The last week of July my family and I took off down the coast in search of sand and surf (and maybe a little surf n' turf!). It was one to put in our memory books, that's for sure. We got the ball rolling with a speeding ticket (I guess we really did want to get away from home - and fast!) in Lynden, Washington which is only 15 minutes from our front door. The ticket tucked nicely into the glove compartment, we got on our way.
We had expected to stay the first night in Tumwater, Washington which is just outside of Olympia, but due to all kinds of sports events and (I'm assuming) tournaments all the hotels in the town were full. We shrugged our shoulders and said, 'The more hours we put in the closer we'll be to our final destination' and, gung-ho to be away from home and a good ways closer to the scenic views of Lincoln City, we hopped back in to the car and on to the southbound side of the freeway. An hour later (give or take) we were in Kelso which is about an hour South of the Washington/Oregon border. By this time it was midnight and we had been driving for at least 12 hours. We were dog-tired. We pulled up to a Red Lion and I hopped out to see if they had a room for us. Thankfully they did. That night we all collapsed into bed - and what a bed it was! They had just undergone renovations and had those new beds with the 'pillow top' on them. It was like sleeping on a cushy cloud. I had such a great sleep that night that I wasn't a bit tired the next day, which is unusual for me.
So, Saturday came and we all rolled back into the car and on to the freeway. A half hour later I realized that the hold button on my iPod hadn't been clicked on and the battery had drained. Off the freeway and in to the Fred Meyer parking lot. I ran in and found a cute little handbag (pictures to follow!) which I ended up getting for $10!! I also picked up an iPod car charger and a white set of ear buds (I've been using my original 'buds (which are black) for years and wanted to finally get something that would match my 'Pod). On the road again! We kept driving until we hit Lincoln City, Oregon. It was about 4pm at that time and we began to hunt for a hotel. Unfortunately, there were unusual amounts of weddings happening and every hotel was booked. Again! We had dinner at a small seafood place and mulled over what to do, finally deciding that heading a bit farther South wouldn't be so bad. In the car we hopped, yet again. On to the freeway and down to Eugene where we found another Red Lion to check in to. That night we swore if nothing else, we'd stay 2 nights so we wouldn't feel as rushed as we had the previous nights.
I was in my glory - a couple days before we left on the vacation I had bought myself a Nintendo DS Lite and over the many hours of driving had become quite addicted to it. Plus, we were staying at Red Lion every night and those beds were absolutely dreamy! They also had really yummy smelling soap from Bath & Body Works (Coconut, Lime, Verbiena; and Vanilla Sugar) to keep me happy.
Sunday was spent shopping at Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc I brought home a weekender/overnight bag in a gorgeous powder blue color, some cute little jewelry and some games for the DS. Dad picked up a portable DVD for the ride home and also for his long flights to Toronto which are becoming more frequent. Mom picked up a stunning cookie jar that looks more like a Royal Doulton figurine, and some jewelry Dad bought for her. We were all quite happy with our goodies.
Monday came around all too quickly and we got back on the road, this time heading North. We stopped in Kelso again and stayed at the same Red Lion for the next couple days. Dad wanted to get some sun and Mom and I ended up watching movies in bed. It was a relaxing couple days, we just veg'ed on the beds and sipped Shari's Milkshakes.
Before we checked out on Wednesday I stopped by their little Tully's Coffee bar (which I had missed by a half hour the day before) and ordered one of their specials they called a Bananoffee latte. Equal parts banana syrup to caramel in a latte - I think I actually heard the angels sing! Of course I had to order one for the road. ,o)
We stopped in to a Shari's to grab something to munch before hitting the road. While there we spoke of all the sights we still wanted to see and how little time we had left. Originally we wanted to stop in Seattle and check out all the sights there, as well as check out Anecortes, Friday Harbor, and La Conner but honestly we didn't have time for everything. It was agreed that we would make Seattle a trip on it's own, and island hopping through Anecortes, Friday Harbor, and La Conner a trip on it's own as well and just head home. By this time I was really missing my babies, Peanut and Sophie, so I was all for it.
We arrived home at about 9pm and was surprised to see the kitties actually interested in us. Tinkerbell, our last pussy cat, would give us the silent treatment for a few days before relinquishing and giving in to rubs and tickles. Peanut and Sophie on the other hand were quite happy to see us and loved getting some tickles and pats. Hell, Peanut even climbed on me and cuddled down for a snuggle that night while I was kicking back on the couch. I was more than a happy kittymommy.
Now we're home and things are getting back to normal. I can't wait for the next excursion!
saltonsea:
