Day 8: Portland, Oregon

It's been a tough day on the road. Almost 500 miles through the mountain passes and construction zones of I-84 have brought us to Portland, Oregon. We decided to splurge tonight, and are staying at the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland. We saw more beautiful sites today, such as the Columbia River, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Saint Helens as well as multiple waterfalls. At this point, however, we are just ready to reach our new home.

The number of sights, people, and places we have seen are incredible. From our new friend, Robert, at the Turquoise Bear in Santa Fe to the incredible vistas at Mesa Verde, and the lady from Raleigh, NC we just met on the elevator, this has been the experience of a lifetime for the both of us.

Our original plans had us taking coastal highway 101 to our new home of Sequim; however, we have decided at this point to turn straight up the interstate in the morning. We are tired, and ready to start with our new life together in the Great Northwest.

We will continue to keep the blog going once we settle in Sequim. It may not be a daily posting, but we will endeavor to keep regular updates to everybody back East on what is going on in our new home.

Finally, I received word yesterday morning on the loss of a lifelong friend, Sammy Generette. Even though we parted ways after high school, Sammy always made a point of keeping up with me throughout our adult lives. He would keep me updated on what had happened with some of our classmates, and in turn, would always want to know how my parents and family were getting along. I love you, Sammy. For what it's worth, this blog is dedicated to you....Ben

Today's trip led us to and through the Columbia River Gorge. It, like much of what we had seen, changed significantly over the many miles. At first, we were still in the relatively arid territory we've grown used to in the West. That part was tough driving because there were mountains, traffic, and construction--always a bad combination, especially for me. Once we hit the river gorge, we followed it for miles and miles. The pictures indicate the breath-taking beauty of the river. Frankly, however, we were both too tired to enjoy it. We tried to stop for the night at Cascade Locks, but, since they were full, drove on to Portland,where we'll spend our last night on the road...Star