Cheapness In Seattle (A 2019 PNW Trip Report - 2020 update added on 6/25

I bet. I'm not sure this is a place Fran and I would do well at.

Early mornings and long uphill walks! What could be better than that?

I need to take a look at this update from my computer. The phone screen doesnt do it justice.

I don't know if the photo does it justice, either. There are better photos out there.

I can see that. I'd prefer the last half to be downhill rather than uphill!

Always!

Huh. That is kind of weird. Silly Canadians! Not to be confused with the silky ones! :laughing:

Buncha weirdos, those Canadians.

That can't be a bad decision!

Ice cream is never a bad decision! Unless it has nuts in it.

Nice. You gotta love classy people.

I felt like he was desperately seeking attention. Love those people, too.

Yes you could certainly do worse.

::yes::

I'm way late to this party but loved looking at your pics...amazing wildlife especially!!

:welcome: Kathy! Better late than never!

Totally.


I'd have even brought the jam, ya know.

Well, NOW you tell me.

No.

I had a PB&J when I got home.

Wow, you were still hungry after that meal? I had to be rolled out of there.

And even then, the snow can be 15-20 feet high on either side of the road after they do.

Very true. Which is a neat experience in the summer.

Yikes! Glad he could take care of it without waking everyone up, but still. :( Poor kiddo.

Yeah, it's no fun for him, and no fun to clean up.

I didn't know that! Great factoid!

I got it from Wikipedia, so I'm sure it's true.

Does Mama have a collar on? What is that brown thing around her neck?

I noticed that, too. It kind of looks like a collar, which is odd in a national park. I'm not really sure what to make of it. Maybe it's a tracker for the park rangers monitoring animal populations?

That is the one most vivid memory of the trip I've taken to that neck of the woods.

It's definitely a memorable image, for sure. I didn't go in because I was afraid I'd be kicked out.

I'll bet that rearview mirror was a real blessing!

I did not get sick of doing that drive, that's for sure!
 
S L O W L Y catching up as I can...

The main reason we made reservations at the Lake McDonald Lodge 13 months in advance and paid a premium to stay there was to take advantage of the location.
Location, location, location.

But... serious question... if you hadn't stayed there... you'd be able to do the same things you did, but just have to get up much earlier, right?
Thinking of maybe doing this route, but probably can't get a reservation there. I mean... there's no other advantage is there? Like some kind of park perk or whatever?
Summer is by far the most popular time to visit Glacier, because the one road that crosses the park (Going-To-The-Sun Road) is only open from July – September (depending on when they finally clear the snow).
Wow! Takes til July!

And good to know as I do all my trips off summer if I can.
There’s one visitor center up on Going-To-The-Sun Road (that’s a pain to type, by the way)
GTTSR? It's not that bad.
Poor Scotty is susceptible to nosebeeds from time to time
Poor kiddo.
When we got up that morning to use the bathroom, it looked like he had re-enacted the scene from Psycho in there. So that was gross.
Ew... but... yeah, that's something you have to clean yourself. That's asking too much of the maid.
Going-To-The-Sun Road is recognized as a landmark engineering achievement, and one of the first National Park roads designed specifically to accommodate the advent of automobile tourism.
Cool! Now I really wanna do this. :)
It’s also, mile for mile, one of the most beautiful drives in the United States.
Okay! Okay! You've convinced me!
It’s about as close to a work of art as a road gets. But like the best roads, you don’t notice it much because it doesn’t draw attention to itself.
Never thought of that. Some roads are works of art because they draw attention to themselves.
We arrived somewhere in the neighborhood of 7:15 or 7:20 a.m. The parking lot was already over half full.
Okay, good to know. Arrive around 7am for best bet for parking.
This trail starts right at the Logan Pass visitor center and is generally uphill the entire way. So it builds character.
:laughing: but...
Actually, I’d much prefer that. It means the return trip is all downhill.
::yes::
We also had some company along the trail.

471441
Disney animatronics pop up everywhere!
Gorgeous! Wow!
A mama goat and her two kids made their way up the hillside and shared the hiking trail with us for a bit.
Cool!
They weren’t in a rush at all, and didn’t seem troubled in the least by the people on the trail.
And you were probably the very first humans they'd ever seen!


:rolleyes1
Nice shot!
(And ignore the radio-collar. You are definitely the first humans they've ever seen.)
We got back into our van and navigated our way out of the parking lot, leaving at least 3 different cars fighting for our parking space behind us.
Do this, next time. Open back door to signal your arrival. Pretend to fiddle with something for as long as it takes to get people's attention. Get in driver seat. Start van. Run for a minute or three... Turn off van, get out, walk away.
stopped at an overlook for Jackson Glacier, just so we could say we actually saw a glacier in Glacier Natiional Park.
I suppose that's a requirement.
There was a short trail here to an overlook of St. Mary’s Lake. This was definitely worth getting out of the van to see.
Beautiful!
After that stop, we drove out of the park to the east. Then we turned north, then eventually turned west, and drove back into the park.

We were driving back towards the “Many Glacier” area of the park, site of the aptly-named Many Glacier Hotel.
Okay. Got it mapped now. I'm trying to follow along on Google maps and Rte3 was too small to show up on the scale I was looking at.
We basically ended up driving around the hotel. I dropped off Julie for a pit stop and circled the parking lot while she went. Then we left.
Well... okay, then. I wonder if you'd had a reservation there if you would have had assigned parking?
Since we were about to invade a foreign country, we figured it was best to take a little-used route.
That's how I got in to yours.
The security guard manning the border gate was all business as she checked our passports. It seemed like she was stalling, trying to come up with some good reason not to let us into her country, but eventually she just couldn’t create an excuse on the spot and let us in
I'll have to have words with her superior.
Canada has never been the same since.
This is true. It's completely changed now since last July.
Once across the border, we immediately planted a U.S. flag in the ground and proclaimed that we were now claiming new territory for our country. A guard calmly walked over and said she had to be home by 5 p.m., so could we please move on before then? Oh, and take the flag with us, eh? Thank you for your consideration.
:lmao:
Since she was so polite about it, we did as she asked. It’s hard to pick a fight with someone who’s so darn nice.
This is true. We fought one war with you a while ago, but after we kicked your butts, we realized that you weren't going to stand for that a second time. This is when we learned to be nice to our neighbours.
And on that front, we were a bit disappointed. As it turned out, a massive forest fire the year before had closed the only road that went deep into the park, to Cameron Lake.
Well, that's unfortunate. You should've called ahead. We would've put off the burning until August.
It was a bit strange to see a fully developed town in the middle of a national park.
You've never heard of Banff???
We stopped at a visitor center in town, which basically consisted of a double-wide trailer with a few signs tacked to bulletin boards as the “exhibits”. Clearly this place had a different vibe than the U.S. parks.
Yep. Sounds about right. We let our parks speak for themselves up here.
That or we can't afford to put up nice places at every one of our parks. (We have a few.)
Pretty, though. ::yes::
We went into a couple of shops but were able to resist the temptation of overpriced t-shirts. There’s something our nations have in common.
Unfortunately.
There, the locals were caught completely unawares as we bought ice cream at a favorable exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollars. Ha! Take that, Canada!
:laughing:
Well... our dollar was worth more than the greenback in 2007 and we were exceptionally obnoxious about it.
As we were driving out of the park, we saw a brown bear up on the hillside. We didn’t get a very good photo, though. But he was there, I promise.
He was bearly there?
We crossed the border, spent a few hours on foreign soil, and ate their ice cream
I have done that exact same thing. Except in the opposite direction.
And the payoff was worth it—a double-decker waterfall, viewed from a bridge over the river.

IMG_2293.JPG
Wow that's nice!
We did our best to get a good photo, as people were climbing all over the rocks everywhere.
:sad2:
Can't have nice things.
I was really captivated by the beauty of Glacier during our day there. It’s extremely remote, but I felt it was worth the effort to see the place, especially with the glaciers in retreat.
This is on my list now.
 
Wait, what? Butter pecan is amazing!!
Not a big fan of rocky road, because marshmallows, but Snickers ice cream is good too.

I'm not big on nuts, period. I'll eat peanuts by themselves, but I don't like them added to my desserts.

On the internet, must be true. If you meet a French model, I'm telling Julie.

But Yvette and I were having so much fun!

S L O W L Y catching up as I can...

I hear ya. Glad you're still hanging around!

Location, location, location.

But... serious question... if you hadn't stayed there... you'd be able to do the same things you did, but just have to get up much earlier, right?
Thinking of maybe doing this route, but probably can't get a reservation there. I mean... there's no other advantage is there? Like some kind of park perk or whatever?

Correct. As long as you get an early start and plan for whatever travel time you need, you're good. If you're staying in Kalispell it's going to be close to an hour to get to the park, plus another 45minutes/1 hour driving up to Logan Pass. There are other places to stay closer to the park gates. No idea if they're any good or not.

There weren't any other perks to staying in the parks, just location. The historic lodge was a neat building and it was great wandering the lakeshore in the evenings.

Wow! Takes til July!

And good to know as I do all my trips off summer if I can.

Yeah, they have a webpage for road status information here:
https://www.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm

And here's the info page for GTTSR. There's a link to historic data on when the road has opened. It's possible you can get through in late June, but you're taking a chance if you plan for that.
https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrinfo.htm

GTTSR? It's not that bad.

That works!

Ew... but... yeah, that's something you have to clean yourself. That's asking too much of the maid.

We thought so, too. That's above and beyond the call of duty for someone making minimum wage.

Cool! Now I really wanna do this. :)

I don't think you'll regret it! It's a beautiful area.

Okay! Okay! You've convinced me!

Cool, now I can collect my commission!


Wait a minute...

Never thought of that. Some roads are works of art because they draw attention to themselves.

True. That's definitely true for bridges. At the DOT, we mostly feel like we've done our jobs when people take the road for granted. Which they do. Unless there's a problem.

Okay, good to know. Arrive around 7am for best bet for parking.

::yes:: A lot of people use that as a base for day hiking.

Disney animatronics pop up everywhere!

:rotfl:At least this one wasn't asleep!

Gorgeous! Wow!

We thought so, too!

And you were probably the very first humans they'd ever seen!


:rolleyes1

:rotfl2::rotfl2:Along with everyone else on the trail.

Nice shot!
(And ignore the radio-collar. You are definitely the first humans they've ever seen.)

Oh, absolutely. Actually, we were wondering if that collar was for tracking the goat. Makes sense.

Do this, next time. Open back door to signal your arrival. Pretend to fiddle with something for as long as it takes to get people's attention. Get in driver seat. Start van. Run for a minute or three... Turn off van, get out, walk away.

Tourist Run Over in Logan Pass Parking Lot; Eyewitnesses Claim It Was Justified

Story at 11

I suppose that's a requirement.

Just checking the boxes!

Okay. Got it mapped now. I'm trying to follow along on Google maps and Rte3 was too small to show up on the scale I was looking at.

Yeah, these are not major roads in any way. That one could use...oh, I don't know. Some pavement.

Well... okay, then. I wonder if you'd had a reservation there if you would have had assigned parking?

I'm sure there's a system for that, yes. It looks like another really cool historic hotel. I probably would have arrived at a different time of day if I'd been staying there.

That's how I got in to yours.

It's a tried and true strategy.

I'll have to have words with her superior.

But nice words, I'm sure.

This is true. It's completely changed now since last July.

A lot more snow, I imagine.

This is true. We fought one war with you a while ago, but after we kicked your butts, we realized that you weren't going to stand for that a second time. This is when we learned to be nice to our neighbours.

Or we learned never to try and invade again. Well, my family didn't learn that, but the rest of us did. We just tried to be sneaky about it.

Well, that's unfortunate. You should've called ahead. We would've put off the burning until August.

Now that would have been more considerate!

You've never heard of Banff???

Well, sure, I've heard of it. I've seen it in your TR, too. But I've never been there.

Yep. Sounds about right. We let our parks speak for themselves up here.
That or we can't afford to put up nice places at every one of our parks. (We have a few.)

I imagine this was one of the more minor ones. Not every park gets equal funding or visitation.

Pretty, though. ::yes::

Agreed.

:laughing:
Well... our dollar was worth more than the greenback in 2007 and we were exceptionally obnoxious about it.

:rotfl:Trash talking is always fun when you're the one on top.

FftZJPqXVNPTya18pZqsTi1irvwaDbZ6LLfYPa8k0fEv-gRWwsgQY1HFPu34N8FVA1-FbrSLZE4IfupK6kWKgUgf6kkuoE_EN_ToDQ7z_7oXORceT9O9vnPrMMk4vxvRZdyM9ZgjQ7xYXkSxPrH7S8trI0GYxNmNw3jMapbaA_64qHQitvusUcmRBa2UMYoBiiUWk_SkHfluMsFIXxp1MhuYPTi_FnxIR_Y08RYgRT2zJO7PE9U62MqEC3KWtWbckHBY4PBXtHE8bsIFZ7mLzbN3LW3UxWnGYg2xUi3wBovIuzpmtNGrHy-nEBr2Cdj-86GB_h_nfyug0xlKSYoTh_fDLqbRFFj3_7r5GD18EbyTqNkLobNeYz3FEAbg041g1lea3DlwbdqpAQd894_QaoBdt4iRtPO1DumSjwLEN36fymcBJfGpYhJ65BbNjptVzrU3GeUOPqdEyQ2zfUbRq4alVNkRcJez9OBz3JakDOJZrPXiCVZaIAGPlX2jCxj858j2BfIBX6RDRtedd-MI281CJTkyztqlgr4zx_5R8TDn8-CjqJ1MpdNQ_InW-iXtNn8XsD5xA2jAFU61UDlpjJCpQjh6IZiCTpVetiExrP9aBU8moEMM2xBbWbF4QswkxI5yJs5XM_eKTra2aeRAqlWcmZUcdRMMDx6Xtom_zUipUtHwBw-tv_w=w1194-h796-no


He was bearly there?

I'll allow that one.

I have done that exact same thing. Except in the opposite direction.

So we are restoring balance to the Force.

Wow that's nice!

I thought so too!

:sad2:
Can't have nice things.

Sometimes, I really hate people.

This is on my list now.

Good! It's worth seeing! Hope you enjoy it.
 
Correct. As long as you get an early start and plan for whatever travel time you need, you're good. If you're staying in Kalispell it's going to be close to an hour to get to the park, plus another 45minutes/1 hour driving up to Logan Pass. There are other places to stay closer to the park gates. No idea if they're any good or not.
Man, that's gonna make for an early start.
And here's the info page for GTTSR. There's a link to historic data on when the road has opened. It's possible you can get through in late June, but you're taking a chance if you plan for that.
Mostly May/June... but July 13 in 2011! Must be global warming.


Wait...
Cool, now I can collect my commission!


Wait a minute...
Czech's in the mail. He'll give you the bad news when he gets there.
True. That's definitely true for bridges.
Was thinking that. ::yes::
At the DOT, we mostly feel like we've done our jobs when people take the road for granted. Which they do. Unless there's a problem.
True!
:rotfl2::rotfl2:Along with everyone else on the trail.
Yep. Only you and them. That's it.
Tourist Run Over in Logan Pass Parking Lot; Eyewitnesses Claim It Was Justified

Story at 11
:lmao:
Yeah, these are not major roads in any way. That one could use...oh, I don't know. Some pavement.
Stop trying to improve everything!
Wait... I might want to drive on that one...

Go ahead.
A lot more snow, I imagine.
Massive "Welcome Oblivious Family" sign, too.
But nice words, I'm sure.
Polite ones.
Or we learned never to try and invade again. Well, my family didn't learn that, but the rest of us did. We just tried to be sneaky about it.
:laughing:
Well, sure, I've heard of it. I've seen it in your TR, too. But I've never been there.
Lots more like it. That's just the most well known.
I imagine this was one of the more minor ones. Not every park gets equal funding or visitation.
True.
:sad:
 
Well, NOW you tell me.

Oops!

Wow, you were still hungry after that meal? I had to be rolled out of there.

Salad never goes very far.
Very true. Which is a neat experience in the summer.

And not doable in the winter.


Yeah, it's no fun for him, and no fun to clean up.

I just let Disney's AK kingdom CMs do that for me.

I got it from Wikipedia, so I'm sure it's true.
That's where I get all of my most reliable information.

I noticed that, too. It kind of looks like a collar, which is odd in a national park. I'm not really sure what to make of it. Maybe it's a tracker for the park rangers monitoring animal populations?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say.. yeah, probably it.

It's definitely a memorable image, for sure. I didn't go in because I was afraid I'd be kicked out.

Was it the bit of peanut butter on your lower lip?

I did not get sick of doing that drive, that's for sure!
So a lot like the one through Joshua Tree... ::rolleyes1
 


Man, that's gonna make for an early start.

Yeah...hard to get around that one.

Mostly May/June... but July 13 in 2011! Must be global warming.


Wait...

Global freezing!

Czech's in the mail. He'll give you the bad news when he gets there.

This is suddenly becoming very ominous.

Stop trying to improve everything!
Wait... I might want to drive on that one...

Go ahead.

Part of the problem is that their construction season is so short, and then frost-heave can undo your good work.

Massive "Welcome Oblivious Family" sign, too.

I appreciate that, Clark.

Lots more like it. That's just the most well known.

It's notable to me because it's so different from what I'm used to. Most of our parks are miles from civilization.

Salad never goes very far.

Very, very true.

And not doable in the winter.

Good thing I didn't try, then!

I just let Disney's AK kingdom CMs do that for me.

Well, that's one way to handle it. I wonder if they were whistling while they worked.

That's where I get all of my most reliable information.

Same!

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say.. yeah, probably it.

You mean I was right???

Was it the bit of peanut butter on your lower lip?

I thought it was my armpit stains, but whatever.

So a lot like the one through Joshua Tree... ::rolleyes1

Yes, exactly like that. Except the total opposite.

I'll remember this...plain cheesecake not turtle cheesecake for you. Got it!

Hey, thanks!
 
I realized I forgot to post the travel map through Glacier National Park. Ignore the travel times again, I had to use the bicycle to get the map to allow multiple destinations again.

Capture3.JPG
 
Global freezing!
One or the other.
This is suddenly becoming very ominous.
Nah. You never have to worry until you hear the Jaws theme music.



dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun, dun dun dunnnnnnn!
Part of the problem is that their construction season is so short, and then frost-heave can undo your good work.
You do realize who you're talking to, right?
It's notable to me because it's so different from what I'm used to. Most of our parks are miles from civilization.
I guess because in that area it's nothing but National Parks... if there weren't towns, it'd be more strange.
And yet... most of it is uninhabited.
I realized I forgot to post the travel map
That would've saved me a lot of time, you know! Sheesh!!!!
 
Nah. You never have to worry until you hear the Jaws theme music.



dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun, dun dun dunnnnnnn!

What if I hear it in my head as I read it? Does that count?

You do realize who you're talking to, right?

So what's your construction season? 2 weeks in July?

I guess because in that area it's nothing but National Parks... if there weren't towns, it'd be more strange.
And yet... most of it is uninhabited.

You gotta have someplace for the tourists to stay, right?

That would've saved me a lot of time, you know! Sheesh!!!!

But you got to have a fun adventure discovering our route!
 
Chapter 8: Let Me Explain. No, There Is Too Much. Let Me Sum Up.

When we are leaving Disney Parks, we often suffer from DDP, or Disney Departure Procrastination. Here, we suffered a similar condition, known as GDP.

No, not Gross Domestic Product, wiseguy. Glacier Departure Procrastination. We knew it was coming. Part of the reason was that we could wake up early, sip our coffee in our cabin, and wander the lakeside in the cool morning, skipping stones again on the glassy surface of the lake.

And part of the reason was that I knew I’d be on the road for at least 10 hours, and wasn’t looking forward to that drive.

Let’s go back to the wandering and skipping stones, because that sounds better.

475244

475245

We lingered as long as we could, but with a 10-hour drive coming, we had to hit the road early. We did successfully postpone our departure by stopping at the hotel gift shop for souvenirs/Christmas gifts, but eventually we left the park behind.

I have nothing much to report for most of the day. We drove. We re-traced our steps from 2 days prior all the way back to Spokane, Washington. We stopped at an Arby’s for lunch there as a special treat and a break from PB&J.

You know the PB&J is getting old when Arby’s counts as a special treat. But they do have a decent chicken, bacon & Swiss sandwich. I voted for stopping at Frank's Diner again to have peach cobbler for lunch, but I was told that this was "unhealthy" and "gluttonous" and, worst of all, "You have to share". So that was sadly ruled out.

We also stopped in a Duluth Trading Company store, mostly because they have funny commercials and we’d never been inside one before. Also, it turns out we’ll do most anything to put off long drives. Anyway, it looked like they have nice stuff but it’s really overpriced from what I can tell.

The afternoon portion of the drive was worse, because it was through the plains of eastern Washington. On the plus side, we were on the interstate, so we could at least blast through it as fast as possible.

We each have our own ways of dealing with the long drives on these trips. Most of the kids are content to get sucked into their portable electronics for hours on end. Drew will ask for the iPad, and we try and download a few episodes of his favorite cartoons so he can watch them. He’s content to sit and stare at the screen for hours on end, and we solidify our standing for Parents of the Year by doing nothing to discourage that whatsoever. The older kids will play games, watch shows they’ve downloaded, or listen to music.

Julie likes to bring along a thick paperback book and start a new story on day 1 of the trip. That will usually keep her occupied when she’s not sleeping in the van. I am thoroughly jealous of her ability to sleep in any position at any time of day. She has the ability to fall asleep almost instantaneously, where I usually need to be lying down in total darkness and total silence and it still takes at least 20 minutes for me to fall asleep and if my feet are cold then I’m not going to even get 5 minutes’ worth.

On the other hand, sometimes her sleeping superpower is a liability. She has not seen the end of any movie we’ve rented since 2004.

Anyway, she spends the drive reading and sleeping and plugging various devices into the various charging cords based on requests from the back seat. That leaves me to do the driving and somehow keep my mind occupied the whole time. This usually involves calling our unusual sights, such as wildlife or goofy road signs, and making dad jokes about the various destinations we pass. This is why all of the kids wear earbuds.

Over the course of the afternoon, we took I-90 west to I-82 South and then got on US Rt. 12 West in the city of Yakima. Rt. 12 was a nice drive through a mountain pass that eventually took us down towards a valley were we could get our first view of Mount Rainier.

475246

In my opinion, Mount Rainier has one of the most impressive profiles of any mountain in the world. I think this is helped by the fact that it’s basically alone, with no other mountains relatively close by to clutter the view. That also makes it more accessible than most 14,000-ft. mountains, since the roads in the area can encroach on the slopes. The isolation and the close-up look make the mountain dominate the skyline.

475247

475248

We were planning on spending most of the following day at Mount Rainier National Park, but we’d been driving for a long time and needed to stretch our legs, so we entered the park at the Stevens Canyon entrance near the southeast corner of the park and pulled into the parking lot for the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail.

475249

This is a very easy, 1.5-mile round trip hike through an old-growth forest that you might think resembles a place from the Lord of the Rings movies. Or, if you’re more of a Star Wars fan like me, you might think of the Forest Moon of Endor.

475250

Thankfully we had our own little adventure guide with us to handle any obstacles in our path.

475251

The grove in question is a cluster of giant red cedar trees, several of which are over 1,000 years old. But if you asked my family, the best part of the hike is the swinging suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River. The sign posted said people should cross the bridge one at a time. But it’s perfectly safe, trust us!

475252

475253

Continued Next Post
 
Chapter 8 continued

Julie found the bridge a little iffy, so our loving and supportive family did what it always does and poked fun at her the whole time she was crossing.

475254

And here are the Patriarchs, the old cedar trees at the end of the trail.

475255

475256

It was getting late, so we drove out of the park and south a few miles to the small town of Packwood. We checked into our hotel, the Cowlitz River Lodge. No chains to be found in this place. It was basically a one-stoplight town in the middle of nowhere, so we just had to take a chance on accommodations. And this place was actually fine. It wasn’t necessarily cheap, since summer is high tourist season, but it was clean and served an edible free breakfast, so I have no complaints.

We asked the front desk for dinner recommendations, and the lady there gave me two: she said the best food in town was at the Blue Spruce Saloon, and that Cruisers made a pretty mean pizza. I had tried to go to a burger joint called Cliffdroppers that had good reviews, but it’s a tiny mom-and-pop place that I guess just opens when it wants to, because they had just closed when we arrived (about 6:30 p.m.).

In a textbook case of judging a book by its cover, we took one look at the Blue Spruce Saloon and decided it looked a bit skeevy to bring our kids inside. I didn’t want to teach them how to smash a bottle to turn it into a weapon and survive a bar fight just yet.

475257

So we ended up at Cruisers, having pizza for the second night in a row.

475258

475259

The pizza here was thoroughly mediocre. But edible. They were a bit slow and messed up part of our order, so dinner here took a while. But it’s not like there were dozens of places to choose from, either. So we managed. In hindsight, maybe we should have tried the Blue Spruce. We’ll never know if we could have maybe run into Patrick Swayze or Sam Elliott in there.

Coming Up Next: majestic, glorious alpine scenery!
 
What if I hear it in my head as I read it? Does that count?
That's especially when it counts.
So what's your construction season? 2 weeks in July?
Actually... we have two seasons. Winter and construction. They both last too darned long.
You gotta have someplace for the tourists to stay, right?
::yes::
But you got to have a fun adventure discovering our route!
Actually... I kinda did. :)
we often suffer from DDP, or Disney Departure Procrastination.
I never suffer from that. If I procrastinate, I miss the bus.
No, not Gross Domestic Product, wiseguy.
Heh. That was what popped into my head.
Glacier Departure Procrastination.
And yet the glaciers aren't procrastinating their departure!
And part of the reason was that I knew I’d be on the road for at least 10 hours, and wasn’t looking forward to that drive.
Ah yes. Familiar with that feeling.
Gorgeous photo!
We stopped at an Arby’s for lunch there as a special treat and a break from PB&J.
Hey! What about...
You know the PB&J is getting old when Arby’s counts as a special treat.
Ah... nevermind, then.
I voted for stopping at Frank's Diner again to have peach cobbler for lunch, but I was told that this was "unhealthy" and "gluttonous" and, worst of all, "You have to share". So that was sadly ruled out.
:laughing:
Yeah, I can see how you'd want to stop there again.
We each have our own ways of dealing with the long drives on these trips.
As do I. My go to is audio books. But since I'm alone in the car, it doesn't bother anyone else.
I am thoroughly jealous of her ability to sleep in any position at any time of day. She has the ability to fall asleep almost instantaneously
Whoa... :worship:
On the other hand, sometimes her sleeping superpower is a liability. She has not seen the end of any movie we’ve rented since 2004.
:laughing:
Make up endings!
Planet of the Apes: "It turns out they were at the San Diego Zoo the whole time!"
Casablanca: "The Germans lost the war and Rick and Ilsa marry and run the bar together."
The Sixth Sense: "Turns out his sixth sense is he can smell dead people and they use him like a cadaver dog."
Gone With the Wind: "There was a big wind storm and they all wound up going to Kansas."
Raiders of the Lost Ark: "Not an ark. Just an old radio shack computer."
The Shawshank Redemption: "The warden has a change of heart and lets the new convict testify. Andy goes free. Red is hired to do voice overs for documentaries."
Scarface: "Pacino's character invites everyone to meet his little friend. He goes off to found a midget circus."
ET: "Elliot gets to go to space and returns the following year, older than his mother."

I could go on... the possibilities are dizzying...

making dad jokes about the various destinations we pass. This is why all of the kids wear earbuds.
:lmao:
Wow. Just... Wow!
Cute shot of you guys! :)
Or, if you’re more of a Star Wars fan like me, you might think of the Forest Moon of Endor.
::yes::
Thankfully we had our own little adventure guide with us to handle any obstacles in our path.
Strong boy, you've got there.


Don't tick him off.
The grove in question is a cluster of giant red cedar trees, several of which are over 1,000 years old. But if you asked my family, the best part of the hike is the swinging suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River.
Okay, that's pretty cool.
Both the trees and the bridge.
1. Love that shot.
2. Second thing I thought was. "Rickety bridge? Send the expendable ones over first."
Julie found the bridge a little iffy, so our loving and supportive family did what it always does and poked fun at her the whole time she was crossing.
:lmao:
And here are the Patriarchs, the old cedar trees at the end of the trail.
I just see some weird looking people.
It wasn’t necessarily cheap, since summer is high tourist season, but it was clean and served an edible free breakfast, so I have no complaints.
I'll take clean and edible over.... Atlanta.
In a textbook case of judging a book by its cover, we took one look at the Blue Spruce Saloon and decided it looked a bit skeevy to bring our kids inside. I didn’t want to teach them how to smash a bottle to turn it into a weapon and survive a bar fight just yet.
You missed an opportunity to teach your children an important life lesson?????
Looks good!
he pizza here was thoroughly mediocre. But edible.
oh
maybe we should have tried the Blue Spruce. We’ll never know if we could have maybe run into Patrick Swayze or Sam Elliott in there.
Or seen some other sights. ::yes::::yes::
 
That's especially when it counts.

Sounds like I'm gonna need a bigger boat.

Actually... we have two seasons. Winter and construction. They both last too darned long.

Still working on the roads and bridges that have lifetime warranties.

Actually... I kinda did. :)

Whew! Now I need to go back and make a map for this latest chapter. Google is doing that thing where it won't let me add multiple destinations again. I think it gets messed up with roads that close in the winter.

I never suffer from that. If I procrastinate, I miss the bus.

I suffer from it even before I've gone to Disney! I'll often schedule my flight out for as late as possible on the last day. :laughing:

Heh. That was what popped into my head.

I knew it!

And yet the glaciers aren't procrastinating their departure!

They're leaving as fast as they can!

Ah yes. Familiar with that feeling.

I figured if anyone could relate, it would be you.

Gorgeous photo!

Thank you!

:laughing:
Yeah, I can see how you'd want to stop there again.

Now I want peach cobbler.

As do I. My go to is audio books. But since I'm alone in the car, it doesn't bother anyone else.

I can see that being very appealing. But yes, not to everyone else in the car.

:laughing:
Make up endings!
Planet of the Apes: "It turns out they were at the San Diego Zoo the whole time!"
Casablanca: "The Germans lost the war and Rick and Ilsa marry and run the bar together."
The Sixth Sense: "Turns out his sixth sense is he can smell dead people and they use him like a cadaver dog."
Gone With the Wind: "There was a big wind storm and they all wound up going to Kansas."
Raiders of the Lost Ark: "Not an ark. Just an old radio shack computer."
The Shawshank Redemption: "The warden has a change of heart and lets the new convict testify. Andy goes free. Red is hired to do voice overs for documentaries."
Scarface: "Pacino's character invites everyone to meet his little friend. He goes off to found a midget circus."
ET: "Elliot gets to go to space and returns the following year, older than his mother."

I could go on... the possibilities are dizzying...

:lmao::rotfl2::rotfl:This is brilliant!

Your Raiders one in particular made me laugh out loud.

The Usual Suspects: Turns out, Keyser Soze is just a particularly annoying insurance salesman that nobody wants to deal with.

Wow. Just... Wow!

You ain't seen nothing yet!

Cute shot of you guys! :)

Thanks! I don't remember what we were laughing about. I'm sure I said something extremely witty and intelligent.

Strong boy, you've got there.


Don't tick him off.

You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Okay, that's pretty cool.
Both the trees and the bridge.

::yes::

1. Love that shot.
2. Second thing I thought was. "Rickety bridge? Send the expendable ones over first."

1. Thanks! I was proud of that one. (although Drew is a little out of focus)
2. ::yes:: He gets to wear the bear bell, too.

I just see some weird looking people.

Yeah, my kids need to step it up here.

I'll take clean and edible over.... Atlanta.

Any day of the week and twice on Sunday!

You missed an opportunity to teach your children an important life lesson?????

I also didn't want to get beat up.

Looks good!

It looked better than it tasted. But not horrible.

Or seen some other sights. ::yes::::yes::

:rolleyes1
 
Sounds like I'm gonna need a bigger boat.
Image result for going to need a bigger boat

Still working on the roads and bridges that have lifetime warranties.
this is a thing? Huh... Who knew?
I suffer from it even before I've gone to Disney! I'll often schedule my flight out for as late as possible on the last day. :laughing:
Totally get this!

Now I'm craving cobbler
I'll race you there!
Your Raiders one in particular made me laugh out loud.
:laughing:
The Usual Suspects: Turns out, Keyser Soze is just a particularly annoying insurance salesman that nobody wants to deal with.
:laughing: Nice one.
Thanks! I don't remember what we were laughing about. I'm sure I said something extremely witty and intelligent.
Oh, of course. It has to be.
You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
I dunno. I like the colour green.
. ::yes:: He gets to wear the bear bell, too.
:laughing:
I also didn't want to get beat up.
Ah yes. There's always that.
 
Glacier and Mt. Rainer look awesome! Not so sure about that bridge.

I have a child that can sleep in the car like your wife does. No can do for me. I queue up the podcasts when all the earbuds go in!

Have you visited Louisville? Our spring break trip involves a couple days there and I was wondering what your family enjoyed. As I am the only one over 21, I’m not enjoying any spirits. I’m also using the Very Useful Oblivious Rule of not having driving days back to back.
 
"You have to share"

The worst kind of buzzkill.

I am thoroughly jealous of her ability to sleep in any position at any time of day. She has the ability to fall asleep almost instantaneously

Me at 25.

where I usually need to be lying down in total darkness and total silence and it still takes at least 20 minutes for me to fall asleep and if my feet are cold then I’m not going to even get 5 minutes’ worth.

Me now.


The sign posted said people should cross the bridge one at a time. But it’s perfectly safe, trust us!

476176

. I didn’t want to teach them how to smash a bottle to turn it into a weapon and survive a bar fight just yet.

But soon, yes?

So we ended up at Cruisers, having pizza for the second night in a row.
And that's a bad thing? :confused3
 

Exactly.

this is a thing? Huh... Who knew?

Well...no, it's not. We try and make things last as long as possible, but there's a trade-off when it comes to the costs of materials.

Totally get this!

Everything we do on vacations is all about maximizing the time.

I'll race you there!

No fair, you have a 1,500-mile head start!

Oh, of course. It has to be.

I figured you would agree with that.

I dunno. I like the colour green.

Hopefully you like smashing things too.

Ah yes. There's always that.

I don't think I'd last long in a bar fight.

Glacier and Mt. Rainer look awesome! Not so sure about that bridge.

It was fine! Really! Would I steer you wrong?

I have a child that can sleep in the car like your wife does. No can do for me. I queue up the podcasts when all the earbuds go in!

I wish I could do that. Mostly so I could sleep on planes.

Have you visited Louisville? Our spring break trip involves a couple days there and I was wondering what your family enjoyed. As I am the only one over 21, I’m not enjoying any spirits. I’m also using the Very Useful Oblivious Rule of not having driving days back to back.

We went to Louisville way, way back in 2011 and had fun there. The only things we did in town were a tour of the Louisville Slugger factory/museum (which we really enjoyed) and ate lunch/dinner at a quirky restaurant called Lynn's Paradise Cafe which we'd seen on Food Channel or Travel Channel or one of those shows. The next day we drove down to Mammoth Cave and toured that before coming back in the evening.

So I would recommend the Louisville Slugger museum if you have anyone who likes baseball. Sadly, Lynn's Paradise Cafe closed down a few years ago. I didn't do anything else in the city but heard good things about the Churchill Downs museum/visitor center if you have interest in the horse races.

The worst kind of buzzkill.

I know, right? How dare they?

Me at 25.


I've never been able to fall asleep quickly, or in any position. It's truly a gift.


That bridge wasn't so bad, really.

But soon, yes?

Of course! These are life skills!

And that's a bad thing? :confused3

I never said it was!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top