The Big Trip :: Washington & Alaska

Hello and welcome to the longest freaking blog post. 😉 Come along and enjoy the tale of our latest journey! Images were taken on either my Canon 5D Mark II, Sony Exmor R, or iPhone 5.

Round One :: Washington

It all started back in January.

I received a voicemail stating that a Super Bowl Bet had been made and the Mr. and I were in on it. If the Seahawks won, my cousin Luke {Denver}, my cousin Derek {South Dakota}, and Mr. Nick and I would fly to Seattle to buy dinner for my Aunt and Uncle who live there. However, if the Broncos won, we would all fly to Luke in Denver and our Aunt and Uncle would buy us dinner. Win/Win, right?!

Low and behold, the 12th Man played out and The Bet was on; Seattle here we come!

Now, visiting my Aunt and Uncle {who live just outside of Seattle} is always a treat. They seriously just love to host guests and they do it so well. I’ve flown out to see them at least a dozen times and the fellow has been there once before. Luke hadn’t been out in about 14 years and Derek’s last trip was about 3 years ago, so it was great to all be able to come together for this!

We started our long weekend with wine tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle and then crossed the street for a tasty lunch and beer tasting at Redhook Brewery!

We returned home that night for a jaunt through my Aunt and Uncle’s backyard where we found the old rope swing {that thing is so old and should probably not be tested anymore, but we did it anyway!}. That night we were treated to my favorite entree that my Aunt makes: Coquille St. Jacque. Scallops seared to perfection in a creamy, cheesy sauce with dallops of mushrooms and a crunchy breadcrumb topping? Yes, please!! At then we also had crab legs. And Caesar salad. And wine. And little truffle desserts. Needless to say, we did not starve. Ever.

The next day it rained {go figure!?}, which was fine as it was a deck day to watch the Kentucky Derby! Being that they live in such a rainy climate yet still enjoy entertaining in an outdoor environment, most of their deck is covered with a beautiful cedar and tin roof making for an excellent view of the forest-backyard while watching tv from the comfort of the deck. It is simply unreal and sublime-I love it out there!

Our cousin, Kirimi, joined us from Oregon for the weekend {along with her hubs and their sweet daughter}. So we had one child from each of our Aunt/Uncles and represented CO, SD, MN and OR! Crazy!!

Charlotte rocks. And so does her fairy garden at her Nana’s!

So, onto The Bet. My very awesome Aunt and Uncle decided, since we all flew in to them, that instead of us buying dinner, we would make it instead. Herb-crusted pork tenderloin, cranberried rice pilaf, green beans rendered with bacon and maple glazed carrots. Better than any meal we could have found out and the company was top notch. As my cousin Luke said so accurately, “There were no losers of this bet!”

Sunday came and it was time for Luke to fly home and the Oregonians to drive back to their homeland…but not before I quick jaunt down to Pike Place Market and some beers and chowder at Lowell’s! I’ve been to Lowell’s so many times as I just can’t quite tire of the food or the view. It’s perfection {even in the rain}.

Alas, it was time to pack up and go. What a beautiful trip with a fabulous family. However did I get so lucky?!

Round Two :: Alaska

Since Mr. and I were ‘so close’ we thought we should tie a trip to see our buddy, Ricky, in Alaska after our Seattle spurt. We arrived at 8:30am Monday morning and were ready to go! Ricky had recently purchased a trailer that we were planning on using to cavort around the Alaskan countryside. Recently meaning that he purchased the trailer in Georgia and was driving it back while we were relaxing in Seattle…he made it back to Alaska in time to beat us there by 3 hours. 🙂

We didn’t have a plan; just a trailer, two motorbikes, a truck, six days and the open road. It was awesome.

Our first stop was Chena Hot Springs Resort. Most people probably wouldn’t camp in a trailer like this, but the three of us aren’t most people. We kept getting asked what we were hauling and the expressions we received when informing that we were carrying two bikes, a couch and a mattress…well…folks were skeptically perplexed.

We left our gourmet meals back in Seattle and instead filled our bellies with luxuries like deli sandwiches and SPAM. We also had some of the best burgers and thickest steaks cooked over the campfire. I like food.

Waterlogging the WR. These two are always up to something…probably why this was one of our best adventures yet!

Hot springs are cool. As in neat, not cold. The water temp was an average of 106 and hotter areas could be found simply by wading around the pool. Sandy bottom, rocky edge, beautiful view.

Alaska does not get completely dark in May. The below right image was taken at 3:47am-so strange!

Hot springs and the mountains at 4:00am

Before leaving Chena, we took the Geothermal tour which included an inside peek of their greenhouses. They provide up to 10% of the produce consumed at the resort; pretty sweet considering how popular this place is.

We left Chena most certainly how we did not find it {shenanigans, I tell ya!} and set our sights for Valdez.

MOOSE!!! Just chillin on the side of the road. We saw 10 of them the entire trip {along with one Spirit Moosen}. And caribou. And a black bear. Score.

View while driving

CARIBOU!!!! Saw 8 during our whole trip.

Random Thai food truck at an intersection in the middle of nowhere on our way to Valdez. It was a welcome sight for these hungry travelers! Everything on the menu is $10, huge portions, delicious and was exactly what we were looking for.

We spent Friday night off the side of the road. Not the best night sleep I’ve ever had :: the wind was crazy and shook the trailer most the night. I swear we got broad-sided by a herd of buffalo but they boys assured me that wasn’t the case. Plus there’s a shooting range nearby and Alaskans like to shoot things in the wee-hours of the morning? Unsettling at best. But…makes for just another piece of adventure, right? We pulled off here in the middle of the night, so imagine my surprise to fully see the view Saturday morning. So. Beautiful!

Valdez Harbor. Fishermen were in full swing getting their boats and equipment prepped and ready for fishing season. I believe the salmon start their runs early next week!

While in Valdez, we took in a flight show. Bush pilots flew in to compete and cheer each other on for a quickest take-off/landing competition. Great camaraderie and entertainment. It was super nuts how short of a runway these pilots can work with! And some of those planes were just amazing to see up close…

After Valdez, we packed up our stuff and headed toward Palmer. A quick stop at a scenic byway as the sun sat on the horizon…

Our new friend, Joe Beredith, loaded his little Toyota in the trailer and came along with us!

Our friend Ricky is one crazy guy and we always have some kind of spectacularly hilarious escapade when the three of us get together. Always.

Oh, how I’m crazy about this guy. He gets me.

Sleeping roadside just outside of Palmer; our last morning view from the trailer!

Once arriving in Palmer, we pulled out the remains of our groceries for a delicious fried SPAM breakfast.

😉

Oh, why Palmer? Why that’s where Alaska Raceway Park is located! Nick got to drag race Ricky’s Yahama R6 {initially this was gut-wrenching for me, but it turned completely engaging and awesome after the first pass} and Ricky played along and raced his WR250R a couple times, too. Lots of fast {LOUD!} vehicles and tons of fun to be had at this park. And, again, check out that freaking view!!!

Nick’s in the white/blue suit and Ricky’s in the black. Nick’s best time was 10.79 seconds on the 1/4 mile — top speed of 126mph!! Ricky did not fare as well with the WR; something around 14 seconds and 76mph, I believe.

Sunday was unusually hot for Alaska in May {topping out at 81 degrees!}, so after the Raceway we loaded the bikes back up and stopped by the Knik for some fun in the sun. We met up with a few more new friends, Emily and Jack, who had a gleaming green Rubicon. The boys took off on the bikes and the Jeep and Em and I sat and took in the beauty of the warm day. Pretty much where we’re sitting was a location for the filming of the movieÂ The Frozen Ground which is based on the true story of an Alaskan murderer. Useless nugget of info for ya there…

It was hot and these guys are nuts–they went for a quick dip in the glacier water!Â The water was so cold; I stood in it ankle deep while they were swimming and my legs turned into stumps as I rapidly lost feeling in my toes. But, hey, when in Alaska, I guess!