Day twenty - four, August 1, 2011
Today's agenda was sight seeings, animal watching, and hiking. None of which can happen until I got a very large cup of coffee after last night! Granted our first night camping in the Redwood Forest was cold and in a very deserted area, however, at least sleeping on the sand was semi-comfortable. Here, not so much. Everywhere I moved there was a rock under some part of my body. It's safe to say that I did not get much sleep and when I was able to get some shut eye in it was short lived. So yes, I was in need of coffee and lots of it. Of course the only place to go was about 20 miles away at Old Faithful. Now the layout of Yellowstone is unique and in order to understand why I had to wait 2 hours for my coffe this morning you need to understand this layout. The center of the national park is shaped like a figure eight There is no way to cut through the center of the circles. You must either drive around the whole circle, or drive to your desired destination and then turn around. So if we drove right to the coffee shop, we would be driving past several attractions that we were hoping to see which would not make any sense. Soooo we stopped at each place and 2 hours later got to coffee and breakfast!
Well now let's back track to these beautiful settings we saw on the way to the coffee. Geysers can be found in other parts of the world, however, nowhere are there as many as Yellowstone. Here you can also find many hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots. We drove to the Lower Geyser Basin where we parked the car and walked along the boardwalks to see Fountain Paint Pot and then a little further down the road to Great Fountain Geyer. Steam was rising continuously from the spewing holes in the ground. Water, mud, and bacteria were bubbling out of some these hot springs. The water surrounding them can reach up to 180 degree F and the smell of sulfur was unbearable at times! We were amazed at what we were seeing because neither one of us has even seen something like this before. We took tons of pictures and even some video clips.
Back in the car we saw steam coming up from the ground to the left and right of us. We also saw many many more elk and bison. Our next stop was the incredible Grand Prismatic Spring located in Midway Geyser Basin. We first crossed a bridge where we had an amazing view of a waterfall. This waterfall was unlike others because of it's color. Due to the heat of the water, the different kinds of bacteria, and the magma, the land the waterfall was flowing over was different shades of brown, orange, and yellow. We hiked up the stairs and saw several different hot springs and geysers. Finally we came across the most famous - Grand Prismatic Spring. In the center of this spring you were able to see bright blue water but the further away from the center (the hottest point) the colors changed. We saw shades of orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. All of which was covered by a thick steam. We asked a park ranger what causes the different colors and he said that the colors are based on types of bacteria that can grow in the spring. The center is the brightest blue because nothing can grow there due to the hot temperatures.
A few more minor stops for bison and quick photo opps we were finally headed to Old Faithful. We immediately headed straight to the cafe for breakfast/lunch and coffee. We realized that as we were eating we just missed Old Faithful erupt, so we would have to wait another 90 minutes or so. This was fine with me because this meant I would have lots of time to shop! We eventually made our way down to the famous geyser where we listened to rangers explain the history and importance of Yellowstone and Old Faithful. This geyser gets it's name from its reputation - she faithfully erupts everyday! Rangers are able to predict an eruption based on the previous eruption. On average, it erupts every 90 minutes or so. But it is based on how long the previous eruption lasted. For example the eruption before the one we saw lasted over 4 minutes and was very powerful, so they predicted the next one for 96 minutes later. Old Faithful only lasted about 3 minutes for us, so they were predicting the next one would occur 80 minutes later. After the spectacular water show we visited the visitors center where we tried to become experts on the thermal levels in the ground in Yellowstone, geysers, and wildlife.
Our next stop - West Thumb. All day we would approach congested areas on the road where people were slowing down to takes pictures, or areas where people abandoned their cars to get a closer glimpse of the landscape or wildlife. And every time we approached these areas it is always BISON. Bison are EVERYWHERE! We have see more bison in these past 2 days than we ever have or will in the future. So it began to become frustrating when we approached this slow traffic. However, there was one particular time when there seemed to be more people and cars on the side of the road than ever before. We couldn't see anything because on either side of the road were very tall trees, but we kept seeing people walking down through the trees and coming back up. We asked someone if something was down there "yeah a moose!" she responded. Other than a bear, Rob was really hoping to see a moose. So we parked the car, walked through the trees to where it opened up and a flat plain appeared. The moose was standing in the center of the plain eating grass. So cool! I just have no idea how anyone could have spotted that from the road.
The closer we got to West Thumb the more bison and elk we saw! We drove along side of Yellowstone Lake and came to Fisherman's Bridge. Rob started the scope out the streams in hopes that the one he choose would be full of hungry trout! We continued around the circle to the Yellowstone River where the weather was finally beginning to clear up and our landscape pictures were turning out much better!
Once again we approached a huge group of people, all with cameras in hand. They were all pointing in the same direction but Rob and I both saw nothing. There were a few trees along the highway and then a stream with more trees behind it. We had no idea what was causing such a big fuss! Once again we had to ask someone. They pointed into one of the trees and said " a bald eagle". We quickly joined the crowd and our photographer started snapping away. Rob was pleading with the bird to take off, he wanted to get a pic of it in flight. But it was getting late and he also wanted to have time to fish. So we headed back to the car and right when we approached Coco we heard screams of joy and saw people pointing to the eagle in flight. It flew down stream a little ways and landed on another tree even close to where we were standing. Of course we went back down in hopes that it would fly again, but it never did!
We drove to Madison River where Rob attempted to fish while I sat in the car and read Us Weekly. He gave it his best shot but it was so windy that his line kept coming right back at him. After about an hour of unlucky fishing we headed back into town for dinner. We chose a local micro brewery and grill. We sat at the bar and tried a few different locally brewed beers. The bar also provided us with several trivia questions about Yellowstone and Wyoming, so of course we quizzed each other! Disappointingly Rob did win!
The ride back through Yellowstone was thankfully uneventful, no wildlife in the middle of the streets! I bundled up and headed to the tent (fingers crossed that this will be the last time!) Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Day 23
Day twenty-three, July 31, 2011
Before departing for Yellowstone we briefly visited the town of Missoula. As we hit the road I began to pray that the campsite in Yellowstone would be like the one we just spent the night at!
We stopped at a visitors center right before entering the park and picked up all the necessary maps, guides, and tips. Almost immediately upon entering this National Park we were greeted by a huge herd of elk. There were so many of them that some even spued out in the road blocking traffic. Park rangers had to come over and scare them off the street. Even with tons of people parking their cars and walking over to see these huge animals the elk just calmly walked across the street and sat on the grass on the opposite side of the road. They provided a great photo opp for everyone but I was a little concerned about seeing so much wildlife so soon. We still had at least an hour and a half drive to our campsite and I began to wonder just how much wildlife we would come across!
We took the long way to our campsite because we told that lots of wildlife has been spotted on the northeast side of the park near Tower Roosevelt. On our way to the spot we were told to visit, we spotted an antelope and a couple random buffalo. The landscape throughout the park was breathtaking. We stopped at a few scenic look outs where we got some wonderful pictures. We saw huge streams with water flowing quickly downstream and even came across a stunning waterfall. Without the I-phone we were not able to get ourselves in the pictures with all of this beautiful scenery! Actually now that I think about it, since Steph left with her I-phone most of our pictures only include scenery or attractions - we are no longer in the pictures! :)
Not much further down the road we came across several cars parked on the side of the road and people walking along the road with cameras. As we came closer and looked out into the open field we saw tons of bison. They ranged in size and age. There were several very large ones with their heads down chowing down on the grass. We were also able to see some babies, one in particular was nursing while their mom was eating. We followed the herd down the road watching them eat and interact with one another. After lots of amazing pictures we continued down the road where we saw tons more. Just about everywhere you looked you could see a bison. It is said that you see as many bison out here as you do squirrels at home!
We then drove through Canyon Village and Norris. Here is where we came across the next group of parked cars. We were really hoping that it would be something good and not more bison - they are really exciting to see, but at this point we have already seen so many. As we approached the group of cars parked on either side of the road I looked out my window and directly to my right was a GRIZZLY BEAR!!! It was in the middle of a hill about 15 yards from our car. Rob threw me the camera and because Matt isn't on the trip with us anymore our windows are so dirty so in order to capture a pic worthy of our photographer I had to put my window down! Snce I had the big lens on and had the camera zoomed in all the way this creature appeared much closer through my lens. This is why when it picked it's head up from eating and looked right at all of us onlookers I almost had a heart attack! Rob enjoyed this very much, we were a little too close and stayed for a little too long for me! Now that Rob's prayers were answered we once again continued down the road. Our next stop was a ranger station were Rob was able to pick up all his fishing supplies and permit, as well as get his questions answered and was given great helpful tips from the experts!
The rain was beginning to come down and it was going to be getting dark shortly so we headed directly to the campsite. With fingers crossed I was really hoping that we would not see any more wildlife because we were approaching our campsite. I didn't mind seeing them on the other side of the park but I would feel much more comfortable if we didn't come across any in the vicinity of our sleeping area. We pulled up and checked in with the ranger. The ranger handed me a piece of paper and asked me to read and sign it. It was an official document saying that I was aware I was in bear country and that I would follow all proper precautions and avoid feeding bears at all costs! Upon signing this paper I looked nervously at Rob and he asked the ranger if many bears are spotted in this area. He responded with, "Well actually, we do know of 2 cinnamon black bears that live next to this station. However, our rangers do a pretty good job of keeping them out of the camping area. If the bears ever get too close they are shot with bean bags or rubber bullets." Well now I was sure that between the rain and our 2 cinnamon friends I would be sleeping in the comforts of Coco tonight. My only saving grace was that we were staying in loop C of the campsite, so I figured that by the time we passed loops A and B we would be pretty far away from the bears. Was I wrong! Our campsite was about a 90 second drive away from the ranger station! Oh and even better, we had zero cell phone reception. If there was an emergency there were phones placed around the campsite where you could call 911. The one good part about our site was that it was right next the bathrooms. I decided to scoop them out as Rob pitched the tent. They were surprisingly very clean, but definitely missing something! SHOWERS! We would be spending two nights here and there is no place to shower?!?! This was a far cry from the site we just previously left in Montana and I was quickly starting to miss Montana very much. Once the tent was situated we got into the car, left Yellowstone and drove into the town where we would have cell phone service, Internet, and dinner!
By the time we finished up in town it was about 10 o'clock. We entered back into the park and it was pitch black. No street lights of any kind. We had about a 15 or 20 mile drive back to the site and knew we would have to keep our eyes pealed. About half way back to the site, on a narrow two lane road a car up ahead driving towards us stopped. Rob slowed down figuring that maybe something came out into the road, but because the cars lights were so bright it was hard to tell. As we got closer the car starting to drive again and passed us, as soon as it did this we were able to see the road in front of us much better. Walking in the middle of the road, in the same direction we were driving, was a huge bison. It was so big than it took up most of the lane next to us, so when Rob drove by it, he could almost stick out his hand and touch it! Of course he slowed way down in order to get a picture, however, I don't think the bison liked this too much because his enormous head turned in our direction. Rob later said that he thought the bison was heading right for the car and that is why he quickly pressed on the gas. Sadly we were not able to get a picture at that time. As soon as we got back to the campsite I bundled up and before I could think too much about all of the animals we had seen and everything that was living around us I figured my best bet was to just go right to sleep. Wish us luck in bear country! Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads!
Before departing for Yellowstone we briefly visited the town of Missoula. As we hit the road I began to pray that the campsite in Yellowstone would be like the one we just spent the night at!
We stopped at a visitors center right before entering the park and picked up all the necessary maps, guides, and tips. Almost immediately upon entering this National Park we were greeted by a huge herd of elk. There were so many of them that some even spued out in the road blocking traffic. Park rangers had to come over and scare them off the street. Even with tons of people parking their cars and walking over to see these huge animals the elk just calmly walked across the street and sat on the grass on the opposite side of the road. They provided a great photo opp for everyone but I was a little concerned about seeing so much wildlife so soon. We still had at least an hour and a half drive to our campsite and I began to wonder just how much wildlife we would come across!
We took the long way to our campsite because we told that lots of wildlife has been spotted on the northeast side of the park near Tower Roosevelt. On our way to the spot we were told to visit, we spotted an antelope and a couple random buffalo. The landscape throughout the park was breathtaking. We stopped at a few scenic look outs where we got some wonderful pictures. We saw huge streams with water flowing quickly downstream and even came across a stunning waterfall. Without the I-phone we were not able to get ourselves in the pictures with all of this beautiful scenery! Actually now that I think about it, since Steph left with her I-phone most of our pictures only include scenery or attractions - we are no longer in the pictures! :)
Not much further down the road we came across several cars parked on the side of the road and people walking along the road with cameras. As we came closer and looked out into the open field we saw tons of bison. They ranged in size and age. There were several very large ones with their heads down chowing down on the grass. We were also able to see some babies, one in particular was nursing while their mom was eating. We followed the herd down the road watching them eat and interact with one another. After lots of amazing pictures we continued down the road where we saw tons more. Just about everywhere you looked you could see a bison. It is said that you see as many bison out here as you do squirrels at home!
We then drove through Canyon Village and Norris. Here is where we came across the next group of parked cars. We were really hoping that it would be something good and not more bison - they are really exciting to see, but at this point we have already seen so many. As we approached the group of cars parked on either side of the road I looked out my window and directly to my right was a GRIZZLY BEAR!!! It was in the middle of a hill about 15 yards from our car. Rob threw me the camera and because Matt isn't on the trip with us anymore our windows are so dirty so in order to capture a pic worthy of our photographer I had to put my window down! Snce I had the big lens on and had the camera zoomed in all the way this creature appeared much closer through my lens. This is why when it picked it's head up from eating and looked right at all of us onlookers I almost had a heart attack! Rob enjoyed this very much, we were a little too close and stayed for a little too long for me! Now that Rob's prayers were answered we once again continued down the road. Our next stop was a ranger station were Rob was able to pick up all his fishing supplies and permit, as well as get his questions answered and was given great helpful tips from the experts!
The rain was beginning to come down and it was going to be getting dark shortly so we headed directly to the campsite. With fingers crossed I was really hoping that we would not see any more wildlife because we were approaching our campsite. I didn't mind seeing them on the other side of the park but I would feel much more comfortable if we didn't come across any in the vicinity of our sleeping area. We pulled up and checked in with the ranger. The ranger handed me a piece of paper and asked me to read and sign it. It was an official document saying that I was aware I was in bear country and that I would follow all proper precautions and avoid feeding bears at all costs! Upon signing this paper I looked nervously at Rob and he asked the ranger if many bears are spotted in this area. He responded with, "Well actually, we do know of 2 cinnamon black bears that live next to this station. However, our rangers do a pretty good job of keeping them out of the camping area. If the bears ever get too close they are shot with bean bags or rubber bullets." Well now I was sure that between the rain and our 2 cinnamon friends I would be sleeping in the comforts of Coco tonight. My only saving grace was that we were staying in loop C of the campsite, so I figured that by the time we passed loops A and B we would be pretty far away from the bears. Was I wrong! Our campsite was about a 90 second drive away from the ranger station! Oh and even better, we had zero cell phone reception. If there was an emergency there were phones placed around the campsite where you could call 911. The one good part about our site was that it was right next the bathrooms. I decided to scoop them out as Rob pitched the tent. They were surprisingly very clean, but definitely missing something! SHOWERS! We would be spending two nights here and there is no place to shower?!?! This was a far cry from the site we just previously left in Montana and I was quickly starting to miss Montana very much. Once the tent was situated we got into the car, left Yellowstone and drove into the town where we would have cell phone service, Internet, and dinner!
By the time we finished up in town it was about 10 o'clock. We entered back into the park and it was pitch black. No street lights of any kind. We had about a 15 or 20 mile drive back to the site and knew we would have to keep our eyes pealed. About half way back to the site, on a narrow two lane road a car up ahead driving towards us stopped. Rob slowed down figuring that maybe something came out into the road, but because the cars lights were so bright it was hard to tell. As we got closer the car starting to drive again and passed us, as soon as it did this we were able to see the road in front of us much better. Walking in the middle of the road, in the same direction we were driving, was a huge bison. It was so big than it took up most of the lane next to us, so when Rob drove by it, he could almost stick out his hand and touch it! Of course he slowed way down in order to get a picture, however, I don't think the bison liked this too much because his enormous head turned in our direction. Rob later said that he thought the bison was heading right for the car and that is why he quickly pressed on the gas. Sadly we were not able to get a picture at that time. As soon as we got back to the campsite I bundled up and before I could think too much about all of the animals we had seen and everything that was living around us I figured my best bet was to just go right to sleep. Wish us luck in bear country! Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Day 22
Day twenty-two, July 30, 2011
It was quite the drive from Seattle to Missoula, Montana. Rob and I took turns driving and napping. The drive was pretty quiet and very uneventful aside from our competitions to see who could name all of the teams in the NHL, MLB, and NFL. Other than that the only thing we did was look at the amazing scenery around us. Montana, surprisingly, is an absolutely gorgeous state!
As soon as we arrived to the campsite I knew that this site was much more appropriate for me, as compared to our deserted site in The Redwood Forest. Number one, the site was plopped right smack in the middle of a large populated town. Number two, immediately under the welcome sign for the site was a sign that said FREE WiFi!!!! I was ecstatic. Then when we walked into the office to check in it got even better. There was a pool open until 10:30, free mini- golf, bathrooms and showers, an ice cream social, shops, and fire wood. We set up our tent and immediately connected to the Internet. I sat at the picnic table and caught up on the Bachelorette (I hope she picks JP!) while Rob sat on a lawn chair we purchased from Walmart and watched The Fringe. I-Pads, MACs, and smartphones in hand we looked like quite the campers! But it was a beautiful night and we have not had much down time so this was perfect. A couple hours later, our neighbors began to cook over campfires and light up grills, this was our cue to eat as well. However, instead of cooking we jumped into the car and drove to an Italian restaurant and bar. The sangria was amazing and I was a little disappointed when our food came out so quickly because I would have loved one or six more glasses! We packed up our leftovers headed back to the campsite where we jumped right back onto the computers and continued to catch up on shows and sports news! So far the first out of three straight nights of camping has gone pretty smoothly. Yellowstone National Park tomorrow! Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads.
It was quite the drive from Seattle to Missoula, Montana. Rob and I took turns driving and napping. The drive was pretty quiet and very uneventful aside from our competitions to see who could name all of the teams in the NHL, MLB, and NFL. Other than that the only thing we did was look at the amazing scenery around us. Montana, surprisingly, is an absolutely gorgeous state!
As soon as we arrived to the campsite I knew that this site was much more appropriate for me, as compared to our deserted site in The Redwood Forest. Number one, the site was plopped right smack in the middle of a large populated town. Number two, immediately under the welcome sign for the site was a sign that said FREE WiFi!!!! I was ecstatic. Then when we walked into the office to check in it got even better. There was a pool open until 10:30, free mini- golf, bathrooms and showers, an ice cream social, shops, and fire wood. We set up our tent and immediately connected to the Internet. I sat at the picnic table and caught up on the Bachelorette (I hope she picks JP!) while Rob sat on a lawn chair we purchased from Walmart and watched The Fringe. I-Pads, MACs, and smartphones in hand we looked like quite the campers! But it was a beautiful night and we have not had much down time so this was perfect. A couple hours later, our neighbors began to cook over campfires and light up grills, this was our cue to eat as well. However, instead of cooking we jumped into the car and drove to an Italian restaurant and bar. The sangria was amazing and I was a little disappointed when our food came out so quickly because I would have loved one or six more glasses! We packed up our leftovers headed back to the campsite where we jumped right back onto the computers and continued to catch up on shows and sports news! So far the first out of three straight nights of camping has gone pretty smoothly. Yellowstone National Park tomorrow! Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads.
Day 21
Day twenty-one,July 29, 2011
Back to the United States and more importantly to our cell phones and a GPS. Once again boarder crossing was smooth sailing. We were back in the states and our first stop was Walmart. We were determined not to look like rookie camper. What better place to prepare ourselves for our upcoming camping adventures than Walmart? We purchased some needed camping supplies and were off to Seattle.
Seattle was amazing! One of our favorite cities. There was so much to do and the folks of Seattle sure did keep us entertained. We spent most of the afternoon at the Pike Street Markets. Here the streets were lined with fresh produce vendors, who would throw samples of cherries, peaches and nectarines at you as you walked by; fresh fish market stands where fish were being thrown from the sidewalk to a man working behind the counter; souvenir shops, jewelry stands, and entertainment. For me this was the perfect scene; being right on the water, surrounded by tons of people, shops, and food! We took a lap and then our decided on our plan of attack. Rob was hooked on the sweet white cherries and was amazed at how huge the nectarines and peaches were. Now we just had to pick the vendor with the sweetest (and cleanest) fruit. We settled on one who let us try a piece of a white nectarine...super juicy and sweet. We grabbed our 2 1/2 pounds of nectarines (2 nectarines) and white cherries. Rob knew that trying the seafood at a place like this was a must. He settled on the crab cocktail (he loves him some crab!). At this point we were getting hungry and did not feel like eating and walking at the same time so we started to make our way to the park. On the way to the picnic area we passed one of the most famous parts of the market - the home of the original Starbucks. There were tons of people swarmed around this tiny coffee shop, but of course we stood on line and brought so e coffee. Rob insisted that it tasted so much different from Starbucks at home! :)
The picnic area attracted people of all kinds. Lots of tourists, some locals who were sun bathing on the open grass, local artist playing their instrument of choice for a few extra bucks, and then some less fortunate individuals who were homeless looking for something to eat or extra change. We did not stay here long at all because we had lots of shopping ahead of us but the experiences we had here were priceless. We found an opening along a wall sounding the grass where we could sit, eat our fruit and drink our Starbucks. Here is where we spotted the first two unique individuals. Two young girls were struggling to carry several huge bags across the walk way. They settled down next to a man who was playing his guitar and belting out classic 80s mixes. They began to quickly unpack their bags. They pulled 2 milk crates out of one a large black garbage jump, jumped up onto them and thats when they revealed their talent. These two girls were doing their best to drown out the man already stationed at this corner with the sweet tunes of their violins! Although, they would have made Olivia McPeek so proud, their melodies did not quite blend with the jams of the guitarist. In the middle of watching the events across the way unfold, I could not help but notice a homeless man sitting right across from us. I could not tell what he was doing but every time I looked at him he was staring at Rob and I. At first I did not pay too much attention but then I couldn't help it. This man was staring at us and every time I looked at him he quickly looked away and began to write on the notepad in his lap. Just as it started to get super creepy, I turned to Rob and told him that I think the man across the way is writing or drawing something about us. He asked "what man?" When I turned to point the man out to Rob, he was no longer sitting on the bench across from us but was about 2 steps away. He handed Rob a rolled up piece of paper and said "here you go son, this is free." We immediately unrolled the paper and sure enough it was a cartoon illustration of Rob and I. I KNEW IT! Right around this same moment, the quiet, open grass behind us became the meeting place for about 85 loud, annoying teenagers who were on some sort of summer camp trip. We were not done eating and relaxing but knew we had to move. We quickly picked up our belongings and moved to the other side of the park! And boy am I glad we did this!
We found an empty bench and once again tried to get a few minutes of relaxation in. Negative! There were so many distractions all around us. The first was yet another photo shoot that involved an AI. This girl was intent on capturing the absolute perfect shot of her and her boo. Before even getting into the shot, she positioned her bf from head to toe. She would cross his legs, then back away to see how it looked. Then rearrange his pose, back away and take a look. This poor guy just stood there, not saying a word, following her every command. Once he was situated in the perfect pose, she tried to figure out how she should position herself. To make this story even better, the entire time they were setting up for this picture she had a random person holding her camera waiting to snap away. I don't think that this man realized when he agreed to take a picture for this beautiful couple he would be standing there for 10 minutes. During this shoot, Rob spotted the next character. In the middle of the park, with his supplies spread out on the bench, an older gentleman was giving out $10 haircuts. His customers would put a towel over there shoulders and he would cut their hair right there! This was our signal. We figured the best way to get a picture of this was to get all of our stuff and snap one on our way out of the park. Needless to say we did not get our act together in time and the gentleman on the bench seemed to have been his last customer of the day. We were able to get a picture from far away but that was about it!
We took another lap through the market, bought some souvenirs and headed to Safeco field for the Seattle Mariners baseball game. The Mariners have been struggling greatly this season but just recently broke an 18 game losing streak. They were playing the Rays so we were really hoping they could pull off another win. We arrived to the game nice and early because we wanted to walk around and scope out the stadium. To our surprise, before the game there was a dedication to the late Seattle Supersonics. Which explains why there were more Supersonic jerseys than Mariner jerseys in the crowd. Famous, former players and coaches were introduced and stood out on the field to be honored by their diehard fans! The stadium was rocking during this dedication and the former players were definitely feeling the love and enjoying themselves. The game started shortly after the ceremony and the first chant that rang through the stadium was for the Supersonics! In fact, fans were more interested in the video clips of classic Supersonic moments that were played in between innings than the actual baseball game.
During the 45 minute long second inning the Rays scored 8 runs! Many fans stayed for a few more Let's Go Supersonics chants and even a "Bring Them Back" and then headed to the parking lots. People everywhere quickly began to filter out of the stadium, expect for a couple of lone rows way out in the upper deck section of right field. We were able to see them running up and down the aisles waving a Supersonic flag and hear them chanting all the way from behind home plate. In fact it seems as though most of the stadium was able to see and hear these insane fans because as the game went on, this section grew and grew. By the 7th inning the section was half full of screaming Supersonic fans who even made it up on the big screen a few times! During the 8th inning this group of crazy fans started a Congo line and started walking in and out of the rows in the upper deck. They made it past first base but then were stopped by security and forced to continue their chants through the halls. One crazy fan got confused and apparently thought the Congo line was going to meet out in center field because that is where he ended up! After a few sprints and darting away from security and cops he was brought down to the ground, arrested, and escorted off the field! What a game! After the explosion from the Rays in the second inning, the rest of the game was scoreless and ended In an 8 to 0 Rays victory. That's all for Seattle, off to Montana tomorrow. Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads.
Back to the United States and more importantly to our cell phones and a GPS. Once again boarder crossing was smooth sailing. We were back in the states and our first stop was Walmart. We were determined not to look like rookie camper. What better place to prepare ourselves for our upcoming camping adventures than Walmart? We purchased some needed camping supplies and were off to Seattle.
Seattle was amazing! One of our favorite cities. There was so much to do and the folks of Seattle sure did keep us entertained. We spent most of the afternoon at the Pike Street Markets. Here the streets were lined with fresh produce vendors, who would throw samples of cherries, peaches and nectarines at you as you walked by; fresh fish market stands where fish were being thrown from the sidewalk to a man working behind the counter; souvenir shops, jewelry stands, and entertainment. For me this was the perfect scene; being right on the water, surrounded by tons of people, shops, and food! We took a lap and then our decided on our plan of attack. Rob was hooked on the sweet white cherries and was amazed at how huge the nectarines and peaches were. Now we just had to pick the vendor with the sweetest (and cleanest) fruit. We settled on one who let us try a piece of a white nectarine...super juicy and sweet. We grabbed our 2 1/2 pounds of nectarines (2 nectarines) and white cherries. Rob knew that trying the seafood at a place like this was a must. He settled on the crab cocktail (he loves him some crab!). At this point we were getting hungry and did not feel like eating and walking at the same time so we started to make our way to the park. On the way to the picnic area we passed one of the most famous parts of the market - the home of the original Starbucks. There were tons of people swarmed around this tiny coffee shop, but of course we stood on line and brought so e coffee. Rob insisted that it tasted so much different from Starbucks at home! :)
The picnic area attracted people of all kinds. Lots of tourists, some locals who were sun bathing on the open grass, local artist playing their instrument of choice for a few extra bucks, and then some less fortunate individuals who were homeless looking for something to eat or extra change. We did not stay here long at all because we had lots of shopping ahead of us but the experiences we had here were priceless. We found an opening along a wall sounding the grass where we could sit, eat our fruit and drink our Starbucks. Here is where we spotted the first two unique individuals. Two young girls were struggling to carry several huge bags across the walk way. They settled down next to a man who was playing his guitar and belting out classic 80s mixes. They began to quickly unpack their bags. They pulled 2 milk crates out of one a large black garbage jump, jumped up onto them and thats when they revealed their talent. These two girls were doing their best to drown out the man already stationed at this corner with the sweet tunes of their violins! Although, they would have made Olivia McPeek so proud, their melodies did not quite blend with the jams of the guitarist. In the middle of watching the events across the way unfold, I could not help but notice a homeless man sitting right across from us. I could not tell what he was doing but every time I looked at him he was staring at Rob and I. At first I did not pay too much attention but then I couldn't help it. This man was staring at us and every time I looked at him he quickly looked away and began to write on the notepad in his lap. Just as it started to get super creepy, I turned to Rob and told him that I think the man across the way is writing or drawing something about us. He asked "what man?" When I turned to point the man out to Rob, he was no longer sitting on the bench across from us but was about 2 steps away. He handed Rob a rolled up piece of paper and said "here you go son, this is free." We immediately unrolled the paper and sure enough it was a cartoon illustration of Rob and I. I KNEW IT! Right around this same moment, the quiet, open grass behind us became the meeting place for about 85 loud, annoying teenagers who were on some sort of summer camp trip. We were not done eating and relaxing but knew we had to move. We quickly picked up our belongings and moved to the other side of the park! And boy am I glad we did this!
We found an empty bench and once again tried to get a few minutes of relaxation in. Negative! There were so many distractions all around us. The first was yet another photo shoot that involved an AI. This girl was intent on capturing the absolute perfect shot of her and her boo. Before even getting into the shot, she positioned her bf from head to toe. She would cross his legs, then back away to see how it looked. Then rearrange his pose, back away and take a look. This poor guy just stood there, not saying a word, following her every command. Once he was situated in the perfect pose, she tried to figure out how she should position herself. To make this story even better, the entire time they were setting up for this picture she had a random person holding her camera waiting to snap away. I don't think that this man realized when he agreed to take a picture for this beautiful couple he would be standing there for 10 minutes. During this shoot, Rob spotted the next character. In the middle of the park, with his supplies spread out on the bench, an older gentleman was giving out $10 haircuts. His customers would put a towel over there shoulders and he would cut their hair right there! This was our signal. We figured the best way to get a picture of this was to get all of our stuff and snap one on our way out of the park. Needless to say we did not get our act together in time and the gentleman on the bench seemed to have been his last customer of the day. We were able to get a picture from far away but that was about it!
We took another lap through the market, bought some souvenirs and headed to Safeco field for the Seattle Mariners baseball game. The Mariners have been struggling greatly this season but just recently broke an 18 game losing streak. They were playing the Rays so we were really hoping they could pull off another win. We arrived to the game nice and early because we wanted to walk around and scope out the stadium. To our surprise, before the game there was a dedication to the late Seattle Supersonics. Which explains why there were more Supersonic jerseys than Mariner jerseys in the crowd. Famous, former players and coaches were introduced and stood out on the field to be honored by their diehard fans! The stadium was rocking during this dedication and the former players were definitely feeling the love and enjoying themselves. The game started shortly after the ceremony and the first chant that rang through the stadium was for the Supersonics! In fact, fans were more interested in the video clips of classic Supersonic moments that were played in between innings than the actual baseball game.
During the 45 minute long second inning the Rays scored 8 runs! Many fans stayed for a few more Let's Go Supersonics chants and even a "Bring Them Back" and then headed to the parking lots. People everywhere quickly began to filter out of the stadium, expect for a couple of lone rows way out in the upper deck section of right field. We were able to see them running up and down the aisles waving a Supersonic flag and hear them chanting all the way from behind home plate. In fact it seems as though most of the stadium was able to see and hear these insane fans because as the game went on, this section grew and grew. By the 7th inning the section was half full of screaming Supersonic fans who even made it up on the big screen a few times! During the 8th inning this group of crazy fans started a Congo line and started walking in and out of the rows in the upper deck. They made it past first base but then were stopped by security and forced to continue their chants through the halls. One crazy fan got confused and apparently thought the Congo line was going to meet out in center field because that is where he ended up! After a few sprints and darting away from security and cops he was brought down to the ground, arrested, and escorted off the field! What a game! After the explosion from the Rays in the second inning, the rest of the game was scoreless and ended In an 8 to 0 Rays victory. That's all for Seattle, off to Montana tomorrow. Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Day 20
Day twenty, July 28, 2011
We were finally able to get connected to the Internet so before leaving our room, we wrote down directions to every place we were going to visit today. We walked downstairs to grab something to eat from our free "continental breakfast". This when I realized yet again how much I miss Embassy Suites and Hampton Inns. The Happy Day's Inn interpretation of continental breakfast consisted of apples, 5 donuts, and water. We decided to pass on this offer.
Our first stop was Grouse Mountain. We ventured out to the peak of this massive mountain by means of a famous skyride lift. Once again we were sadly unprepared. I was the one who found this famous tourist attraction and was an advocate for stopping here but I guess I did not really think it through. I showed up to the bottom of the mountain and stood in line for the sky lift dressed in sandals and a tank top. When Rob and I scooped out the attire of the guests around us, we realized that most people were wearing jeans, sweatshirts, and sneakers. Then it hit us, we were going to be traveling to the top of a snow capped mountain...of course it will be cold up there! What can we do about it now? We boarded the sky lift and journeyed up about a mile above Vancouver. The scenery was stunning! But like I said parts of the mountain were still covered in snow!!! We were even told that there was skiing on the mountain all the way into June this year. It was about 50 degrees at the top of the mountain (once again according to Rob, I would beg to differ!).
After our 6 minute ride we reached the top. We headed directly to the grizzly bear habitat, however, they were still sleeping in their hut so instead we took the ski lift up even higher (to even colder temperatures!). From here we took an elevator up through the wind turbine to the highest point of the mountain. (Originally this was not part of the plan but when I heard the words"it's the only one in the world" I was sold. I did not even need to know the only one with what, I knew I had to do it. We paid the man and as I investigated further found out this wind turbine was the only one in the world with an elevator to the top....even more perfect!) Once at the top you were able to look down at the bay and the entire city of Vancouver. We were now 4,100 feet above sea level, what a view! And when you looked down you could see through the glass floor panels and look at what was below you. The next event, my favorite, the "world famous" and very funny lumberjack show. Through this comical performance lumberjacks took part in several competitions to see who was the strongest most experienced lumberjack. Of course our (very cute) lumberjack won. After the show the audience was given a chance to walk down and take pictures with the lumberjacks ( including our very cute one), but Rob had his mind set on our next stop! We walked to the theatre in the sky and watched a documentary on the history of this mountain and another movie on how the grizzly bears in this habitat were saved and brought to Grouse Mountain. After the movies it was time to descend down the mountain and move on to our next attraction.
We traveled only a short way down the road to one of the biggest tourist attractions in Vancouver the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Here we hiked through treetop trails and crossed the (quite wobbly) suspension bridge. My photographer and I separated for a brief moment because he saw a photo opp that he just could not pass up. At this time I walked over to a small pond and was watching the trout jump out of the water. My peaceful break was suddenly interrupted by an elaborate photo shoot (AI involved Steph). This girl took her shoes off, crossed over the sidewalk, and was standing the the rocks surrounding the pond. Her friend captured a few shots here but they did not stop. The next poses were of this young girl kneeling on the rocks. Again these shots must not have been sufficient, the girl began to lay on the rocks (only inches away from the pond). She went from legs sprawled out to laying her on stomach, then to her back, and right back to her stomach. This shoot had to have been about 10 minutes - I hope she got the shot she was looking for! Speaking of photo shoots, earlier in the trip Steph made an amazing suggestion. After the photo fiasco in Vegas ( when we asked Jeffrita to take our picture in front of the welcome to Vegas sign and she only got one small piece of the sign in the picture) she said we are only going to ask people with $600 cameras or more (another words experienced photographers) to take our pictures. Well I guess we are not the only ones who think like this because our very own photographer - Robert was asked to capture a beautiful moment of another family! I hope he did his csmeraband new fans proud!
With all of this hiking we were already starving and ready for dinner. We decided on another famous tourist attraction, the Spaghetti Factory. A great choice, still not like Mom's macaroni but it did curb the craving for homemade Italian food for the time being.
At this point we are a little more than half way done with our trip and Rob was quickly running out of clothes. We were on our feet all day, so we made it an early night and decided to go back to the hotel and take advantage of their washing machines on site. We figured that using the machines in our hotel would be easier than going to a laundry matt in another city. Of course when we arrived back to the hotel the machine was in use. Finally it was our turn. I walked down the stairs and began to follow the signs to the laundry room. It led me through a door to the first floor of guest rooms. The next door I opened looked like it led to a cellar or basement. I cautiously continued to follow the signs for the laundry room and walked down the stairs. Again there was another door marked laundry room so I walked out that door and next thing I knew I was outside in a parking garage. I tried to turn around and go back through the door but it locked behind me. I walked a few steps and saw yet another door labeled laundry room. I approached the door and tried to open it but it was locked! I walked through the small parking garage and tried to get my bearings. At this point I had no idea where the lobby was. I picked left and began to walk around the building. Sure enough after walking around the hotel I was back to the front lobby. My next trip to the laundry machine I was sure to get the key and bring Rob! Off to Seattle tomorrow! Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads!
We were finally able to get connected to the Internet so before leaving our room, we wrote down directions to every place we were going to visit today. We walked downstairs to grab something to eat from our free "continental breakfast". This when I realized yet again how much I miss Embassy Suites and Hampton Inns. The Happy Day's Inn interpretation of continental breakfast consisted of apples, 5 donuts, and water. We decided to pass on this offer.
Our first stop was Grouse Mountain. We ventured out to the peak of this massive mountain by means of a famous skyride lift. Once again we were sadly unprepared. I was the one who found this famous tourist attraction and was an advocate for stopping here but I guess I did not really think it through. I showed up to the bottom of the mountain and stood in line for the sky lift dressed in sandals and a tank top. When Rob and I scooped out the attire of the guests around us, we realized that most people were wearing jeans, sweatshirts, and sneakers. Then it hit us, we were going to be traveling to the top of a snow capped mountain...of course it will be cold up there! What can we do about it now? We boarded the sky lift and journeyed up about a mile above Vancouver. The scenery was stunning! But like I said parts of the mountain were still covered in snow!!! We were even told that there was skiing on the mountain all the way into June this year. It was about 50 degrees at the top of the mountain (once again according to Rob, I would beg to differ!).
After our 6 minute ride we reached the top. We headed directly to the grizzly bear habitat, however, they were still sleeping in their hut so instead we took the ski lift up even higher (to even colder temperatures!). From here we took an elevator up through the wind turbine to the highest point of the mountain. (Originally this was not part of the plan but when I heard the words"it's the only one in the world" I was sold. I did not even need to know the only one with what, I knew I had to do it. We paid the man and as I investigated further found out this wind turbine was the only one in the world with an elevator to the top....even more perfect!) Once at the top you were able to look down at the bay and the entire city of Vancouver. We were now 4,100 feet above sea level, what a view! And when you looked down you could see through the glass floor panels and look at what was below you. The next event, my favorite, the "world famous" and very funny lumberjack show. Through this comical performance lumberjacks took part in several competitions to see who was the strongest most experienced lumberjack. Of course our (very cute) lumberjack won. After the show the audience was given a chance to walk down and take pictures with the lumberjacks ( including our very cute one), but Rob had his mind set on our next stop! We walked to the theatre in the sky and watched a documentary on the history of this mountain and another movie on how the grizzly bears in this habitat were saved and brought to Grouse Mountain. After the movies it was time to descend down the mountain and move on to our next attraction.
We traveled only a short way down the road to one of the biggest tourist attractions in Vancouver the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Here we hiked through treetop trails and crossed the (quite wobbly) suspension bridge. My photographer and I separated for a brief moment because he saw a photo opp that he just could not pass up. At this time I walked over to a small pond and was watching the trout jump out of the water. My peaceful break was suddenly interrupted by an elaborate photo shoot (AI involved Steph). This girl took her shoes off, crossed over the sidewalk, and was standing the the rocks surrounding the pond. Her friend captured a few shots here but they did not stop. The next poses were of this young girl kneeling on the rocks. Again these shots must not have been sufficient, the girl began to lay on the rocks (only inches away from the pond). She went from legs sprawled out to laying her on stomach, then to her back, and right back to her stomach. This shoot had to have been about 10 minutes - I hope she got the shot she was looking for! Speaking of photo shoots, earlier in the trip Steph made an amazing suggestion. After the photo fiasco in Vegas ( when we asked Jeffrita to take our picture in front of the welcome to Vegas sign and she only got one small piece of the sign in the picture) she said we are only going to ask people with $600 cameras or more (another words experienced photographers) to take our pictures. Well I guess we are not the only ones who think like this because our very own photographer - Robert was asked to capture a beautiful moment of another family! I hope he did his csmeraband new fans proud!
With all of this hiking we were already starving and ready for dinner. We decided on another famous tourist attraction, the Spaghetti Factory. A great choice, still not like Mom's macaroni but it did curb the craving for homemade Italian food for the time being.
At this point we are a little more than half way done with our trip and Rob was quickly running out of clothes. We were on our feet all day, so we made it an early night and decided to go back to the hotel and take advantage of their washing machines on site. We figured that using the machines in our hotel would be easier than going to a laundry matt in another city. Of course when we arrived back to the hotel the machine was in use. Finally it was our turn. I walked down the stairs and began to follow the signs to the laundry room. It led me through a door to the first floor of guest rooms. The next door I opened looked like it led to a cellar or basement. I cautiously continued to follow the signs for the laundry room and walked down the stairs. Again there was another door marked laundry room so I walked out that door and next thing I knew I was outside in a parking garage. I tried to turn around and go back through the door but it locked behind me. I walked a few steps and saw yet another door labeled laundry room. I approached the door and tried to open it but it was locked! I walked through the small parking garage and tried to get my bearings. At this point I had no idea where the lobby was. I picked left and began to walk around the building. Sure enough after walking around the hotel I was back to the front lobby. My next trip to the laundry machine I was sure to get the key and bring Rob! Off to Seattle tomorrow! Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads!
Day 19
Day nineteen, July 27, 2011
Although we had a wonderful night and truly enjoyed Marshall's company, we do not know if Portland was more than a one night stop! Before getting on the road Marshall insisted that we get breakfast at a place called the Tin Shed. It is one of his favorites and assured us that we would not be disappointed. The previous night he was on top of his game with both the grilled cheese cart and then again with the Poutine so of course we took his word for it. Once again Portland did impress us with their fancy version of eggs accompanied with cheesy grits and a biscuit. After breakfast we said our goodbyes and were off to Canada.
As I was driving, Rob decided to google things that were and were not allowed to be brought into Canada, even though at this point if it was in our car it pretty much had to enter Canada with us! (I guess better late than never though!) Rob informed me that our car should get through with no problems. Our only issues, alcohol and weapons! I mean really how could anyone visit wine country and not want to take a little (10 bottles) home with them?!?!? So for the next couple of minutes we discussed whether border patrol (if they found our stash) would consider our purchases in wine country an "excessive amount" of liquor. Then it hit us - our weapon drawer! Since we are doing some camping and were not sure what wildlife we may encounter, we wanted to be prepared (oh and also for when we drove through certain southern states). Now I began to slightly panic but because we still had so much camping ahead of us, I was also not ready to discard these crucial self defense tools. So we decided to take a chance.
As we approached the boarder patrolman, I handed Rob the passports and took a deep breath. Jeffrey was a rather large man and began with a series of serious questions. Where are you coming from? How long ago did you leave for this trip? What brings you to Canada? How long will you be staying here? Suddenly his mood changed. He not only recognized but was also intrigued by the international symbol on our passport covers - the New York Yankees sign!! He asked us a couple of questions about the Yankees and MLB and we were off. We never existed the car, popped the trunk, or even opened the bubble!
Now the major challenge! Navigating Canada with no cell phones or GPS. Good thing Rob was once again thinking ahead and wrote down directions from the boarder to our hotel. So other than sitting in traffic and trying to convert all the metric units we were seeing into US Customary, it was smooth sailing.
We checked into our hotel but for some reason could not get our computers to connect to the Internet. It was still pretty early and since our stay in Vancouver will be shortly livec we decided to head right out to visit Downtown. This time we had no directions and really had no destination - totally winging it! On our way to the car we figured we would first ask our front desk employee, who we assumed would be friendly and helpful just like most we have encountered (recall Susan from Las Vegas who led us to Cappos the delicious, entertaining speak easy restaurant). Boy were we wrong, our AI friend was a far call from helpful. He told Rob that in order to get downtown "you can drive through town or get on a highway" and was unsure how long it would us to get there. We took a chance and figured our instincts would be better than anything he could offer us. After all how hard could it be, we will just head toward the huge skyscrapers Once again we were wrong, after asking a few people for directions (none being very helpful), several U-turns, a few choice words, our 20 mile drive took us a little over an hour. I was really beginning to miss Matilda (my GPS) and began to think we would have to eat at Church's Chicken next to our hotel.
We finally found our way and choose Stanley Park as our first stop. Here our photographer captured some beautiful scenic shots. The city of Vancouver is so pretty, it sits on the bay and behind the water are beautiful snow topped mountains. We arrived to a great photo spot just in time to see the sun set behind the mountains. After walking around and taking in the landscape we called it a night and headed back to the room. Hopefully to tomorrow Canada will bring us better luck. Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads!
Although we had a wonderful night and truly enjoyed Marshall's company, we do not know if Portland was more than a one night stop! Before getting on the road Marshall insisted that we get breakfast at a place called the Tin Shed. It is one of his favorites and assured us that we would not be disappointed. The previous night he was on top of his game with both the grilled cheese cart and then again with the Poutine so of course we took his word for it. Once again Portland did impress us with their fancy version of eggs accompanied with cheesy grits and a biscuit. After breakfast we said our goodbyes and were off to Canada.
As I was driving, Rob decided to google things that were and were not allowed to be brought into Canada, even though at this point if it was in our car it pretty much had to enter Canada with us! (I guess better late than never though!) Rob informed me that our car should get through with no problems. Our only issues, alcohol and weapons! I mean really how could anyone visit wine country and not want to take a little (10 bottles) home with them?!?!? So for the next couple of minutes we discussed whether border patrol (if they found our stash) would consider our purchases in wine country an "excessive amount" of liquor. Then it hit us - our weapon drawer! Since we are doing some camping and were not sure what wildlife we may encounter, we wanted to be prepared (oh and also for when we drove through certain southern states). Now I began to slightly panic but because we still had so much camping ahead of us, I was also not ready to discard these crucial self defense tools. So we decided to take a chance.
As we approached the boarder patrolman, I handed Rob the passports and took a deep breath. Jeffrey was a rather large man and began with a series of serious questions. Where are you coming from? How long ago did you leave for this trip? What brings you to Canada? How long will you be staying here? Suddenly his mood changed. He not only recognized but was also intrigued by the international symbol on our passport covers - the New York Yankees sign!! He asked us a couple of questions about the Yankees and MLB and we were off. We never existed the car, popped the trunk, or even opened the bubble!
Now the major challenge! Navigating Canada with no cell phones or GPS. Good thing Rob was once again thinking ahead and wrote down directions from the boarder to our hotel. So other than sitting in traffic and trying to convert all the metric units we were seeing into US Customary, it was smooth sailing.
We checked into our hotel but for some reason could not get our computers to connect to the Internet. It was still pretty early and since our stay in Vancouver will be shortly livec we decided to head right out to visit Downtown. This time we had no directions and really had no destination - totally winging it! On our way to the car we figured we would first ask our front desk employee, who we assumed would be friendly and helpful just like most we have encountered (recall Susan from Las Vegas who led us to Cappos the delicious, entertaining speak easy restaurant). Boy were we wrong, our AI friend was a far call from helpful. He told Rob that in order to get downtown "you can drive through town or get on a highway" and was unsure how long it would us to get there. We took a chance and figured our instincts would be better than anything he could offer us. After all how hard could it be, we will just head toward the huge skyscrapers Once again we were wrong, after asking a few people for directions (none being very helpful), several U-turns, a few choice words, our 20 mile drive took us a little over an hour. I was really beginning to miss Matilda (my GPS) and began to think we would have to eat at Church's Chicken next to our hotel.
We finally found our way and choose Stanley Park as our first stop. Here our photographer captured some beautiful scenic shots. The city of Vancouver is so pretty, it sits on the bay and behind the water are beautiful snow topped mountains. We arrived to a great photo spot just in time to see the sun set behind the mountains. After walking around and taking in the landscape we called it a night and headed back to the room. Hopefully to tomorrow Canada will bring us better luck. Peace, love, and happiness, the Nomads!
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