sorry for the lack of updates!

Sorry for the lack of updates, we have been limited to internet access. We stayed in a hotel last night and their Wifi was not working which made me very bummed. I even forgot where I left off in the blog…so now I shall pick up and continue.Day 8 is here already…this trip has gone by very fast. Matt and I are having the time of our lives. I noticed that at all the stops such as Mt. Rushmore and Ole Faithful, most of the tourists are senior citizens! I feel so grateful to be able to do this now at 22…and not when I’m 72 wondering around in a electric wheelchair. I really encourage everybody to get out and travel too. Matt said he feels more appreciative for where we live here in the United States because it is very gorgeous out here. I feel more appreciative as well. My perception of things has changed now that I left my box in Southeast Michigan. After 8 days of road tripping, I have been enjoying the idea of roughing it out. I think it makes it more adventurous to find a campground, sneak out by the time the office opens and continue on our journey. I also find amusement out of using rest areas as my personal bathroom lol. We usually stop and change our clothes and brush our teeth and get ready for the rest of the day. Matt is so awesome at being resourceful and finding easy ways to use things. I admire him for that.

Anyway

We made it to Seattle on Sunday. After a long adventure up to Seattle, we were super stoked to check out the first pacific coast city. Well, Seattle was kind of a dump. I think we had higher expectations for it. I honestly could describe it as a step up from Detroit. Now I understand my opinion does not match the reputation or hype this city has which really makes me feel like I missed out on something. Many people have told me they were bummed out to hear of our disappointment. Somebody please tell me what I missed out on! Matt and I really tried…we really kept trying to find something to like and not give up. After about 2 hours of walking around, we threw in the towels. We didn’t like it. There were a couple of turnoffs about Seattle. Now mind you, I am not a snob from some from rich area and have grown up around Detroit so its not like I am culture shocked but I thought some of these things were kind of outrageous out here. First thing was the homeless population. Lot more than Detroit I would have to say. Second, there were numerous people walking around the streets cracked out on drugs. We encountered people singing, stumbling, talking to themselves and to others about random crap, a guy punching himself, and a young couple completely out of it, groping each other on the street corner. It honestly wasn’t a great first impression. The downtown area itself wasn’t anything impressive. We went to Pike Place market as well and it was very very crowded so we didn’t stay long.

The following day we made up our time with going on a Whale watching tour near the San Juan Islands. This trip was absolutely fabulous. The staff and captain were totally awesome and great which made the trip much more enjoyable. They took us out on the boat for about 6 hours which was great. We saw about 4 Minke Whales and 3 Orca Whales. We watched a mother and calve feed near these fishing boats then they started playing with each other. It was very fun to watch. It was the highlight of the day. The crew also mentioned that the weather and interaction between the Orcas was the best day they have had all season.
The day following the Whale watching tour, we headed to Portland, Oregon. ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! As you may or may not know, the whole idea of this road trip stemmed from the idea of checking out Portland in hopes of moving out here. This city was just amazing. The best way we described it was a smaller low key downtown area. Everywhere we walked was less than a mile away. I could type on about the greatness of this city. Our day there consisted of VooDoo donuts, Jake’s Seafood, walking on the boardwalk, Powell Book store and Rogue brewery! Fantastic time, and the hospitality in this city is awesome. This city is very progressive with their public transportation and green movement. We just absolutely loved it and now I really want to call it home. Matt’s only disappointment is that there isn’t a major league hockey team nor is hockey a big sport out here. After Portland we drove out to Cannon Beach (btw, the Roloff Farm was somewhere on our way, but the GPS couldn’t find it). Cannon Beach was just gorgeous. It stretched for a few miles along the Pacific Coast. The water was freezing, the feeling compared to getting snow in your shoe. But there was a neat marine animal habitat there which we got some great pics. The sunset was beautiful as well. I really enjoyed my time there.

Now, I am typing in the car on our way to the Redwood forests in Northern California. I’ll check in soon!