Road Trip – The Trappes are trippin’.

a photo that was difficult to obtain

Montana: We had been in the woods so long that when we got to Missoula, Montana all I could think was “laundry” and “shower.”  Missoula is home to the University of Montana.  Their mascot is a grizzly bear, and he is the most charitable in the NCAA. 

     Montana is Montana.  Beautiful.  We visited an Atlanta family who has a home up in Missoula.  They let us shower and do laundry.  We also got to make the brownies I had bought to make 5 weeks ago.  All exciting.

     We rode large black intertubes down the Blackfoot River.  This is the river where A River Runs Through It was filmed.  I had so much fun!  I had the “Super Tube” as we called it.  It was huge.  Todd’s was not huge.  He was not even being held out of the water while sitting on it.  If we did not hold onto him, he would fall out at the sight of a rapid.

    We left Missoula and drove up to Glacier National Park.  We picnicked at some spots right by the alpine lakes.  We took another long hike and got to walk on snow in shorts in the middle of August.  We saw squirrels everywhere, but they were such special squirrels, much different than the rodents I have seen.  They were bold and not quick to move over.  We even got to watch two of them play for a long time together in the middle of our trail.

Washington and Oregon (part 1):  We arrived in Washington via Spokane, which is a city with a river, lakes nearby, parks everywhere, and rock climbing.  We drove into town and went straight to their way cool REI, which was in a restored building downtown.  It was like a homecoming.  If you don’t know Todd and my weekend habits, we are usually there at least one evening or afternoon of every weekend in Atlanta.    

        We had a date night in Spokane.  We made dinner in a park and then went to Starbucks and Barnes and Noble.  It was so fun!  We stayed until the bookstore closed and read magazines.  I have been keeping a daily journal.  It is a lot to keep up with, but I know it is helping me to stay mentally sharp.  I also know how much I will treasure it when making photo albums and well, in a few months, when everything is gray and fuzzy in regards to this trip’s details.  

        We went to a great church in Spokane called Grace Community Church.  I felt like we could be friends with the people after just one service.  They were so friendly and interested.  They introduced us to a great couple about our age.  The cute girl was literally having contractions in the service and about to have her baby.  She liked baking and tried to rock climb with her hubby.  But like me, she used her knees and elbows to get up the mountain.  It was encouraging to meet them so far away from home.

        From Spokane, we traveled to central Washington.  A climbing magazine named the town where we went “one of the top 10 cities to live in if you are a climber.”  We spent 4 nights in Leavenworth.  It is like Helen, Georgia.  It is a mountain town with lots of natural beauty, lots of tourists, and a BAVARIAN-themed village.  I liked it there.  Todd liked it there too.  He got to do a lot of bouldering, while I wrote thank you notes.  We frequently ate meals in the city park, because it had potable water and was right next to the Library/City Hall combo building, which had free wireless internet.  We played some pool and got to watch the Olympics in town.  Leavenworth and Spokane also led to my discovery of the Safeway grocery store.  In Washington, at least, these are very pleasant grocery shopping experiences, and the discount card rocks!

       We left Leavenworth and drove to Oregon.  We stayed in Troutdale and watched a DVD in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart while reclining in the back of the truck.  I turned 26 in Oregon!  We spent the day in Portland trying not to be stressed out by their downtown.  The day was strange, but Todd and I had so much fun eating Mexican food for dinner and watching sports in the restaurant’s bar area.  The highlight of my birthday was seeing the rose garden at Washington Park in Portland.  It was 4.5 acres of bliss!  There were over 7,000 rose bushes.  I cannot explain how badly I wished I could visit it every day.  One lady was lucky enough to run through it in the mornings.  I can honestly say that I have never gotten so many flowers for my birthday.  

     The next afternoon we were expected in Cascade Locks, Oregon for my friend Lauren’s wedding.  I spent the morning getting groomed in Troutdale.  I hadn’t had my nails done in at least three months.  It was fabulous!  The nail ladies were so polite, but it was obvious they were wondering how I had let myself get into my current state.   I just told them, “I have been in the woods for 6 weeks with my husband.  I am sorry that I am unkempt.”  

      Lauren and Blair got married on a Sunday in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge area that spans Washington and Oregon.  The lodge where the ceremony was held was in Stevenson, Washington, and the rehearsal dinner and our hotel were in Cascade Locks, Oregon.  They were less than five minutes apart via an old steel toll bridge called the Bridge of the Gods.  We loved staying in a hotel, but more importantly, we loved being witnesses to their marriage.  Lauren was a gorgeous bride, and I was so thankful to be able to stand up front with her.  We danced and danced.  So obviously, I woke up with my usual, the wedding hip.  Todd and I know to expect it after wedding parties.  It always comes as a reminder that one or two of my dance moves are not good for the old hip.

a birthday treat in Troutdale