Glacier

It is estimated that the glacier in Glacier National Park will be melted by 2020. We were lucky enough to stand on it today.

















The entire park is breathtaking. Here is why;

mountains, lakes, rocks, greenery, snow - just surrounds you

There is hidden beauty everywhere to be explored (and photographed)

There are lots of places to pull off and take it all in

And there are adorable bears

We ended our trip with a great Independence Day picnic at Haymoon Ranch, which included BBQ, pinata full of organic candies, a friendly soccer game, jacuzzi,  fireworks, a blazing bonfire and a happy (and tired) newlywed couple.

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Big Sky on Fourth of July

We have been spending time in Whitefish, Montana with our friends Jason and Joyce, who were just married yesterday. Jason and Joyce are outdoor adventurers so the location was very fitting. They had almost 80 friends and family gather together for the occasion and we met some very lovely people in the course of the extravaganza.  It was a rainy day but actually stopped raining for one hour in the afternoon, exactly at the time the wedding was scheduled.  I think there are only blue skies ahead for these two.  The wedding also gave me an opportunity to debut my new hat, which by the looks of the picture, has possessed me (and my boobs).

Me and Yahtzee have found lots of time to relax here and make time for recreational activities. I finished Peter Camenzind by Herman Hesse too, which I think is an earlier novel. I appreciate Hesse as a writer and interestingly, I relate to his characters. I really liked Hesse's poetic relationship and description of clouds, "And as the clouds are suspended faintheartedly and longingly and stubbornly between heaven and earth, the souls of men are suspended faintheartedly and longingly and stubbornly between time and eternity".

And for the adventures - here are some pictures of us zipping at Big Mountain.

And we found time to also play pool, dampfbad, sauna and jacuzzi, dance with cowboys and eat roadside cherries.

Enjoying a coffee and blogging break now at

Montana Coffee Traders

(this place deserves a blog of its own!)

then off to see the glacier in Glacier National Park.

US Rt 2 - eastbound

We left the wierdness of Leavensworth this morning - the McBavarolds making a lasting impression.

Our travels continued through Washington and Idaho states, passing through many small towns and gazing in awe at the beautiful scenery at every bend.

We made it as far as Libby, Montana.

Tomorrow we go to Glacier National Park for some outdoor festivities.

Goonies

The 1985 flick Goonies was filmed almost entirely in Astoria, Oregon - with a handful of shots also at Cannon Beach. We visited both of these spots today and it made Yahtzee very happy.

He is a Goonies fan.

As for me, our bike ride this morning to explore Astoria and a Street 14 Coffee joe (recommended by some locals) made me happy. 

I am a biking & coffee fan (though not at the same time).

After such an eventful morning, we finished our trip of the coast and headed out on US 2 east. We refueled at a roadside expresso (these expresso kiosks are very popular around here) before taking off - the coffee only just meeting a standard level of expectation despite the wonderful show and conversation with Debbie pictured here...

Come dusk, we should have stayed in the first town Snohomish, which is quaint and has lots of restaurants and hotels to choose from. But we decided, without actually communicating with one another, that maybe it best we press on and try to max out the hour of daylight we had remaining. Somewhere along the way we lost sight of the fact that US 2 would be a bit less populated than the Pacific Coast.

We first tried a hotel in Index, population of 157. The 100 year old Bush House Inn was closed.  Then we almost hit a buck that was standing steadily in the middle of the road as we sped out of Index.

Next we tried Skykomish, a bit more populous - 214 according to the 2000 census.  As our outdated road trip book puts it, a "...quirkish and engaging place".  It was pretty deserted when we arrived - and looked like a construction zone. We learned from a lone 20-something year old hanging out in the darkness on his computer by the library (free internet access I am guessing) that the town rebuilding was actually a result of oil spill efforts.  The whole picture did not fit for us city folk. We ran scared.

Finally we somehow we found ourselves lost inside a Three Brothers Grimm fairytale land in Leavenworth, Washington - a town who made itself over as a Bavarian Village in an effort to reinvent itself after the railroad was diverted in the 1920's. We are staying in Bavarian Lodge which is decked out in carved deer fixtures and stuffed teddy bears.  Suffice it to say, it has been a bizarre evening.

We will continue to Montana tomorrow in hopes to camp with our friends.

Guten Nacht from Washington.

xo -  hansel and gretel

Road Trippin - The Pacific Coast

We started our coastal trip today down Route 105

We drove through many coastal villages, one of which was Aberdeen - none other than the hometown of Kurt Cobain. We came as we were, but were still unimpressed. I totally get how Kurt could not handle fame well after having lived there. It was very industrial and non-happening. Think Coraopolis.

Then we headed to Westport. It was also relatively quiet and non-happening, but I still found the harbor rather adorable. Plus we rock climbed.

Next stop was the biggest oyster captial of the "world" - Raymond on the Willapa and South Bend.

We are not sure about Oyster Capital, but we are sure to appreciate the industrial backdrop to raw beauty juxtapositon.

I then taught Yahtzee all about the fact that I can "bring home the bacon all fried up in a pan" - the largest ever in Long Beach, Washington. Is now a good time to mention that there was a BAKON bacon infused vodka on the shelf here...and i think it sounds kinda sounds good, or ?

He was not impressed at my bacon bring on...

But deffo more excited that he could drive the car on the beach, and a beautiful beach it is.

After we drove to Cape Disappointment which failed to disappoint, and here is why -

(prayers never hurt either)

Finally, we are in Astoria, so have a new village to visit tomorrow.

We travelled over an amazing bridge to get here

And we are staying at the Cannery Pier Hotel which is a nice treat, including spa and jacuzzi

Sweet dreams and good night.