Week Eight.

Rounding week eight we found ourselves in San Francisco, again maximizing time with friends. A city that I have on numerous occasions proclaimed that I am moving to (and never followed through)… it is a place that strangely feels like home. Embracing this window of unemployment, we spent a few weekdays shopping in Hayes Valley, eating Dim Sum and drinking Bubble Tea on Valencia Street, wandering in the Marina and familiarizing ourselves with the dog parks flanking Duboce Triangle.

As we neared the weekend, our midwest-based friend Ash flew in so that we could celebrate her birthday properly with a girl’s night in Carmel. We packed as much as we could into 24 hours with the highlight being an afternoon in the thermal pools at Refuge Spa amongst the Santa Lucia Mountains (no pictures allowed). 

Back in San Francisco Friday night, we embraced DJ sets, 80s cover bands and rooftop viewing of the Blue Angels for the first San Francisco Fleet Week I have ever been a part of. Certifiably insane (in many ways) and certainly worth experiencing. 

And then two days in Yosemite… The pictures do this one far more justice than I could express in writing. Chris has started giving me a hard time for my overuse of these words - but no doubt was it both vast and grand. Despite any intimate knowledge of the sport, we tried our best to appreciate the climbers on the face of El Cap. And a hike up to Nevada Falls via John Muir trail gave us just a taste what those braving Half Dome take on. 

Listening to on tape - “Fates and Furies” by Lauren Groff 

Steps walked in Yosemite - 48,915

On our Spotify rotation - Dead & Company 

Week Seven.

A significant driver for Chris and I to step away from work for an extended period of time was to allow us to prioritize time with friends and family. Week seven on the road included a weekend with our dear friends Maria and Ryan that reinforced just how good of a decision we made. 

Just with a few weeks notice, we floated the idea of a day in wine country to the two and I kid you not, within hours, Maria had a five stop wine tasting tour in Sonoma and home along the Russian River booked. Cast Winery, RYME Tasting Room and Copain Vineyards for day one. A full multi-course menu pairing at Bricoleur and the best team at Macrostie for day two. With a weekend as good as this one, it only made sense to take out the section of wedding cake we had in our van freezer and share it with friends under the stars.

Between Sonoma and San Francisco, we found a few days of downtime and detox in the area of Point Reyes and Tomales Bay. These types of days where we post up at a local coffee shop and catch up on conversations back home are such a joyful pause during these weeks on the road. Finding a pickle ball court allowed us a much needed sweat. And per usual, if there is good seafood to be sought out, we will find it and eat it! 

Weeks Five & Six.

The days and weeks are flying by. Hard to believe we’ve almost been on the road for two months now! Grateful for the photos as proof of everything we have seen. 

Heading North from Laguna Seca, our next stop was Bend, Oregon. This was an especially fun one for me as Chris took the reins on all planning. The weekend was maximized for eating and drinking, with favorite stops being local coffee shop Lone Pine, lunch at Bend Brewing Company and pre-dinner cocktails at San Simone. Balance of this eating/drinking binge came from hiking Rim Rock Trail (AKA “Good Dog Trail”) with Drama and spending 48 hours on our feet walking down every street and alley in exploration. A pretty ideal town to escape to. 

We shined up “Stone Cold Van Austin,” as we have come to affectionately call the van, and drove her home to Portland. 

Without the structure of daily tasks on the road such as securing a campsite for the night and monitoring tank levels, our time home blurs together a bit. A few concerts and live stand-up (thank you vaxx card!) and lots of time with our favorite people are the standouts. An especially reassuring moment coming when Francesca at our favorite coffee/breakfast sandwich spot “Kind” still recognized Drama and I. Haven’t lost our local cred (yet!).  

Next we finally got to check off a bucket list location and activity in the form of cliff jumping into Crater Lake. We could not have asked for a more perfect weather day and motivational crew of strangers cheering us on. The experience is hard to describe but the water is so clear and still that as you are free falling, a bit of an optical illusions occurs where you cannot tell when you are going to hit. *I feel strongly that if you are somewhere epic with a body of water, you get in the water. No regrets.

Finally to round out this incredible stretch of sights - it is important to share a bit on just how surreal the Redwood trees are in person… Chris and I agree that they are some of the most beautiful and magical things we have ever experienced. Your size in their presence puts so much in perspective. 

Based on the number of summer sausage sandwiches eaten along the 101, safe to say this trip is officially sponsored by Chermake.

Weeks Three & Four.

This post is a double feature. Due to a revised route that included a 48-hour stop back in Portland and adding in Chris’s race at Laguna Seca, I have fallen a bit behind.

From where we left off…  Without reserved tickets, we arrived at the Port of Anacortes for standby on the 7:30AM ferry and made it on with the van! By 8:30AM we were on Orcas Island and shortly after, sitting downtown outside the local pastry joint with a coffee and croissant. The next couple days were pretty special. Although parts of Orcas Island reminded us of time we have spent on the Oregon coast, there is still something different about being on an island. We double kayaked the Eastsound, enjoyed hiking with Drama in Moran State Park, visited “Orca’s Island Pottery” and ate our fill of fresh seafood. We easily filled a long weekend just exploring Orcas and will be adding the other San Juan islands to our growing list of places to visit in the future. 

With attending the race in Monterey a late addition to the route, we found ourselves with an unexpected 48 hour stopover in Portland en route down to California. Breakfast at our usual spot in the neighborhood, quick visits with friends over drinks and tickets to see Sylvan Esso outdoors at Edgefield (our first concert in almost two years!). Our time home was the epitome of short but sweet.

Race weekend in Monterey! Eager to share this experience and show up with a fanbase worthy of JDC Miller Motorsports, we recruited four friends from Portland to join us for their first major motorsports race. Combined with my family and the guests they each brought, we were rolling deep for race weekend. Even with an unfortunate call by IMSA that bumped Chris’s earned P1 spot to a last place starting position, the Saturday TCR showcase was the highlight for us, watching the team climb from the back to the front of the pack. 

In addition to time at the track, we maximized the weekend in Monterey and visited Bixby Bridge (yes, we played the theme song to Big Little Lies) and enjoyed excellent meals in Carmel by the Sea. On our way out of town, a stop in Castroville at Pezzini Farms for some Artichoke bread and fresh coffee.

As we’ve been doing more city visits and nights out at local restaurants over cooking in the van at the campsite, my S’MORE count has fallen way down. Instead, below a few fun shoutouts from the past two weeks.

Listening to - “Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey 

Most Surprising AirBnB Host - The Reggie Jackson or as he clarified after our friend Travis replied with disbelief, “The Baseball Player”

Best meal in the van - Pesto Chicken (courtesy of cousin Molly and her basil plant in Richland, WA) 

Sweetest Local - Roger, owner of Tancredi & Morgen home goods who snuck in a poetry book by Yung Pueblo with our purchase of throw pillows made by his wife - something to “meditate on” he suggested

Most Picturesque Driving Range - Golden Hills Golf Club in Redding, CA 

Week Two.

Week two and we have hit our stride. Yellowstone has moved into first position for most impressive National Park. The care that goes into keeping the park well maintained is evident. It seems there is a ranger around every corner just in case an animal appears and the inevitable traffic jam follows as tourists hastily pull off the single lane road to get their shot (guilty). And while we checked the box on visiting Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Spring is what ultimately sold us. The vibrancy of the colors combined with the natural steam floating just above is reason enough to make the trip. 

Our next stop after Yellowstone was Flathead Lake, Montana where a private farm campsite with views of the lake convinced us to settle in for our first day with zero driving and just enjoy being. Day two in this location we took advantage of getting out on the water in a rented 19-foot speed boat and enjoyed the backdrop of the Mission Mountains while getting some sun. Returning to the van in Bigfork, we stumbled upon an evening farmers market complete with live music and Huckleberry Mojitos - turning what was already a really good day into one of the best yet.

And because one epic National Park a week isn’t enough, we managed to fit in a stop at Glacier as well, including an early morning watching the sun rise over Lake McDonald. A little limited on options with the dog, we took the shuttle up to Logan’s Pass and did the hike to Hidden Lake. Any description of beauty for this world up in the sky would pale in comparison to the real thing, so I won’t waste your time. Just go.

Other discoveries this week…

I don’t mind the KOA laundry setup - gives me time to catch up on photo uploads and peruse the regional fudge flavors in the campsite shop. West Yellowstone being Huckleberry. We’ve also come to discover that they offer a hearty pancake breakfast which plays to our palette.

Missoula, Montana is a very cool place. Or at least the area we explored is (The Hip Strip). From funky up & coming boutiques, an old army fort turned dog park, to a taqueria brewpub that shares their space with community organizations aligned with their values (a business idea I’m keen to steal for Portland) - we’d be thrilled to travel through this town again.

Even though we are embracing camping and being in nature - our love for city travel runs deep. A stopover day in Seattle complete with lunch in Japantown, bookshops and breweries was the refresh we needed to keep us going on the road for a while longer and a reminder to mix in city days as we continue on. 

KENZIE’S SMORE COUNT: 5 (I promise I’m just as disappointed with myself as you are)

Week One.

Week one was spent covering a lot of ground and getting out in nature. We started our trek in Edina, Minnesota and racked up 1,372 miles visiting the Badlands, Black Hills (shoutout Mt. Rushmore), Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons. On our travels we’ll be spending the majority of our nights in our borrowed 24 foot Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van (shoutout mom & dad), however early on mixed in a two-night stay in the glamping style “Under Canvas” resort in Keystone for our first weekend as a married couple. Think VIP Coachella experience crossed with a premium B&B. Highly recommend.

Back to the sites - early reviews for the National Parks are HIGH. These places don’t get enough love. The Badlands felt otherworldly and I was especially awed by Mt. Rushmore… future contender for top honeymoon spot? I’ll continue to push it.

The city day in Jackson felt our speed for how we traditionally travel. Morning with coffee, pastries & crossword / shopping / lunch & beer / shopping / second coffee & finishing the crossword from our first coffee / shopping / BBQ joint / live music at a local bar & drinks. You can pick up a pattern I’m sure.

And then back to nature with the Grand Tetons where after two days of smoke obscuring any view of these beauties, we had a bluebird skies and turned a hike into a trail run, finishing with a swim in the glacial Taggart Lake. 

All in all I would say we are settling into life on the road quite well. The van has it quirks but no problem too big that can’t be solved with a call back home or a stop at Target. Drama has continued to play musical chairs on the road between the loveseat in the cabin, the bed in the back or whoever’s lap is in the passenger seat (yes, he still thinks he is a lap dog).

Number one rule in the van - driver picks the tunes. 

Notable Mention - World’s Only Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD 

My goal for this page is to share a post weekly with photos and anecdotes from our travels. Hope you enjoy it! 

KENZIE’S SMORE COUNT: 4