Christmas Days

So I've decided to continue writing on the blog. I know it's called "TruckyGoesWest" but we can pretend it is now called "TruckyIsWest". I think it's an easy way for some of you to stay updated on our lives out here. And for anyone who doesn't feel like reading anymore, no hard feelings.

Here are some updates on the past few days. We went to see the Radio City Christmas Show on the 24th. The Rockettes were featured in the show (they are the women who stand in a line and do the high kicks among other things). The show was really good. It was kind of catering towards children as it had a storyline but the dancing was really good.


On Christmas morning we got up and I opened the presents that were sent out by my family (Thank you!) and Chase got one of his presents from Sandie as shown below:



We then visited a couple of Molly's friend's from childhood. Bob is the dachshund that is shown below and belongs to Johnny's family right now. I've been hoping to steal him since the day I met him 3 years ago.




Andrew (Mol's brother) and his gf flew in yesterday morning so we celebrated Xmas last night with them and a couple family friends. Lee and Burdean (Molly's aunt and uncle) came over and Sandie cooked steak, crab and scalloped potatoes. We did a book exchange and enjoyed each others' company.

As always Chase was a bit spoiled for the holiday. He got several new toys that quickly broke in by thrashing around the house and killing the squeaky spots immediately. He also got a new bed. We found it at a neat little pet store nearby. It is made by a nonprofit group employing at risk youth. It's constructed of recycled materials. Saving the planet.

The Rockettes

Walking in to this

PORTLAND!

We made it.

We got in around 5pm last night. We unloaded the truck and took Chase to the park before dinner. Sandie made delicious veggie enchiladas. Then Donald made a fire and we sat in the living room relaxing. We are happy to have finally reached our destination. Thanks so much to everyone that helped us pack, gave us care packages and music, and let us stay with them or just fed us. We will be in Portland through the 30th before we fly to Denver for New Year's. Merry Xmas!

The Final Day

We woke up and headed straight for the beach. We wanted to run Chase before we got on the road for our final 7 hours of driving. It was freezing and windy but we tried to be tough as our feet ached just standing on the sand. Molly's first attempt at throwing the frisbee was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. With Chase jumping around like a crazy man, she threw the frisbee as hard as she could into the wind. The toss was pretty high and it strong winds, that usually means the frisbee will land miles from where you thought it would. The 3 of us watched the wind catch frisbee and heave it into the waves. Chase ran into the water and was pummeled by a couple waves. Concerned that we might lose yet another $17 frisbee, Molly kicked off her shoes, tore off her sweatpants (don't worry she had shorts) and sprinted into the water. She saved the day. Frisbee was recovered. Back in our cabin, Molly soaked her feet in warm water for a few minutes before we packed up and left.

We decided to continue driving up the coast for most of the day before cutting inland to hit the highway. The weather wasn't as good as on Wednesday but it was still beautiful. We had read a review of a little seafood restaurant in Yachats and stopped there for lunch. Mol had fish and chips and I had scallops and chips. Yum.

We then decided to hit the highway as we were anxious to get to Portland.


The Rogue River meeting the Pacific in Gold Beach



Lunch



"I don't care anymore just let me out of the truck"

Avenue of the Giants and Southern Oregon

We spent Tuesday night in a small town outside of The Avenue of the Giants, the "giants" being the redwood trees. Wednesday morning we got up, ate some delicious hotel breakfast, and drove about 30 miles on winding roads through these amazing trees. I've never seen anything like them. Not only are the really big around, but they are soooooo tall.












We continued up the Northern California coast and stopped to have lunch in a cute little surf town called Trinidad. We took Chase down to the beach to run some energy out of him before heading north. Driving along the coast was really incredible. The roads weren't all that friendly to my stomach but the views were worth it. Following the advice of the cashier at the liquor store (we had to stock up as hard alcohol is much cheaper in Cali), we stopped at a little beach near Brookings to watch the sunset. We crossed into Oregon shortly there after and retired for the night in Gold Beach. We rented a small, "rustic cabin" thinking that would be more fun than getting a cheap hotel room. It was indeed rustic but had everything we needed. Heat was the only issue as it took about 4 hours for the cabin to be warm enough to want to spend time in. Molly was craving Mexican food so we walked down the main strip to find some dinner. Both the Mexican places were closed so we decided on pizza instead.

This commercial was on in the pizza restaurant. Don't worry guys, the Shake Weight now comes in a men's version. WOW.

San Francisco

We spent Monday night in San Francisco (Greenbrae to be exact) with a college friend and her family (including cute dogs as shown below). She lives on a giant hill outside the city. Seriously I've never been on roads so steep. The last 1/2 mile or so up to her house was crazy. The truck never made it out of 1st gear. Oh and the emergency brake doesn't work in Trucky. So we packed some old fire wood under the tires to act as chocks and prayed Trucky wouldn't fly off a cliff in the middle of the night. Tuesday morning we headed back into the city to explore. We walked around on Hayes St and then went over to the Castro for lunch. Molly had read reviews on a place called Ike's. They supposedly make the best sandwiches in the city and they have die-hard fans who will wait up to 3 hours for a sandwich. We figured on a Tuesday around 11:30 that it shouldn't be too busy. So Molly waited in a short line to order. Just the ordering took about 25 minutes. Chase and I kept walking around the same block (please... I'm not a city girl) and finally met back up with her. She said it would be 20 more minutes for the sandwich to be ready. We walked around some more then headed back. The sandwich wasn't ready. We waited and waited. It probably took about 45 minutes for the sandwich to come out. I was pretty annoyed by then and began ranting that no sandwich is worth waiting that long. Turns out it was pretty good. It had grilled eggplant, avacado, french dressing and brie all crammed into a huge roll of sorts. Here are a few photos from the day.

Calli




Bella




Golden Gate Bridge from lookout




Why don't all restaurants do this?




Hard to see, but that's a PBR can adorning the top of the Xmas tree in the Timbuk2 store.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

After leaving Pismo Beach we headed North on 101 and in Salinas headed West to Monterey Bay.  Meg had never been to an aquarium before and when I asked her what she was excited to see she responded, "polar bears".  To her dismay there were no polar bears to be seen at the aquarium but we did see tons of other cool stuff.  There was a special sea horse exhibit, and as always the sea otters are a highlight.

That's a sea horse, no joke.

Sunshine through the Rain

So on Saturday night at Molly's father's house, we were watching the weather on the nightly news. "It's going to be the worse storm to hit California in 10 years. Travel will be difficult if not impossible for the next several days" said the weather person. Most of the time we've spent in Cali has been rainy, but not all of it. We are learning to appreciate even the slightest bit of sunshine. Apparently we are training for living in Portland. So on Sunday we left San Diego to drive north. We stopped in LA to have brunch with Molly's brother Andrew and his girlfriend Sara Jane. We then continued on to see Sam in Ventura. And then we headed to Pismo Beach to stay with Mol's aunt and uncle. Monday morning we got up early and drove to Monterey to see the Aquarium. Here are some photos and a description of the best road trip food ever.






Bag of Heaven (or whatever Sam called it) consisting of Life cereal, M&Ms, almonds, Cheerios, and white chocolate. Mmmmm




In and Out Burger. Wow. Our neighbor in VT, Josh, is also a vegetarian, and he's from Cali. So he gave me specific directions on what to order at In and Out Burger. When you walk in, there is a menu on the wall that consists of just a few options - hamburger, cheese burger, fries, soda, shake. BUT they have a secret menu. Here's what to do - Grilled Cheese, animal style, extra everything, add raw onions. It was a good day to be a Veggie!

Location:Central California

Boo

Our apologies for being horrible blog-keepers. We've been pretty busy for the past couple days and haven't had good Internet service. Sooo we just got into San Fran and we will update soon!

Location:San Fran

Victory

Trucky couldn't be happier. 4 new tires and now a new radiator and thermostat. With the knowhow of Jon and the enthusiasm of Molly, the radiator installation went relatively smoothly. After a few broken bolts (thanks salty VT roads) and a couple trips to Napa, the new radiator is in and working!




Old radiator. If yours looks like this, do not drive across the country. Actually don't even drive across town.




Mol getting dirty




Meg pouring in the new coolant




Chase looking concerned




What a radiator should look like




Filthy

San Diego

We have spent the last couple days enjoying the west coast. Thursday we spent most of the day visiting Molly's Grandma Jean. We got to ride bikes along the beach and check out a few surf shops. Yesterday we started the day off right with some amazing scones from a nearby bakery. We then got down to business by bringing Trucky to the tire place. The mechanic was the second guy to tell us that the radiator wasn't in good shape. Jon (Mol's dad) and Molly decided we could buy a radiator and put it in ourselves to save some money. In the meantime, Jon took us to play frisbee golf. I've never played before but thought maybe my hours and hours of frisbee training with Chase would pay off. Turns out I'm not very good but it could have been worse. Jon is pretty good and for anyone who has seen Mol play Polish Horseshoes, you would be pleasantly surprised at her long distance frisbee skills.

The weather isn't great today so we won't miss out much on the beach as we install the radiator.


Chase and Humpfree (Jon's dog)



Chase's first time in the ocean

Jon showing us how it's done

Location:San Diego

Updates and San Diego

We made it San Diego tonight. Molly's father and grandma live here so we are planning on taking a few days to see everyone. Here are some photos from the last few days.




Pearl Street in Boulder, CO




Sunset in Arches National Park, Moab, UT




South Window, Arches




Only in Utah

Bryce National Park, Bryce, UT




Sunset leaving Bryce




$24.99 for room and breakfast!!!!!! Sold. And the room was really nice. Casino was pretty sketch but it was a great deal.




Mmmmm BK. Thanks for the gift card Andy!

So after over 3000 miles, several fast food stops and lots of hours on the road, we plan to relax and give Trucky some love (ie oil change and tire rotation). Dinner at Mol's Dad's house tonight!