Tag: Washington

The Cars are Washington Official

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Its official! Well for the cars at least. Both of our cars now have their Washington license plates and just in time for our trip to Montana. I have to admit, it felt pretty good to get those California license plates off of our car. Although now everyone will think we are horrible drivers because lets face it Washingtonians, you cant drive if your life depended on it. I mean that with love but I think you have most others beat. Oh well, it comes with the territory. At least growing up in California I have been taught to drive defensively and expect the worst. Its one of many things to adjust to now that we live here again.

A Quick Trip to Washington… Seattle to Home

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We woke up the next morning a little sad that it was time to hit the road and head home. But before we did that, we went to a few more of our favorite places. We drove out to Woodinville to see the cleanest and my most favorite Target ever, drove through Kenmore and Kirkland and then headed to Denny Park. When we lived here we took Jack to Denny Park often to enjoy open spaces and Lake Washington. This was another spot we wanted to share with Abby as well as give her a chance to play outside before spending time in the car again. She had a wonderful time throwing rocks into the water and watching the people and the animals nearby. The same family that lived on the lake was out playing with their adorable lab, a woman was out swimming, a man out paddle boarding and ducks were landing right in front of us. It was pretty special.

Our last hurrah for our time in Seattle was another ferry ride, this time from Downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Once again Abby was super excited to ride the ferry and she loved seeing the Space Needle in the distance. To top it all off, on this ride we allowed Abby to pick a treat from the ferry cafe. She chose some pretty yummy gummy bears. Pretty soon the ferry ride came to an end and we were on our way to Tacoma. We said goodbye to Seattle and began the trip home.

The remainder of the trip came and went without a hitch. We drove from Seattle to Redding and while the day was long we had a pretty easy trip. We almost found ourselves in another freeway parking lot situation but managed to get off of the freeway and take surface streets around the problem. Dodged a big bullet there. We woke up the next morning to a very smoky sky due to the fires in the mountains east of Redding. Lucky for us, we were out of the area soon and on our way home. I hated to end our trip but once we were on this leg of the trip I was ready to get home. We were home by 7pm with plenty of time to pick up Ellie. Boy was it wonderful to see her, pick her up and give her lots of hugs and kisses. We had a great time but its good to be home again as a family!

A Quick Trip to Washington… Spokane to Seattle

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The time spent with my parents came and went in the blink of an eye.Then again we only had a day and a half with them. We had breakfast at the hotel together and then after packing up the car we said our goodbyes. I hated to leave but I know we will be seeing them soon. 
Our trip from Spokane to Seattle was fairly uneventful. We ran into construction and weekend traffic over Snoqualmie Pass which set us back about an hour but after the stop on the way up to Spokane, this was nothing. When we reached Seattle, we quickly checked in to the hotel, unloaded the car and went out to see the things we wanted to see.
First, we headed to Bothell and up Norway Hill, stopping to see our old house. I miss that house a lot but I am glad to see that people who bought it from us are taking care of it. The main road up Norway Hill passes by the backyard of the old house. When we lived there it was not fenced in and some of it was visible from the roadway. When we moved we left Jack’s big dog house in the backyard, not wanting to lug that thing around and try to store it. As we drove up Norway Hill and past the house, we saw that the dog house was still there. Made me smile but it also made my heart ache a bit.  
Our old house in Bothell. Its nice to see that the new owners have taken great care of it.

After visiting our old neighborhood, we drove through Bothell’s downtown area and drove through a few of our usual spots. A lot has changed in the four years since we left but a lot has also stayed the same. From there we headed to Edmunds for what would be Abby’s very first ferry ride!

Abby’s first ferry ride was a huge success. She couldn’t believe that you can drive a car onto a boat. Once we were loaded on and parked, we took her upstairs to the main passenger deck. She was able to see Edmunds as we left and enjoy the view of the Puget Sound and the Olympics. We also hit it at the right time, just as the sun was starting to set over the sound. It was breathtaking. For Abby, there was nothing like being on a ferry. In fact, she was a tad upset with us when it was time to go back to the car and disembark.
Once we landed at Kingston, we realized that we would not be taking the ferry back to the other side. The line of weekend traffic waiting to get on the ferry was extremely long. So we decided to enjoy the drive and get back to Seattle via Tacoma and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Once we were back on the East side of the Puget Sound, we headed to Kent (our first residence before we bought the home in Bothell), grabbed a bite to eat and then drove around Downtown Seattle for a bit. By this point it was pretty late and there wasn’t much open, but it was great to see some of Seattle’s notable spots. I have to say, as we drove back to the hotel that night I couldn’t help but think about how much I miss this place.

A Quick Trip to Washington… A Day with Grandma and Grandpa

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Our one full day with my parents was pretty tame and very relaxing. We had breakfast at the hotel and then took off for a little more exploring. Most of the day was spent at Manito Park. The day before Abby had seen the entrance to Duncan Gardens which looked like a scene from Alice in Wonderland. So Grandma and Grandpa took her over to the “Alice Garden” to explore. After hours of exploring and lunch at the park, Abby headed to the play ground for a bit more play time. There she made another friend, this time a little boy. The two of them played until it was time to leave. From here we all took a bit of a drive together while Abby napped in the car. 

As the day started to wind down we headed back to the hotel. Abby played hard and desperately needed a bath, so we cleaned her up and then headed to dinner. For our last night together we headed to the Spaghetti Factory, a Taylor family favorite since I was a very young kid. We haven’t been there in quite some time, so it was a yummy treat!

Unwilling to throw in the towel, we went back to the hotel for just a bit and then hopped back into the car, ready for another adventure. We made our way out of Spokane and away from the city lights to watch the Perseid meteor shower. Driving out to complete darkness would have been too much and too far with Abby in the car but the spot we found was perfect. We saw hundreds of “shooting stars”, more then I think I have ever seen. Both my dad and Shaun tried to capture pictures of the meteors but to no avail. Still, we saw a lot with our own eyes and enjoyed some special time together. Abby even pointed out a few to us!

But soon, Abby was bored, the temperature was dropping and it was getting late. We finally threw in the towel, headed back to our rooms and settled in for the night. Our day wasn’t overly busy but the time spent together was so nice. Abby really enjoyed some one on one time with Grandpa and Grandma and she had the chance to see a lot. Its a quick trip but one we were enjoying a lot.

A Quick Trio to Washington… Finally in Spokane and Ready to Enjoy the Day!

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After some much deserved rest, we emerged from our hotel room around 11:30am refreshed and ready to start the day. We needed to eat so we headed to Frank’s Diner where breakfast is served all day and you get to eat in an old rail car right by the train tracks. Abby loved it and didn’t stop asking about the trains the entire time we sat there. Breakfast was also amazing too.

After grabbing a bite to eat, we decided to hop into the car and do some exploring before my parents arrived. We drove all over Spokane and some of the surrounding cities. We showed Abby the houses that Grandma Zoe lived in before she moved back to California. We drove through Manito Park and stopped to watch the ducks and the geese. It was a hot day, well over 90 so most of the birds stayed out of the water and sat in the shade, but a few of the geese were wandering around showing everyone who was boss.

Once the sun started to set and it cooled down a bit, we took Abby back to Manito Park so that she could stretch her legs and run off all of the time spent in the car. Abby certainly ran and she also made a friend at the park. She was a bit older then Abby but they still had a blast running, jumping and climbing together. Before we knew it, Grandma and Grandpa were calling to tell us that they had arrived and were at the hotel so we finished up our time at the park and headed back.

The rest of the evening was pretty quiet. We had dinner at Red Robin that night, which I know Abby approved of. Once our bellies were full, it was time to head back to the hotel and get some rest. It may have felt like a short, whirlwind of a day but we had a wonderful time. Now we had a full day with my parents ahead of us.

A Quick Trip to Washington… The First 31 Hours!

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The first 31 hours of our trip… yes, that number is very specific and important so keep on reading!

The day we left, Shaun still went into work to get some things done before our trip. I made any changes that I needed to make now that I knew some of our plans and I also dropped Ellie off at Grandpa and Nana’s. When Shaun came home, we finished up any of the last minute details and hit the road. It was a bit later then we had expected but still, we were on the road.

After stopping for gas and something to drink we were traveling on I-5 at 70 mph and glad to be on our way. Our destination for the night was Redding, California which is about eight hours away from our home. We hit the road at about 6:30pm which meant we would arrive in Redding around 2am. Not bad for us and that still gave us plenty of time to sleep and then drive to Spokane the next day.

We made good time, stopping for a bite to eat in Castaic and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over Grapevine. In the middle of nowhere (Harris Ranch area of California’s Central Valley) we stopped for gas and Shaun and I switched for a bit. The plan was to have me drive until we reached Sacramento and then we would switch again.

Sunset Over Grapevine

I was driving along, listening to my iPod while Shaun slept and Abby watched a movie on our portable DVD player when traffic suddenly came to a halt. We were between Patterson and Modesto, so I thought that maybe we were hitting a slow down as we came into civilization again but alas that was not the case. Traffic came to a dead stop and from that point did not move. Five minutes went by, nothing. Ten minutes, still no movement. The moment the fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars came flying past us on the left shoulder was the point at which I knew this wasn’t good. People began to get out of their cars. I-5 Northbound was now a parking lot. Whatever was going on wasn’t that far from us. Cell service was spotty. We were stuck with a hill to our left, steep enough that you could only walk up it and to our right was the California Aqueduct. We were stuck with no hope of CHP even making an effort to turn us around. When I finally had decent cell service I was able to look up the CHP road incident website and found out that a big rig had overturned and was now blocking all lanes.

We knew we were in for a wait. An hour passed, then two, then three. This whole time Abby sat quietly in the car watching movies, eating snacks and singing songs with us. We were lucky to have just stopped for gas before running into this mess, which allowed us to keep the car running, the AC going (at 1am it was still 85 degrees out) and the DVD player on so that Abby could occupy her time. Abby was an amazing little trooper. I think she thought it was fun and more of a game. Shaun and I tried to look at it that way but it was hard. As the clocked ticked over to about 3am, I couldnt help but think that we should have been asleep in our beds in Redding. I also couldnt stop thinking about a bathroom. Finally I became desperate. Let’s just say I was glad that Shaun bought a large drink, but I will never look at a Taco Bell cup the same way again.

At about 3:45am, we started moving again. Shaun and I couldn’t help but giggle as we moved slowly and could see all of the “puddles” from the other cars in front of us. The big rig that over turned had been carrying tomatoes.  CHP and the other crews had done a good job cleaning up but you could see the tomato carnage  off to the side. From there we attempted to march on but eventually had to stop in Woodland, California just North of Sacramento. There was no way we would make it to Redding by a decent time and wouldn’t even attempt the drive to Spokane without any sleep. So we stopped and tried to get as much sleep as we could.

After about 4 or 5 hours of sleep we were back up and on the road. I actually didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would but then again, we were just starting a 12 hour trip to Spokane. Ask me how I am feeling halfway through the trip and the outlook might change. Coffee, soda and a few naps along the way can fix anything.

The trip from Woodland, California to Bend, Oregon was pretty uneventful. The day was hot but pretty. There were several fires burning in California so the skies were a bit hazy through Redding but it wasn’t horrible. Abby enjoyed seeing Mt. Shasta and all of the lakes and trees along the way. She also crossed over into Oregon for the very first time. Because of the highway we were on, Shaun and I had the chance to stop and take a picture of this very occasion in front of the Oregon sign. It was a great photo op as well as chance to stretch our legs a bit.

Refreshed and ready to hit the road again. Abby is a real road warrior!!

“Please, no pictures.” I have a picture like this of Shaun on just about every trip we have been on together. It’s fun to harass him while he is driving.

Mt. Shasta on a beautiful, cloudless and blue sky kind of day!

Abby is about to cross into Oregon for the very first time!

All of this traveling can really tucker a girl out!

Once we hit the cutoff to Crater Lake, the road to Bend and the Columbia River was new territory for all of us. The road was tree lined and very pretty. It was my kind of place and even though the trees were not Lodge pole pines, they were still pine trees. We stopped in Bend for a bathroom break and some food and then continued on our way.

About half an hour in we received a phone call from our friend who was taking care of Jack. There were problems so for about thirty minutes we were occupied trying to resolve them. Once things were taken care of, we settled in and enjoyed the view. Mt. Hood was getting closer to us and the forest around us was becoming more dense. The sun was setting and our scenery was beautiful. So beautiful that I couldn’t remember if this road took us close to Mt. Hood or not.

Pretty soon I became suspicious of our location and then I noticed the signs stopped telling us the mileage to The Dalles and only mentioned Portland. I hopped on to my GPS and sure enough, WE WERE HEADING TO PORTLAND! Having to drive to Portland, which meant heading West instead of East, would have added over 75 miles to our trip and we would have lost another hour or so. I just wanted to get to Spokane and get to bed! I was starting to feel like this trip was cursed! But my GPS saved the day and we got lucky, very lucky. We were only a mile from the one and only cutoff that would lead us back in the right direction and only a few miles off course. It would drop us in the town of Hood River and less then 20 miles off our original destination of the Dalles.

From that point on, things ran smoothly. We checked in about Jack oce we had cell service again, gassed up and just drove. Abby, during all of this, was amazing. She watched movies, read books, napped, listened to the radio with us, colored and stayed pretty happy. We arrived in Spokane at about 2:30am ready to pass out. Abby was excited to have her own bed (a rather cozy roll away) and loved that we were staying in a hotel with a lion (the Red Lion). After a full day of travel on only 4 or 5 hours of sleep, Shaun and I slept well. My parents wouldn’t be in to Spokane until about 6pm the next day so we slept in. We slept in and enjoyed every wonderful moment of it in our very comfortable beds.

A Quick Trip to Washington… The Big Surprise!

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When I say a quick trip to Washington, I mean quick! There and back again in 5 days but it was a blast. The destinations were a surprise to me. All Shaun would tell me is that we were hitting the road to get away for a bit. I didn’t find out until the day we left as to where we were going and the only reason he told me was because I needed to plan accordingly. Our itinerary was as follows:

  • Wednesday August 8th: Home to Redding, California
  • Thursday August 9th: Redding, California to Spokane, Washington
  • Friday August 10th and Saturday August 11th: Spokane, Washington
  • Sunday August 12th: Spokane, Washington to Seattle, Washington
  • Monday August 13th: Seattle, Washington to Redding, California
  • Tuesday August 14th: Redding California to Home
OK, I know that sounds nuts but the Wharton Family loves their road trips! I also know some of you might be asking why Spokane and not just Seattle for the whole trip because of our previous time spent living there. Well, Shaun also surprised me with MY PARENTS! They can easily make the drive from Bozeman to Spokane and spend a short weekend with us. Adding the 4 hours to Seattle would have made it a bit too difficult to do in three days. So, we met in Spokane and enjoyed the time we had with one another.
As a last minute decision, Shaun also decided to leave Ellie here at home and Abby came with us. Ellie is still little enough that the long hours in the car are difficult. Abby is our little road warrior and can handle the trip with grace now that she is a bit older. Dont worry we didn’t leave Ellie alone! She actually spent the time with Grandpa, Nana and Aunt Brittany. This was their first chance to watch one of the girls for more then just the weekend and I have a feeling they enjoyed it. We certainly missed Ellie and it didn’t quite feel like a vacation without her there but after all the experiences we had, it was good that she wasn’t. 
What experiences you ask? Well stay tuned for pictures and stories from our crazy trip!