The Oregon Trail

Last week I took a quick trip to Portland for the weekend to drive a car home for a friend. It was a great excuse to visit Vanessa + David and their beautiful baby girl, Penelope. I love the northwest, and while I was there I was reminded of the trip my family took years ago, which I probably didn't appreciate enough at the time. We drove up the entire west coast into Canada, in an RV, which in retrospect is about the coolest family vacation ever. But at the time I didn't relish being packed into a tiny home on wheels with my family for three weeks. Oh, if only I had time for a three-week road trip these days!

Well this roadtrip was a little different. I was driving alone, and I was driving in this:

I know. But, this boat on wheels, lovingly referred to by its former owner as "the Blue Pearl," is actually a pretty comfy and luxurious ride! And thanks to Portland's commitment to all things organic and local, I was saved from a 12-hour death by fast food, and picked up some snacks from Trader Joe's.

I spent the rest of the day driving, and listening to podcasts from This American Life. The drive went by in a surprisingly fast blur of enlightening radiowaves, pit stops and trail mix. I should have stopped at Multonomah Falls, but instead, the majority of my trip looked like this.