The Final Push

For me Idaho holds a lot of history. In college I spent time there during a couple of summers working for the Forest Service. We'd go out into the wilderness for 8 days and work on trails. The relationships I built with my co-workers and with the place itself had a profound affect on my life. I am still friends with many of those same people, and I return to Idaho again and again. 

It had been four years since I'd last visited and much had changed. I could see some aging on my friends, especially the children. It made me wonder how different I looked to them. But also, it was a change within me. Most of my time spent in Idaho has been as a single person. This time I came back married and with a child. I felt.... old. Older, I guess, is a better word, but still.. Responsible, matured, not as enraptured with adventure. Don't get me wrong, I do wish for a bit more adventure in my life in the way of outdoor trips, more hiking, camping, things like that. But not the same sort of vanishing into the wilderness that I found appealing back in my younger days. Makes me wonder if being a grown-up has really taken a hold of me.

I want to have adventures still. I want to live life to the fullest. I want explore and dream and discover. I want to remember those feelings of passion I had when I was younger. And yet.. they don't all fit into my life in the same way. My adventures involve Jacob now and showing him the world. I bring him on my explorations down nature trails where we might only go twenty feet but find a world of rocks that I never would've noticed before. My dreams include more children, a bigger family as well as time for me to make cards, write, do some more quilting. Discovering who I am now on the journey as I add new things into my life: a husband, a child, a new place to live.  

We saw some cool tepees at the Sacajawea Center outside Salmon. Visited some of my favourite hot springs - mostly because they're usually quiet even though they're built up a bit. 

Enjoying some hot springs!

It's crazy to think that I first came to Idaho 10 years ago and that this is where we all are now. Hanging out with old friends was wonderful. Good to be in touch with people for that long. 

Even though Jacob was being a trooper on this long road trip, he also asked about his home frequently. 
"Back," he'd say. "Home".
We explained that our home was packed up and that we were moving to a new home. What he understood we'll probably never know. We called our hotels, hotel home. And we'd tell him that when we were staying at someone else's home. 
One day in the car he says, "Home. Back."
"Yes, we'll got back to Rick and Audrey's home later," I say.
"Ga-cob. Home," he says. "Back".
It broke my heart to hear him ask so specifically to go back to his home. I know he misses it. And I know he won't remember it. That makes me sad. 












Our journey was nearing an end. Fraser couldn't wait to stop packing the car. I couldn't wait to stop entertaining Jacob in the car. Jacob couldn't wait to be out of the car. We stopped in Missoula for a night. Another old Forest Service friend, Dave, was up there. We hadn't seen each other in 8 years. We had a fire and he brought out some old pictures from back in the day. Pretty fun seeing ourselves from back then. We had some good times.



The next stretch of road between Missoula and Seattle I had never been on. Pretty amazing considering all the cross country road trips I've taken over the years. It was only about a three hour drive to Coeur d'Alene, ID. Jacob wasn't a huge fan of getting back in the car. We had to make a few stops. Luckily at one gas station, I noticed a thrift store across the street. Great place to stop for road trip toys! I found a couple more Matchbox cars for 50 cents, some plastic tools for 25 cents, another book for a buck. Most battery operated toys had no batteries but I found one little, pink plastic thing with a button (one of Jacob's obsessions) that, when pressed, made some little lights spin around. And it worked!! This was practically better than breast milk to the boy. Such a small thing; so highly entertaining. Thank you, thank you, thank you thrift store in Cle Elum. And to add frosting to that little piece of magic, I found a pair of Dankso shoes (with the toe and ankle strap) for $8. That's right. Eight dollars. My size. Good condition. 

A beautiful drive between Missoula and Coeur d'Alene. Evergreen covered mountains, fog patches rising from the river and sitting amongst the trees. It was our first overcast day which made it feel cozy. And we got out to eat or get gas it smelled of pine and woodsmoke, making me want to pitch a tent somewhere in the hills. 

Coeur d'Alene was a cute town. We got there early, checked into the only hotel that would let us do so at noon with a pet, and went to sleep. After our naps, we explored the town a bit. Had some good Greek food, wandering through a couple antique stores, then headed back to the hotel for some pool time.

Things got flatter between Coeur d'Alene and Seattle which had a beauty of it's own. And more hay bales. Farmland. Grant County, WA is the county that grows the most potatoes in the world. Who knew?

We arrived in Seattle on our 3rd year wedding anniversary. Seattle was pretty. We finally felt like we were in the Northwest. Lush, green, ocean. Very nice. We stayed with a good friend of mine from high school and college. Had some sushi dinner, watched Sixth Sense (not a good anniversary movie) and hung out. 
After the time change from Mountain Standard Time to Pacific, Jacob started getting up at four, which was pleasant. Needless to say, not many places are open for breakfast at that time.We hit up a Starbucks around 6:30, desperate for some food. Then found a nice park near the water and took a little walk. Lovely moist earth and trees smell so wonderful. The beach here was all rocks but shiny from being wet. If I lived here, my house would be loaded with rocks. They looked like the polished gemstones you find in souvenir stores. I only took a few. 
 

Yum, roast beef sandwich!

 At this point, we were so ready to be done. Enough visiting, enough living out of a car, enough entertaining a strapped in toddler. Definitely enough driving. We wanted to be in a place we could start calling home. 

We stopped in a town for lunch that was filled with antique stores. Everywhere you turned there was another one. Someday, when my mom visits, we'll have to go exploring. 
And finally, after ten days of journeying, we were in Portland.