The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

I am so lucky to have friends all over the place. Dan is one of Jason's best friends. I met both of them that day in Waterslides about three years ago, and I knew instantly he was someone I'd want as a friend. Unfortunately, he and his wife, Celeste, moved to Seattle just before I moved back to Phoenix. Actually, I guess this is not unfortunate because it gave me a great place to stay and fun people to hang out with here! Dan and I did Change Creek, my first Pacific Northwest canyon. It was pretty and pleasant with no major obstacles or challenges. Except the rope. I carried rope, and I really need to find a way to dial that in because my rope bag is so uncomfortable. Since the rope was wet, it was even heavier, and it was like that bag was trying to drag me to the ground. It actually succeeded a few times! I have so many bruises from falling down. Luckily, there wasn't much walking in the actual canyon. It was just one rappel after another, so I just kept throwing my bag o

My friend Nina thinks that our friend Sarah's good energy is affecting all of us, that that was her final gift to us. I can believe that. Every day of this trip has been amazing. I think it's the best summer of vagabonding I've had so far.  I was looking for a free spot to camp the other night. I was driving further and further down a forest road and getting more and more discouraged. And then, this. Spectacular view of Mount Rainier, and I had the whole place to myself. I celebrated by turning up my music as loud as I wanted and having my own little dance party.  As I settled into bed that night, I heard a strange noise. I kept texting Paula about it... I was definitely a little freaked out. ("OMG, IT'S GETTING CLOSER!!") But it stopped, and I went to sleep without solving the mystery of what it was. When I woke up the next morning, the mountain was completely buried in clouds. I was disappointed, thinking I wouldn't get to see much. I was so wrong!  My f

On Monday, I met up with Jenna, who blogs over at Plaid Sheep. https://winenaptime.wordpress.com  I miss this girl so much, and I wish I'd spent more time with her when she lived in Phoenix! But I think Portland is where she's meant to be. We had lunch at Koi Fusion and dessert at Salt and Straw.  Street Food ice cream flavors! And then we watched the Hawks win the Cup at Hopworks! And Jenna was all, "Yay, sports!" because she doesn't watch hockey. And I got really drunk and texted embarrassing things. I am kind of the queen of drunk texting. A few days later, it was Paula's turn to show me around Portland. I seriously can't believe how many things we did. And most of it was not planned.  We started out at the Rose Garden. This place was unbelievable! It just went on and on, and it smelled so good and was so beautiful. Paula and I kept trying to get good pictures together, but the difference in height is an issue.  We were very hungry after smelling all th

A friend of mine texted a few weeks ago and wanted to know what I was up to.  "I'm at Olive Garden." "What?? Who the f--- goes to Olive Garden when they're vagabonding??" I do. Because I don't give a f---, I do what makes me happy. And yes, I know Olive Garden pasta is basically a step up from Fazoli's, but don't try to pretend like you don't love their salad and breadsticks. I confess that I am a basic bitch at heart. And this is what happens when basic bitches go vagabonding.  1. You "Shake It Off" with Taylor Swift in a dance party for one at your campsite. 2. Night time camp activities include: hydrating with Korean face masks, pedicures (in blue or green, because those are the trendy colors right now), rereading Twilight, trying out hairstyles you saw on Pinterest, reading the latest issue of US Weekly. (I'm kind of obsessed with Princess Kate.) 3. Breakfast consists of artisan doughnuts from Blue Star. (You bought extra to

I only meant to go to Powell's, but everything just kind of fell into place for a really perfect day. All of a sudden I was seeing places in real life that I'd only seen on Pinterest! First stop: Tender Loving Empire, where I purchased this art print for my classroom. Then I stumbled upon a parking lot of food trucks. Specifically, the grilled cheese truck Paula had told me about. Delicious. Then, Powell's. Oh, Powell's. I spent about three hours there. I hung out in the coffee shop for a while reading, and then just wandered. It's overwhelming! Honestly, it's all kind of a blur, but I walked out of there with six new books. The problem is that they have used books for half price, so you're like, oh, that's a really good deal! And they just keep accumulating. Actually, I am proud of how I limited myself. Most of these are books I've been wanting to buy.  My interests are wide and varied. :) And how about the fact that I didn't buy any romance nov

I spent Friday making my way up the Oregon coast. I really wanted to do this hike called the Hobbit Trail that I'd seen on Pinterest.  It was much shorter than I thought it would be, and the Hobbit section was small. But it was still beautiful! The best part was emerging from the rhododendrons to the beach. I also wanted to see Devil's Punchbowl. Must have been low tide when I was there. :) Other cool things I saw: Sea lions! It's hard to see them in this picture, but oh my word, you could hear them. Cape Foulweather And then I stopped at Loft Outlet. Because I really am a basic bitch at heart.

My plan for yesterday was to hike among the redwoods, but it was SO STINKIN HOT. Seriously, it was hotter than it was in Phoenix. I drove through them and admired them, but was feeling tired and cranky. So I parked my chair in the Smith River and read a trashy romance novel. No regrets. I got a slow start today, but this afternoon I hiked to Wolf Creek Falls near Roseburg. It was such a pretty trail, and I had it all to myself.  The falls are 75 feet high and weren't flowing very much. I tripped twice during this hike. Skinned both knees. Typical. I had to cheer for the Hawks #becauseitsthecup, so I found a little dive bar in Glide. A super nice couple invited me to stay at their cabin for the night! But  I didn't want to impose, and I knew I'd be clearing out early in the morning, so I politely declined.  Although now that I'm out here completely alone in the woods and it is eerily quiet, I am regretting that decision just a bit! 

Sunday morning found me at a park in Bend, waiting for the breweries to open. I realize this makes me sound like a lush, but Bend has the highest number of breweries per capita in the U.S. When in Rome, right?  My first stop was Worthy Brewing, where I enjoyed a delicious and potent saison. I then had to wait in the parking lot for a while before I could drive. Next was a place called Cascade Lakes, which wasn't my favorite. The last stop of the day was Bend Brewing, which was great. And the best part was meeting up with my friend Lisa and her husband! Lisa is one of the coolest people I know. Several years ago, she realized she could do her job as a computer programmer from just about anywhere, so she bought a big creepy van (Vanifest) and took off to have adventures. She knew that, if she was ever to marry, she'd want someone who was both financially responsible and willing to live in a van. Pretty unlikely. But just when she resigned herself to being alone, she met Brian, wh

Not an exciting day. In fact, it kind of sucked! I had planned on spending about a week in the Wallowas, but clearly I was a bit early for that. I drove across the state towards Bend, and it took For-ev-er. (I'm saying that in the voice from the Sandlot.) I had to stop by the John Day Fossil Beds, which were not as exciting as I'd hoped. I guess not much can top the stuff at Dinosaur. Also, I was just not in the mood.  There was really only one thing that piqued my interest. What on earth is an "ancestral Easter bunny??" I chose to stay at a campground tonight because I wanted to use my phone (hadn't had service all day), wanted to take a shower, and wanted to be close to town. But this is the sacrifice I had to make for those amenities: No privacy. Lots of people. It's funny that I had to pay $16 for this loud, crowded place, but the best campsites out in the woods are free. I'll be going back to dispersed camping tomorrow.