The Accidental Olympian

THINGS I LEARNED IN OR

1. Portland, OR and I are destined to live happily ever after & I need to move here

We touched down in Portland, OR after many hours of early morning flying and found we were hungry. Starving really. So, we pull up the app Urban Spoon and search for the top sandwich places in Portland. We'd already tried their #2 on the list, Kenny & Zukes, so we assumed anything else in the top 5 would be right up our alley. 

Where did we land then but Bunk Sandwiches. OMG you guys this place. Small, line out the door, hipsters with their adorable families, hipster dogs tied to the trees out front looking stylish, and one giant chalkboard menu offering some of the tastiest sandies you've ever seen.

Like this one. Cuban pork belly with other awesomeness on a grilled roll. Or something. I almost licked the wax paper. 

And if that wasn't enough they were also selling Fifty Fifty Salted Carmel Ice Cream. This place is so small I can't even find a good website! Bonus, served to me in a 100% recycled cup, logo printed with soy ink, and spoon was COMPOSTABLE. All their ingredients are sourced within an hour of Portland, and my amazing ice cream was made preservative free, and with love. DIE DIE DIE. 

Oh, it also helped that it was tasty as shit. 

As Adam and I chatted on and on about how this was just SO PORTLAND with the tiny no frills sandwich place and the all natural ingredients and how we wished we could move here next, and then what did we spot? A field being weed controlled by a bunch of adorable goats. I love this city. 
 

 

2. You can eat too much red meat in a single weekend

Pretty sure this one speaks for itself. I mean, the ribs, and the fresh sausage, the steak and the red meat everywhere made my day, my weekend, heck my month, but WOW it's clear from my angry stomach that it was much happier back on our Alaska diet of things that quack or swim in the sea. 

Noted! 

 

3. Newport, OR is full of awesome and tasty beer

Have you heard of Rogue Brewery? Ok, how about, have you heard of Dead Guy Ale? Come on I know you have! 

Well, if you haven't you should. Rogue beers are sold pretty much anywhere specialty beer can be found and boy oh boy if you like beer you need to get some Rogue asap. We had only planned to visit the aquarium in the small coastal town of Newport, OR where I might add THE REAL FREE WILLY USED TO LIVE (movie filmed in another OR town called Astoria, but the real aquarium "Willy" used to live in was actually within view of the harbor just like the movie! #funfact), we planned to hang out on the boardwalk, get some sun, and then we spotted it. 

Rogue makes an insane amount of award winning beers, they are a brewery committed to their roots, they give a kick ass brewery tour, to keep their business environmentally friendly they now own their own organic hops and barley farms in OR, and their brew pub has an amazing view and tasty brews. 

So I say to you, get thee to Newport, OR TODAY! See where Willy once lived! Walk the boardwalk! See the fish mongers! Drink the beer! 

4. The worst place in the world for a sunburn

And lastly I leave you with my most disgusting realization. 

That if you spend all day sitting here. 

In weather you are CLEARLY not used to, even though you applied sunscreen all over your body there will be one place you forgot. 

One place that will turn out to be a horrible mistake to have forgotten to attend to. 

The top of your mother fucking head. 

You guys. 

My poor head. 

The little part I was rocking is not simply red, it has 2nd degree burns on it. ON MY HEAD. 

Oozing, horrible, mean, painful sores in my HAIR. 

It's so not ok. 

The worst too is when you realize this as you are driving to the airport. With no shower in sight for hours and hours and hours. 

People. Be smarter than I. Remember your brain needs sunscreen too. 

 

 

That is all. 

I need a vacation, from this vacation. 

HEADING SOUTH, FOR THE SUMMER?

Alaska is a beautiful and most wonderful place. But, it is not hot here. 

No no no, Alaskan summers are an average 65 degrees and cloudy. Sure, we get days where there's glorious sun (like today!), but it's typically a nice 65 with clouds day after day, all summer long. 

Which don't get me wrong, I'm totally ok with. I hate sweating, HATE IT. So daily life in the cool lane actually fits me quite well. 

So to change things up, at this very moment Adam and I are on a plane headed south to hang out in Sweet Home, OR to attend the Oregon Jamboree. Which I'm sorry, could they have picked a less awesome name for their country music extravaganza weekend?

What the hell Oregon? Was, "Kick Ass Country Concert Weekend of Awesome" taken or something? 

We're attending the Sunday night event so we can catch Adam and his father's favorite old time country singer, Jerry Jeff Walker in action. Before he croaks and all. Adam's mother and I are there to look fantastic and laugh and point at anyone wearing denim on denim. Extra points if they are also rocking a cowboy hat AND boots. I will also most likely drink too many cheap beers, sing along far too loud in public to be appropriate for my age, and I'd bet I'll eat my weight twice over in greasy food. 

Equally awesome is that in an effort to bask in all that is NOT an Alaskan summer, I will refuse to take my brand new sundress off. 

The. Whole. Weekend. 

Because I know once I've left the land of 80 degrees and country and returned to the land of 65 degrees and polar bears, the next time I wear this dress it will be paired with a cardigan, tights, and probably boots.

In the middle of August. 

 

 

All in all I'm not complaining. I mean really it could be worse. I could live somewhere that considered dressing like this appropriate no matter the temperature. Like Vegas. Or a retirement community. 

You guys, I was pro-stylin' as a wee one. The best part? I'm 99% sure this wasn't even a Halloween costume. 

OLYMPIA TO ANCHORAGE ROAD TRIP, DAY 5

Yesterday was B in Whitehorse, YT and today is C in Tok, AK. 

Today was a good day. 

Because we didn't travel 13 hours. 

Because we returned to the US, land of our working cell phones with 3G internet. 

Because the fish got back into the country without issue. 

Because the fish are still alive! 

Because we're staying at an adorable cabin out in the woods and we got here in time to enjoy it, not arriving at 10pm at night. 

Because today I stepped foot in Alaska for the fist time ever. 

Because tomorrow we arrive in Anchorage. 

 

 

Adam and I were talking tonight at dinner and I told him I was sort of nervous about tomorrow. He asked me why in the world I would be nervous to finally end this long road trip and I explained that tomorrow I have a blind date with a city. Except, instead of simply having a blind date where I decide if we hit if off or not, tomorrow is like I have a blind date with someone where when I agreed to go on the date I also committed to moving in together with this stranger, before we'd even met. 

DAMN. 

But you know, I think we'll hit it off. 

So yeah, tonight we're snuggled up in our ADORABLE little cabin in the Alaskan woods after a day where 75% of the time the roads felt more like a roller coaster, and less like a highway. No joke, it was all about pothole avoiding, lift off waves (seriously expected the fish to fly out of their bucket on some of these waves), and UNPAVED ROADS. 

Yes, in 2011 there are roads from the Yukon Territory to the Alaskan border that are NOT PAVED. 

But, even with the roller coaster roads, the nearly fish killing bumps for hours on end, and the fact that this is day FIVE of feeling as if I live in a dirty car, the scenery was the most breathtaking of the trip. 

Tomorrow I see my new home, my new city, my new life for the first time. 

And I can't wait to tell you all about it. 

 

OLYMPIA TO ANCHORAGE ROAD TRIP, DAY 4

After I got out of the shower I realized the reason the hotel conditioner seemed not to be working was because it was actually BODY LOTION.

If that doesn't give you an idea of my mental state, I don't know what will!

 

We're at the C dot today, also known as Whitehorse, YT. And B is where we started this morning. Get why I'm tired yet?

Adam and I realized today that if we had done this trip in mid June and just for fun we wouldn't be running this like a race and might actually be enjoying ourselves. Instead, since the lakes are frozen over, and we aren't camping (plus most of them are closed anyway), instead of being content with quaint campgrounds and nearly deserted towns we are constantly on the hunt for a pet friendly hotels. 

Plus, transferring two dogs, two people, and two FISH in and out of hotels every night is just plain no fun. 

So, yet again we got to the place where we were SUPPOSED to stop this afternoon, even though when the morning had started Adam had said he refused to drive more than 300 miles today, of course we tacked on another 300 miles. Just for fun. 

This entire trip was supposed to take 7 days. Saturday to Saturday. Now? Looks like we'll get in on Wednesday. 

Can you say, overachievers? 

Before we get to the pictures I have to say today was the WILDLIFE portion of the trip. Tons of caribou, TWO wolves (most amazing thing I've ever seen), Buffalo, a Canadian linx (such a fasinating creature!), stone sheep, an eagle, and a porcupine! It was like going to the zoo, but from our car. 

And now, because I can hardly remember how to spell (seriously please forgive all these errors in these nightly posts. It's 11pm right now, and if I remind you, tonight I put body lotion in my hair), let alone tell amusing stories, I'll share pictures. 

 

Welcome, to the Sign Forest







The only thing that gave us energy for an additional 300 miles today after already coving 300 miles was a dip in the hot springs. All road trips should come with a stop in the hot springs. 

We'll be in Anchorage in two days. And after we get there, I plan to sleep for a week straight. 

RELAX, REBOOT, REFRESH

This is my view out the living room window of Adam's parent's home in Bend, OR. I've talked at length about how much I love this mountain town, and this weekend is no exception. 

The boys are off riding dirt bikes on unpaved mountain roads, the dogs went for a walk this morning along the Deschutes River and are currently snoring loudly next to the potbelly stove. I've read one book already, and am working on my second. 

The weather hit 70 yesterday and we lounged on the porch drinking beer and soaking up the much missed vitamin D. Later we wandered downtown for "First Friday," ducking in and out of galleries, listened to live music, and even found ourselves at the Tour Du Chocolate. Also known as my idea of heaven. 

Oh, and we also saw this. 

 

Yes, that is a bar, on wheels, that you just run and hop on. Once you're on you're expected to contribute to the forward momentum of the bar by pedaling. 

I want one. 

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We were in such need for a vacation, this one in particular. The timing truly couldn't have come at a better time. We needed to escape to a place unlike home where we could relax, let our minds wander, and forget for just a long weekend the impending to-do list and the crazy that waits before us.

We don't leave till Monday, and I wish we weren't leaving till the Monday three weeks from now. 

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again.

Please, don't make me leave.