PSA

Upon crossing the border from Idaho into Oregon we noticed that we were low on fuel. We decided to stop and fill up as well as re-caffeinate. I pulled up to the fueling island when a gentleman approached the car quickly. It turns out, Oregon is a full service state. Each gas station employs an attendant who will fill your car for you.

So, when this gentleman approaches your car and asks, "What can I do for you?" It would be inappropriate to say, "Get the f*&$ away from my car." If this does slip out you should apologize.

I didn't say it. I thought it, but didn't say it because at about that time Sarah's voice came over the walkie talkie we use and told me it was OK, Oregon is a full service state.

Another friendly reminder from the Adventure Nickel. The more you know...

Columbia River gorge

Sarah suggested a word that I had been thinking about the scenery driving up the gorge. Majestic. I also thought jaw-dropping, amazing, fantastic, awe-inspiring, I even thought gob smacking. The problem is you can't convey in words how incredibly beautiful this area is. Driving along a 600 foot mossy cliff face with a waterfall cascading down the side through the misty low lying cloud partially obscuring the top. It is like driving down a movie set for Lord of the Rings or King Kong.

This is the type of landscape that speaks to a deeper part of you. I plan on revisiting and exploring it more in depth over the coming months. There is just so much to see and do here. IT is very exciting. Mt. St. Helens, Rainier, Hood. Multnomah falls, the Pacific Ocean. I am hoping to attend a class and book signing by Rory Miller. Somewhere in there I also have to work. Quite a bit too after the fuel bill to get up here.

Still, this is a bucket list type experience I think. Worth it.

Almost there.

There must be rules. And when you make the rules it is usually a good idea to follow. them. We bought a map outline and placed it on the side of the RV. It comes with stickers you can use to fill in the outline. There are rules for when you can get a sticker. The RV must be in the state, we can't just go and stay the night in a hotel. The entire family must be there, I can't get the sticker if I go on ahead. It must be an overnight stay, no drive through. We were driving along the Columbia River Gorge (amazing BTW) on the Oregon side and decided to press on instead of stopping in Stanfield OR as originally planned. The whole time driving we could look over the river and see Washington. Just after the John Day dam we saw a bridge with an RV park beside it. So we crossed the bridge into Washington and stopped. Since I will be working in Washington and we will be exploring the state pretty extensively I figured we had to get the sticker. We also got to go visit a Stonehenge replica while we were at it. Today, on to our final destination.

Serendipity

We planned on going to Craters of the Moon and we did. On the way we saw a sign for Shoshone Falls and thought if might sound interesting. Maybe we will stop on our way back through. Kept going, got to Craters and found it mostly closed. Still had fun playing in the snow. Debated for a while about going home a different route. Decided to go back the way we came. Might be quicker.

Got to the turn where we could either go home or go see the falls. The dog had been in the trailer alone for 8 hours. Decided to go ahead and drive through. Waterfalls are usually cool. Then we get to this bridge, Perrine Bridge spanning an incredible canyon. Got out and explored for a bit then headed out to the falls. It was awesome. How many times did we have the opportunity to make a decision that would have kept us from seeing this place? Yet we found it. These happy little accidents are when we usually find the coolest places. Twin Falls Idaho gets a big thumbs up. I hope we can return here again and take more time to explore.

Out of Utah

Got some snow tonight. Was a first for Sarah and the kids. First time they ever woke up to see everything covered in a blanket of snow. I think Sarah was as excited as the kids though it was hard to tell when Michael woke up at 0630 and wiped the condensation off the window.

Pretty exciting stuff. Snow angels, snowball fights and even a couple of modest snowmen. Everyone had a good time and Daddy got to figure out how to get ice, snow and slush off of the RV enough to pack it up and go. Had to get on the roof to sweep the snow and slush off the slide topper awnings so they would slide in. Slippery but no incidents.

Driving through Utah is amazing. Every time I have ever driven through Utah I have been stunned at how beautiful it is. Thing is, I never heard anyone talk about the scenery in Utah. It was always Colorado, Northern California and even Arizona or New Mexico. Hard to beat Northern Utah. Oh yeah, turns out I am not a big fan of Southern Wyoming. Too windy. Leads to RV repairs.