Road Trip: Eugene to the Redwoods

  Date       Stop   Odometer    Location                                        Time

6/14/2013	0	208891	Eugene, OR	9:00 AM
6/14/2013	1	209036	Drain, OR	9:36 AM
6/14/2013	2	209130	Bullards Beach State Park, OR	1:34 PM
6/14/2013	3	209160	Port Orford, OR	2:25 PM
6/14/2013	4	209253	Florence Keller C.P., CA	5:30 PM

From Cory's travel journal (revised)

6/14/13

On our way to Redwood today. Our hosts made us a great breakfast while we packed the car.  We got on the road about 9AM.  We had a map snafu when I misread the road names on our way out of town.  We first got on the wrong road, then were on the correct road going the wrong way.  We ended up (finally) on I-5 on our way South.  The only change this made to our route was that we would meet the 101 (Pacific Coast Highway) in Reedsport instead of Florence, no big.  We stopped for coffee in Drain, OR on our way over to the coast.

1:34PM- Just leaving Bullards Beach SP in Oregon near Bandon.  We had a great lunch that we purchased at Safeway in Reedsport, 50% off day-old sandwiches!  We ate on a windswept Pacific beach behind a pile of driftwood that made for an ad hoc windbreak.  After eating, we walked to the COLD surf and got our feet we (and numb.)  

We continued to the historic lighthouse on the park lands.  It was open to visitors.  We walked the steps to the lighthouse top and got the interpretive tour from a nice local park volunteer.  We walked around the tide pools on the rocks, took some pictures, and got back on the road.

8:15PM- Back at the campsite at Florence Keller County Park in CA.  We arrived at the Redwood info station and found out a few important things.  One was that most of the campsites and the State and National Park were taken.  The ones remaining cost $35!  We chose the local county park.  $15 a night, baby!  We're still in a redwood grove.  These trees aren't QUITE as large because this forest is a little younger than the big boys.  

On our way out of town, we wanted a drink so we stopped at BK and waited in the LONGEST drive-thru line in California History...or maybe we were just tired.  Once we were set up at the campsite we took a scenic drive through some old growth Redwoods at the Jedediah Smith State Park.  We were on a gravel road through the park called Howland Hill Road.  We took a bunch of photos of the huge trees and some banana slugs (awesome!)  Now we are back at the campsite after our scenic drive and a nice short stroll on an easy trail.  Tomorrow we head South!

More photos below.

Road Trip: Rest day in Eugene

From Cory's travel journal (revised)

6/12/13

Rest day at J&J’s place.  We were slow moving in the morning, so those who had to work went to work in a cold rain while the rest of us took it easy and felt guilty for it J  We watched a Louis C.K. comedy special followed by the latest comedy special of Aziz Ansari.  We worked on some blog posts (you’re welcome) and did all of our laundry from the first week on the road.  We went out to lunch with the poor devil who had to work after our night at Shuryuken League.  Upon arriving back home, we finished laundry while watching episode after episode of Kitchen Nightmares.  Netflix does funny things to people. 

Our hosts were making Pad Thai for supper, which requires some prep work.  Once the prep was finished, we learned a new game, Dominion.  This is a deck-building card game of strategy, wit, and those moments when you feel fully capable of physical violence against loved ones.  We played a short game before supper, and another after we ate delicious Pad Thai.

After dinner and games, we were craving some dessert.  We got some tasty ice cream, did some blender experimentation with the contents of some mysterious glass bottles, watched some Parks and Recreation (Netflix!) and went to bed.

Sorry there are no photos from this day.  We were tired!  Good thing we got all that rest this day, because the trip gets more exciting from here.

Road Trip: First full day in Eugene

From Cory’s Travel Journal (revised)

6/12/13

Retro logging out days in Eugene.  On our first full day, we got up and got ready for the big bike ride.  The night before, we had been up watching a movie, and I had fallen asleep.  It’s difficult to stay awake even for a great movie with the pace we have been keeping…

Gettin' Croaked: Frog takes a brewery tour

Frog (not us!) took a cycling brewing tour of Eugene and Springfield, OR.  He (not us!) rode a bicycle to all these breweries and sampled the local flavors.  Below is his (not our!) photo essay from the day.

Oakshire Brewing Co.

Ninkasi Brewing Co.

Falling Sky Brewing

Hop Valley

Plank Town Brewing Co.

An unshaven stranger helping Frog with a drink.

Rogue Brewing with our Bingo cards

First National Taphouse, home of the beers priced by demand.
Beers are listed on a big stock ticker with current price
and its recent price trend.

That's it for that (ribbit) night.  Keep reading for more stories!

Road Trip: Spokane Valley to Eugene

  Date        Stop   Odometer   Location                                          Time

6/11/2013	0	208541	Spokane Valley, WA	9:40 AM
6/11/2013	1	208593	Sprague, WA	10:36 AM
6/11/2013	2	208688	Kennewick, WA	12:25 PM
6/11/2013	3	208711	Oregon Welcome Center	12:55 PM
6/11/2013	4	208735	C&D Drive In- Boardman, OR	1:21 PM
6/11/2013	5	208865	Multnomah Falls, OR	5:07 PM
6/11/2013	6	208875	Portland, OR	5:27 PM
6/11/2013	7	208991	Eugene, OR	7:30 PM

Total trip miles: 2353

We made it to Oregon.  Follow the jump for travel notes and photos.

Road Trip: Heading out of Glacier

Leaving Glacier National Park after a scenic drive through the park.  Heading to visit family in Spokane Valley, WA.

 Date       Stop    Odometer   Location                                        Time

6/10/2013	0	208094	Glacier National Park	9:05 AM
6/10/2013	1	208153	St. Mary- GNP	12:21 PM
6/10/2013	2	208272	Lakeside, MT	3:42 PM
6/10/2013	3	208412	Superior, MT	6:15 PM
6/10/2013	4		Kellogg, ID
6/10/2013	5	208541	Spokane Valley, WA	7:30 PM

Leaving Glacier National Park.  We are hoping to see the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road through the park. Follow the jump for the journal entry and more Glacial photos!

Road Trip: Big Day at Glacier

From Cory's travel journal (revised)

Sunday, 6/9/13

7:39AM Mountain Time- We are getting ready for breakfast in what is surely the coolest place on earth.  We are surrounded by snow-dotted mountains on all sides and are set up in sight of deep, blue, glacial Two Medicine Lake.  The lake is fed by snowmelt which can be seen cascading down the mountainsides and into streams in the valleys below. 

View from the campsite

Making oatmeal in the charcoal chimney stove

Great breakfast after a 30 degree night in a tent

One of the trail heads

Follow the break for the rest of the entry and many more photos.

Road Trip: Traveling to Glacier

Travel day two:  Theodore Roosevelt National Park to Glacier National Park

Date       Stop   Odometer    Location                                        Time

6/8/2013	0	207545	TRNP	8:30 AM
6/8/2013	1	207577	Montana Welcome Center	9:08 AM
6/8/2013	2	207649	Circle, MT
6/8/2013	3	207698	Wolf Point, MT	11:45 AM
6/8/2013	4	207758	Rest stop, Glasgow MT	1:05 PM
6/8/2013	5	207892	Havre, MT	3:30 PM
6/8/2013	6	208067	Glacier National Park	7:00 PM

Follow the jump for the journal entry of our travel day and photos.

Road Trip: Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Day one on the road.  Sioux City, Iowa to Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP)

   Date      Stop  Odometer    Location                                          Time

6/6/2013	0	206638	Coralville, IA	12:30 PM
6/6/2013	1	206707	Flying J Waterloo, IA	1:55 PM
6/6/2013	2	206784	Webster City, IA	3:27 PM
6/6/2013	3	206849	Early, IA	4:45 PM
6/6/2013	4	206900	Lawton, IA
6/6/2013	5	206913	Sioux City, IA	6:30 PM

Follow the jump for the day's journal entry and lots of photos!

Road Trip: Leaving Home

Day zero on the road: Coralville, IA to Sioux City, IA.

Maybe you saw the post about packing the car.  If so, check out the photo of the fully packed vehicle.  Please note the happy passenger with the huge guitar in his lap.  That was quite literally the only way we could get everything we needed out of the house.  Please note that not everything you see in the car is going on the long road trip.  The first leg of the trip (we'll call it day zero) was taking our road trip equipment and our Ireland bags out to the house.  We had to drive about six hours with this fully packed thing...

With the way we had it packed, Sara was the only one who could drive.  The driver's seat could not move back to accommodate the longer legs of Cory.  The little engine that could was really chugging getting up to speed, and we had to stop a little bit more than a normal Sioux City trip.  Below is a revised entry from our personal travel journal.

Date        Stop    Odometer   Location                                       Time

6/6/2013	0	206638	Coralville, IA	12:30 PM
6/6/2013	1	206707	Flying J Waterloo, IA	1:55 PM
6/6/2013	2	206784	Webster City, IA	3:27 PM
6/6/2013	3	206849	Early, IA	4:45 PM
6/6/2013	4	206900	Lawton, IA
6/6/2013	5	206913	Sioux City, IA	6:30 PM

AmericInn Coralville 10:22AM

Watching The Price is Right and waiting for checkout time.  We are killing time here as long as we can.  Closing on the house is scheduled for 11AM, so we are just waiting for the word that it is final.

We got the last of our stuff loaded into the car and took a nice walk to kill some time.  We even found a nice shortcut between two roads we used a lot, and on the last day in town!

Coralville Public Library 11:55AM

It's official!  The house is sold.  Our Realtor called and confirmed a minute ago.  We were sitting in the library waiting for the call.  Boy did it feel good!  Before she called, I checked out a few new books on me Kindle.  We got the car loaded much more comfortable for this fide.  Now I just have the guitar sitting on my chest with no bulky computer bag or plastics tubs of food pressing on me.  I guess when we leave the bank today, we will officially be on our road trip.  We hope the new owners will enjoy the trip as much as we did.

Early, IA 4:45PM

Just stretching.  My chin hurts from the guitar bumping it all afternoon.  It feels good to stretch out in the grass by the gas station. 

Early was the last entry in the journal that day, but rest assured we made it safely to our destination and got the car repacked, just with road trip supplies this time.  Lots of miles and lots of smiles to come.