The End: Reflections

Total Miles: 4,150

Hours on the Road: 82

Christina

                 So much of our trip was dedicated to learning something new, to finding some meaning, to understanding life. Therefore it is only natural that we would take a moment to pause and reflect on our adventures, the good and bad. I learned so much from the simple tasks we did. I saw how I could be responsible when our planning paid off (our estimates were only off by $10!). We learned how to check our tire pressure, to bargain and haggle, to make small talk, and to see beauty with an open mind. We were able to view a slice of the world with the innocence of youth and I know that this will be an experience I will hold onto forever.

                But most importantly, I learned from the other girls. They taught me to be a better person as I watched each girl with a detailed sense of admiration. I loved how Katherine always let people sleep on her in the back of the car while she covered them with blankets and braided their hair. I valued Estrella’s motherly traits as she took care of the group with such thoughtful care (“Here! Here! Use my lotion! It will cure your back pain!”). And Haley, her lighthearted giggles would fill the car with ease when a dark mood would capture the group. Living with other people changes your view on life. You learn their habits. You catch a glimpse of the good and bad and only hope that you can see past their flaws and love them for who they are. Our group dynamic was based off of loving sacrifice: an invaluable quality that can only be taught through experience. In the end, I learned what friendship is about and I am so happy that these girls were the ones who inspired me to be my best.

                I had so many great memories with KECH. We worked well together, so well that even the tense times were overridden by laughter. There was one incident where Katherine awoke from a nap only to hurl a tissue box into the front seat while Estrella belted out “All that Jazz” from the Chicago musical. I will always remember the late night conversations that I knew were irresponsible (you should never stay up until 4 to wake up at 7 for a 9 hour drive) but were so valuable because I gained some best friends from them (Kat and I at Bev’s). Even singing Youtube Karaoke off-key, in the middle of the forest felt special. I hope that one day my children will go on a trip like this so that they can have the same opportunity to grow as I did. Around these girls I felt like I could achieve anything, change the world for the better. And as a young, completely clueless 18 year-old girl, that is exactly the support I need. Even if I didn’t see these girls for 15 years until I suddenly received a random call, it wouldn’t be awkward because they have played such a central role in helping me discover who I am as a person.

I want to thank everyone for the support, it inspired us to write and track our journey when it was difficult, when it was 2 am and we had no internet. I couldn’t be more grateful for our following. I want to thank my parents for trusting and supporting me on this adventure. And lastly, I want to thank KECH for being so simply amazing, you will always be a part of me. 

Estrella

Our trip to Canada was unlike any trip I have ever taken. Family vacations are awesome because it's always a total reflection of the Robin Williams’ movie RV. School trips are interesting because there is freedom in that we are away from home, but a sense of restriction placed as we are followed by chaperones. However, I can’t compare anything that I have ever experienced to the three-week journey with the KECH girls.
            In planning the trip, we made a group decision to make the trip a somewhat organized adventure rather than a completely flexible and unrestrained trip. While complete flexibility sounded attractive, in booking the hotels ahead of time we were able to predict expenses with close to little error. Beyond our contribution to the physical progression of the trip, we each developed a selfless responsibility to help create a healthy emotional environment.  I love that conversations arose from resentment toward childhood projects and that would-you-rather questions resulted in tears (I speak for myself). The blog can’t adequately portray the depth of each conversation we had within our group and with outsiders along the way, but the insight I extracted from our conversations will reflect the significance of our time well spent.
           It would have probably been easy to spend time together at home with the KECH girls, but such conversations were specifically triggered by the constant changing aspects around us. The varying environments allowed me to reflect on certain aspects of my life. For example, in Banff I felt motivated to live a life in which I could incorporate such beauty where as the Redwood National Forest reminded me of the little power I have in this world. I love that on a couple days we were able to take a moment to reflect in isolation (especially considering we spent more time with each other in a day than I probably spend with people in general!). It was awesome to go off on our own to reflect, pray, and admire; and to return to each other rejuvenated and ready to experience more. Considering there is such a need for a physical, mental, and emotional balance in my daily life (and even more so in close knit situations), I would encourage other travelers to take a solo walk daily rather than just twice (as we did).
           I am so grateful and overjoyed with the way every aspect of the trip unraveled. However, there is more that I would have integrated into trip aspects and my daily routine that I would suggest a future road traveler consider. On a surface note, I would have liked to be more involved in the blogging process. While I enjoyed being photographer, the couple times I did blog were pretty special to me. Touching back on the fact that reflecting was a significant moment for my overall trip experience, I would make reading passages of the Bible a more regular habit in a future trip for myself and frankly, in life in general (especially considering the book sat in the back seat). A quick refreshing reminder, like the reflection time, can make a huge difference in my own desires and attitude. Considering I don’t recognize these notes as regrets, I would love to remember the key components that could strengthen my future experience.
            Traveling is awesome. Sight seeing is mesmerizing, but true meaning can only be squeezed out from those with whom we can share our experiences, finish each others' sentences, and feed curiosity. Reaching the top of the hundred foot rock and driving hour stretches felt at moments wearisome, but I feel accomplished after having conquered tasks with the support of KECH. I am so grateful for having arrived home alive, but every wrong turn and risky decision was worthwhile. I would strongly recommend a drive far from home, but don’t forget to take your goofiest and most considerate friends. Thanks KECH for an awesome experience!

Katherine

I think the magical thing about a roadtrip is that you are always on the move—meeting diverse people, seeing spectacular landscapes, and thinking, lots of thinking during those drives. Yet now that I’m back home, I realize that time had slowed for me during those 20 days. I never felt busy. Life was just about the living. I think that’s what I’ll miss most.
            A good day for me was one filled with exploration of uncharted environments, but a great day was one with deep conversation, being inspired by the wisdom of new friends. Each person we met along the way (from that random truck driver in the Jacuzzi to that “aesthetician” at the Vancouver bar) gave me advice for the future. Bev, who was truly adventurous and vibrant, influenced me with her life experience; her fervor for life, truth, and justice triggered the activist in me. The Vogels, with their loving family dynamic, were a joy to a listen to—Yoli and Charles both enlightened me with their faith, politics, and culture. Shaun, who was so easy to converse with, epitomized the ideal life of a young adult living in an urban setting—his open honesty, art/interior design, and utilitarian minimalism were no-nonsense and honest. Frank, who can be described as frank, yet nice, was a great acquaintance to observe nature with—he instilled soft practicality in me (grounded reality combined with kindness and passion). I expanded my mind to the ideas of people who had lived lives in completely polar ways. But even more than that, I was able to empathize with my fellow crew members. Estrella exemplified compassion and her inherent caring nature—tea tree oils, thyme crème, Metamucil, belly dancing…the list goes on for my funny guinea pig. Christina showed me that we were more alike than I had thought –she inspired me to never stop dreaming. Haley, my roomie/sista/ufo, taught me that a pure connection can last forever. Overall, the bonding on this trip linked us in an unspoken way that will probably stay with us throughout life.

Day 20. Atascadero to Los Angeles

Quote of the Day: "When we play girls basketball our bestiality comes out"

Go Estrella!

Hiking

The View of San Luis Obispo

The Madonna Inn

Haley Street

Santa Barbara

Back Home!

            It saddens me to say that today was our last day together on the road. After returning from the bonfire and updating the blog, we carelessly spent the night talking until 5 am. We woke up at 7 am to some homemade French toast and then prepared to go rock-climbing with Frank (Estrella’s uncle). The hike was a little uphill which was not extremely fun after stuffing our faces at breakfast. When we reached the rock-climbing spot, Katherine and I were shocked to find that what was supposedly a “beginner’s rock” looked like a colossal challenge. We ended up without the correct shoe sizes and Estrella was the only one who actually climbed the wall. I am so incredibly proud of her; she laughed and persisted as she maneuvered her way up 100 feet to see an amazing view of San Luis Obispo.

            We left Frank and headed south in search of the Madonna Inn, a place where Katherine had stayed as a child. It was really fascinating to wander around because each hotel room has a different theme. If we had had more time, and probably more money, it would have been extremely fun to spend the night there. Estrella continued to drive until we felt hungry enough to pull over for lunch in Santa Barbra. We walked around the old town and settled on Thai food (yumm). Our day was pretty simple. While Estrella was exhausted from her climb and all were sleep deprived, Los Angeles felt so close. The drive home was nice, but filled with traffic and good conversation. Overall, it was a really nice, relaxing way to end our trip.

P.S. stay tuned for our last post :) 

Best:

•        Welcome back from the family
•        Estrella’s climb
•        Santa Barbara

Worst:

•        Steep hike
•        Disbanding of KECH (I don't even remember what it feels like to be alone)

Day 19: Rohnert Park to Atascadero

Quote of the Day: "Bonfire, like BOND fire. Like be with your friends. BOND. bon bon what does that even mean? bon bon like a marshmallow BON"

At the Gates to Berkeley

In Cal's Main Field

Our Little Golden Bear

Haley working her Girl Scout Magic

Cal Poly SLO Guy Actually Lighting the First Fire (before it burned out)



Yay Fire!

         Our trip has been a culmination of sightseeing and challenging drives, but the conversations within our own group and with strangers has added flavor to an already complex vacation. The events of our night in Rohnert Park at the comparatively luxurious Good Nite Inn were unexpected and enlightening. While in the Jacuzzi with Christina and Katherine, we learned from an ex-navy seal how to make a bomb with chlorine tablets and soda bottles and to never stop pursuing our dreams. While I took his words of wisdom with a grain of salt, it was lovely to hear how the hotel resident attempted to protect a victimized woman and how he ended up in a lawsuit with the navy officials. It was interesting to say the least and in comparison to our midnight event, much more intriguing. We spent the later part of the night learning about life in San Diego from the football players who were also staying in the hotel. Parents: don’t worry; it was so boring we went to sleep early. Anyway, our experience in Rohnert Park turned out not to be a day out on the vineyard, but instead, a girls night out (well, at Burger King, Starbucks, the pool, and in the room). 

Our drive out of Rohnert Park consisted of just another decision-making process that led us to a place that will soon be very special to me. Although the night before we had discussed visiting Hearst Castle and San Francisco, Katherine and Christina suggested we visit Berkeley. I rapidly accepted the idea and soon enough we were searching for parking around the university campus. The girls screeched with excitement as we walked toward the parking lot! As we walked through Telegraph (the popular boulevard) with our ice cream sandwiches, I felt proud to be a Bear and ready to be a student. We continued to walk through the campus and ended up in an area in which I had no sense of direction. Although we had imagined ourselves returning to the car within five minutes, our adventure through campus soon turned into a complete maze through the city. I’m glad I got lost in Berkeley with the girls. I feel lucky to have friends who were willing to venture through my future home. Christina reminded me that there was no harm in roaming around so when we ended up back at the car I felt a bit relieved and accomplished.  In contemplating two great attractions, we ended up at Berkeley instead but it turned out to be a beautiful day.

As I drove us toward Atascadero, we our thoughtful conversations. Not late after, we arrived at my Uncle Frank’s house where his two dogs warmly greeted us on the driveway. We headed off to dinner at Avila Beach, located close to Cal Poly SLO. The delicious dinner was followed by a bonfire with the girls. While Haley and Katherine reserved a pit, Christina and I went in search of a local grocery store. The nearest one was in Shell Beach and it wasn’t even a grocery store! Graham Crackers were $5 and there was no lighter fluid! We substituted the crackers with chips ohoy (so good that I would do it again) and borrowed lighter fluid from the neighboring pit on the beach. After begging for help from numerous people (flashback to the 11^th power Malibu adventure), we actually ended up taking over a pit given to us by a very kind family who was ready to leave. Their roaring fire kept us at the pit until midnight as we reflected on the ups and downs our trip. We had my uncle super worried and I felt terrible, but we arrived home safe and were greeted by ice cream this time. It’s an early morning tomorrow. We start our day with rock climbing in SLO, hopefully a stop by the Madonna Inn, and then back home!

Best:

• Ice cream at Cal/ seeing Cal with Estrella
• Great dinner with Frank on the beach
• Huge bonfire
• Bonfire reflection

Worst:

• Last night together
• Continental breakfast (once again)

Day 18. Eureka to Rohnert Park

Quote of the Day: " I'm old, fat, and sassy, so I ask you again: how are you? Short, cute, and beautiful?!"

fda

Humboldt Redwoods: Avenue of the Giants

Inside of a Redwood

Estrella in front of the "Giant Tree"

Christina before a Chopped Redwood

The "Flat Iron" Redwood

Katherine in the Forest

Haley and a Redwood carved into a Panada

Confusion Hill's Large Shoe

Playing around at Confusion Hill

               Due to the lack of internet connection in our hotel room, I am writing our blog/eavesdropping on a couple meeting with their wedding planner in a Rohnert Park Starbucks, acting like a wifi gypsy.  After a terrible night’s sleep (partially due to a consistent fear that Haley might wake up in the middle of the night and step on my face), Estrella and I grabbed breakfast for the group. We really were quite eager to leave Eureka, I mean Katherine was under the impression that a bomb went off in the middle of the night because of all of the noise. We knew that our only goal of the day would be to see the redwoods in all of their majesty.

                We decided to travel down the Avenue of Giants, a scenic alternative to the 101. At first the redwoods were not that impressive, but as we drove deeper into the abyss of the forest we began to appreciate the trees. We stopped at a tree called the Immortal tree because it had been struck by lightning, survived forest fires, and escaped the logging efforts in the area. The strong, persevering tree really put things into perspective; its height and overwhelming presence placed a sort of serene quilt of happiness over the group. The forest proves to be an excellent place to reflect and I think that we all gained some insight when we took 5 minutes to sit alone in the depths of forest. It is really interesting to see nature’s positive effect on people. At around 12 we parked the car and took a short hike to see the “Giant Tree” and the “Flat Iron Tree,” both of which lived up to their names.  We continued on to complete the 32 miles of the Avenue of Giants with a restful peace with Jack Johnson singing softly in the background.

                We left the Avenue of Giants in search of a place from Estrella’s childhood memories, a place where the water runs upstream (yes it sounded really odd when Estrella told us about it at first). The GPS had a little bit of chaos with finding Confusion Hill as it lead us in circles around the interstate “Head onto 101 N, make a legal U-turn, head onto 101 S, make a legal U-turn, head onto 101 N” and so on. We finally found the Hill and ate while we explored. It was somewhat fun, definitely built for little kids. For example, there was a large planter box full of rocks with the instruction to build a pile—not really interesting or fun in my eyes but hey maybe if you are 4 you could appreciate it.

                We drove through beautiful wine country, past vineyards and fresh-fruit stands. Haha I felt like I was in Parent Trap when Lindsay Lohan drove to her home in Napa Valley. Rohnert Park is only a few miles from Santa Rosa and we arrived at our hotel at around 5. Not soon after we had unloaded our car a charter bus full of football players pulled up. I’m just going to be honest and say that our night turned a lot more giggly and fun after we saw them. Estrella and Katherine had a nice dip in the pool while Haley and I drove around town. Overall it was a very satisfying day, but we are so eager to get home soon!

Best:

• Redwood trees
• Vineyards
• Football players
• Friendly forest people
• Nice hotel

Worst:

• Expensive gas (no more cheap Oregon gas)
• No hotel wifi
• Nothing to do in Rohnert Park because we can't drink wine

Day 17: Eureka

Quote of the Day: "I even moved my scarf a little!"

The Beautiful View from the Freeway

Oregon Coast Viewpoint

A Picnic in the National Park

Oregon Coast

Eureka, CA

Even with my purple earplugs in, I woke up this morning due to a phone call from Christina, asking if I (Katherine) wanted something from Safeway. I didn’t want anything, but soon felt the mediocrity of the morning (I wake up tired everyday). After Estrella and Christina got back from the market, I had packed up and gotten ready. We were off early for a long drive to Northern California’s Eureka (what a great name!). Though, I already began to miss Portland and our fantastic accommodations.

Since we wanted to cruise through Oregon’s scenic coast, we took the long way down the Highway 101. As with all our long drives, we had good discussions about life-the kinds of conversation you probably wouldn’t have time for in a normal day. I’m almost surprised at the discussions we had. I think I ranted about school for an hour…all that built-up traumatic stress from years of pointless time-consuming school projects, I guess. Throughout the drive, there were times of pure musical phantasmagoria—I loved singing along to the 90’s songs I had grown up (Britney, Spice Girls, ‘NSync, Immortal Technique, etc…). I think Haley had trouble sleeping because of this. Meanwhile, Estrella continued to keep me amused with her entertaining comedic personality. She’s literally a clown in that sense. Christina impressed me with her driving abilities—she conquered the winding roads of the California coast. When we stopped at the Oregon gas station, I had my last moment of thinking, “wow, gas is really this cheap, and tax-free.” Ten minutes into California and gas cost $4.10/gallon, only $.60 more expensive…

Back in Oregon, we stopped a few times to look at the great views of coast. Eventually, we ate our lunches at an Oregon park along the coast. This was a great place to picnic! We were right next to giant trees and ocean! Driving through Oregon was all about seeing the coast, the rocks, the black sand, and the trees…oh, the trees…The Lorax would’ve been proud.

We didn’t make it to Eureka, California till 8! We got to see the sun set on the coast and ended up in Cali by dark. Like in the past, we pulled into the ever-familiar Travelodge (a hotel chain we’re very used to by now). For dinner, we went to McDonald’s and ate their renowned $1 side-salads with McFlurries. I was scared to hear the sound of what I thought was a bomb—Christina thought it was a random firework—she was probably right. Although I wouldn’t recommend going to Eureka again, there is something charming about these roadtrip towns. They feel like they exist for the sole purpose of people stopping by (there are tons and tons of inns and motels).

As I write this and the rest of the girls are sleeping (wow this feels like last night), I stop and think about how I’m glad I have my earplugs (Thanks Shaun!). The world can be so beautiful, even on a drive. :)

          

Best:

• Beach views
• Beautiful forests
• Back in California (the redwood gates to the golden state!)
• Fun/ accomplishing drive for Christina
• McFlurries
• Oregon Gas stations (yay service attendants) where we met the male version of us (4 boys, out of high school, from CA, traveled to Canada for a road trip)

Worst:

• Eureka= not a nice place
• Port Orford
• Allergies

Day 16: Portland

Quote of the Day: "Thank you for your hostility"

Portland's Park in the Pearl District

Christina and Shaun

Willamette River

Lan Su Chinese Gardens

Powell's Rare Book Room

Pioneer Square

Pittock Mansion

Mt. Hood and Downtown Portland

Listening to Reggae in The International Rose Test Garden

The International Rose Test Garden

Oh Haley...

Fourth of July Jazz Festival at the Waterfront Park

            I woke up this morning without feeling any patriotic spirit (but I guess that’s pretty normal, even on the 4^th of July)… The rest of KECH sluggishly got ready while Estrella planned our PACKED itinerary for our day in Portland. I was working on finding a roommate for Georgetown, adding anxiety for me the rest of the day.

            At 11:11, Haley forgot to make a wish—apparently this was an end-all situation because I had asked, “What’s the issue.” Haha. By 11:40, Shaun (Christina’s cousin) called us up to go out to brunch in the Pearl District. We went to this hipster breakfast café that has a different menu everyday—certain dishes become ‘sold out’ as the restaurant runs out of food. After ordering, we sat and chatted with Shaun about his life. He told us a variety of stories; we learned a lot about being a doctor (boy, do they get sued a lot!). Despite the long wait for our food, breakfast was great and energized us for the walking we were going to do.

            Heading towards downtown, we passed by Portland’s shore and observed Portland natives as they tanned (they all come out to tan when it’s sunny I guess). We walked through the city and passed by the Chinese Zen Garden. Afterwards, we headed to Powell’s Book Store, the country’s largest used and new bookstore. We got our map of downtown there and became experts of Portland’s streetcar and public transportation system. With our new knowledge, we used the streetcar to go to Pioneer Square and bought some Ben and Jerry’s ice cream while there (did I mention that Oregon doesn’t have sales tax?). When we finished exploring most of downtown Portland, we walked back to the apartment to get the car (our other destinations weren’t in walking distance). I made sure that we sang, “God Bless the USA” before we left. This really brought out our patriotism…!

            Next, we went to some mansion at the top of a hill with a beautiful view. From there, we headed to the International Rose Garden--it's a garden that has every type of rose in the world (Portland's climate is ideal to experiment on roses apparently). The Rose Garden was also the location of an Independence Day Festival that was also an event to support the legalization of marijuana. The music that played was…reggae? As we walked through the beautiful rose bushes, we also got to discuss our favorite flowers. Both Haley and Estrella like sunflowers best while Christina likes gardenias. I like lilies and tulips.

            We left the garden in search of dinner (which ended up being Subway-Hooray for $5 footlongs without sales tax!). After that, we went back to the apartment and changed our clothes to 4^th of July-appropriate clothing. Estrella also got to send her AP Scores. 

            By dark, we drove out towards the waterfront, heading to a Jazz Festival that was having a firework show at 10. We made it to the very front of the waterfront, right next to the huge stage. There were thousands of people there! Standing at the front of the port, we had the best view of the firework show. The whole spectacle felt very American, especially when Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” blasted the crowd of cheering people. We were all insulted when the Canadians behind us complained about how Americans don’t sing along to the National Anthem. I mean c’mon, Canada Day was NOTHING special…

            Going back to the apartment, we had a long night still. Hopefully we won’t be too tired as we cross the border to Cali tomorrow!

Bests

• ·      Hanging out with Shaun
• ·      Portland’s great views
• ·      Not having to pay tax
• ·      Powell’s Book Store
• ·      Firework show at the Jazz Festival

Worsts

• ·      Haley almost missed the streetcar
• ·      Bunny ears by strangers who smoke bud

            

Day 15. Lynden to Portland (With most of the day in Seattle)

Quote of the Day: "So uh I guess...just don't go near fire today"

The First Starbucks

Gum Wall

Pike's Place Market

Totem Pole #62 outside of Pike's Place

The Space Needle from the Street

Kerry Park

Seattle Skyline

                If you have been consistently reading our blog, you should be able to tell that waking up always seems to be a struggle for us (maybe it is because we are teenagers) and today was no exception. It was even worse because we had stayed up late eating tons of food while talking to Yolly’s family and friends. This morning, Yolly and Carlos were kind enough to wake up early and provide us with conversation and doughnuts for breakfast before we hit the road towards Seattle.

                The drive was nice, but it seems that the I-5 is not as beautiful, nor as fast, as the I-15. We easily reached Seattle within two hours and quickly found a prime parking spot on the corner of Stewart (woohoo!) and 5^th.  Our first goal was to reach Pike’s Place Market which possesses an array of delicious fruits, hipsters, art, flowers, and fish, lots and lots of fish. After questioning a slightly grumpy Seattle native, we located the first Starbucks complete with its long line and troubadours. We wandered the market for a while, buying knickknacks and flowers (as you can see in the photos), and then ventured down to the gum wall. The alley to the wall was filled with graffiti, but it was the artistic, meaningful kind so it was quite intriguing and beautiful in its own way. I have to say that the gum wall itself was cool but as gross as you would expect. We each took our turns placing our winter fresh gum where so many others had; Katherine even attempted to throw her ups the wall, but it didn’t work out so well.

We took a half-hour walk across the city to the Seattle Space Needle where we passed by a Wine and Beer festival. Lunch was from the food court where a Lion’s Club convention was also eating, much to Estrella’s delight (she loves the Lions club because they awarded her a much deserved scholarship). After our lunch, we headed back to the car so that we could drive up to Kerry Park. Kerry Park itself is not that large, but it has the most amazing view of the Seattle skyline—postcard photo status. While we were taking pictures, a Ferrari pulled up on this tiny residential street and this gigantic man and his young wife stepped out. Now we were pretty sure that he was some type of NBA player or something, but none of us actually follow the NBA so well it could have just been some normal tall guy and his wife and their fancy car. We just love the excitement haha.

Portland was three hours away from Seattle and we needed to fill up on gas before leaving Washington. Estrella was sleeping and Haley, who had been driving, began to fill up. Estrella slightly awakens and wanders outside to grab something from the trunk. It was then when Katherine and I heard a string of curses flying from the back of the car. Apparently this Shell does not have the best nozzles and gas had spilled all over the place. I’m not talking a few drops here and there, it was a significant amount. Estrella had seen Haley spilling gas and went over to see what had happened and Haley’s response was the turn the hose directly towards Estrella. Keep in mind that all of this is happening when we are in a busy gas station with everyone staring. Needless to say, Estrella and Haley were covered in gasoline the whole drive to Portland. The smell was so bad that we had to drive with our windows down for most of the trip.

My cousin Shaun was extremely kind and rented us a guest suite in his apartment complex. It was really nice to see him after all of these years apart. We unpacked the car, changed, and grabbed some Thai food for dinner. Food really seems to affect our happiness on the trip and this meal definitely hit the spot. We also grabbed some gelato and walked around the town area (very similar to Montrose). We returned to the apartments later to plan our day about Portland and to catch up with family. Overall, it was a long, but great day. The fourth of July on the river should be amazing tomorrow! People are already setting off fireworks!

Best:

• Kerry Park
• Pike's Place Market
• Potential NBA player sighting
• Nice Apartment/ Shaun's Interior design
• Lion's Club

Worst:

• Gas spill
• Bird poop on Estrella

Day 14: Lynden

Quote of the Day: "My boobs are better flotation devices than these life-vests" (Haley)

In front of the Nooksack Falls

Don't go chasing waterfalls!

Yet another Photo with a Stump (Estrella's love)

Pedal-boating in Silverlake

Playing around the Lake

Peace Arch Park (the Border between Canada and the US)

                Everyone who knows me understands that I am not a breakfast person—I’m the girl who loves to eat cold pizza in the morning (so delicious)! But this morning’s fresh strawberry waffles were AMAZING!  Haha so after a great breakfast we hit the road to go visit Nooksack Falls. We made a quick stop to pick up Yoly’s cousin and mother before leaving. Two hours of driving later, we pulled up to the national park. The roaring falls were impressive and slightly frightening as Yoly told us stories of people who had fallen to their deaths (yikes!).

                Following the falls, we drove to the nearby lake. It was a beautiful day and we decided to rent a paddleboat for half an hour. We knew that it would be an adventure the moment we realized we couldn’t leave the dock without a friendly shove from a stranger. Katherine and I peddled first and felt the burn, proving our completely lack of exercise for most of the trip. Then, being the brilliant people we are, we decided to switch peddlers in the middle of the lake. All of the families picnicking on the shore and couples rowing by watched as we attempted to balance the boat and change positions at the same time. Luckily, with a very close call of tipping over, we managed to switch. Estrella and Haley joked around as they struggled to peddle out of the weeds while all of the other boaters went speeding past us, typical KECH experience.

                We(not including Katherine) returned home only to fall asleep on the sofa for a couple of hours, much to our host’s disappointment. Honestly, we were so exhausted I highly doubt if we could even make it 30 more minutes. We packed up the car and then Yoly and her husband Charles (aka Carlos, his Spanish name) drove us back to the border to visit Peace Arch Park. We pulled into the park just as the sun began to set. I want you to imagine this scene. A large van pulls up to a police car, “What time does the park close?” “Now” the officer responds. The van then proceeds to park and the door suddenly flings open—four girls jump out and start sprinting towards to border. It was one of the sketchiest things I have done, but we really really wanted a picture under the arch. All of the running paid off as masses of people in the huge carline laughed and pointed while we ran across the border back into Canada. A few photos and a warning from the police officer later we headed back home. We spent the night in front of a fire pit (yummy s’mores and hot dogs) having a bonfire and played a few rounds of pool with the Vogel family and friends.

Best:

• Strawberry waffles
• Peace Arch Park
• Bonfire/ Playing pool
• Pedal-boating
• More than 1,000 blog views!

Worst:

• Car-sickness
• Too much peanut butter
• Scratching in pool