Road Trip

So here's the thing. I don't like road trips. I like airplanes. I get tired, bored, and irritable when I have to be in a car for a long time. As I said, I really like airplanes. Why then did I decide to accompany Luke on a car trip all the way from Billings over to Portland and Seattle and to bring Seth with me? That is a very good question. It all started when Luke mentioned that he would like to visit both his grandmas before leaving for Indiana this fall. His original plan was to drive his little car over to the Pacific Northwest by himself. He planned to drive straight through to Portland (14 hours) in one day without stopping. Um...yeah...that made me nervous. I suggested that he (1) stop overnight in a motel and (2) take my van because "I have absolutely nothing to do that week anyway." His reply, "Well, if you have absolutely nothing to do, why don't you come with me?"

Hmmm. No reason, really. So I decided to go, and it seemed like a good idea to bring Seth, so he could visit his grandmas too.

As road trips go, it wasn't bad, but seriously, I am just NOT a long-distance driver. Or passenger, for that matter. Luke drove the majority of the trip, and still, I can't say I enjoyed the experience. We had only one incident that would qualify as eventful: on our way back late Friday night, I suddenly looked up and saw a deer standing in the middle of the road. Luke hadn't seen it, but at my urging, he swerved the car to the left, nicking the deer on the right side of the van. It could have been so much worse. Other than that, it was just lots and lots of miles to travel, occasional stops for food and bathroom breaks, as well as stops at various Redbox stations to rent and return movies to keep Seth entertained.

Despite the tedious car trip, we had many fun experiences once we arrived in Oregon. Most notably, we took Seth to the zoo on a glorious rainy day and saw many cool animals. Seth is the perfect age to appreciate and enjoy everything about the zoo. Also, Luke went to Salem to visit his final mission companion who is now serving there. We also spent half a day at a wonderful outlet mall in Woodburn which had a Coach store! And best of all, I got to spend most of a morning visiting my brother at his work. I love it when I get to spend time with him.

Luke went to Washington for part of the week to visit friends and relatives there. He spent one day with a college friend milking goats on an organic farm in Raymond. Seth and I rode Amtrak from Portland to Everett to meet Luke and begin our travel home. It was Seth's first train ride, so that was fun as well.

All in all, it was a satisfying trip. Next time, though, I'll definitely be flying.