Day 20 - Bozeman to Rapid City, SD

Today, we hiked about 3 miles with the dogs in Bozeman. It was a beautifufl hike along a stream with little waterfalls. The wildflowers were in bloom all over the mountain side.

We decided since we still had a 34 hour drive home that after we checked out Montana State University and did a little shopping downtown that we would hit the road. We made it to Rapid City which took 7 hours off our drive. We are going to try to make it home on Saturday evening.

lee you soon!

Day 19 - Seattle to Bozeman, MT

We started out the day with 43 hours and about 2800 miles before we are back in Charlotte. We knocked off 800 miles and 11 hours and ended up in Bozeman.

We drove through the Cascade Mountains in Washington. They were beautiful!

The rivers in Montana are crystal clear and their rocks are really pretty purple and green.

Bozeman is ranked one of the top 10 places for snowboarding and kayaking. The downtown is really cute! We ate at Montana Ale Works. There is a strange law in MT that says no brewpub can brew their own beer so a brewery brews the beer for the restaurant.

Day 18 - Seattle

No pictures today. We decided not the be the tourists with the big camera in a big city.

We liked Seattle but there were a lot of beggars downtown especially at night when the missions were opening. There is water everywhere you look around the city and the vegetation is very lush and green.

We saw the fish mongers at Pikes Place. The market was full of fish, fruit and veggies, and souvenirs.

We saw an amazing glass blower in Pioneer Square.

We boarded the dogs so that we could have a date night. We went to The Flying Fish for dinner. They had a happy hour special where the appetizers were half price so we had clams and a crab cake. The seafood is amazing on the west coast.

We went to the coolest movie theatre ever! It was in the basement of a hotel and only had one old school theatre but every show was sold out. We saw The Hangover which was hilarious! The theater was decorated in old Hollywood glam.

We are headed East. We cannot wait to see you all!

Day 18 - Final Day in Hood River

We had a beautiful final day in Hood River. We hiked alongside the Klickitat River and then stopped to see the windsurfers and kiteboarders in Hood River.

Day 17 - A Day of Rest

After more than two weeks of travelling and going 100 miles a minute, we took a day off. The boys went fishing and the girls stayed home and read. We managed to go see the Columbia River Discovery Museum which was pretty interesting. The gorge was formed by water running at 90 miles an hour and 2000 times its current flow.

Day 16 - Portland

Today, we went to the Saturday Market in Hood River. They had some neat local art. The only real produce was local strawberries.

Then, we headed out for Portland. We ate at Laurelwood Brewery before the boys and girls spilt up. The boys headed out on a brewery tour led by Drew. The girls headed to the Chinese Gardens and to see the Rose Parade floats. They were beautiful!

We all met up at Lucky Labrador before heading back to Hood River. It is everyone's favorite brewery.

Day 15 - White Salmon and Lost Lake

Today, Drew went kayaking on the White Salmon with a guide named Andy. We used him last year to go down the Klickitat. Drew said the class 4 rapids were too big and one had trees across the river so they had to skip them but the class 3 rapids were great!

Ashleigh and the parents headed up to Lost Lake. It is near Mt. Hood. The dads fished for trout and the girls and dogs walked all the way around the lake (about 4 miles). It was beautiful but there was still snow on the ground.

We ended the evenign with the First Friday Art Walk in Hood River.

Day 14 - The Fruit Loop

Today, we went to see the wineries around the fruit loop in Hood River. They had everything from the traditional Oregon wines like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir to fruit ports. The Fruit Loop is a 35 mile loop that runs between Mt. Hood and Hood River. It is full of orchards. The fruit is late this year so nothing is ready to eat yet.

Later, we headed downtown to Double Mountain for pizza and beer. It rained for the first time last night. The wind has picked up so maybe we can see windsurfers and kiteboarders tomorrow.

Day 13 - Hood River

Today, all the girls went shopping and the boys went to Full Sail to taste beer. We all met up at the brewery for lunch and then the free tour. Each person got a really nice pint glass but they were empty, no free beer.

Drew went kayaking on the White Salmon during "Happy Hour." He went right through a rapid Ashleigh would not attempt last year.

Day 12 - Coast to Hood River

Not much to report today. We had coffee inn Asotria before heading down to Cannon Beach to shop. They shopping was expensive at the art galleries so we took the dogs to play on the beach. Then, we were off to Portland to pick up Ashleigh's parents.

We are all know in Hood River for the week. It is the first time that we have stayed more than 2 nights in a place this whole trip.

Day 11 - Oregon Coast

Today, we travelled north on the Oregon Coast. We stopped in Pacific City to see haystack rock, a huge sand dune that Drew and the dogs climbed up and the Dory boats. The Dory boats launch from the beach and come back right up on the beach.

We had lunch at the Pelican Brewery in Pacific City.

We met Drew's parents in Astoria. Ashleigh's parents will be in Portland tomorrow.