Saturday, August 21, 2010

Seattle, Vancouver, Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone

...are all topics that I won't be blog-posting about today. Right now the Grand Tetons are right outside my hostel window, and down the mountain road is a place doing a chuck wagon breakfast, and there's Jenny Lake and waterfalls and mountains and OH MAN I LOVE YOU WYOMING.

I have loads to tell you--so many stories run through my head on the road, and so many things to write down--but how when I'm driving??--alas, so much gone--but anyway, surely something didn't slide away with the passing of highway stripes and mountain ranges and fingers crossed I'll be back soon to share.

Big hugs,
Esss

Monday, August 16, 2010

PortLAAAAAAAAAAND!


Much love, this will be a bit rushed, I don’t have much time here—I’m at a wifi cafĂ© in Vancouver and every minute I spend on the internet means that much less time touring…um…whatever it is Vancouver wants me to tour. And while admittedly I’m not too sure about the must-sees from a Vancouver-ian’s perspective, I have been handed recommendations from other friends who have been here, and they involve the likes of Stanley Park, some sort of bridge, a gas lamp district, Chinatown, Jericho Beach, and a pier called B.C. Place. Once I get a look at a map to see how much of this is possible in a day, we’re off!

But first…PORTLAND! Yes, that was SO two cities ago, and there’s gonna be a smash-up of Seattle right around the time I get to Idaho, but for now, let’s do it!

The wonders of Portland all here in a fast row: the Ace Hotel, Powell’s Books, the Pearl District and design shops and oh Oblation Press I miss you, all the tree-lined streets and the food coffee brew and how sweet everyone was... Portland was definitely a hipster town—almost like a city-full version of San Francisco’s mission district, except without the broken car windows and slumped slurring homeless and scrappy sidewalks. And lest my dementia causes me to forget our many loved spots, I shall list it here, because lists make good blog prose: there’s delish Stumptown Coffee, uber-hip Clyde Common, Departure’s rooftop lounge with gorgeous views of the city and yummmm tapas (think crispy pork belly with pickled watermelon and pumpkin seeds), and for brunch—the most important meal of the day--Pine Street Biscuits, Tasty n Sons, and Bumblekiss were all the sorts of places I wish I could tuck into my pocket and keep with me forever.

Must run now. I’m sure there’s a tower/waterfront/bridge/view awaiting us that we MUST go see and photograph to oblivion. But until we meet again…here’s Portland in pictures!:






Thursday, August 12, 2010

Leaving San Francisco, and a circuitous route to London

As some of you know from my first road trip, I have a car in my possession affectionately dubbed 'Grampa's Hoopty.' I acquired this piece of precious Oldsmobile when I flew from London to the States last October, landing first in Oklahoma then taking the scenic route to San Francisco. Now it is time for Grampa's Hoopty to go home. 


But first...Hoopty wants to see the Pacific Northwest. That's just how he rolls. And our first stop? Portland, Oregon!


This was the view on the drive up: there was the 'town' of Pollard Flats (gas station? check! diner? check! rattlesnake in a cage? check! all under one roof? check! township, DONE.) and then Mount Shasta, which popped up out of nowhere and danced a crazy fool dance.

My road trip companions and I arrived in Portland after our twelve hour mega-drive on Monday night and now we're currently rocking the hip hip hipster Ace Hotel, OD'ing on Stumptown Coffee, and stalking Powell's Books. Basically, living the dream life. Pictures coming soon!

Big love and big hugs,
Essssss

p.s. I'm debating about double-posting these road trip stories and pictures over on Moonpies so as to give it a sense of round-trip completion. Do you think I should, or is it not worth the bother? Or do you have a better idea?