It has been several weeks since any updates on our travels. We have spent the the last 6 weeks enjoying our time in and around Seattle. Many fun days and nights were shared while we stayed with Ted and Tami (the proverbial fear of time with in-laws is thankfully not real) and were grateful for their hospitality and full refrigerator. Two gorgeous weddings were attended, the Villaflor's on Whidbey Island followed a couple weeks later by the Brown's on the Oregon coast.
The 6 week stop in Seattle was broken up by a week long visit by DJ and Diane. Day trips to Leavenworth, La Connor and Whidbey Island, as well as Tacoma were full of sights that showed the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. The remaining time was spent visiting with friends, relaxing, a day trip to North Cascades National Park, planning for the next legs of the adventure, some golf and a summers worth of soccer refereeing for Scott.
While catching up with friends we received a pretty consistent theme of questions, so here goes a brief summary of those conversations.
What inspired us to do this?
The world is a big place and life is unfortunately too short to see it all. Tori and I both have a pretty long list of places we want to see before we are too old, or tied down with the commitment of a family. This trip should check off the top ones on our lists.
What we've learned?
I'm sure as we have more time to reflect back over the years we will have a longer list but here are a few. We can survive long road trips together (even if that means, no AC, windows down, with an engine that was not meant to be pulling a heavy load up a hill). Be flexible, there is no need to plan more than a day or two ahead for where you will spend the night. That being said having a high level plan, and some itinieraries for the coming day were very valuable. Eggs can last many days in your car without refrigeration. Avocados ripen quickly when left in the sun in your car.
Favorite place or area?
Zion was our consensus for favorite National Park. The narrows hike and the thrill of Angels Landing certainly were at or near the top of the list for hikes that we did on this trip. The wave in southern Utah was stunning and we were thrilled we managed to win a permit in the daily lottery. Antelope canyon was spectacular as well. Tori was thrilled with Quebec City and its European charm. Any place that was filled with friends and family was also time very well spent. Thank you to all of you who opened up your schedules, homes, and lives to spend some time with us on our adventure. Every moment, shower, and bed were appreciated.
Anywhere we missed that is still on our bucket list?
Havasu Falls - permits are super hard to get.
Half Dome Hike at Yosemite - again didn't get a permit though these are not terribly hard to come by if you plan correctly.
A couple southwest national parks that didn't fit into the chosen route.
How far have you travelled?
15977 miles in the crosstrek.
2270 miles in the camper towing the crosstrek.
Total miles: 18247
How many national parks did you visit?
21 US National Parks.
4 Canadian National Parks.
Do you miss working?
At times, there is something to be said about routine, but we are not ready to return to the real world yet. Paychecks are nice though.
Where are we going next?
The next stop for us will be South East Asia. Specifically we will be spending time in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos with the possibility of adding in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, or the Phillipines. Following this we will be heading to South America to visit Chile, Bolivia, Peru and possibly Ecuador. The capstone if the next 6 months go well will be Europe - most likely Greece, Croatia, the Netherlands and England.
Thanks for reading and enjoy some photos from the past few months.
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