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May 30, 2013

Portland & Seattle!


Hi folks! I realize this blog has dropped into almost complete hibernation, and it will most likely remain that way until I graduate…  But seeing as Leo and I recently completed another successful semester (yay!) and also went on a lovely vacation (yay! yay!), I figured it was time for an update.

We had this Pacific Northwest and Alaskan adventure all planned out at least 18 months ago. Because that’s what I do. Instead of studying or doing any of the 30 productive things on my to-do list at any given time, I tend to daydream about traveling. I come up with crazy, yet very feasible, routes and things to see and do and then come home VERY excited to pull up a map and tell Leo all about it. The trick is finding the time to do it. So we were a little bummed when our schedules last summer allowed exactly zero wiggle room and we were unable to follow through with the latest plan. But this summer- we weren’t taking no for an answer! As of June, I’m officially in the last year (!) of my program. And while having only one year left is a great thing, it is already shaping up to be a doozy. I’ll be dropping to part-time at work and starting up clinicals for school and it’s just not going to be fun in any way shape or form.  BUT! It’s only a year. And we can do it.

But due to all the changes coming, a vacation was even more in order. And so off we went!

It was definitely strange to be packing in the middle of May- with a high in Dallas of 94 just a day before we left- for a trip that included coats and sweaters and all things necessary for the cold. But even with all the bulky clothing, we managed to stick to just our carry-ons and set off for the airport! 

First up: Portland.

Our dear friends Caitlin and Gabe played hosts for the whirlwind 36 hrs we were in and around their fair city, and we did it ALL. We landed at 11:30am and hit the ground sprinting. After a quick stop for some Voodoo doughnuts and walking through the Portland Saturday Market, we headed toward the coast!
 
 
 
It was a rainy day, but that in no way hampered the fun! We got to see Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, stopped by the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and enjoyed the views all along the way.
 

For day two in the Portland area, we discovered the beautiful Multnomah Falls and Horsetail Falls in the Columbia River Gorge area.
 
 
 
We even took the opportunity to get a group photo of us Keeping TIME!
 
There's just something about waterfalls that completely mesmerizes me. I could sit there for hours just watching the water drop. And these, along with others we saw along the way, were definitely worth the drive. Such a gorgeous area!
 
After the gorge, we crossed the river into Washington and stopped at Maryhill Winery for a tasting. While enjoying some glasses of our favorite vino we got to enjoy this view of Mt. Hood in the distance.
 
 
...and my newfound love of the Pacific Northwest just grew and grew...
 
On the way back into the city, we hit up Powell's City of Books (where Leo became miserable while reading Les Miserables) and the Portland Rose Garden (where I hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" the whole time... even though they were roses).
 
 
I still can't believe we fit it all in! But the vacation was just warming up, and we had a lot more on the agenda! We woke up bright and early on Monday morning to catch the bus toward Seattle and begin leg 2 of the 3-part journey.
 
And keeping with the theme of the itinerary, we arrived in Seattle around lunchtime and set out in search of the Space Needle!
 
 
 
We could not have asked for a more perfect day to check out Seattle from the top! And during the afternoon and the following morning, we made our way to Pike Place Market and got to check out all the little eclectic spots of the city.
 

 
 
We also got to meet up with another friend, Mike, for dinner at Pike Place. I served with both Mike and Caitlin in the Peace Corps in Botswana and it was fantastic to catch up with both of them in their respective cities! It had been way too long.
 


 
As you can probably tell from the pictures, we had so much fun with that silly troll! I love that people come up with such cool (and completely random) ideas for the rest of us to enjoy!
 
We had a blast during our 24 hours in Seattle, but the time had finally come to get on the big boat and sail away to Alaska!
 
...and since this has gotten so long, I'll save that for "Part 2." Stay tuned. ;)