Oregon to Asheville

We really only dashed in for a hotdog and photo, then back on the road. The terrain is so much greener and hillier now – thank goodness. (A lot of Oregon in this girl).

We ran out of gas on the highway, 1.9 miles from the Common Cents gas station. Yep.

It was 106 degrees, and in order to keep the boys contented, we played The Hamster Dance Song. On repeat. Previous to this arrangement we’d allowed one playing of the song per day.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of hearing this track, I invite you to do so without delay.

20 minutes later the AAA gentleman arrived to rescue us. Air conditioning was blessedly restored.

At long last we crossed the Montana border into Wyoming.

Pulling into Keyhole State Park, we were told our reservation was non-electric (an oversight on my part) and the camp host office was now closed. At 111 degrees any sleeping with two young boys would be an impossibility without electricity.

I immediately had visions of a long, hot and sudsy shower and shave, wrapping up with a thick terry robe in a chilly hotel room off the interstate…

Meanwhile Matt found a woman working at the Marina who (seeing as it was a Monday) pointed us toward the vacant sites with full hook-ups – for the going rate, of course.

I’m not so fancy. Splash in the lake, a good night’s sleep, and away we go.

We stopped over in Bozeman for a sandwich today and got some nice new camp chairs with Matt’s REI gift card (thanks Mom). I also got some new sunnies! 😎

The drive today felt pretty good: two hours in the morning, two hours after lunch (we’ve agreed to not exceed 350 miles a day with littles in tow). Though how many dang days does it take to get through Montana? My heavens.

Pulling into our campsite today was a delight – just the right amount of kitschy, a pool, laundry facilities, showers, wifi! – oh, and wagon wheels. It feels right.

Not a lot to say about the night we stayed over in Helena at the Black Sandy Campground. It was hot and dusty and we really just wanted to sleep and wake to start all over again. The view, however, was pleasant enough.

The boys were a little too young to appreciate the grandeur (and long, winding roads) one will behold at Glacier National Park. We did get to take an hour rental boat around the glassy waters. It was serene – to just breathe it all in. (I also spent too much at the gift shop).

Full disclosure: I though having a TV in our camper was obscene – we’re in the great out of doors! Turns out I don’t mind the downtime.

We happened to find the Garfield movie inside its DVD player. The boys think it’s hilarious (Heaven help us).

I was going to also brag about my scrabble prowess during these enjoyable moments of downtime. But then Matt schooled me 405 to 280. Let’s talk about something else.

We haven’t been here since the summer of 2014, before we had the boys. Matt’s dear friend, John, has a family cabin on the water here and it’s glorious. A lovely three days to break in the camper and all the intricacies of living in one/creating the day-to-day routines. Finn (5) deftly maneuvered his first kayak paddle all on his own! We swam, explored, and sunned ourselves in the perfect lakeside temperatures Montana served up.

My best friend, Cara, lives in Spokane where I went to college. Though I’ve made countless trips up to see her (and her, me) over the past 22 years, this visit had a different energy about it. Having only just seen her three weeks prior when she came to help pack our house up, the rendezvous was less out of necessity – rather a touchstone for me. A meaningful place, a significant person that will also change in proximity going forward. The playground, the splash pad, Henry’s first bee sting (he didn’t even cry!) and then we got ice creams for the road and were off again.

Our last week in Oregon was spent at Cannon Beach. We’ve spent time every July for the past fourteen years with my mom and sister and brother – and spouses/kids in more recent years. This year would be the last time on the family vacation as Oregonians. Once departing Cannon Beach, we commence the journey across country.  All mapped out. In a camper.  Final destination: Asheville, North Carolina.