Day 5 - Hello Seattle!

Blogger: Paula
We have arrived in Seattle! Wahoo! 2,800 miles and 12 states in five days - Whew! As we predicted, Day 5 was the most scenic and the longest as we anticipated our arrival in our new home state. We had the earliest wake up call of the trip hitting the road at 6:15 a.m. which allowed us to witness a beautiful sunrise over western Montana. We found the west side of this very long state to be much more scenic with hills, mountains and life! We even saw a herd of buffalo!

I have to admit that Idaho was not a state that I thought would make my top highlights list. I thought it would be flat land with potato farms. Boy was I wrong! While we only traversed the skinniest part of the state, the views were by far the most dramatic of the trip! The mountains were stunning with vertical rock formations and thick evergreens with a few gorgeous lakes and streams intertwined. I was disappointed that it was one of the shortest states since it was indeed the most spectacular.

We were certain that the entire city of Seattle (four hours away) heard us whooping when we crossed into the state of Washington. We couldn't pass Spokane without stopping at the Jesuit University of western Washington - Gonzaga. It was a beautiful campus, and the Hermanns jumped out to "stretch their legs" coincidentally at the athletic facilities.

Those last four hours seemed to take forever. The scenery was not what we had expected - it was very flat and pretty boring until we hit the central part of the state. We saw another wind farm, a few lakes, and had a big laugh when we passed into the city of George, Washington! I was also a little hesitant to get out at the scenic lookout as there was a sign that said "watch for rattlesnakes." Gratefully, Mike and Andrew did not see any (I enjoyed the view from the van).

Our first rain of the trip came as we drove into Seattle - an appropriate welcome! My cousin's wife is from Seattle and her parents graciously extended the offer for us to stay with them during the transition week. We arrived for our first home cooked meal in a week and it was delicious, (not to mention it was terrific not to have to balance dinner on a hotel mattress).

An exhausting day, but a true sense of accomplishment! We drove across America. Much like the pioneers who made that journey in months instead of days, we now have an appreciation of the diversity of the land and the size of our beautiful country. Let the chapter begin.