Author: Daniel & McKayla Slack

Growing up, I had a very unhealthy fear of the police. The hair on the back of my neck would stand on end anytime I saw a uniform with a gun, and I would avoid eye contact at all costs. This fear culminated into a legitimate source of anxiety once I began to drive-especially by myself. Instincts began to develop every time I passed by a police car: Check my speed, put my hands in view, and make sure I look like the perfect citizen. If they pulled out or were behind me, my stomach would twist into knots and I would begin to panic. I would practice my “white” voice to myself, in a practice conversation to make sure that I would sound as non-threatening as possible, until either I was pulled over, or until the car was out of my sight. I wish that I could say that I have outgrown these habits, but I still feel that wave of dread and paralyzing fear every time that I am alone and see a police officer. 

I was raised by a white family in a house full of love and respect. Being adopted, they did everything they could to make me feel loved and a part of their family. With that being said, something inside me always made me feel like an outcast; a feeling that I couldn’t shake, no matter what I did. I remember many occasions watching the news-usually a station that was conservative ideologically, as a family and seeing minorities’ mugshots light up the screen, or immigrants being vilified by narratives that I was too young to understand. I remember the looks of disgust on all the faces around me, glaring at the tv screen when people who looked like me flashed before us in dramatic colors. Subconsciously, I began to associate skin colors other than white with filth, with crime, and with danger.  I began to hate myself. I began wishing that I was someone that didn’t stick out. I was raised Christian, and I remember the first time that I prayed for God to make me white; I was 9 years old-the same year we moved to an area that, demographically and culturally, was overwhelmingly white. Anytime that I felt out of place or uncomfortable due to my skin color,  it would burn into my soul. I would go home afterwards and pray the same prayer: “Please make me look like everyone else, l promise that I’m good”. 

It wasn’t until my teens that I began to understand what racism truly was. The idea of judging someone by the color of their skin was not new to me-I had been experiencing that my whole life. The official term for this behavior is what was new to me. Soon, I began to be able to pick up on racist tendencies directed towards me, and I learned how to adapt to them. Growing up in the area I did further encouraged myself to hate my color, and it made me realize that the color of my skin made me a target for unwanted prejudice, anger, and attention from those in power. As I grew older, this hatred of my skin color began to get amplified by my interactions with police officers. Getting asked if I spoke English after addressing an officer in English. Being asked multiple times if I was on drugs or had drugs in my possession, during “routine stops”. The list goes on, and every instance made me more anxious, and more fearful.

 I remember countless times being in the car with a very close friend of mine, who also happens to be a minority, and getting tailed by Police cars for uncomfortable amounts of time. Often, these tailings would end in us getting pulled over to be questioned about various crimes that had occurred recently in the area, or to ask if the car we were driving belonged to us. My friend was also adopted by a white family, and both of our cars were registered in our parents names. The honest answer was never good enough for us, it felt. There always had to be proof of our innocence, even though we had done nothing wrong: We fit the description. I remember how angry and scared I would be during those interactions. It reinforced all the feelings that I had towards myself, and how the world saw us: Filth, crime, danger. 

As an adult, I carry a lot of these conflicting feelings with me. I have witnessed minorities, predominately African-American, fall victim to this cultural perception of fear and hate in living color, with atrocities of violence derived from this perception being caught on camera. The systemic prejudice towards people of color has put millions of American’s in a state of anxiety that makes them fear for their lives everyday. This feeling can’t be fully described, and it can’t be fully understood by someone who hasn’t experienced it for their entire lives and are just now hearing of it. This feeling is ingrained in us from the moment that we realize our skin color is unsafe. For those who don’t believe it to be true, I don’t blame you. This is America, the greatest country in the history of the world. I could not imagine learning about this dark reality that many Americans face everyday at my age. I understand why many want to justify what is happening with incomplete statistics, or by misinterpreting what those at rallys all around this beautiful country are chanting. 

Admitting that this country has an ugly, deep-rooted problem and listening to those that are falling victim to this issue is difficult and painful, but oftentimes situations of discomfort and pain cause growth. Taking the time to understand a completely different perspective of life is not something that one can fully grasp overnight, and nobody expects you to. I really try my best to refrain from the term “white privilege” because of the emotional response that it invokes among coworkers, friends, and even family. The term is not meant to disparage those who are white, but to try and explain that those who are white are privileged to not know the feeling that people of color experience on a daily basis due to their skin color. It doesn’t mean that those who are white are destined to have an easy life, just that this burden that we carry since birth is a foreign concept in this country. 

When I first saw all of the outcry and support for the Black Lives Matter movement all over social media and online, I was torn. I questioned the sincerity of posts about the movement, and it felt as if people were posting in support for the attention, or because of pressure from social norms. Then I heard of a protest happening in the town that my wife and I live in now: a smaller, predominately white city in Missouri. I was so proud when my wife said that she wanted to go and support the movement. In my mind, due to my experience so far in this city, I expected the march to be no more than 50 people walking Main Street with a few signs. When we pulled up to the meeting spot, we were overwhelmed. 

On a weekday with temperatures scorching into the high 90’s, easily over a thousand protesters of every age, gender, and color were gathered, chanting and supporting one another. I could not believe my eyes. Leaders were speaking arm-in-arm with the PD of our town of change, and hope.

Hope.

Something I had not felt in a long, long time. The march began and the emotion was too much. I lost my voice. I cried. I watched as shop owners came out of their businesses to give marchers water, and words of love and encouragement. Police officers, donning similar uniforms to the ones I grew up petrified from, stood in solidarity beside us. Children and their parents set up stations on every block for those who needed rest with food and ice-cold drinks. Tents for those who needed medical attention were littered throughout downtown. For the first time in a long, long time, I was so proud of the community that I was apart. I was proud of who I was, and I was hopeful for the future.

If you are reading this and are coming away with any feelings other than hope, sadness, or anger, please, reach out to me. My intentions are not to divide, or play the victim card, or make anyone feel guilty for who they are. Doing so would make me no better than those who made me feel how I’ve felt my whole life. The only way that we can truly unite this wonderful, amazing country that I am proud to call home is through respectful, unassuming dialogue on both sides. I believe that miscommunication is creating a divide that is only getting further split by emotions. I was raised to love my neighbors, and I pray that we all begin to learn that loving your neighbor begins with understanding their experience, and letting them know that they have the support of the community. 

Furthermore, the push for legislation that would hold those that have created this atmosphere of systemic racial oppression accountable must continue. This is not to say that I don’t support the police. Although I have always lived in fear of them, I have always been thankful that there are American’s that are willing to put their lives on the line to protect and serve this great nation, and I applaud them for their dedication. But, it is possible to support those who serve while simultaneously holding them to the standard that the badge they wear deserves. Please, support those fighting for change, and even more, please exercise your right to vote to put an end to hate on all levels of this country. Political leaders and laws that support everyone who calls America home is the key to healing this country, and our empathy, compassion and love for one another will be the motive. All Lives Matter don’t matter until Black Lives Matter. 

Daniel

We already had a small sample of Missouri while exploring Kansas City, but we were both thankful we made the stop in St. Louis. Known for being the state where the river flows, we were pleased to find there were many activities for us here that was a bit unexpected. Our first stop was Ulysses S. Grant’s Home National Historic Site.

We actually had no idea the Grant home was even in St. Louis until we explored Missouri with our National Park Passport. There is a map in the front of this passport that has a map of every National Park, Historic Site, and Monument within the entire United States. We saw this little gem highlighted and decided to pop in.

Guest can tour all around the actual house and the surrounding small buildings. You can explore the chicken coop, the old cellar, the summer kitchen, the outdoor “refrigerator,” or sign up to actually tour the inside of the home. We opted for the self guided tour, which ended in a building with a lot of history from the 1800’s. At the end of the exhibit, visitors can even dress up in clothing from that time period. It was a nice little stop, and stamp on our National Park Passport.

Touring the Grant’s property worked up quite an appetite, so we headed to a local chocolate factory. Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate is a truly amazing factory that meets ever expectations one would gain from growing up watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They offer free tours every half an hour and the samples alone are worth a stop!

The name of the factory is named after the founder Dan Abel. Abel had three children and a major sweet tooth. After starting his dream of making candies, he would bring home a chocolate for each of his three children. Therefore, once he started his own factory the name was birthed by these chocolates for each of his children.

Once given your little health safety hat, you are invited to step into the world of sweets! There are lines and lines of lined candies. It is really everything you would want in a candy factory minus the Oompa Loompas. The workers are really talented and methodical. Watching the candies and what goes into each piece is really incredible.

The tour guide gives you fresh samples right off the conveyor belt, as they tell you the story of Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate. At the end of the tour you can pose with the props and “make your own candies.” There is a store upstairs where you can stalk up on the samples you loved!

After catering to our sweet tooth, we decided to get in touch with our artistic side. We headed to Art Hill, located right outside of one of St. Louis’s art Museum. In the summer this hill is packed with picnics, people enjoying the sun, and even events such as Shakespeare in the Grove (which is an outdoor acting performance).

There are trails around the park, complete with a fountain and pond at the bottom of the hill. We saw a few people running and walking there dogs, but enjoyed a little bit of relaxing time to ourselves. The statues and paths add to the view of this relaxing park area.

Another major highlight is that Budweiser was born in St. Louis. We could not avoid touring this beer town. We headed to the Anheuser- Busch Budweiser Company, and signed up for one of the many tours.

The offer tours for all ages, lengths of time, and depths of exploration, depending on each groups needs. We choose the general brewery tour and were amazed with the beauty of the building. I grew up next to Anheuser-Busch Gardens so I was familiar with the beauty of their park. I was prepared to see a beautiful brewery, but I was still amazed.

The main building was completely decked out for Christmas with garland and trees covering every surface of the huge welcome parlor. We toured the brick architecture and were amazed with the time and details that go into the entire Budweiser franchise. After wandering about, we met our tour guide and began the tour with a cold Bud Light.

Our first stop was the Budweiser Clydesdale’s Stables. INCREDIBLE. These horse literally live in a brick palace. There are chandlers, beautiful arches, and even stained glass. The horses are bathed daily and groomed by many stable hands every day. They are fed quality food which adds to the shine of their groomed coats.

Each horse has it’s own personal leather harness which they wear occasionally when taking the iconic wagons out for a spin. Used for events, special advertisement, and parades these horses have a pretty great life. We decided this is the perfect home for any Clydesdale.

Each of these horses are at the peak of their lives, and we decided this is the big leagues for pampered ponies. From there we headed in to the brewing rooms where they cook the ingredients and actually begin the brewing process. There are many floors of mash tanks and huge containers were various ingredients are added.

After the ingredients are mixed and the liquid are started to resemble beer, the liquid is sent to the maturing room. Here the beer is filtered through special wooden chips to give the liquid a classic Budweiser flavor.

Millions and millions of gallons of beer are stored here and it an overwhelming amount of alcohol. They give you plenty of samples throughout the tour to keep guests from being tempted to tap into these huge kegs. There are special flavors of the intricate beauty of the Budweiser brewery. Including many of the chandlers are made our of hops and golden Budweiser symbols.

We enjoyed all the little details of this brewery that many would argue is America’s beer. There was a special event going on due to the time of year we visited called “Brew Lights.” The whole beer town was decorated with lights for Christmas and even had a huge beer garden tent serving food at the end of the tour. It was a beautiful time of the year to visit.

We could not complete a tour in St. Louis without visiting The Gateway Arch. So naturally, we headed there next! A little known fact is the arch is actually considered a national park. Often refereed to as the Gateway to the West, the arch marks the beginning of the Oregon Trail. This monument was built as a huge reminder of Westward Expansion.

I did not know, but visitors can actually take a tram up to the top. There are two tram lines that run from the South and Northern end of the arch. Visitors can tour in the observation room at the top. Daniel did this when he was a child, and told me it was an experience everyone should do at least once.

We bought our tickets and prepared ourselves for the journey to the top. They load four to five people in these little bubble roller coaster cars, and start trekking up to the top. There are about 8 bubbles linked together that tilt with the wall of the arch and carry visitors up to the top. It is like an elevator roller coaster at a creepy pace. It was quite an adventure to the top and the little window sliver adds to the experience.

Once you finally arrive at the top, guests are encouraged to walk around and explore the various views. Unfortunately, we went on a very foggy and rainy day so the view was not the best. But we still managed to see a good portion of the city and the ride up was alone worth it.

They have little windows placed every couple of feet, on both sides of the arch. The walls are angled outward, so guests are encouraged to lean against the walls and get a great view “laying out” over the city. It is a little spooky getting over how high you are, but the view is really incredible.

At the bottom of the tram ride, there is a neat museum. As you can see from the picture above, there are very interactive exhibits. Going through the history of the westward movement and exploration of Lewis and Clark there is a lot of information. You could spend quite a lot of time down there, with the informative videos and many artifacts.

After experiencing the Gateway Arch we felt like we peaked with our St. Louis experiences. This city ended up being quite a treat with plenty to see and do. Our Missouri experience ended on a good note and with that we headed towards Kentucky. Thanks for reading my post this week.

God Bless, McKayla

We started our Illinois adventure in one of my all time favorite cities: Chicago. Visiting the windy city is always exciting but visiting during Christmas time with my husband made the experience even better! We hit the ground running at the ZOO!

The Lincoln Park Zoo is such a fun, interactive, and FREE zoo! Completely open to the public we wandered through here for hours! I am not sure if it was because it was Tuesday or because of the cold but the animals were EXTREMELY active. We basically had the whole park to ourselves and the critters were lively!

I was so used to visiting during the summer on a Saturday and maybe catching a glimpse of animals while sweating to death. This was pleasantly the complete opposite.

The lions seemed obsessed with the glass observation wall, and kept looking right into the souls of the guests. You kinda forget how big they are until they are inches away from your face! Another group of animals that were quite active were the chimps.

The chimpanzees have an indoor exhibit during the winter and they were taking full advantage of their warm playground. They kept stealing each others blankets and wrestling one another. I swear they loved the attention of the guests because they kept knocking on the glass and cheering if you weren’t giving them your undivided attention.

While getting our animal fix, we worked up quite an appetite. When in Chicago you have to do as the Chicagoans do: Deep Dish! That’s right we headed to Pizzeria Uno the original creators of the deep dish styled pizza.

Even though it is kind of like a casserole, deep dish is worth the hype! Perhaps I’m biased because I’ve never eaten a pizza I didn’t like, but it was quite delicious. We ordered two different flavored personal pan pizzas so we could try two different ones. On a cold windy day, deep dish pizza hits the spot!

From there, we had to go check out the iconic Chicago Bean! Located in the middle of Millennium Park you will find a crowd exploring and snapping selfies with the reflective “bean” sculpture. Since we visited during the winter there is even an ice skating ring located right below the Bean for people to enjoy.

Due to the art school located blocks from the Bean there are neat sculptures and designs throughout the whole park. Across the street, there is a rock climbing park with an ice skating rink snaking through the gym. There are outdoor bocce ball fields and some tennis courts sprinkled around as well. It is really a unique area complete with a zigzag pedestrian bridge to skip the traffic and busy streets.

After Millennium Park it was time to hit another Chicago Favorite: The Navy Pier. Located out on an actual pier, there is a whole shopping world and hang out center.

Complete with a Ferris Wheel and beautiful sky line views The Navy Pier has become a natural place for people the gather. Indoors there are endless amounts of shops, while the outdoors is fully of board walks, bier gardens, and ships.

During the summer, festivals and concerts are often held at this festive location. Even with the cold there was still plenty to do in the “off season.” In the spirit of Christmas there were a lot of green and red lights as well as light up tunnels you could run through.

Inside the mall section of the pier, is a very impressive Botanical Gardens. There are fountains and you really feel like you stepped into the jungle. The temperature of this greenhouse warms your heart, and the views are really incredible. The gardens are mostly glass which allow natural light to play with the bright colors of the plants and fountains.

With benches sprinkled around, we spent a much needed break enjoying some extra pure oxygen. When we left the Botanical Gardens, we could not help but stop and admire the glass architecture of this indoor mall/garden. The whole wall is made up of geometric glass pieces that give the mall a modern vibe.

As night started to approach, we decided to wrap up our visit in this artsy city. The windy city always amazes me and this visit was no exception! We drove for a bit, crashed for the night, and then headed to Lincoln’s home.

After some driving, we finally hit Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln spent many years in his home there with his family before moving into the White house. His home is now officially a National Park.

Once you visit the Lincoln Home National Historic Site Visitors Center, they offer free tours. The tours are guided to preserve the house and offered every hour. They limit the amount of people that go through at a time, but thankfully we did not have to wait any time before jumping on the next tour.

Lincoln’s home was actually quite wealthy for his time period and he allowed his wife Martha to decorate it how she pleased. The bold patterns of the living room and parlor seem over whelming to our eyes, but were quite fashionable back in the 1850’s.

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Martha and Abe actually had two different bedrooms that connected with two different beds (another sign of wealth). This separation allowed Lincoln to write at his desk late into the night without keeping Martha awake. The bedrooms were both decorated with a bold French wall paper that was specially imported.

Even though they had a maid girl, Martha still did almost all of the home cooking exclusively. It is said that Martha was most upset about leaving her beautiful kitchen when moving to Washington DC.

It was actually really nice having the national park tour guide leading us through the house because she was very knowledgeable on Lincoln’s history. She pointed out all the little details and tradition the Lincoln Family added to this home. The whole experience of touring the Lincoln Home was very interesting. If you are ever passing through Springfield it is a good 45 minute investment or entertainment.

That just about wrapped up our time in the Land of Lincoln, and we left Illinois a bit enlightened with Lincoln history. From there we headed East toward the land of Kentucky. Thanks for tuning in this week and I look forward to sharing more adventures soon.

Never in my life would I have thought that I would have found myself in Iowa: Fields of Opportunities. Honestly I think Iowa might be one of the only states I do not think I even know someone from. But there we were in this frozen corn land, trying to make the most of it! Our first stop was the capitol Des Moines.

Since this was the capitol of Iowa, it seemed appropriate to start with a little tour of the capitol building itself. After scurrying right through security, we found ourselves in a beautiful sculpted parlor room. The architecture design inside was beautiful and the dome was painted very colorfully.

We explored for probably about a half and hour and then started to head to the door. As we walked past the small gift shop we snatched a post card and then were given a really important tip from the cashier. The little old lady asked us if we had visited the library upstairs and said we simply could not leave without seeing it. We told her we had missed it, and she insisted it was the most beautiful library in the Nation.

We could not argue with stats like that, so we turned around and went to witness this library for ourselves. Worst case, we would just get a little exercise and you can not say no to such a sweet little grandmother.

Thankfully, granny was right! The library was so incredible. Completely open to the public there are shelves upon shelves of old antique books.

There were huge spiral staircases on both sides of the impressive library. Old wooden ladders where sprinkled around to reach the high books without utilizing the staircase. The shelves seemed endless and it would take more than a life time to read all those books.

Many of the books were educational or old laws/case studies. Apparently a lot of Iowa lawyers use this library when working on a tough case. The smell of old books lingered throughout this whole room, which made the appeal of the whole place that much more delightful.

We could have stayed there all day, and we were so thankful the gift shop lady had pointed us in the right direction. After drooling of this literary heaven, we decided to head towards another Des Moines highlight: The Pappajohn’s Sculpture Park.

This outdoor park is full of quirky little sculptures and was worth braving the cold. Some of the pieces had explanations and others were just left up to individual interpretations.

There is art every couple of 100 feet so you can appreciate a lot of different styles. Even though the park isn’t huge, they managed to pack it quite full of pieces. The park supports a lot of local pieces and Iowa artists. Even if art is not your thing, the walk and fresh air is really nice!

From the sculpture park we decided to head to what Iowa is known most for: Terrace Hill Historic Site (or the original ginger bread house). Built in 1896, this creative mansion was originally built by the nephew of Captain John Allen (the creator of Fort Des Moines).

Although this building has had quite a few different owners due to funding, it remains a well known mansion for its beauty and uniqueness. Unfortunately, we were there on a day that they were not offering tours, so we just thoroughly explored the outdoors and the gardens. It really is an impressive building.

From there we headed to the hometown of the Hebert Hoover, but we had to make a few pit stops. Iowa has a lot of quirky World Records sprinkled about. The first that just so happened to be along our path was the World’s Largest Wooden Nickle.

I was honestly unaware wooden nickles even existed, much less that there was a competition to be the largest. Located in some farmers front field, sits the worlds largest wooden nickle. It is large and it is made out of wood. The pride and joy of Johnson County was one of those funny little stops. From there we headed to something near and dear to our hearts, The World’s Largest Truck Stop!

Now this is a truck stop! It is literally like a whole mall inside there. You could easily burn a couple hours in this gigantic truck stop. There is a dentist, an orthodontists, a doctor, a chiropractor, a gym, a movie theater, a pet groomer, and so much more all within this truck stop. All your needs in one location!

There is a whole section of the mega truck stop (of course!) dedicated specifically to trucks. They have huge semi trucks on display and even ones you can climb inside. There is everything you could possible imagine to customize your vehicle and pimp your ride. It was really fun wandering through the aisles and observing the unique products. This place was definitely worth a stop! It’s the worlds largest truck stop, don’t deprive yourself.

Finally we made it to West Branch, Iowa: Home of the 31st president. His home, school, blacksmith, and a few other shops have been preserved through this National Park. They have moved the building a bit closer together to protect them and keep them closer together in a protected district.

Herbert Hoover’s house itself was quite small. You were not allowed to tour the inside due to the age and size of the tiny building. It was about the size of the average living room, and Herbert, his two brothers, and parents all squeezed into.

Just a few blocks away, was a local Blacksmith shop, that was actually functional during Hoover’s childhood. You are allowed to walk inside and there are a lot of old preserved blacksmith tools sprinkled around. The smell gives the feeling that it is still functional, even today. This shop was ran by Herbert’s father, as the town’s blacksmith.

My favorite part of Hebert Hoovers whole village, was the old one-room school house. Visitors are allowed to walk around inside, and it is fully decorated as a functioning school. The desks, chalk board, and even the hooks where they would hang there coats are still in tact. Different quotes from Hoover are written all over the chalk boards, and men that inspired Herbert are hung throughout the school room.

All in all, there was much more to see and do in Iowa than we both expected. It was nice finishing our tour at a National Park, because Daniel and I love seeing the different takes each state has on their National Park Services. Iowa, you are not that bad! From there we headed North: Chicago Bound! Thanks for reading my post this week.

God Bless,

McKayla

Well known for it’s corn and with the motto, “Honestly it’s not for everyone,” we entered Nebraska a bit hesitant. I appreciated the honesty in their tourist statement, but wondered what a place that admitted not everyone likes it as a slogan to get people to visit would truly be like. Unfortunately, the main highlight of Nebraska: Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historic Park was closed for the season. So we picked the best next thing and decided to visit Omaha. First stop the Pioneer Courage Park.

This park was started in 2005, and consists of many various iron sculptures. There are four major wagons weighing over 2,000lbs each, various oxen pulling the wagons, many characters including children, and a few pets. The park is very interactive and covers a few blocks. You can walk throughout the square and admire these detailed sculptures. We visited in the Winter of course, so it seemed like the characters were trudging West bound through the snow and winter winds.

The park encompasses Westward expansion and embodies the risk these explorers took throughout their journey. Bruce R. Lauritzen says, “What I like about the story of the great wagon train migration across America is the daring, the tenacity, and the innovativeness of the pioneer spirit that opened the West,” when describing the characters found throughout this free park.

From there we headed towards The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. This is bridge is one of the longest fully pedestrian suspension bridge in the nation. With 3,000 ft dedicated strictly to pedestrians, it offers a really cool view of the Omaha Sky line. Open all day and late into the night this bridge offers a unique walk to visitors and locals alike. The bridge was made in 2008 and named after the Senator who raised the money to build this walking bridge for the public. Unfortunately, it was icy so parts were closed during our visit, but still a cool area to check out.

Walking around this park and admiring the suspension of the bridge worked up an appetite. We decided to have a little cookout in the National Park Service Center parking lot, which just so happens to be located rights next to the Foot Bridge.

With our bellies full we decided it was time to head downtown and see what Omaha had to offer. We went to a really old shopping district called Old Market. This district is full of streets of places to eat, shop, art galleries, breweries, and old fashioned building types. There was a lot of brick and tons of places to explore.

Also known as the arts and entertainment district Old Market is a really fun street to visit. There are horses and carriages on every block, and the vibe is just very old fashioned. They have lots of street performers, including a really talented Saxophone player, that did not seem at all tainted by the cold. There are quite a few modern art pieces scattered about that add to the art district vibe and promote a few art exhibits.

My favorite part of Old Market was the indoor shopping section. There is a quaint indoor mall center that is two stories high and has brick and plants everywhere. It has a very old Aztec vibe and it’s really beautiful.

There are many stores and restaurants throughout this center but honestly it is worth just wandering around. With the lights, plants, and all the bricks it feels like you are in a different country. We went up to the top floor for the best view of the plaza. There is a lot of natural lighting that adds to the atmosphere but it’s indoors so you escape the harsh wind from outside. It was a beautiful break from the winter weather.

As Omaha is building up their city they are also creating an atmosphere that encourages tourism. In order to bring people in and build up their newer breweries they have a cool system set up called Penny Brews.

To support their tourism program of course we had to participate. Basically they have it set up to where you like their tourism page and they send your 10 penny brew coupons. Then you just head to participating locations buy a beer and get your second beer for a penny. With two of us it seemed like a pretty sweet deal.

We went to a few local breweries, but our favorite was by far Scriptown. This brewery is all olden wood and has a very industrial/modern vibe. The bar tender was really cool, the beers were really flavorful, the shop was beautiful, and the people were friendly. It was a nice little chill spot to sip on a few hoppy drinks. The beer is already really cheap so honestly you don’t even really need the penny brews, but its still the savings!

Finally, the sun started to set and that pretty much wrapped up our time in Omaha. We passed a few pretty little buildings on our way back to the car, and ended things with Nebraska on a good note. Even though we were nervous Omaha actually had a lot more to offer than we anticipated. Now it was time to hit the road and head to Nebraska’s corn sister: Iowa.

Until next time God Bless!

McKayla

Known for its wheat and its sunflowers, unfortunately during the winter these pride and joys of Kansas are not exactly in full swing. During the Winter, Kansas could quite possibly be the boring-est place on Earth. Driving through this state is quite literally like being sucked into a black hole. It just keeps going and going with no end in sight. Thankfully though Kansas does offer some quirky little road side attractions. Ya know, to pass the time.

The road side attraction we decided we could not live without seeing was: The World’s Largest Ball of Twine. I am not going to lie to you, it is really large. It is border line impressive if you can get past the fact of the pain and torture it takes to arrive at this beast. The highway that takes you here is hundreds of miles of: NOTHING. Literally. No gas stations, no towns, no cellphone service, no other cars. We quickly decided this was the state we would die in. The worst part is, no one would even know! Anyways back to the World’s Largest Ball of Twine….

We arrived at this national treasure around midnight, and to our surprise there was no crowd! I do not know where the late night Kansas twine lovers were hiding out, but it was ghost town when we swung through Cawker City.

After witnessing such a glorious creation, the rest of the night seemed very bleak. We continued to drive through this Mars land, for a few more hours, days, or maybe it was years. The true passing of time is intangible in the land of Kansas. When Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home,” she wasn’t meaning the positive sentimental way we all imagined. I truly believe this was her cry for help. The ONLY life we passed through this entttttire state, was a sheriff parked along side the road in some ghost town. This man climbed over the passengers seat when we saw us coming and waved very enthusiastically for a 2am human being. My only thought is that he was so excited to see another life form. I was honestly surprised he didn’t chase after us just to chat! Needless to say, we finally made it through the majority of Kansas and stopped for the night.

In the morning we found ourselves in the far eastern city of Leavenworth. Here is home to the top thing to do in the entire state of Kansas: The C.W. Parker Carousel Museum.

This museum really is quite a hidden treasure. It is ran by the sweetest staff ever, and the museum is made possible by the sweet people of Leavenworth county. The museum is full of neat collectibles from the first carousels ever created.

You start the tour with a movie which explains the creation of this carnival machines, the time and effort that goes into each horse, and the history of how carousels came to be in America.

The amount of carousel items they have and have collected from C.W. Parker and other artists is incredible. There are lots of pictures and keep sakes from the original circuses and carnivals. Up stairs are a lot of saved pieces and stories.

At the end of your tour (included in your ticket) is a fully functioning Carousel. Everyone has a ticket good for one ride. It is really meaningful to the town and to American history to be able to ride one of the first entertainment machines popular in America.

The carousel runs much smoother that I would have imagined for a machine of its age. But the most impressive part of the whole operation is the music of the machine.

The circus tunes are created from a giant music box with real drums attached through the sides. The spinning of the machine operates the music box and even mechanically beats the drum in rhythm.

The museum is a neat little hole in the wall and really embodies Leavenworth. Local volunteers come in on their free time and work to restore and repaint many of these old carousel horses. You can see the passion and time that goes into each of these creations.

From the museum, we headed into Kansas City. As much hate as I have been giving Kansas, Kansas City is dead set determine to change America’s mind of what Kansas can be. This unique city is actually shared with Missouri. As far as I know it is the only city in America that is shared between both states.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure half the time if we were actually in Kansas or Missouri, so I will just write about the city as a whole in this post. Our first stop in Kansas City was Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que. For the full effect we went to the original location which is actually located inside a gas station. I got the beef tips and Daniel ordered the BBQ Sandwhich. Not home style BBQ, but still pretty delicious!

Since it was a Friday, we decided to head downtown to the art festival called First Fridays. Every first Friday of the month, lots of local artists have a big collective show. You can walk from store to store and art is set up everywhere you look. We admired a lot of local painting, sculptures, and hand crafted trinkets.

After an art filled night, we decided to get some rest. In the morning we hit the gym and got a much needed shower in. Feeling refreshed we decided to hit the town!

We wanted to check out some of the art museums so we spent most of the day exploring The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Nelson-Atkins is more focused on large scale sculptures but both museums are worth a visit, if you have an interest in art of all kinds.

Daniel enjoyed reenacting a lot of the outdoor pieces, while I just froze my butt off. Thankfully we had made tea and carried that through our adventures, or I may have lost some fingers.

From there we headed downtown to do some window shopping and admired the many murals that are painted all throughout the city.

There were a lot of really beautiful brick buildings and decorated alley ways. Normally alley ways creep me out, but Kansas City has created a much more inviting passage way.

It was fun walking through the various districts such as the Power and Light District, the Library District, and the Garment District. It is interesting how the city is broken into blocks reflecting what was originally manufactured in these areas.

From there we headed to the historic City Market. This market place is like a giant indoor farmers market. There are many people selling local goods and a few permanent stores sprinkled about.

Due to being later in the day, many of the artisans were closing up shop for the day. But it was still fun walking through the various shopping centers and getting a feel for the products sold throughout. The best part was being out of the cold.

We managed to catch a pretty sunset right before leaving the City Market. The whimsical sky was really a waterpainted masterpiece. From there we got our nerd on and headed to the Library.

Kansas City has a really fun library were the decorated the outside with larger than life books. These books are stacked to make the library seem like the building itself is a giant bookshelf. The titles of the books were voted on by local citizens of Kansas City, so I liked that community participation in this unique place.

From there we headed to a sports bar to watch our beloved Timbers Soccer Team compete in the MLS Cup. We aren’t going to talk about the results, but it was a nice evening. All in all, Kansas City definitely changed our minds of Kansas as a whole. Even with some fun places, we were anxious to leave the Sunflower State behind and head towards Nebraska. Thanks for tuning in. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

God Bless,

McKayla

Well known “Colorful Colorado” was a journey to get to. After a pit stop in Salt Lake City, that will be described in our Utah post, he headed towards Colorado. We were met by our first snow storm and it got so bad they closed the highway. This forced us out into the snowy off roads of Wyoming.

These small roads bordering the highways were packed with feet of snow and only had shallow tire paths. We were SO thankful for our new snow tires (thanks Papa Slack!) and thankfully Meredith handled the snow storm like a dream! We could not say the same for the rest of the highway caravan.

We ended up getting stuck behind a mini van from California. They kept getting stuck and it slowed our 20 mph down to continuous halt. Daniel had a small snow shovel and kept jumping out into the snow to help dig them out. One time when we jumped out the snow was much softer and it went up past our knees. The family was very sweet but did not speak any English and it made coaching them how to drive in snow very difficult.

Some way, some how we finally made it to a gas station! Parts of the road dropped off into large valleys, so it was very important not to slide off the road. BUT, Everyone survived, which was a small miracle. And they finally decided to re-open the highway. After about a 5 hour delay we were finally Colorado bound again.

Once finally in Colorado, our first stop was Boulder! My cousin David is living there and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to hang out. Since David had to work in the morning, we decided it would be a late night visit. We met Dave at Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery. We hung out for quite a few hours and split some nacho and bonded over some local brews. It was nice to catch up, even if it was for a quick visit.

In the morning, we headed straight for the Rocky Mountain National Park. Once again very thankful for our snow tires, we made the beautiful drive up the mountain to the Rocky’s.

We loved driving through this park and were thankful for our National Park season pass to avoid paying for parking. The Rocky Mountains are truly so beautiful you could easily spend quite a few days here.

We headed towards Sprague Lake for a frozen wonderland. It was really really cold outside and I wore the wrong socks. My boots were pretty frozen from being stored up top, so I might have been being A LITTLE bit dramatic. Daniel lovvvves it when I am grumpy, but still he tried to cheer me up to enjoy the park.

All this to say, I was being pretty snappy, Naturally nature decided to humble me, and I quickly fell and busted my butt. It felt like I was slipping for a like 90 seconds before I crashed down about 4 minutes into the hike. It hurt pretty badly, but it was quite comical. After that, I decided I better shape it up before the snow takes its vengeance out on me again.

Now that I was in a better mood we could hike around and enjoy this frozen land. We were really lucky and came across a heard of Elk. They were really magnificent and way bigger than I imagined. We kept quite as to not disturb them and they did not seem too bothered by us.

On the way out of the park we decided to hike around Estes Park a bit. Daniel came here as a kid and remembered there were a bunch of chipmunks you could feed. Unfortunately all those little fluffs were deep in hibernation. But, it is still a really beautiful park.

Once we were done prancing around through the snow we decided to journey down to Denver: the Mile High City.

Once in Denver, we managed to snatch up some parking right outside of the Capitol Building. We thought, “hey why not?” So we ventured through the huge doors of the beautiful architecture.

They had a HUGE Christmas tree set up and everything was decorated. It was totally free to explore, so defintely worth the stop. The center where you can look up and adore the decorated dome was my favorite part.

From there we wandered through Denver and found some really neat parks. This city was much more artsy that we anticipated, and there was a lot of beautifully designed buildings. Being so close to Christmas, a lot of buildings took advantage of red and green lights.

One park that we found, was a little bit disturbing. First of all there was a dry fountain out front, which was due to the season. And secondly, there were animal heads everywhere. It reminded me of some serial killer’s collection or a satanic sacrifice.

Once we reached the explanation plaque, we realized it was something much more innocent. Each animal actually just represented the animals of the Chinese Calendar. Looking at it in that light, it seemed much less intimidating.

All these animals reminded us of the famous animal we hadn’t visited yet. The Big Blue Bear! That’s right. Right outside of the Convention Center (which is huge and really impressive) is this geometric bear just peaking in watching passing citizens.

After peeking at the peeking bear, we went into the Convention Center to de-thaw. This center is packed full of people coming and going. It resembles a busy airport or train station, but it is more inviting. We mingled around and passed the tourist information desk. There we found a flyer for a German Christmas festival. Of course, we could not resist!

The Christkindl Market was actually only a few minutes walk from the Big Blue Bear, so we really lucked out! This festival is a really neat experience. Outside is lined with shop upon shop of little ornaments, hand sculpted wood, pretzel shops, beer stands, glass art, and so much more. Then in the middle of the little “German Town” is a heated tent full of tables like a true festival hall. In this warming tent there were people eating, dancing, and a live band was preforming.

The band was really good, especially the fiddler (tiny bit biased). So we decided to stay a while. We swung by the beir garten and got some drinks. I chose the hot wine (which was served in a cute hand painted mug) and Daniel got a German Pilsner.

PROST! Which is German for CHEERS!

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Sipping our drinks and jamming to the tunes really worked up an appetite. We decided to face the freezing temperature once again and find some authentic food to scarf down. We settled for some Wiener Schnitzel, German styled cucumber salad, and a rich potato salad. It was delicious.

With our spirits lifted and our stomachs full, we continued our tour of downtown. Denver has a really interesting thing were they set up Piano’s all throughout their pedestrian streets. They have them covered but everyone is encouraged to uncover them and take a spin on their musical talents. The pianos are brightly painted and we witnessed quite a few being put to good use. They also have benches set up with chess boards to play while listening to local music. There is a bunch of modern art decorating the walkways which keep downtown very lively.

Finally, we headed back to the Capitol building, to be reunited with Meredith. On a side note: I am not sure if it is due to Colorado being so 420 friendly, but I have never seen so many people walking around with full pizzas and munching on them right out of the box. I mean in New York, we witnessed a lot of people eating pizza slices on the go, but here it was right out of the box! No Shame. These people were not going to waste their pizzas, or let them get cold, without enjoying their slices in the pizzas freshest state. I respect that. This really added to the whole vibe of Denver, which is really positive, artistic, encouraging, and festive. We will definitely be visiting again!

Once we finally made it back to the safety of our car, we reflected on such a unique city. Unfortunately, now was the part of the trip we had to venture into the cursed land of Kansas. Stay tuned for the very uninteresting details of our journey through Kansas. Thanks for reading my post this week. Cheers!

God Bless you guys,

McKayla

Formally known as, “not California,” this Famous Potato State did not disappoint. When I think of the West Coast, I am not gonna lie, Idaho is never the state that comes to mind. Cali, Washington, and Oregon are often everyone’s “idea” of the West Coast. So poor little Idaho just kind of sinks into the background.

Well, hopefully through this post, I can shed a little light on what a wonderful state Idaho really is. Honestly, it should be known for so much more than it’s potatoes.

Our first stop in Idaho, was Boise. A lot of our friends have visited or preformed in Boise, and we were anxious to see what the hype was all about. To our pleaseant surprise Boise is packed with things to do and see.

We decided to start at the Freak Alley Gallery, which is a collaboration of outdoor murals. This art gallery is quite a few blocks long, with mural upon mural upon mural. It’s really incredible and well worth the little walk.

This gallery was started back in 2002, and now has grown into an ever changing display of local talent. The gallery features over 200 artists, and allegedly there are new paintings ever time you visit.

There are very realistic paintings, abstract murals, play on words, and even spin offs of well known T.V. shows. Make sure if your passing through you take your time and take in all the various characters that come to life throughout this alley.

Most of the painting are on a brick canvas, which I think adds to the character of the various pieces. The life like characters and animals really stood out to me, like the wolf posted below. There really is something here for everyone!

The alley is located between N 9th and N 8th street, on the block of W Idaho St. so be sure to check it out. Also a fun tidbit is the Freak Alley Gallery is also free and open 24/7.

We checked it out at night which really added to the whole experience. Being the only ones there, we had plenty of time to mosey through without wrecking anyone’s selfies! 🙂

After getting our art fill, we began to wander the streets and do a bit of window shopping. There are a lot of cool little stores in downtown Boise, so it’s really fun to just walk around and take everything in.

We found a neat little mall that had a lot of indoor walkways. There was a balcony at the top of the shopping center, and walkway bridges to cross the street without going back out into the cold.

In the middle of the downtown center, there was a giant Christmas tree and a lot of unique light patterns playing off the buildings. I was really happy we visited during Christmas time because everything was very festive. We enjoyed all the trees wrapped in lights and the Christmas music that played throughout the streets.

There are lots of little parks and modern art as you wander throughout downtown. We passed a lot of interactive pieces. Some even displayed how downtown Boise looked back in the early 1900’s. A lot of the buildings were made fully of glass. Many were filled with bright colorful lights indoors, to make the entire building appear red or purple (for example). It was much more artsy than we expected, and we even found this awesome little snowman outside a fancy Mexican Restaurant.

Although the Mexican food smelled DELICIOUS, we had our minds set on one thing: Potatoes. So naturally we looked up the best potatoes in town. Our searching lead us to the Westside Drive In.

The Westside Drive In is basically just a retro Sonic with better food. We were drawn in by the vintage vibe and the fun neon lights. And of course the potato hype!

After seeing the advertisements, we could not resist ordering the Ice Cream Potato. Honestly it was quite good. They take the ice cream and coat the entire outside in coco powder to give it the potato appearance. Then they load it up with whipped cream that gives it the appearance sour cream. Behold the fully loaded Ice Cream Potato. Yummy!

After spending a full night exploring Idaho, we decided to call it a night and get some rest for the morning. Bright and early we continued our journey East. We drove for a couple of hours, through some really beautiful land and through a few mountain ranges.

We drove through Twin Falls, and then finally hit our destination: Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. Which is now one of our favorite National Parks.

Craters of the Mood National Monument and Preserve is normally a collection of lava flows, dried igneous rock formations, craters, and strange rock formations creating a Mars-like mountain range.

Since we were visiting in the Winter, we had a unique oppertunity. With about 10 inches of snow, the rock formations were completely covered and created a Winter Wonderland.

This time of year instead of offering tours, the Visitors Center gives out snowshoes. With a recommended donation of $5 the snowshoes are yours till dark!

Being a week day, and maybe due to the cold, we had the whole park to ourselves! It was beautiful. There are little paths already trudged into the snow, but with your snowshoes you can venture just about anywhere.

We decided to hike the North Crater and out to the Lava Flow Fields. Thankfully, our snowshoes had good grip to get up some of those steep parts of the mountain. With the inches of snow, there would have been no chance that we would have made it that far, (without our feet being drenched and snow up to our knees, which nobody wants!) without those life saving snowshoes. Do yourself the favor and grab those snowshoes on the way in. Trust me, you will be grateful! You’ll want to donate more than 5 bucks.

It was so beautiful hiking out to the middle of nowhere, and being surrounded by silence and nature. Daniel and I had a lot of reflection time out there in the middle of Narnia. The snow just stretched for miles and miles, without the noise pollution of neighboring cities. It is a truly tranquil and humbling experience.

At first, I was a bit disappointed about the snow because we wouldn’t be able to see all the rock formations. Honestly though, it was so beautiful, if we were to visit again I would push to do it in the winter! There’s no crowds and the view is incredible covered in all the glistening snow. If we were to do it all over again, I would not change a thing.

After trudging around for a few hours, we decided to head back towards our car. To our surprise getting back was easy and QUICK! We leaned forward and used the metal rim of our snowshoes almost like skis, and slid most of the way down the mountain. It took us about an hour to hike to the top and 12 mins to come down! Hello, snow surfing.

Once we arrived back at our parking lot, we shook off our icy boots and realized how cold we really were. Thankfully, the stomping through the snow had kept our bodies really warm. But once we stopped moving, we were FREEZING! We booked it to the shelter of our car to thaw out of toes and melt Daniel’s ice beard.

Once we de-thawed a bit, we decided the perfect ending to our day of hiking and Winter Wonder would be a nice bowl of hot soup! So that is exactly what we did. With our handy dandy pot and boiler, we whipped up some hot chili and wild rice soup! It is was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

With our water refilled from the Visitors Center, and our stomach full of warm soup, we kissed Craters of the Moon goodbye. From there, we drove off into the sunset: Utah bound! Salt Lake City, here we come!

Thanks for reading the blog this week. Hope y’all are staying warm! God Bless,

McKayla

Home sweet home, and it had been too long! The last time that we were in Oregon, it was a wonderful-yet stressful time. The west coast wedding had many ups and downs, to include the missing wedding dress fiasco and some bridesmaids that almost didn’t make it. The wedding turned out beautifully, but we were looking forward to some relaxing family time and some delicious home cooked food. As much as Mickey and I love cooking out and making our own meals on the road, nothing beats my dad’s turkey or my auntie and Nana’s homemade pies. We made our way south from Seattle after spending some time with the Hoovers, and after celebrating my birthday in Edmonds (McKayla got me the Nintendo Switch for my birthday!!!) towards the city by the falls: Oregon City. It was so nice to see our family, and we were so relieved to have finally finished the first leg of our journey. The last time we were in Oregon, we did not have much time to sightsee, so I was ready to show off what the Northwest had to offer to McKayla.

We spent a lot of time with my grandparents new puppy, Mia-who is now best friends with McKayla. ‘The Queen’ spent more time in McKayla’s lap than she did on the floor during our stay in Oregon; she is one spoiled pup! She’s cute, and she knows it. We were in Oregon City just in time for Thanksgiving, and we could not have been happier to spend this special day with loved ones. 2018 was a monumental year for us, and it was nice to have a moment of serenity to reflect on our times together with the family. We had ended our careers in the military, we had two weddings, and we embarked on a journey through our  glorious country that has been life changing so far. We have a lot to be thankful for.

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After we stuffed our faces with a mountain of morsels, we headed out to find THE SAVINGS on Black Friday with our good friend, Austin. Like always, the mall, Walmart, Gamestop, etc. was a madhouse. Clothes and consoles were flying off the shelves everywhere, and the lines were going nowhere and nowhere fast. We found a few good deals, but good ol’ Auz got a brand new Nintendo Switch that night and he was pretty pumped! We spent the rest of the night playing it before passing out and sleeping in for what felt like the first time in a while.

As you may or may not know, my family-more specifically my brother, my dad and I, are huge Timbers fans. My dad was keen enough to have landed some playoff tickets for their upcoming match against Sporting Kansas City, and we were just in time to watch them. This was exciting because it was McKayla’s first Timbers game, and I could not wait to see her reaction to the Timbers Army! The Timbers Army are the greatest supporters of any sports team, period. Their relentless devotion, infectious energy, and die-hard mentality for the Timbers is unmatched, and a sight to see. The TA did not disappoint for this home game. A sold out crowd echoed their chants throughout the Rose City as the Timbers and SKC grinded out to a 0-0 tie-but a great game nonetheless. We did put a ball in the back of the net, but it was waived offsides… questionably. Overall, it was an amazing experience and we were so happy that we got to spend the day in Portland with my dad.

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Multnomah Falls, the spot of our west coast ceremony, is famously set near the Columbia Gorge, which is a beautiful home to many hikes, views, and hidden treasures. We decided to go on a hike one day with our friends Austin and Kalee in the gorge, to get lost in the wilderness for a day together. We chose a small hike to Dry Creek Falls, a small waterfall located in the vast area that is the Columbia Gorge. Along for the trip came Kalee’s puppy, Fezzik, the Giant. He is an adorable Golden Retriever who loves to hike and do basically anything outdoors. He is one good boy. The trail was a quick 4 and a half miles to a beautiful amphitheatre-like effect with a waterfall cascading down upon the end of trail from about 70 ft up in the air. The deafening roar of the waterfall drowned out all other sound, and in a sense, the gorge was silent from where we stood. The area had been burnt due to a forest fire, but it was recovering well from what we could see. The Gorge is a truly magnificent experience, and I recommend that all who are able, to check it out.

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Once our time in Oregon City was up, we bid our family farewell, and headed east to Bend, the High Desert. My mom lives out there, and it is night-and-day different from the Willamette Valley. Bend is dry and cold, with pine trees everywhere and people scarcely placed throughout the area, which makes for a nice city. There are a lot of breweries in the area and all of them are amazing. When we got my mom’s house, there was little snow on the ground.

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The next few days, however, we would get a few feet of fresh powder, which made my mom’s house, located by Deschutes River, a winter wonderland. Barley, her golden retriever, loves the snow, I mean really loves the snow. We went on many walks and bike rides while we were there, and no matter what the temperature was outside (even well below freezing at times) this crazy canine would run and run, and then jump into the river to cool off (again, it’s freezing outside) and then hop out, roll around in the snow to dry off (dog logic), just to repeat the process over again.

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We were in town just in time for my 24th birthday, and my mom surprised me with a tour of Deschutes Brewing Company, which brews one of my favorite IPAs: Fresh Squeezed IPA. It was a great time, and I was fortunate enough to have Austin and Kalee drive down and spend the day with us. Shout out to the homies, they went the distance and I love them very much.

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While we were in Bend, we went to Smith Rock to hike, and it was grueling.  We chose to hike a path labeled Misery Ridge, and the name did not disappoint. Smith Rock is basically a giant lava plume pushed up from the earth’s crust to create this towering, gargantuan structure that is famous for its hiking and bouldering areas. The hike to the top, was a rough one-even Barley was struggling! The view at the top made it all worth it in the end, and you could see for miles-it was breathtaking. On the way down, we stopped to watch some rock climbers in action, and I must say, we were very impressed with what they were doing. There were faces of the rock covered in chalk from previous climbers, and some of those routes looked impossible. There was smooth rock for the majority of these hikes, and I could not believe how strong these climbers were. If you are reading this and have bouldered at Smith Rock, I applaud you.

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Once our time in Bend was at an end, we said goodbye and headed east, towards Idaho, with Potatoes on our mind and good memories made that we will forever remember. Oregon, you’re still the best state in my books, never change.

Cheers,

-Daniel-

Ahh we finally made it to the Pacific Northwest! We were finally on the West Coast. Not that I don’t love the East Coast (Virginia born and raised baby) but the West Coast does have a beautiful factor that is hard to get around. NO HUMIDITY. Of course there are gorgeous views, incredible hikes, mind blowing mountain ranges, and tons of adventure, but my absolute favorite is the humidity thing. You can just breath forever without risk of drowning like some of my East Coast people I am sure have experience on a deathly hot August day. But regardless of your Coast preferences, we made it Washington.

We spent the night in Spokane, Washington and in the morning had an absolutely beautiful drive to Seattle. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie Pass looks beautiful in the fall, and the greenery will absolutely amaze you. Driving through these National Forest and by the waterfalls are defintely something that should be on your bucket list, if it isn’t already.

Once in Seattle, we wasted no time and hit the number one attraction: The Space Needle.

It’s a little pricey to get up there but definitely something you should do if you have the time and are in Seattle. We decided to go right at sunset so we could see the city at day, see a really beautiful sunset, and then see the city at night.

You are given a certain time to board the elevator, and then one quick trip up and vola you are on the top of the world. The exhibit at the top is quite larger than I expected, and they have glass everything. There are glass benches, huge glass walls, and even parts of the floor is glass. They have little stations set up so you can capture the perfect selfie. So you don’t have to worry about asking strangers to snap a quick picture for you.

The part I thought was the coolest is the “downstairs” viewing center. This part of the observation deck is actually spinning. It is spinning so slowly you almost don’t even notice. It’s actually pretty incredible. They have bars, seats, and places to eat so you could sit and see the whole city without even having to move. After exploring the upper deck, the spinning section, and watching an amazing sunset we decided to see what else Seattle had to offer.

Once we arrived back on a more solid ground we continued our Seattle exploration. We found ourselves down by the river and explored all along the boardwalk area.

We got some various snacks with our favorite being these little fried fish balls. They were almost like hushpuppies, but filled with fish and then deep fried. They are served piping hot with a creamy dipping sauce. Delish!

We ventured through all the little touristy sections and admired the themed spots. There was a lot of westerny vibes going along and we even found some Oregon Trail themed people. It’s a fun quirky little spot down by the river, and it’s beautiful at night with everything lit up.

We were lucky enough to have some friends Emily and Sam Hoover give us the insiders tour. They both went to college in Seattle so they knew all the local spots. We saw some neat little parks, the best places in town to eat, and even a nice overlook of the city at night. It was a nice late night adventure with a really fun couple!

In the morning, we decided our first stop HAD to be Public Market. It is well known for tossing the local catch of the day, but it is so much more than a fish tossing marketplace.

It is a community of vendors, fresh food, and basically a giant flea/farmers market. Definitely worth a visit, and if you get there early you can even witness them auctioning off the stalls or selling tables of the day.

You can walk the many different floors and find everything from street musicians to local art displays. My favorite section were the many booths selling fresh flowers and the unique bouquet arrangements.

Behind the Market there is a nice little picnic area where you can go if you need to take a break or a nice spot to eat lunch with a view.

There are tons of quirky little details you can find hidden all over the market. From sidewalk art to intricate building designs, keep your eyes peeled for some fun little treasures. Some of our favorites were the scattered light men hidden in unique places all over the market holding different lights as lanterns. See how many you can find!

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Another major attraction of the Public Market, is the First Starbucks. That’s right the world renowned coffee place was started in a tiny shop right outside the Public Market.

Usually you have to get there right as it opens to avoid hours of waiting in line, but we got lucky. It probably had a lot to do with us visiting on a week day in the middle of the off season, but we only waited about 10 minutes before we were helped.

All the original floors and logos are used in this Starbucks, so you get a really authentic feel for how it was back in 1912. There is a special version of Pike’s Place blend that is only served at this location, so naturally that is the one we had to try. We decided to get it as a pour over and it was a delicious rich deep blend of beans.

With our coffee in hand, we decided the only thing to complete our brew would be a treat. Thankfully just a few doors down is the delicious bakery Piroshky Piroshky. This tiny bakery makes their pastries fresh every single day and they are to die for! We got the pumpkin cinnamon rolls, but from the smell of it, anything would have been delicious. If you have a sweet tooth, this is the place to go!

From there we decided to head a few blocks down to the well-known Gum Wall. You can smell it even before you can see it, as all the rubbery sugars melt into one.

The alley is exactly what it sounds like, just a bunch of gum stuck on a wall. It is kinda gross if you think about it, but it’s pretty impressive the amount that has been collected over the years. Its a very colorful place to take pictures, but be careful not to stand too close. If you’re really brave you might even add a piece for yourself.

On the way out of the alley, there is tons of graffiti, wall art, and posters plastered on every inch and surface. It is pretty neat to spend some time checking out some of the creative posts.

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From there we decided to view a very different form of art and headed to Troll Ave. Under the Fremont Bridge is a huge troll sculpted into the sand. There is little parking, but its a fun quirky little thing to see before heading out of the city.

This massive sculpture was just the icing on the cake of a wonderful visit to the Emerald City. The troll pretty much wrapped up our time in Seattle, and we decided to head south to Oregon!

Thanks for reading my post this week, and I hope you get the chance to explore Washington for yourself.

Until next time, God Bless!

-McKayla