Goodbye California

After spending nearly an entire month in sunny California, it was time to say goodbye. We left San Francisco a day after we planned (it was a sign...don't leave, don't leave!) and crossed the Golden Gate bridge into what seemed like a completely other world! Leaving California was sad and somewhat appealing all at the same time. There was a part of me that was thriving to see new things and another that was saying "There is no sun in Oregon, you're heading North, why the hell are you leaving me?". Extremely tempting, yes, but it was time move forward. And Oregon is beautiful in it's own way, sun or no sun.

We stopped to get an oil change and grabbed a bite to eat. I tried out my negotiating skills on the guy at Jiffy Lube....the cute girl discount didn't fly. I did catch him off guard though...lol. Never hurts to ask. At the grocery store I got a Safeway discount card. Apparently it doesn't matter if I'm Canadian. I like when people want me to save money! I'm a money magnet! Canadians deserve Safeway cards as much as anyone else. And we are currently their #1 customer. We shop there all the time. Now we have discounts!

So anyhow, we headed up Highway 1 along the beautiful coastline again for Mendicino.


Unfortunately that plan got kiaboshed by a forest fire so we decided to bypass that area and just head right up to Redwood National Park. I think we've got something for giant trees. Sequoia last September before Warrior was absolutely 100% magic and the Redwoods didn't disappoint either. They are sooooooo tall! They're not just trees, they are spirits.

After weaving in and out on the old stagecoach road through Jedediah Smith State Park we crossed the state line into Oregon! I can say this in reference to my travels down under. California is like Australia and Oregon is like New Zealand. Brut forces along that coastline, but still magnificent.

Driving through Portland I had this gut feeling that we should just stay the night, but of course, in typical Kelly fashion I ignored it and we crashed at a rest stop for the night. (Best rest stop ever btw.) Checked my email to find out we have family in Oregon!? If I had trusted my gut, we would have stopped, checked our email and been hanging out with another Mullen in no time! But the universe is perfect. Lesson learned... At least we're still on the same coast so we can go back!