Day 7: On the Road Again

From: Missoula, MT

To: Seattle, WA

Somehow we got up and going so late this morning that we missed the continental breakfast at the hotel which ends at 10am. We ate McD’s next door and tried to post blogs on the hotel’s super slow internet. Finally, we gave up and left. 

Heather drove the first leg out of beautiful Montana, through Idaho and on to Spokane, WA. We drove for about an hour through Idaho, which at some points looked much like the Appalachian Mountains. We found a Cabella’s store at the boarder of Idaho and WA. We went in searching for dog sweaters and came out with a new fleece for Heather so she would have more options. (Every understanding and loving husband needs to know that a woman has got to have options.)

When we reached Spokane, we found Riverside State Park and stopped there for lunch to eat by the river and play some Frisbee with the pup-pups. This was a nice break and opportunity to stretch our family’s long legs.

Nathan took over driving from there. Washington has a wide array of different types of scenery. From boring flat straights, cornfields, to rolling hills, beautiful rivers, forests and mountains (we saw Mt. Rainier from a distance), the terrain changed often. As we neared Seattle (about an hour away) more cars joined us on the road to tackle the final mountain pass before the city.

And they don’t waste anytime moving along. Twisting and turning through the hills we drove 75 mph just to keep up with traffic. The mountains were amazing. We found a good ol' Days Inn to stay for the night, ate Chinese takeout and made plans to see Landry and Carrie. The big Seattle day is next!

From one coast to the other: Update

Well it has been 1 week since we embarked on our cross-country adventure. In 7 days we made it from the mountains of North Carolina to the NW coast of Washington. It has been a blast so far and we have seen so many incredible things. We are doing great, no sickness, Heather's feet don't hurt too bad, we haven't frozen, and we are just loving each other and the trip (and do not fear sweet Anna, we have not traveled much in the DARKNESS). We could not have asked for more perfect weather. It has been running on average 50-60 degrees in the days and around 30 at night, no rain and clear skies (we will see how that changes over the next week).

Dakota and Lola (because lets be honest, they're really who you wanna know about) are doing great. We stop about every 3 hours on our long drives and let everyone stretch their legs and play a bit. They have adjusted to being in the car a lot, though some days they seem to get tired of it. But, overall they are quite happy with their new doggy beds in the truck and Dakota passes the time in our hotels rooms by beating up on Lola.

Jayne and Gunter-gunter are getting along well. Jayne has had an oil change, and we keep his tires checked. He has loved all the winding roads and continues to run well. Gunter-gunter has taken a bit of a beating, because every time we get out of the car the dogs walk all over him while climbing into our seats (and occasionally he gets drooled on). But he has been our trusty guide.

We miss everyone and love you very much. We are having the time of our lives and love that you guy have all been following along with us. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as you are in ours.

Canada here we come!