TravelStream™ news feed for member jenk on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jenk en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:55:16 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jenk/6/1231277460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jenk/6/1231277460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jenk/6/1231277460/tpod.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:55:16 -0500 Jamaica Mon

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Montego Bay, Jamaica

Jamaica is beautiful and warm! I hope you're all doing well back in the midwest. I just wanted to share a few pictures from my trip so far. And ladies, if you ever want to feel like you're the most beautiful woman on earth, this is the place to be!
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Everett, Washington, United States

I made it! I'm back in the Seattle area. After almost 2,000 miles in the past week, I won't be up for any more road trips in the foreseeable future ... I'm pretty sure I have calluses forming on my hands. I guess I should have picked up some driving gloves before I started this adventure. Why didn't any of you warn me? :-)The drive through the Cascades was beautiful. I stopped at a lookout point near where I-90 crosses the Columbia River. The wind was so strong that the birds were flying backward and I think I may have seen some small children and dogs take flight! The attached picture of my hair blowing in the wind doesn't do justice to how windy it really was! I arrived at Ann's in Everett around 7pm last night. This afternoon, Mary and I went to Pike Place Market and did a short driving tour of downtown Seattle. We picked up lots of goodies at the market, including a beautiful bouquet of flowers and some "oh my god" peaches. They got that name for good reason, every person that I saw try them said "oh my god, that's the best peach I've ever had."My favorite store / slogan from the entire trip ... Voodoo Doughnuts (in Portland) - the magic is in the hole.This will probably be my last entry. I plan to relax and do absolutely nothing but visit with Ann until I leave on Wed morning. See you soon!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jenk/3/1221231600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jenk/3/1221231600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jenk/3/1221231600/tpod.html Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:10:41 -0400 Pacific Northwest & Canada - 2008

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Spokane, Washington, United States

Today has been very relaxing so far. I took a walk thru the Gonzaga campus and down the riverwalk. It was very pretty. I saw the little red wagon on the map so decided to go check it out. It was a gigantic wagon that doubled as a slide. There's a kid going down the slide in the picture.After grabbing lunch, I'm headed off to Everett / Seattle. Have a great weekend!
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Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada

I finally got pictures uploaded!Here are a few scenic shots from Glacier and Waterton National Parks. On Wed morning, we went for a few short hikes in Glacier National Park and then we took off for Canada. We stayed at the Crandell Mountain Lodge in Waterton. It was a cool little town. When we got there, we walked around town and there were deer just hanging out in people's yards. I'm staying in Spokane tonight, spending some time here tomorrow and then I'm off Seattle to hang out with Ann. See you next week!
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West Glacier, Montana, United States

It'll be a few more days for pictures. It's beautiful here but let's just say they're not connected. Cell service and internet access are extremely limited. Good thing I'm only here for a few days or I'd probably lose my mind. :-) I was a bit disappointed to find out that they now have speed limits in Montana but seriously, who can drive 70 mph on a winding, mountain-side two-lane highway and live to tell about it? Based upon the all of the skid marks that I saw, many have tried. On my way, I think I found the most densely populated area in Montana ... it was a Subway at the intersection of Hwys 200 & 28. I think all residents of the surrounding towns meet there for lunch and I happened to arrive just after noon. Once I got to the park, we went on a 3-1/2 mile hike at Logan Pass. The elevation was 6,600 feet so it was exhausting but the view was amazing. Best coffee from a road side espresso stand so far (and trust me, I've tried quite a few with all this driving) ... Devo's Daily Dose in Coeur d'Alene You know you're staying in a classy hotel ... when the lamps are glued to the table. Hope everyone is doing well!
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Portland, Oregon, United States

The interchange when you enter Portland is crazy! This picture doesn't do it justice but it give you an idea of what it's like. There are several layers of winding exit and entrance ramps. I've never seen anything like it and I couldn't quite figure out how to take my own picture so this is all you get ...http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/I-84_and_I-5_interchange.jpg/300px-I-84_and_I-5_interchange.jpgI spent the night in Portland and went to visit the Saturday Market this morning. I've never seen so many things made from hemp. Since I'm in the land of the microbrewery, I also had to try some local brews. They were all very good! I stumbled upon a bar called the Thirsty Lion. They were showing the Michigan game when I got there and the bar was packed with Michigan fans. The drive from Portland headed east is really cool. You drive along the Columbia River which is incredibly blue, unlike the Mississippi. It was tough taking pictures at 70 mph but I think I managed to get a few good ones so I'll upload them soon.
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Mount St Helen's, Washington, United States

From Des Moines, I went to Mt. Rainier National Park, made a quick stop in Mossyrock (Josh, I don't think it's changed much since you were a kid, there's still not much there!) and then on to Mt. St. Helen's. I'll upload some pictures on Monday. If anyone is looking for a vacation or retirement home, there are tons of houses for sale along the highway to Mt. St. Helen's and I'm pretty sure they're all outside of the blast zone. :-)  Did I mention that I love the state of Washington - you can find espresso absolutely anywhere! As I'm driving along the road to Mt. St. Helen's, I see a small ranch in the middle of nowhere with an espresso stand in their front yard.Today, I'm going to hang out in Portland for awhile, then check out the Columbia River Gorge on my way to Walla Walla, Washington. I'm not sure what's there but the name sounds pretty cool.
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Des Moines, Washington, United States

I started off my morning with a bit of an adventure ... I went to the Hertz counter and they tell me the keys will be on the dashboard of the rental car. So, I head to the car and find what appears to be just the key fob to lock and unlock the door, no keys and no ignition ... hmmm. I fumbled around in the dark parking garage for a few minutes (OK,maybe more like 10, but it was dark) before I figure out that I have to slide the key fob into the oval opening in the dash, hold the brake and push the Start button. Now that I'm used to it, it's pretty cool but who designs a car with all that but you still have to turn the headlights on and off manually?After that, I headed down I-5 from the airport and couldn't resist stopping in Des Moines for lunch ... I ate at Anthony's Home Port in the marina. The seafood was delicious and the view was amazing.
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Couer d'Alene, Idaho, United States

Today was a very relaxing day. I hung out by the pool in the morning and then drove up to Couer d'Alene. When I got here, I walked around by the lake and checked out the local shops. Tomorrow, I'm headed to Glacier National Park!
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Walla Walla, Washington, United States

After I left Portland, I went to Walla Walla - the home of the Walla Walla Sweet Onion. Apparently, you can peel it and eat it like an apple but why you would do that is beyond me. It was a cute little town. They have painted onions all over the place (like the cows in Chicago). Oh, did I mention they also have 183 wineries in the area. :-) They were having an antique car show so Main St was completely blocked off but I was still able to make my way through to find the wine store. The wine was excellent and I ended up buying two bottles. The labels for the Walla Walla Village Winery are designed by the same guy who did albums for the Greatful Dead and Journey. When I heard the story about the store being a former bordello, I had to buy the Bordello Red. My history lesson for the day ... back in the day, Walla Walla was the place that all the wagon trains met before heading off to points further west so the town was full of bordellos and taverns. It sounds like it would have been quite the place back then. Sunday, I'm going to start heading further north. I'll probably spend the night in Couer d'Alene and then meet up with mom, Bev, Punk and Phil at Glacier on Monday. I hope everyone is doing well!Pictures are coming soon!
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