Bloggin' America

We spent our last day in Idaho in its only city most people have heard of– Boise. It took us almost nine hours to get down there from the shooting star, Bonners Ferry. I slept most of the way down. But that was only after a straight hour of Mom, George, and Glenda (and even Ray was chiming in) of a lecture about “why I should not talk to and shoot guns with strangers.” You know, your standard parental lectures. Keep going...

Well, the rest of my time in Idaho may not have been quite as topsy-turvy as the roller coasters of Silverwood. But for a largely uneventful and sparsely populated state, I like to think my visit there was pretty eventful. We started off on Saturday and left Athol, traveling northbound on I-95 to Sandpoint. I guess Mom recently became obsessed with farmers markets, so we had to make a pit stop at the Farmers Market in Farmin Park (what an aptly named park, huh?) Keep going...

The scariest part of a roller coaster is the slow, creaky ascent. You can feel the car bump over each track as it makes its way up the slope. Your heart pounds vehemently, originating deep within your chest and then gradually coming closer and closer until it wants to just burst out of your body with anxiety. The adrenaline makes you sweat profusely and dilate your eyes like a cartoon character as you see the world below you become smaller and smaller. It’s all preparing you for the culminating climax when you get the top and you’re teetering for that split second right before you drop. Your stomach bottoms out. The wind drowns out the roar as you fly through time and space. And then all you can do is… scream! Keep going...

Welcome to Idaho! I know you’ve all been dying to hear about how the illustrious land of potatoes has been treating me, but I’ve been swamped in schoolwork the last few days while we’ve been driving around state #3. Glenda has been putting us through boarding school boot camp. Ray and I have affectionately nicknamed her the “warden,” since whenever she finally lets us out of the Falcon to sight-see, it’s like letting inmates on parole for good behavior. Ever since Ray’s little disappearing act in Spokane, she hasn’t been the same. She has been less kooky and absentminded, replaced with higher dosages of strictness and attentiveness. I think she’s afraid my parents are going to send her home. Keep going...

Spokane has a lot going for it. Its motto: Near nature. Near perfect. Keep going...

It’s been a long Labor Day weekend. Every Labor Day prior to this one has been spent with a hot dog in hand under the shade of the elm tree in my backyard, wearing my last pair of white shorts before they’re outlawed by the fashion police. This one? The last thing I was worried about was breaking a dress code violation. Keep going...

Today we woke up to pouring rain. No surprise, welcome to Washington. Unfortunately, that did put a damper (pun definitely and always intended) on our plans for the day. We were headed to the Pacific coastline – Forks and Port Angeles area, the newly famous backdrop of the Twilight saga. (Yes, by default as a teenage girl, I have read the books and seen the movies. Team Edward all the way.) Keep going...

I just had to escape my family today. We woke up, stopped at the University of Washington’s campus for breakfast and a short tour, and then drove from Seattle to Mt. Pilchuck State Park. The ride was scenic—and by that I don’t mean full of scenery (even though it probably was). But there is no possible way to enjoy any kind of beautiful nature when you have the following scenes playing out: George grumbling about how his Washington guide book got destroyed by the rain; Ray belly aching about his belly aching; Mom stressing over the thought of her two “babies” climbing a strenuous hike; and all the while, Glenda trying to make us halfway interested in Douglas firs and hemlocks. Keep going...

I’ve never been much of a sports fan.  But George grew up cheering for Seattle, just one state over.  Hey, if he’s taking us all the way to Kentucky and Disney World, I guess I can stomach a stop for a baseball game.  Good thing Ray’s excited about it too.  A happy Ray is usually not an annoying Ray. Keep going...

Have you ever bought books online? Or not lived under a rock? You’ve probably heard of Amazon.com then. Turns out it doesn’t just exist on the Internet through a laptop. The headquarters are here in Seattle, WA. I’m finally here, after a quick pee stop in Olympia and a day in Tacoma, I made it to the birthplace of Starbucks. Speaking of which, I could really use one right about now… Keep going...