The End of the Road Trip

Look, I would like to say in the last entry that the final day was incredible and that Coeur d'Alene and the drive back home was filled with amazing adventures.  The truth?  We woke up to pouring rain...again!  I mean it was a monsoon!  So in the end, we got back in the car and started our journey home.

I would like to tell some crazy tale but the ride back to Portland was pretty tame except when Angie lamented on how she wished she had seen a bald eagle to which I replied.  "I did.  In Montana!"

To which she said, "Why didn't you say anything so I could see it?!?"

"Because you were driving in the other monsoon behind the big truck and you were focused on not plummeting into the raging river at the time."  She pondered this.  I know it totally made sense to her, but part of her wanted to throttle me.

In the end, I knew she had forgiven me when in the middle of Washington, on a long stretch to nowhere I had to stop and use the restroom, badly.  She took an exit off the freeway to get me to the little town of Lind, which was 15 miles off our chartered course.  She even was going 90 in a 65.  That is a true friend, that or she was worried about the car.  Still, even though the trip had been mostly rained out, I had a great time with my good friend who I don't see nearly enough.

Just a side note: if you are checking out the Western States, they are a heck of a lot bigger than the ones on the East Coast so you need to take your time.  I mean, you could easily spend a day or two in Rhode Island, but in a state like Idaho or Montana?  No way!  You need at least 5-6 days for each state and even then that wouldn't be enough.  At times, I really felt as if we rushed and missed out on a lot, though the rain would have held us back still.

I also learned that I live in a really polluted part of the US and am so relieved to see an area of America that is still mostly untouched by man.  It was an odd experience to be driving down a highway in Idaho only to see one or two other cars during the whole two hour trip.

I also realized after this trip that I really need to get back in touch with nature more than I have in the past couple years.  The only wildlife I get to see now is the animals pushing other people for a seat on the subway during rush hour.  I enjoy NYC, but sometimes it is a relief to get away to where people are more relaxed and kinder to each other.  Though, I won't lie, I am still disappointed I didn't get to see a Bison, Moose or Bear.  I guess there is always Wyoming...