Friday, August 10, 2012

North Cascades Highway

Rob convinced me to go on a motorcycle trip with him and his friend Sota.  Rob has always wanted take a motorcycle on the on the North Cascades Highway.  Now that I am more comfortable  on a motorcycle, and Rob recently bought a bike that is perfect for the trip we decided to go for it. 

I started  the trip on my own.  I rode  up to the Ensign Ranch to spend stake night at Girl’s camp with the girls from our ward.  Rob and Sota met me up at the ranch a few hours later.  We then drove on to Wenatchee that night and stayed in a hotel. I was not the happiest about going over the highway 97 in the dark, but I survived and we made it without injury. 

The next morning we drove through Chelan and onto the North Cascades Highway. It was the perfect day for it.  The sun was shining bright and it was perfectly warm.  We made several stops to enjoy the view.  It was my first time on that highway and I can’t believe it was.  Every time we stopped I said,  “Rob, why have we never been up here before?!”  the views were breath-taking.

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Lake  Chelan

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Rob and Sota with their matching Honda VFRs. 

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Looking down onto the North Cascades Highway

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The view from the top of Washington Pass with Liberty Bell Mountain in the background.

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Mine and Rob’s bikes  at the top of the pass. 

It was a great trip. We traveled about 500 miles.  I was able to keep up just fine, even on the winding roads.  Rob is even more encouraged now that one day we could actually take a motorcycle trip up to Alaska.  We’ll see…

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Parents of 5

Rob and I had a house full when my sister Julie and her husband Rod left their 5 kids in our care as they went to Hawaii to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.  Having 7 people crammed in our three bedroom house for 9 days made us feel like we were bursting at the seams, but thanks to daily activities, a dog, and 2 Xbox 360s, we were able to make it through and actually enjoy ourselves. 

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Everyone stuck a piece of gum on the gum wall when we visited Pike Place Market

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We braved the zoo on a rainy day. 

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We had a beautifully sunny day where we enjoyed the sand at Golden Gardens.

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We went  to Greenlake and rented a canoe, paddle boards, and a kayak.

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We hiked Rattlesnake Ridge

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We discovered some talent for Mountain biking at Duthie Hill Bike Park. 

It was a great visit and I think everyone had a great time. Thanks to the Rivers’ family for making the long journey up to hang out with us.