another visit with our Friendly Neighbors

Victoria, British Columbia. Have you seen this place? Oh, it's gorgeous. It's definitely got a British feel to it, what with all the afternoon teas going on and what not. Nana Morrison, Pete's paternal grandma, was the most gracious of hosts. We got in super late after the aforementioned ferry ride and she had dinner and wine waiting for us. Nana had rented us the suite (!!!) in her condo building so for the next couple nights Pete and I had our own mini-apartment with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, balcony and television set circa 1907. It was heavenly.

We had a blast with Pete's Nana, going to the wharf for fish and chips and to say what's up to the sea lions. We made friends with a bird. We saw a very beautiful IMAX film about Van Gogh after touring around the city some more. We had afternoon tea, we biked around (Nana opted out of that part), we watched the sunset from the apartment roof. I got to meet more of Pete's family: uncle, aunt and two cousins. Bless her heart, one of Pete's cousins, Jamille, had gotten into a brutal bike accident the day before we got there and was just out of the hospital with stitches and black eyes. She was remarkable, though, and was able to still be sweet and funny when we went to see her.



We bid Victoria adieu and made our way up the coast of BC toward the famous Tofino Bay where the beaches were said to be incredible. We chose Incinerator Rock as our stopping point and hiked along the beach our first day there, strolling and prancing along the empty, foggy beach. It was GORGEOUS.

We walked for hours and found huge rocks completely covered in sea creatures. We climbed to the top and found quite possibly the best Fort-on-Top-of-a-Sea-Creature-Covered-Rock ever! It was beautiful and eerie and unlike any other beach I'd seen.

The big surprise came the next morning, though, when we woke up in a water bed. No, not like a 1980s motel room water bed. I'm talking about inches of water undulating under our drenched sleeping bags. We scurried to get everything packed and into the back seat of the car (smelled fantastic). We realized we needed a refuge from the rain ASAP so we drove to Vancouver where we stayed with Devon, a friend of Pete's cousin, in his remarkably dry apartment.


Vancouver is quite the town. The University there has a zen garden and a beach where people can frolic about nude. There's a big ole tree on the edge of campus that hangs out over the water where you can watch the sunset. The restaurants have giant plates of fresh sushi for $6. It's huge and full of life but unfortunately, full of rain so our plans to bike around town were washed out (that pun was for Jesse Noyes). Devon was a phenomenal host, having let us drape our sopping belongings all over his house and guzzle his coffee for two days. But the US and A was beckoning us back home, so after two nights we departed for another stint in Washington state.


Starting at Olympic National Park (where we almost got fined for illegal camping), we've spent the last nine nights camping our way down the West Coast. This morning I woke up and walked to the window and looked out over a foggy San Francisco. It's been seven weeks and 10,400 miles since this adventure began. Hot damn.

headin' out west

After we left Minnesota, Pete and I headed out west towards Seattle for the aforementioned amazingness that was my birthday surprise. The days in between were no less amazing, though. We spent four nights camping in four different places without paying a dime any night.

Night numero uno: Whitewood, South Dakota. The undeveloped land of the Dorr family, nestled next to stacks of hay. We got here at dark after having watched the sun set in Badlands National Park. We woke up to the sun rising up from behind the sole hill that jutted out of the landscape.


Noche number two: Lewis and Clark National Forest, on an abandoned logging route up the mountain. This site was incredible. First off, there was already firewood everywhere. We were tucked away up in the mountain, surrounded by evergreens and strange new critter noises. And, I'm proud to say, for the first time in our camping history I actually built the campfire that next morning. It was a Big Day.


3: Hungry Horse Reservoir, Flathead National Forest. Off a dirt road in Hungry Horse, Montana we found a campground that was marked as "unserviced during the off-season." We pulled in and the only other people there were fixin to head out, but not before they super-nicely gave us their leftover firewood (which the dude also chopped up for us). Pete and I pranced around the lake that surrounded us, watching the sky turn all those magical colors it tends to only in the most beautiful, secluded places. We checked out the crazy different foot and paw prints in the sand around us (wolf, bear, moose, Keens). After several days of not bathing we decided it was time to make some changes to the team smell. So the next morning the Hungry Horse Reservoir--incredibly clear and incredibly cold--was our bath tub.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Bathe in Frigid Waters:
A. Bring to the water: a towel, a fresh change of clothes, soap and sandals or crocs.
B. Fill a water bottle with water.
C. It's cold, but you gotta strip down. Just do it. If you do the It's Cold Dance while getting undressed, it really helps. This involves lots of quasi-crouching poses and shaking your fists close together.
D. Cover yourself with the water you've got. A good dousing all over.
E. Quickly, before the water dries, soap yourself up. Be sure to work up a good lather. You probably smell terrible.
F. You're covered in soap. You have no choice now. Get in the water! GO!
F. Now get out, you crazy person! It's effin cold (this step will actually just come naturally)

Well done, friend.

So that was a refreshing way to start the day and from there it only got better. It was this day that we ventured into Glacier National Park and pretty much piddled our pants every five minutes. We found our way to a couple different giant lakes sandwiched by glacier-topped mountains. We hiked the Avalanche trail through giant cedars atop the greenest, mossiest forest floor until we reached another lake. In the distance there were waterfalls shooting down from the tops of the mountains, so we decided to make our way to one. We hiked and climbed all day until we'd made our own trail up one of these falls and were looking down on the lake we'd just stood in. The water was the clearest and tastiest I've ever drank.


As we finally made our way back through the forest and trail and out of the park, we thought the day couldn't have been any more wonderful. And then we had to slam the breaks because a baby black bear was crossing in front of us. !!!!!!. Just to say "Hey, thanks for stopping through. Hope you enjoyed the park. Safe travels." Pete wouldn't let me take him with us.

We also managed to find the tree in which I was raised as a young hobbit!



Da Fourth Nyte: Wenatchee National Forest, Red Mountain Campground. Washington state, you are super pretty. And you have a crapload of deer that just roam around your streets at night in the fog. It's pretty and groovy and also a little frightening because if they planned it, the deer posse could totally ambush a car. Even one as big as the Buick.

So I won't retell the tale of our night in Seattle, but suffice to recap that it was one of the best nights of the trip. The next day we packed up again (we are getting wildly efficient at repacking. it's insane) and got the car onto an evening ferry from Vancouver into Victoria, where Pete's Nana lives. This night was amazing for me. With the tiniest bit of light in the sky Pete and I watched the waves from the ferry from the top deck, bundled up like little kids in the snow, sharing a [Boundary Waters] hot cocoa. Being on the water, with the cold wind all around us, breathing in fresh northern air with my love right by me, was incredible.

I'll stop now, but not before wishing my dad a happy birthday. I love you, Daddy! It's you who has always inspired me to travel. Without you as my pops, I wouldn't be sitting where I am now.




Lots of love to everyone!

I Pee in Beautiful Places

 

 From the mountains, 

 

                            to the prairies,

to the oceans 

white with foam...

I've peed there. 

 

We've traveled so far since we left Austin just over a month ago; across the dirty dirty where we battled Raccoons of Unusual Size (RUS'), then up the East coast where we mingled with aristocrats and ate crab cakes (not really because crab cakes are mad expensive).  From the Green Mountains of Vermont we skipped across the border to visit our wonderful neighbors to the North with whom I proudly and loudly share citizenship. After a few days and nights of eating nothing but poutine and spending some quality time with the Morrison clan, we crossed back Stateside. Oh, the Midwest, how I love you. Rolling prairies, rock bluffs, lakes, lakes and more lakes. 

Once back in my nexus, Minnesota, and after reuniting with our wonderful Austin Folk for some delicious pork burgers, a la Morrison Family style, we headed up North to the tall pines and crystal clear lakes to "live off the land," partially fulfilling Eva's life-long dream.

Wisco Dells - fun for all

Two nights at the cabin allowed us ample time to make all of the necessary preparations for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).  If it weren't for the bocce ball, bonfires, happy hour boat cruises and the Bananagrams falling into the lake, we would have actually prepared. Regardless, early morning of our second day in Minnesota we headed even further North of the cabin to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).  BWCA, high on the list of Peter's Favorite Places in the World, covers the most northern area of Minnesota. With it's raw forests spotted with glacial lakes whose water's I'm going to bottle and sell for twice the price of Fiji, the BWCA is ideal for packing everything on your back and getting off the grid for a few days. And that's exactly what Eva, Dusan, Meg, Lacy, Evan and I did. 

Beaver Dam X-ing

Over the 4 days we spent in the BWCA we accomplished a lot. We overcame 3 beaver dams, made friends with a bird who loved our quinoa, canoed up 2 different rivers, across about 10 lakes, portaged like champions across some rough terrain in some rough weather, punched 39 meeses in the nose, caught, cleaned and ate fresh fish for every dinner, and found out that Evan's Spirit Animal is a slug and mine is a mole, invented Boundary Waters Hot Coco (Hot Chocolate & Whiskey, a necessity on those frigid northern mornings, ahem, I mean evenings).

our drinking water

Our last day in the BWCA was a real test of character. Soaking wet and cold (cotton kills!!), we decided to double the length of our trek for the day, cutting our last night of camping in order to spend one last night drinking cold Summits by the warm fire at the cabin. Evan, drunk from an overdose of activities (and a little from the "dog of the hair" that bit 'em), woke up first that cold, rainy morning and spent hours building us our final BWCA fire. Oatmeal, bagels (said with a Minnesota accent that all find so odd), and some BWCA Hot Coco (Patent Pending) were our fuel for the 4 portage and 2 beaver dam haul. 

Meg and Dus being super cool

Upon our arrival at civilization, we shocked bystanders in Ely, MN with our a) double-stacked canoes on the buiey, and 2) the rate and quantity of which greasy burgers, wings and barley-pops were devoured by the 6 of us. The next night at the cabin we got all hippy-like and made music around the fire. And let me tell you, Eva can rock the house with a tambourine. 

Jessie and me in the Sculpture Garden

By now the West was calling our names, but we couldn't leave Minnesota without spending one more day and night bumming around Minneapolis and getting some QT with the soon-to-be newlyweds (Attention Eva's people: my sister, Jessie, is getting married to Eric in December). We moseyed around the Walker Art Sculpture Garden (in which I peed! re: the title of this blog), had a few beers on a rooftop bar, and then later headed to Nye's Polish Bar for what we thought would be a night on the d-floor but we ended up being serenaded late into the night by some drunk karaoke singers.

chillin' by the Mississippi in Mpls.

Adios to the East and first half of our trip. Here are 10 things that we've learned in the East that we're taking West:

1. Books on tape are tyte.
2. Sometimes Mickey D's is completely necessary.
3. RV's and places they are suck.
4. Keep bike helmets and the like in plain view to maintain a wholesome look.
5. Never tell people what time you plan to arrive; punctuality isn't even in our lexicon.
6. Cotton Kills!
7. "Navy dudes are fat and nasty." - Hank the Marine
8. Stealth camping is the best camping.
9. Interstates are what's wrong with this country.
10. "Being famous isn't all the glitz and glam that people think." -Bandit psychedelic flame-thrower

 

holy shit.

Although there is much to be caught up on, I am skipping ahead and will let Pete fill in sometime soon. I am doing this because I have Urgent News. Last night, Pete's and my first night in Seattle, Washington, was the night of my surprise birthday present that's been kept a secret from me (I love surprises). After Pete picked up some super delicious Ethiopian food for dinner, we sipped some whiskey and headed to the Paramount downtown. We pulled up to the brightly-lit theater and there on the marquee read:

Paramount Presents:
The Black Keys
October 2nd, 8pm.

AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Somehow I managed not to squeal in the cab (it probably would have scared the cab driver. If you've heard me squeal, you understand) when I saw the sign. We walked in, my head woozy from such happiness and excitement. Pete was telling me we needed to scurry inside; the first act was also going to be something amazing. We got to our section, popped our heads out of the walkway and there on the stage was Nicole Atkins.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

The show was incredible. Both Nicole and the Black Keys played the most face-melting shows and it was so hard for me to not start crying then and there when I saw what Pete's surprise had been all this time. It was, hands down, the best non-birthday birthday I've ever had. Needless to say, I am all the more in love with my travel mate.

the chilly travels

I'm trying to defrost my frozen fingers with this hot cup of coffee as I sit in a cabin in Northern Minnesota. When I woke up this morning the first thing I saw was a heavenly blue sky overhead and, like every day of this trip, I felt so happy, so lucky, so ready for the day and so in need of a cup of jo.

To rewind some, Pete last posted while we were in Vermont. I freaking LOVE that state. I will live there one day. Vermont is goooorgeous and I want to frolic through the streets of its adorable towns after bathing in maple syrup. Camping there was a dream and a wonderful segue into My First Trip to Canada!



After Pete confused the border lady immensely by informing her that we were carrying a pack saw with us, we crossed into the giant lands of our friendly neighbors and drove some number of kilometers to Montreal. It's so European and beautiful and touristy. We just spent an afternoon wandering around the downtown area, checking out the Parque Olimpique (heavenly!) and stopping for a mini-goblet of Canadian beer. Then off we sped some other number of kilometers to the capital of the second-largest country in the world: Ottawa. A very groovy town and where one of Pete's cousins (Andy) lives. Ottawa is fantastic and I will share two very groovy parts of that visit:

1. Poutine is a staple dish in parts of Canada and it is AMAZING. French Fries, cheese curds, gravy and bacon bits. Goodness gracious I could have eaten five plates of it.
2. Ottawa is the home to the largest continuous ice skating rink in the world! The canal that runs through the beautiful town freezes over in the winter and lots of Ottawanians (I made that word up) actually ice skate to work or class. (!!!!).

Then we met up with Pete's other family members in Toronto/Oakville, which is a town right outside the city. Hilary, one of the cousins, works at the Canadian Broadcasting Channel and gave us a tour of the building downtown. As you can see, Pete was a natural in the weather broadcasting room and is probably going to change his career. And start wearing hair mousse because I think that's mandatory.



We departed from Oakville early in the AM to make it out of the country and back to the US and A to visit my beloved Jakki Kelley in Ann Arbor. Highlight of this trip:

A. Jakki is still a sweet angel and seeing her face makes me piddle with delight.
dos: The Law School at U of Michigan looks exactly like Hogwarts!
See: We drank beers at a local brew pub and got to taste brews of the strangest, most unpronounceable names (Ziebersteffenweizermiechliotchin and things of that nature).



We dipped out of Jakki's pretty town to see Chicago. And let me tell you, I am in LOVE. That city is so beautiful and groovy and the architecture is astounding and it's just so huge and full of life and activity. LOVED IT. To make things all the better first thing we did upon arriving was go have a delish dinner with my auntie Marilyn and my cousin, who had surprised me by flying in to visit while I was there! Oh em gee, I know, my family is awesome. So that night we stayed with Pete's college buddy Jenn Rice and pretty much took over Southport area. I won't share on the interwebs how Pete started dancing on one of the benches, got scolded by the DJ, then flanked by the two miserable bouncers who tried to immediately kick him out. I'm not certain, but I'm thinking it was when I turned to one of them and pleadingly said, "But he's a really GOOD guy! I promise!" that they decided he could stay and walked off.

Then next day Pete left for a friend's wedding and I got to hop on my bike and explore Chicago. I happened upon a Latin Music festival going on in Millennium Park and grooved to some tunes in that amazing amphitheater before I hopped on a train to Crystal Lake. My aunt (she lives in Crystal Lake), cousin and I spent all that night being girly and goofy and watching Vampire Diaries and it was sheer heaven. Maddy's brand new teacup Yorkie only made the situation more perfect.

The next day was RIDIKALOUS. Pete and Lacy scooped me (ah yes, meanwhile Lacy had flown into Chicago!) and we headed to Madison, WI where we met up with Dusan and Meg, scooped Willie--Pete's awesome brother--and proceeded to have the most incredible Wisconsonian lunch at a place called Old Fashioned. Sweet Jebus, the fried cheese curds we ate for an appetizer just about made me tinkle in my seat. Everything was from Wisconsin, the beers, the meat, the cheese, the deliciousness. Good heavens.



So then BACK TO THE CAR! because we had to scoot off to Roseville, Minnesota to get to Pete's parents' for dinner! We got there all in a frenzy after that four hour drive to a warm, sweet family greeting and it was heaven. We ate yet another delish meal and Mama Morrison blew all of our minds with her key lime pie. I'm fairly certain there was an addictive secret ingredient she put in there because I wanted to take a nap in that pie.

But no rest for the weary because we jumped back into the cars and drove another 3 or 4 hours to the family cabin on the lake! And so begins the tale of our Adventures into the Boundary Waters. But you'll have to wait for it. I need more coffee.

"How the hell did we get here?"

The title of this blog post, the first by yours truly, Petey-Mo, is what Eva asked me 2 nights ago while we sat on a boulder in the middle of a river, which ran through the Green Mountains of Central Vermont.  The leaves are beginning to change and the air is crisp. Hoodies and winter hats are mandatory. So, how the hell did we get up here? The last time you heard from us we were in VA, and I was probably sleeping off that night of Wild Turkey with Eva's step-dad.  This morning, we are in a small town near the Canadian border called...I don't actually know what it's called.  But what does it matter, anyhow. We pulled into a small cafe for some coffee, eggs, toast, toilet and sink. The essentials after 2 nights of camping in Virginia's Green Mountains.

After Eva's last post, we decided to stay in Fredericksburg an extra night to spend some time with Eva's sister, Maggie, and brother-in-law, Marty.  Aside from the good convo and Maggie's story about the hog who ate a farmer, the most blog-appropriate, notable thing from this night was happy hour at the Otter House. If ever you find yourself in this antique-filled town, be sure to stop in for some FREE buffalo wings (unlimited!) and $1.50 drafts.  I don't think we'll find a better deal in all of the Union.

Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia

Heading out of the Burg, we decided to go west into the the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shanendoah National Park rather than heading up the interstate (duh!) to D.C.  Skyline drive, whoa you guys, that sh** is increible (that's Spanish for incredible for all you monolingual folk).  A single lane highway winding through thick coniferous forests, then opening up to an overlook at elevations reaching over 3,250 ft. 

Out of the mountains and into D.C.  My first time in our nation's capitol. D.C. is one of the many times on this trip that Eva and I have been super thankful for our bikes. While driving in this city was hell, biking was money. We rode around the Mall, stopping at the famous monuments and memorials; Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, lunch under the shade of the Washington Monument and B-sesh in front of the Capitol grounds. The highlight was when Barack called up my celly and invited us for a beer. We had to decline though because we were too busy.

Philadelphia. I regret to inform you that we took the interstate from D.C. to Philly. GASP! I know. I'm sorry. F the interstate.

Eva, Yendi, Winston - chillin' at the dog park

We stayed with my friends Winston and Yendi in an old factory-turned-sick-ass-studio-apartment in Philly. They were in a really nice neighborhood between Downtown and North Philly so we spent our two nights there just hanging in their hood and lounging in their comfy apt.  Our time in Philly was filled with great conversation, lots of laughs, some local brews, live hip-hop (both from the apartment (Wi.Sh(ful) Music and a concert), and lots of good food.

Look at this place!

Eva, Yendi, Winston and Rose picking some PA microbrews

Damn, this post is getting long!!! Sorry y'all. I'll hurry up and wrap this up with a few last words and some photos.

"How the hell did we get here?"

Vermont's, Green Mountains were a complete surprise to me.  Some of the best stops so far have been totally off my radar: Outer Banks, Charleston, Vermont...  Our second night we did some "Stealth camping" on the banks of Lake Chaplain, a glacial lake dividing NY and VT. Adirondacks on the NY side and rolling hills in VT. Hank the Marine from the Outer banks would be proud! We found our best spot yet by simply trespassing! Who woulda thunk it.

Our stealth campsite. VT shoreline and NY Adirondacks across the lake

That's it for now. I'll leave you with some advice. Get in your car and leave whatever city you're living in. Get an atlas (thanks, SoulJAH Ghana) and go explore. This country will blow your mind!

Much love everyone. Now we're headed north to Canada. Did you hear how that country picked its name? The old president was pulling letters out of a hat and is wife was recording...he said, "C, eh. N, eh. D, eh."

 

in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Howdy all! We've been in the lovely town of Fredericksburg since Sunday night.

But before I go on to all the incredible details since my last blog entry, let's go back in time just a bit further to Friday night, August 27th. We were having a standardly awesome Frisbee Sesh in the street and that dude popped out of the sun roof of a car, snagged the frisbee, and TOOK OFF! Do y'all remember this??? It was outrageous! I think I can speak for everyone when I say we all piddled ourselves with distress and anger and hurt--so much hurt--until the dude came back around the corner many minutes later and said, "You didn't really think I'd steal a frisbee, did you?!" And people laughed and cheered merrily. But I didn't. I still think that dude is a d-bag. He made me piddle myself with distress and anger and hurt. Ridiculous.

Anyways, I'm glad we talked about that. I feel better.

So last week I teased all of you with the Evil Raccoon That Tried To Kill story intro. Allow me to elaborate: while camping in Alabama Pete and I were confronted with an evil raccoon that tried to kill us/eat all of our food/possibly steal our souls. Pete, fortunately, is the craftiest of manly mans and whittled a weapon to protect us from this giant (I'm not kidding--GIANT) demonic critter. After the raccoon climbed on our picnic table a mere four feet from where we was chillin, Pete jumped into action. Using the handle of a spoon, eight raisins from our trail mix, the Style section of the New York Times and a hockey action figure he happened to have close by, Pete made the weapon an protected us from raccoon-harm. That, and he started wildly throwing pea pebbles in all directions until the critter scurried off. A hero? Pete won't let you call him that to his face, but let's just say Enrique wrote that song after he met a certain Minnesotan we all know and love...

So, after camping there we had a wild 20 hours in Atlanta with Stephen Crabbe, Pete's rather fantastic college buddy. We ate pizza, drank beer and I schooled both of them in darts. We were trying to be as American as possible. Also, we had BBQ for lunch the next day. Crabbe lives in this super sweet house in what's called Cabbagetown in Atlanta. Basically, there is a factory nestled into this neighborhood that smells like cabbage (carnie factory?...) and thus the title Cabbagetown. I'm not actually certain that's the story but I might have overheard someone saying something close to that. Maybe.



Then we headed off to Charleston to stay with Pete's other college buddy, Cameron Buchanan. Also fantastic. The town in gorgeous but my favorite part of the trip was when we spent a late afternoon at the beach. It's hard to say what was the most wonderful about being on the beach that day on James Island. It might have been getting to frolic on the sand and play in the water. It might have been watching the sky turn shades of blue you really only see sitting by the Atlantic ocean. Or maybe it was when Pete tried to play frisbee by himself. And did.

We camped a couple nights in North Carolina before making it to my homelands in the Commonwealth. First we stayed in the Croatan National Forest right by Emerald Isle. Camping was decent, but when we took this little path from the campsites down to the water, we sat on the beach and under these warm stars with some bourbon and it felt amazing. I saw my first shooting star! We just sat and laughed and then realized that there were people illegally fishing for oysters down the beach from us and we were totally alarmed and then we spent the rest of the evening deciding whether or not to make a Citizen's Arrest.

The next night's camping was on the beach in the Outer Banks. Pete and I had, without a doubt, the most successful and awesome B toss we've ever had. We were doing dives into the water to make catches. There was leaping and running and frolicking like never before. We watched the sunset on the sand dunes. We made friends with a Marine who was camping next to us with nothing more than a towel (we fed him a dank ass sammy and some beer). We laid on the beach and saw what was for me the most amazing, starry night sky ever.


And now here we are, in my hometown. It's been family central since we got here but tonight we'll head to Richmond to see some of my college girls and check out the capital of the Commonwealth. Naturally, the family adores Pete. The Watkins family seal of approval has definitely been given (success!). Lili won't leave his side (we babysat the littluns yesterday) and my stepdad, Marc, decided that they should stay up last night until 3am on the back deck and bond. Or maybe it was a team decision. Either way, there had been a lot more whiskey in that bottle when I went to bed last night than when I got up this morning. As in now it's drained. But if emptying a bottle of Wild Turkey can't bond two men into besties, than I just don't know what can.

Alright, off to bike around this lovely town of mine!

I miss all my Austin folk!

chillin in Charleston

Good heavens, this town is amazing! And we haven't actually seen anything because we arrived to Cameron's house at 10:30pm. But oh em gee, Cam's casa is INCREDIBLE. This place is two stories with a true Southern, Charleston-style porch on each floor. Don't even get me started on the kitchen. I'm in love.

But this blog obvi isn't about Cam's amazing house (though I'm clearly obsessed). It's about an epic journey. A journey of two souls. Two souls bonded by a life-changing mission that could alter the future of all the beings of Middle Earth. Mmm, wait. No, I'm thinking about a Hobbit Blog I was just reading. Scratch that! This is all about the 2010 Epic Road Trip of Pete and Eva (2ERTPE).

I probably won't write a novel tonight because this is our first evening of relaxation since we got on the road Saturday morning and some brownies are fixin to come out the oven. You understand. So, Saturday we made our way--albeit slowly--into the Buick after a rather activity-filled last night in Austin.  The day was perfection: Texas blue skies as we headed out with a few white clouds. We departed with a general idea of where we'd like to land that night (Louisiana? or maybe Mississippi?? meh?). We're not taking any interstates on this trip, so we drove through practically empty back roads East out of Texas and through central Louisiana.

We've been putting the B to good use and have been making stops at groovy pull-offs to throw it around and stretch our legs some. Pete is getting baller at sick flying squirrel-type catches and I'm getting close to being able to jump more than an inch off the ground to catch the frisbee. We pulled off to make dank-ass sammies at a sweet little park somewhere in Louisiana the first day. We heard gunshots from across the highway and I was decently certain that we were being hunted in one of those sick human-hunting games but Pete ascertained that it was just a shooting range across the way. Luckily we survived.

We ended up in the delightful little town of Jonesville at the refined local motel known as the Motel. Dug it: King-sized bed. Mini-fridge. Microwave. Very unique, multi-colored floral bedspread with strange toilet-paper-like bottom layer. I mean this place was the bomb. No, it really was. Henry--the kind fella who worked the Motel--told us of a look out spot wheres you can just sit back and enjoy- or something like that. We drove up thataway the next morning and ate some yogurt with granola and bananas (hippies!) then set off.

Sunday was an AMAZING drive. We drove northeast up through Mississippi on the Natchez Trace Parkway, which just winds up through this incredibly green, pristine national park. If ever you're making a drive though Mississippi, take this route. It was ridiculous.

Once we'd made our way into Alabama (our plan was to arrive to Atlanta Sunday night and stay there) we realized that it was dark and we were still hours from Georgia. So after sniffing out a national forest in northern Alabama--the William B. Bankhead National Forest--we decided to just stay there for the night and camp. But then there was the issue of finding an ENTRANCE to the forest to camp. This was tricky. But Pete and I have some pretty sweet Trip Mojo going on and of course we found a spot RIGHT on Smith Lake where practically no one else was camping. And here begins the story of the Incredibly Ballsy Racoon that Tried to Eat our Campsite. But I'm sleepy and the brownies are done. So the story will have to wait.

Buenas noches, everybody! Tomorrow I get to wake up in Charleston, SC, ride bikes all over town and frolic on the beach with Pete and Cam. Standard.

-Eva Jane

PS I guess this was a novel, eh?