In the beginning…

It was an early start for the both of us. I was wide awake at 430am. (Thank you, jet lag.) And Matt found himself up at 530am but managed to force himself to stay in bed until 630a. I ran around like a crazy person trying to get everything done since I had just arrived back from a month long trip to Korea just the day before. We had SAID we were going to pack up and leave around 830am with full knowledge that it would be closer to 9am. We are great planners, he and I. *wink*
He arrived at my mom’s house a little after 9am. The car was SO full!! We had to do a little rearrangement to get my stuff to fit in as well. (Yes, I found it necessary to bring along five pairs of shoes. Don’t judge me. *embarrassed*) After a semi-traumatic incident where I found my first gray hair, Mom took our ‘before we leave on the trip photo’ and we were off…to the grocery store. *laughs*
There were some serious negotiations that took place in the aisles of QFC. It’s important to know whether or not pickles are a necessity. (They are.) We quickly stopped back at Mom’s on the way out of town to drop off a Mother’s Day bouquet, since I had been out of town when the even had occurred, and then we officially left town. Time of departure: 11am. *confused as to where all the time went…*
Our plan was to head down I-5 into Oregon and then cut over to the coast about mid-way. The drag between Seattle and Portland is one of Matt’s least favorites because he says that it’s just ugly. *laughs* It was along this stretch of highway on this fateful day that I came to the distressing conclusion that my precious Rock Bottom kiddie cup (that I had only acquired the night before with much hardship) had a SERIOUS breach in the vicinity of the straw that rendered it practically useless. *traumatized* I couldn’t just abandon it so the cup took its place in the front seat cup holder to be admired along the way.
About noon thirty or so, we were struck by hunger pangs. (They are a mighty force to be reckoned with. I won’t deny it. My stomach rules my life.) So we stopped by the river in Kalama to have a picnic. It was a gorgeous day and the sun was glittering off the water. Matt was in the process of unloading the lunch gear when I straight up FELL. *OH MY GOD, is this really happening?!?* (I know I talk about the fact that I fall a lot but the truth is, I DON’T fall a lot. I just come really close. To ACTUALLY fall, nearly on my face, was embarrassingly HORRIFYING.) I now have a bloody knee. Joy… At least Matt thought it was funny so it was good for something. *laughs*
On our way through Portland, we decided to hop off the highway for a quick stop at Powell’s Bookstore since Matt had never been there before. It is SUCH a cool place and a heck of a lot bigger inside than you would guess from the street. (Highly recommended to anyone who likes reading!!) We ran into a slight problem at the onset when we attempted to use the quarters in the quarter holder to pay for our parking. Apparently, if you know about my disastrous Orange Juice Incident, some orange juice had managed to drip onto the quarters and stick them together with a force akin to super glue. It was insane.
TO THE RESCUE! *drum roll please…* My Rock Bottom cup! We just poured in a little water, stuck in the quarters and paid for parking with the roll of quarters I had stashed elsewhere in the car. (For once, I was prepared. *pats self of back with a little difficulty*) The book store was awesome fun but then again, what book store isn’t. We grabbed a couple of reads and headed back out of the city. Or so we thought…
All of a sudden, Matt pointed out that the signs were giving mileage for Seattle. What the…? Oh. My. Goodness. We were going the wrong way!! *hysterical laughter* We actually crossed entirely back into Washington before being able to turn back and head in the right direction. Along the next part of the trip, Matt had great fun stomping on the brake just as I was trying to take a swig of water thereby creating a miniature tsunami that would either drench my clothing or splash my face. “ARGH!! You got it IN MY EYE!!” *looking like a half drowned something or other*
Newport, Oregon was our first view of the Oregon Coast and also where we decided to stop for dinner. After cruising around to view the dining selection, we decided on Quimby’s. (Kum-Yon’s Oriental Cuisine didn’t really tickle our fancy…) The pita bread and hummus was fantastic as was the bread. The dessert, vanilla ice cream with bananas that were smothered in a caramelized praline sauce, was super yummy! *drool* But the actual dinner itself was pretty darn second-rate.
The sunset as we left town was beautiful. Unfortunately, the camera didn't quite do justice to the pinks and yellows that painted the sky. Our first night was spent just a little ways out of town in South Beach State Park. They had yurts! We didn’t stay in one but they still had them. YURT!! (Say it. It’s fun. Trust me.) We set up camp and promptly fell unconscious.

Today’s Mileage: 335