwoods. There was so much to see (south of where we entered) and so little time! We drove a bit longer than we originally planned...because Breoni was sleeping soundly. We stayed in a motel in Port Orford. We ate dinner at the only restaurant that was open at 8:00. And, Breoni walked and walked around the parking lot pushing her bus. We also went up and down the stairs 'hundreds' (I'm sure I'm exaggerating, but it felt that way) of times.

June 1st...Thanks to the booklet in the motel, we found out about a wonderful 'petting' zoo that was on the coast. We literally got to pet so many animals.... baby panthers were my favorite. The peacocks were incredible. We had a great time mimicking a gorilla (who played right back with us!). Curious that we don't have a picture of the gorilla. Guess we were having too much fun to take a picture. And, we don't have pictures of all the amazing 'big kitties' either. We must have been in awe!

We also stopped at the Sea Lion Caves.

Wow! The smell from all those sea lions was powerful! We went down several hundred feet in an elevator which took us right into the cave where the sea lions seek shelter. It was a very fun... animal filled day. We arrived in Neskowin in the mid-afternoon. Kent's house is literally ON the coast. The driveway was the steepest thing ever! I was beyond petrified as Jerry backed the truck (and trailer) down the slope and parked in the middle to unload the appliances, which basically 'slid' off the trailer with little or no effort. At the bottom of the driveway, was a multi-million dollar home. Can you imagine what would have happened if the 'rocks' bracing the trailer (and the emergency brake) wouldn't have worked? I was having a hard time remaining calm during the unloading process! Kent's home is going to be gorgeous. The engineering is amazing! He truly is making his dream come true! I'm just a bit envious...of the making your dream come true part... not really about the home ON the coast. Kent graciously invited us to stay with him...and treated us to dinner!

June 2nd... we decided to detour away from the coast (we'd had enought of the slow and curvy roads) back onto I-5. We still had a fair amount of driving to do to get to the McMullin's. We missed the 'perfect' ferry. We ended up having to wait almost 90 minutes for the ferry. We were excited to finally get to Washington! We were all ready to get out of the car for a while. The McMullin's home is beautiful. It is located on Vashon island. Between them and their daughter, they own about 8 acres of forest. Their home is incredibly 'kid' friendly. We feel so blessed to have been able to stay with them. Thanks to Phil, Joy and Rebecca (and her family!)!