Day 7&8: On the Road Home

The last two days have been pretty much straight driving. We did stop in Grant's Pass on Wednesday to do a little bit of thrift shopping.

On Wednesday, we also spent the night in a Motel 6. That in itself was quite the experience. I'm pretty sure we brought home a few bugs from the beds. A non-smoking room shouldn't smell like smoke when you open the door.

Today we stopped in Gilroy to go to the outlets, but it was a quick stop. The smell of garlic permeated the whole area and it was pretty hot outside too.

Finally we are back home! It has been a long trip, and we have driven over 1,900 miles. This is the end of the trip and the end of the blog. Now it's time to shower and get all that Motel 6 off of ourselves!

Day 6: Portland

Today was a shopping day! It is nice to go shopping in an actual mall. We also found a Goodwill Superstore. That store was the best thrift store I have ever been in. My aunt and uncle also took us to the Clackamas County Town Center, which is basically a giant mall with a movie theater and a really legit food court. I had Japanese food at the food court, which is something you would never find in Santa Maria.

After a little rest at home, my aunt, mom and I went to the movie theaters. There are 8 screens in the theater and it isn't even the only theater in town. We went to see Larry Crowne, which was really cute. All of us had a fun time having a girl's night out.

Tomorrow is the day we leave :( I'm going to miss being around my family and being in the city. At least, now that my aunt knows how to do it, we can keep in touch through Facebook. Tomorrow will be a long day of driving, so wish us luck!

Day 5: Portland

Today was the 4th of July!!!! Woot! We started off the day with the City of Maywood Park 4th of July Parade! This consisted of two motorcycle cops, a firetruck, the city's mayor, people walking dogs and an assortment of small children on bikes. My uncle was in the parade, walking his two greyhounds. We sat on the side of the road and waved and cheered as the parade went by. No one was quite sure when the parade was really over, because the children kept riding by on their bikes.

The next thing on the agenda was the City Picnic. My aunt's friend Ellen and her partner, Jeanna, came over to go to the picnic with us. The whole neighborhood came out and there was a lot of good food. We sat and ate and ate and ate :) My aunt and uncle were able to introduce us to a lot of their neighbors. As the picnic wound down, we headed back home. There, my aunt, uncle, mom and Ellen played games. Jeanna took a nap on the couch while I chilled on the computer. They played until about 10:00, when it finally got dark.

As fireworks boom across the neighborhood, our night comes to an end. Tomorrow holds some more adventures!

Day 4: Portland

Today we went out exploring in the city. Our first stop was the Saturday (and Sunday) Market in downtown Portland. I love the Saturday Market, because it is like a combo of the Strawberry Festival and a Farmer's Market minus the strawberries and rides :) My mom and I shared an elephant ear, which is a giant pastry covered in cinnamon and sugar. My aunt, mom and I were all able to find some treasures and we all got new sunglasses. My aunt even let me get a henna tattoo! Now I fit in the with the locals even more :)

After we finished looking around at the Market, we headed over to the Pittock Mansion. This place is pretty much Portland's Hearst Castle. There aren't tours, so you are free to go about the house at your own pace. Also, the rooms are a bit more open and you can actually touch some of the stuff. The mansion was very pretty and had a lot of history.

After touring the mansion and surrounding gardens, we headed off for lunch. My aunt took us to a Thai food place called Typhoon! Unfortunately, I never get good Thai food in Oregon and my meal was not enjoyable. My mom's and aunt's were delicious though.

Our next stop was Powell's City of Books. I love this place; it covers four city blocks and has four levels of pure books. I found a book I need for school and a book of e.e. cummings poems. I could lose myself in there for hours.

We made a quick stop at Voodoo donuts (lot's of giggling was done over the somewhat inappropriate names of donuts). Their donuts are soooo good! They have a lot of combinations that are unheard of in our little local donut shops. Our busy day was winding down and it was nice to just sit around and watch the Daily Show. Tomorrow will be more relaxing, but it will be fun to see how Portland celebrates the 4th of July!

Day 3: Portland

We finally arrived! We had a nice sleep in time this morning, and didn't leave the hotel until 10 o'clock. Our plan was to do a little shopping before we hit the road. Unfortunately, half the thrift stores in the town were closed for the 4th of July weekend. How weird is that? We did go into a music store, an antique store and the only open thrift store on the street. Luckily, my mom and I were both able to find some treasures.

We headed for Portland, and after a nice lunch at Dairy Queen, I was able to drive again. Dairy Queen serves gravy with their chicken strips. Luckily the calories aren't right on the menu :) Oregon likes to warn you when a D.M.V. is coming up, just in case you need to know.

My aunt and uncle showed us an interesting place for dinner. It was called Killer Burger and they put bacon on every burger they serve. Yum! Then I taught my aunt how to use Facebook and we had some nice family time. We have a busy day planned for tomorrow and I am excited to get back in the city.

Day 2: Grant's Pass

Today was a driving day. We left San Francisco at about 7 o'clock this morning. My mom started out driving, while I took another nap. We switched at a rest stop. I must say that some of those rest stops are very nice places. I could hang out there all day :) We rolled into Grant's Pass after about 8 hours of driving.

Since we arrived at our destination early, we went to the Hellgate Jet Boat Excursion. They take you down the Rogue River and then you eat at their restaurant. It is a lot of fun, and they go really fast! We saw a lot of wild life on the banks of the river. We saw three baby osprey in their nest. They were really cute! Interesting fact: one of the men we ate dinner with worked as the first Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. On the way back, they spin the boat and jump each other's wakes. We had a lot of fun and got pretty wet.

Now we are off to bed in our Best Western. Tomorrow we are Portland bound!