We are on our way, or rather almost on our way. I feel like I am channeling the spirit of Willie Nelson, about to sing "On The Road Again". This time we are headed for the Oregon Coast, by way of Spokane, then Seattle. We'll go all the way down to San Francisco, then over to Sacramento, then back home again. It's a loop I've done before, once already this year alone. Katherine, one the other hand, has seen none of this. Every stop, every town, every road, every sight will be a first for her.
I'm an old hand at road trips, having been the driver for myself, my family, my friends, and now for Katherine. Perhaps it is the only thing I do really well; not so much the driving part but the planning and execution of a road trip. I've done so many that parts of them are automatic.
Right now Katherine is bustling about readying our "en route" snack kit. She likes to bring cheese, proscuitto, pre-peeled oranges, and other snacks to feed us as we make our way down the highway. We already know that our first stops will be just down the hill, one for gas and the other at Tim Hortons. Our route is planned for the day; we are heading out to Banff, through Radium, and down the east Kootenay valley, past the headwaters of the Columbia and Kootenay rivers.
Day two are three are already planned as well, with a stop in Seattle for a full day. It will give Katherine a brief opportunity to get a sense of the city. We'll do Seattle Center, the Space Needle, perhaps the museum, and almost certainly Pike's Market. What we don't know is our route there; I get to decide that tomorrow morning. There are several ways to go, and I've been on all of them.
Beyond the first couple of days, the best road trip plans turn into a fun combination of specific and vague. We know specifically where we are headed. The route plan is rather vague. We know with some degree of certainty what time we would like to leave in the mornings. We are not completely sure what time, or where, we will arrive at night. That's how a good road trip works.
It's time to go, time for me to stop wandering in my mind and start wandering in my truck. On the road again.
There's a terrific downtown Spokane lounge/bar at the Hotel Ruby called the Sapphire. Intimate and cozy, right on a main artery of the downtown. Terry and I stayed at that hotel (pre-ALS days) back in 2012 or 2013. We loved that lounge ... easy place to meet other travelers and locals and learn/share stories. Enjoy your trip!
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