by Annie | Jun 4, 2010 | Travel
Thanks to all those who have followed along through our many adventures during this roadtrip. I will continue documenting our adventures here in Vancouver, for those who are interested. In the meantime, here are some pictures to illustrate the many interesting experiences we’ve had (click the picture below to open the album). Enjoy! DC to BC...
by Annie | Jun 4, 2010 | Travel
Well, I guess you can’t expect a roadtrip of this magnitude to go off without any hitches. During the past couple of weeks, we’ve woken up to wet pillows/sleeping bags/tents multiple times, the lens popped out of my glasses as I was laughing at a funny email (no joke), an interior car panel unhinged itself (presumably from Sofie stepping all over it), our ketchup and mustard bottles were flooded with old cooler water, and a bottle of body wash exploded in my backpack. On top of all that, we were nearly kept out of Canada as we were passing through the border today: BORDER OFFICER: So, what are you coming to Canada for? ME: I’m studying game design at the Vancouver Film School, so I’d like to apply for a student visa. BORDER OFFICER (to JOE): And you? JOE: I’m assuming I can be under the same student visa? BORDER OFFICER: Sure. Marriage license? US: Oh… Oops… Didn’t know we needed that. We’ll have to get it from the car. [We walk to the car, spirits still high, while security cameras pan toward us and the guard outside eyes us suspiciously.] JOE: Do you know where it is? ME: Yup, it’s in one of the large plastic boxes. [I beam at my supreme organization, immediately pulling out my iPhone to access the annotated lists of the contents of each box.] JOE: Great, so it’s in the rooftop carrier. [JOE rummages around, trying to find the key for the rooftop carrier.] ME: Oh yeah, I remember seeing that key… JOE: Well, where is it? ME: I think I put it...
by Annie | Jun 2, 2010 | Travel
A dozen or so days of driving and a couple thousand miles later, we are within hours of our final destination. Today’s been a long day of driving and road sign reading. Here are a few of the most interesting sounding places we’ve passed within the last several days: Salt Lick, KY Effingham, IL Ho-Chunk Casino, WI Blue Earth, MN Crazy Woman Creek, WY Tensleep, WY Wisdom, MT Opportunity, WA Who knew that crazy women originated in Wyoming, that wisdom could be obtained in Montana (right along the banks of the Wise River, of course), and that opportunity could be found in Washington? Oh, the things you learn on a...
by Annie | Jun 1, 2010 | Travel
After arriving in Grand Teton National Park around noon, we pitched our tent in a spot with a gorgeous mountain view and set out on a wonderful 5-mile hike. Well, wonderful in retrospect, now that my toes aren’t throbbing anymore and I’ve made it out without a major fall. Starting out on the trail, everything looked great. There weren’t any signs of my usual hiking archnemeses: mosquitoes and poison ivy. I could walk with confidence. However, I soon found out that other unforeseen obstacles were awaiting me. My non-hiking shoes had to contend with jagged rocks, gooey mud, and slippery ice and snow patches. Don’t get me wrong – the view was breathtaking, when I could look up from the treacherous trail to enjoy it, anyway. We spotted numerous marmots along the trail, and some seemed very eager to pose for pictures, perhaps in exchange for a spare crumb or two. When we finally reached Inspiration Point, a hilltop spot with an amazing view, we were greeted by a chipmunk host, who seemed very excited to see us. As soon as we sat down with our afternoon snacks, Alvin promptly scurried over, circling the perimeter at first. Before I took a single bite out of my Nutrigrain bar, he was already hopping back and forth on the branches behind me, getting uncomfortably close. Once I opened and peeled back the wrapper, all bets were off. He ran to my feet, sat up, and put his little paws on my leg. Now, if it’s illegal for humans to approach wildlife, the opposite should also apply. As soon as I shook...
by Annie | May 31, 2010 | Travel
The weather in Yellowstone is bipolar, at best. We drove in through snow, then rain, then sun, then hail, then snow again, all within the course of 20 minutes or so. After passing up a campground at a higher altitude, we went with Madison Campground, at 6800 feet, below freezing temperatures, and whose 250+ campsites would all be full for the night. Sandwiched between two RVs, we had a less than quiet dinner, to say the least. After soaking up as much warmth as possible in the heated bathrooms with flushable toilets (a luxury, I’ve learned), we pajamaed in layers and mummified ourselves in our sleeping bags. By 7am, light started creeping into our tent, and we woke up to several unexpected and unwelcome puddles of water inside our tent. Among other things, the icy water infiltrated Sofie’s bed and Joe’s jacket and gloves and soaked my mittens. Not funny, Nature. Not funny. On our morning drive, we promptly made a reservation for a heated, pet-friendly cabin complete with hot shower, mattresses, and non-battery-powered light sources. The cabin even had hangers, carpet, clean towels, and, dare I mention it, a blowdryer. Sheer extravagance. On our way back to the campsite to pick up our wet tent, we came across droves of people parked by the side of the road. Being the obedient tourists we are, we pulled up behind them and soon realized that everyone was pointing their binoculars and telephoto lenses at a grizzly bear well over a thousand yards away. That means that through our amateur binoculars, the bear was a mere speck. Here’s what I don’t...
