Tri-ing Life and More

Yes I know this trip was designed to hit national parks, but I can't drive by Napa/Sonoma without stopping. If you know me well, you know I love visiting wineries. I like wine, but I love visiting wineries to see how each is different. The setting makes the winery for me. The setting includes the person doing the tasting, the atmosphere of the winery (inside and out), if they are dog-friendly, and if they have food for you to enjoy. Also I always seem to go to wineries with family or friends so that makes them more enjoyable too. I can normally find wine I like everywhere, so honestly that doesn't usually come into my factoring on wineries.  I set aside 3 days for the wine region and convinced my dad to fly out and join us. He is a real wino so it was about time he made it out here. 13 October: Somehow my planning post-Portland wasn't as tight as pre-Portland so I found a random unaccounted for day. It was perfect for us to drive down to Napa since it was around an 8 hour d

We were on such a high from Crater Lake heading to the Redwoods. We knew it was going to be a very different look, but still beautiful.  October 12: We got an early start down to the Crescent City/Redwoods KOA and luckily only had a 3.5 hour drive! It was an uneventful drive but by the end, we were in the Redwoods and staring at incredible trees. I have been going to the campsite first to set up the trailer so that I have more flexibility in the parks with just my car. I also haven't had a chance to learn how to backup with the trailer so I am trying to avoid disaster. Luckily setting up the trailer takes only 5-10 minutes (blog on the trailer coming soon). I was still battling my horrible cold so we took a quick nap and set off to explore Crescent City. We had debated going to the Redwoods or the Pacific Ocean first and decided on the ocean. Luckily we found a visitor center on the way to the beach so we stopped to ask what is the best for us to do. The ranger there provided a gre

After all the festivities in Portland were over, it was time to return to the trailer and keep the road trip going. So many National Parks to visit, so little time (yes I realize I have a 5 week trip but that isn't enough to hit everything). 10 October: I grabbed a ride to the airport with Jo and Jesse so my mom wouldn't have to drive into the city during rush hour to pick me up. Instead she came to get me at the airport, which was a much easier drive for her. Instantly she tells me about a big storm they had the previous night and that a large tree branch fell on the trailer. I couldn't help thinking, what else could go wrong during this trip. Luckily, after a detailed inspection, I determined the trailer looked fine and there was limited to no damage (thank goodness). The trailer and everything associated with it were covered in mud so we tried to clean things up the best we could and hit the road. It was nice to have a shorter drive to get back into the swing of driving

So Portland was the driver of this trip. My two good friends were getting married on 9 October. I was struggling through life and had just read a book about two friends driving to all 48 states (obviously not Hawaii or Alaska). The book was interesting and she didn't solve all of her problems, but she had wonderful adventures and it sounded fun. I started to think about the possibiity of a road trip to Portland for the wedding. I became obsessed with the idea and started looking at routes, places to visit, and campers. I finally set the itinerary I gave earlier in the blog and asked for the time off from work. I thought 5 weeks away from my life would be helpful to let me start fresh and approach life with a different attitude. Currently, I am not sure how much my attitude has changed, but I do think I have more respect for nature and I love the time I have had with my mom. I am much more relaxed though and have a deep appreciation for life right now. I also have learned that RV li