TravelBlog » Stephanie and Andras

Stephanie and Andras - Stephanie and Andras

We've finally arrived in Seattle! Although we are no longer living on the road, we are continuing to blog about our travels throughout the great Pacific Northwest and the country, so stay tuned!

Next Trip: Ten day vacation in Kentucky, August 2008

In the Works: Saving for our round-the-world adventure, estimated departure 2012

Former Travels: We embarked on a summer of freedom, traveling to Ecuador to participate in international service work, then departed for a 10-week cross-country road trip with only a tent and a car to protect us from the elements.

To read from the beginning of our trans-American road trip, start here: I will miss you, but I am excited to leave
To read about Ecuador, start here: To the Center of the Globe

Or click below on "First Entry" to read all our blogs

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Joined on: April 9th 2007
Last Login: January 8th 2009

Blog Entries: 41
Photos: 495
Recommended by 6, Recommends 3

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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Stephanie and Andras, order by Date newest first.

By Stephanie and Andras
August 11th 2008

For something greener, try something "Rain-ier"

North America » United States » Washington » Mt Rainier

View from Golden Gate Trail
Avalanche Lilies with Pinnacle Peak in the background

It's been nearly one year to the day since we arrived in the Seattle area and we still hadn't made the time to go visit the mountain. The mountain I look at nearly every day, the mountain that symbolizes the northwest, the same mountain I used to reminisce about when I was away....yes, that mountain. At 14,410ft Mount Rainier dominates the Seattle sky-scape and when the weather is clear and the haze is low it appears suddenly on the horizon, so close you feel as though you can almost touch it. Still it has eluded out grasp, just beyond our reach, [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
April 19th 2008

Shifting Paradigms, Shifting Seasons

North America » United States » Washington » Seattle

Tulips at Pike Place Market
Providing a splash of color on an otherwise grey day.

Spring is finally here! Birds chirping, sun peaking through the cloud layer. The city is alive again. We are alive again. Almost. I'm trying to be optimistic. It's been a difficult adjustment these past few months settling back down into a routine, but as the weather warms and the greying sidewalks and street corners become swathed in the colorful patina of spring, our senses are once again aroused--awakened into a rebirth of discovery with an entirely new landscape at our fingertips to explore. I had desperately hoped that after last summer we would return to the "daily grind" with a [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
December 19th 2007

Getting the full "Monte"

North America » United States » Nevada » Las Vegas

Vegas Strip at Night
Even though the sun is down it's technically still early by Vegas standards -- only about 9 o'clock or so.

Tucked out of sight in the middle of no-where is a city dedicated to the seven sins. Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Envy, Pride --all alive and well out in the Nevada desert. More remarkable than a city built upon the hedonistic desires of man, young and old, is the recent desire to market the resorts as family destinations. If you wipe the lipstick off a prostitute and dress her up in a habit does it really make her a nun? My feeling is that it really just adds deception to the list of ills. Vegas is a place where consumerism [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
August 4th 2007

The Long Journey Home

North America » United States » Washington

Crater Lake, OR
We hardly spent any time here, which was a shame, but we were able to stop long enough to have a picnic from the rim and enjoy the crystal clear cerulean blue waters.

How do you wrap up the last three months of your life? With reflection on the past or wistful thoughts of the future? I suppose all that will come with time, but right now more than anything we feel like slapping each other five and toasting with a little self-congratulation, because we did it! We completed the journey we planned in the manner we envisioned with the budget we hoped. In fact we did more than just survive the last ten or so weeks on the road, we enjoyed it immensely. I remember when we left there wasn't much support being [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
July 30th 2007

Walking amongst the Giants

North America » United States » California » Redwood National Park

Rising into the Mist
Coastal Redwoods towering above us near the Tall Trees Grove, home of the tallest trees on earth.

Driving up US 101 the landscape changes back from the warm fields of southern California and one dominated by tall, shady evergreens, a prelude to the drops in temperature and increased precipitation we can expect the further we head up the Pacific coast. It's a welcome sight to be sure, certainly one familiar to a Northwest native, but also a clear indication that our trip is quickly coming to a close. There's just enough left for a last hurrah before we turn the engine key one last time and gun it towards our final destination. On Friday we stopped in Leggett, [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
July 26th 2007

Toasting Bacchus in his Backyard

North America » United States » California » Napa Valley

Grape Vines at Anderson Conn Valley
A row of cabernet grapes growing in the sun.

There is a reason I've been schlepping a pair of strappy black heels and an impractical sundress over mountains and deserts, through forests and fields, allowing them to take up precious space in our very limited cargo hold, and that reason is Napa Valley. The very thought spins visions of elegance -- sunkissed vineyards, romantic B&Bs, limosines and vintage bottles of wine being sipped on the terrace. And though we'll be admiring all of it from a tent, we are not stopped for one second from trying to look the part. This was the only campground I'd made reservations for all [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
July 22nd 2007

Bay Breeze, Bread and Bears

North America » United States » California » San Francisco

Red Lantern in Chinatown

The warm land air mixed with the cooler sea climate caused a heavy fog to roll in overnight and it occasionally obstructs our vision as we drive north into San Francisco. We only have a day here before meeting my mom at the airport tomorrow when we'll take a sojourn down to Yosemite, so we don't want to see too much and risk ruining her sightseeing experience which leaves us with some decisions to make. Add a pinch of indecisiveness, a dash of uncertainty and a sprinkling of bad road maps for good measure and you have a recipe for frustration. [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
July 17th 2007

A Breath of Fresh Air

North America » United States » California » Monterey

Highway 101
It truly is a scenic drive, although a bit dangerous at time. Looking north towards Bixby Bridge.

Like pioneers traveling westward on wagon train, we too are thrilled to finally see the Pacific Ocean. It's been a long time coming. The salty sea-breeze, the familiar wail of sea-gulls, the methodical crashing of waves up against the rocky shores below. In many ways the trip seems somehow complete even though we remain hundreds of miles away from our destination. It's almost too familiar. Where are the white sandy beaches, the sun-bronzed Californians hitting the surf? Outside the wind is whipping and it is cold. After pulling off the road at a public beach, we pull out our fle [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
July 15th 2007

Adapt and Overcome

North America » United States » California » Death Valley National Park

Giant Sequoia
Anyone up for a climb? Even though the tops of many of these giants have succumbed to lightening and age, they are still impressively large.

We snuck into California the back way, so we first realize we’re over the state line when the traffic starts to get worse. It’s not the sheer volume of cars on the road that make this drive so frustrating, it’s the fact that even though we’re driving a good five miles over the speed limit, we’re still getting passed and dodged around like we’re standing still. It doesn’t help that with trucks in the right lane and road-warriors in the left, our loaded down car doesn’t really belong to either. I don’t know who teaches drivers-ed around he [View Full Entry]

By Stephanie and Andras
July 11th 2007

We're Feeling Hot, Hot, HOT!

North America » United States » Arizona » Grand Canyon National Park

Bleached Deer Skull
This is what happens to those who don't carry enough water with them.

You know that feeling when you wake up and for the briefest of moments you don't quite know where you are and have to retrace your steps to remember? That is not the Grand Canyon. First, there's the continuous presence of heat radiating from every angle, from the ground below and the sky above and even the rock escarpments surrounding you. Then, there's the aching feeling radiating throughout your entire body that reminds that yes, you did actually get down here by the power of your own two legs. It is painfully obvious where you are, and how you got there. [View Full Entry]