The End!

It's our last post!

San Francisco was wonderful. We're trying to figure out ways to live there someday.




Near the Ferry Building with the Bay Bridge in the background.












We couldn't help eating at this sushi place BOTH nights.

















The iconic TransAmerica building, one of Tom's favorites.











On our way up Telegraph Hill.









Yes, sadly, our trip is over. We were just saying yesterday after our 10-hour drive home from San Francisco how we couldn't have imagined we'd have that much fun. But we did! We had wonderful visits with family and friends, strange encounters with strangers, all different kinds of cuisine and we saw beautiful landscapes with new eyes.

2,900 miles--and countless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches--later, we're home! Thanks for following our tales from the western trail!

The Last Stop

After a day exploring the city, we're exhausted. We'll leave you with this video and post more after tomorrow's long trip back home. Goodbye, San Francisco!

We realized we had entered a different world today when we looked at the car thermometer and it was under 100 degrees. We're so thankful for the fog of San Francisco! (It reminds us of home.)

We left June Lake early this morning to head into Yosemite National Park. The natural beauty--the sights and smells-- were amazing. Quite a different kind of beauty from Las Vegas.







From there, we wound our way down to sea level and to San Francisco. We've only been here a few hours, but so far we've wandered down to the bay, seen beautiful homes, eaten delicious sushi, and visited Erika's old N.J. friend, Emily,
at her home in Oakland.


There is a pigeon nesting right outside our bathroom window in our motel. We had a coupon for this motel.

Obviously, we're wiped. So we'll say "good night" for now and post again once we've explored the city!

Vegas and Onward

Yes, we're alive and no, we didn't lose all of our money. We survived Las Vegas, and we had a great time.



Tom and his friend Brett playing pool at a night on the town in Tucson.










On the road to Las Vegas!














At the slots. Never fear, parents: we only gambled about $10 of our own money.










As you may know, within minutes of arriving at our hotel, we got suckered into going to a timeshare presentation. In return for 5 hours of aggressive salesmanship and lying about our income, we received a free dinner and cash for slots. Worth it? The jury is still out..

On the early morning shuttle to the timeshare..... And surveying our spoils afterward















We now write from June Lake, California, a beautiful town (akin to Grand Lake, CO) at the base of snow-covered mountains and on a crystal blue lake. We drank and played pool at the only bar in town tonight. Tomorrow we'll be on the road again, driving through Yosemite National Park and on our way to see friends and sights in San Francisco.

Post from the Strip

Hello! We're writing from the Excalibur Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Somethin' else, huh?

After a great stay with Tom's friend Brett (and his pool!), we made our way through Arizona and to Sin City. Our adventures here have been, so far, almost indescribable. We've walked the strip, experienced downtown Fremont St., and ended our evening last night by walking the seven miles from downtown all the way to our hotel. It was crazy. But now we can say we walked across Las Vegas!

We've spent most of the day so far at a timeshare presentation. No, we're not interested in buying property, but almost as soon as we walked into our hotel, we were picked out as suckers. In return for a 5- hour presentation this morning, we're getting some free stuff. That's called ballin' on a budget.

Photos and videos to follow. Right now, we're just trying to keep up with this city!

The First Leg

Due to the lack of coffee shops with wi-fi we've come across (obviously, this isn't Portland!), we're playing catch-up with this post. What you'll see here are some highlights from the first few days of the trip, traveling from Grand Lake, through Santa Fe, and on to Sedona.

Our first stop: Denver. Here we are at the Capitol.

And here's Erika picking up the Capitol. A somewhat more artsy shot. This will be a theme in our photos (and with dubious success).

Traveling is hard work, but it can be beautiful. Almost every day we've brought the Portland rain with us, and it's a nice respite from the sun.

On the way to Santa Fe...

Later that night...

We'd only had one drink.

Cowgirl bar!

Santa Fe is the third-largest art producing city in the world. Tom is quite the art appreciator.

He is also a lover of bronze elk.

Tom's brother, Jake, recommended we eat at his old Santa Fe haunt. Delicious. Dangerous.

A video adventure of our first few days.

We arrived in Sedona, Arizona Friday afternoon and are visiting with Tom's Aunt Carrol and Uncle Mauro in red rock country. BEAUTIFUL. This is another artistic shot in which Tom is pouring a teapot in the direction of Erika's water bottle. It's abstract.

The Pandos have been wonderful to us. Thank you!

Yee Haw!

Our time with Erika's parents was great. We rode horses, went boating, kayaked, hiked and enjoyed the scenery of Grand Lake, Colorado.
As you can see, Tom is a natural cowboy.


Our favorite local celebrity was Jeff, our guide on the trail. With him around, there was never a quiet moment. And he has incredibly strong groin muscles. Make of that what you will.










As a surprise, Erika's parents took us on their new fishing boat--the Super Fish I--and we putted around Grand Lake.








At the top of the Rockies.

Kayaking video adventure...

A mama and baby moose romping in the meadow. Erika would like one as a pet.






Hitting the road! Off to adventure in the Southwest in Erika's trusty Vibe and make our way back to Portland. Thanks, Spaets, for being wonderful hosts!