.: Reorientation to the Motherland. Phase Three: I Dream of the Olympics

"I Dream of the Olympics"

I am not here to discuss my disappointing, but still satisfying, time at the London Olympics 2012 (of which you can find our story here). Nor am I here to discuss how if there was one city so privileged to ever be asked to host the Olympic Games, and this city would, at least fictionally, refuse... that it would of course be Portland (refer to this episode of Portlandia). Nay, I come to you with the third part of our Reorientation to the Motherland: the story of two wandering souls trying to find a home. But before we get to the end of that story, let me tell you about the time that we continued our wanderings around the Olympic Peninsula while waiting to move into said home.

Two weeks. That was the time allotted for our last and final road trip (AKA living out of our car like the homeless people we are, which included packing overnight gear in plastic grocery bags, eating day old bread that we discovered in those plastic grocery bags in the car, and planning our days around finding public toilets. Hey, but on the bright side, at least this country speaks English).

So to bide the time, we spent a few days in Seattle, hiked the rainforest-y Olympic Mountains and National Forest, and took a tour of some prominent Twilight book and movie locations (which included stops at Port Angeles, the sad and toothless town of Forks, the beautiful sands of La Push beach, and the long miles of the Quileute Indian Reservation). From there we headed south on 101 to my old stomping grounds of Cannon Beach. But those tales, dear reader, I will tell at a later time. To conclude this day's work, some photos.

Mt. St. Helens

Window shot. Seattle street corner.

The very first Starbucks.

Of course this would happen.

Pike's Market.

Down an alley.

The gum wall. But really, who cares about gum when you can check out that ponytail!

The riverwalk.

Pike's Market.

The view from Queen Anne's hill.

Hot wings.

Burger.

Carne Asada.

Yummo.

Let's take a second and talk about food. The above photos are from a chain restaurant called VeggieGrill. It is entirely vegetarian, and mostly somewhat vegan (ie the carrot cake has no dairy). I've included the photos to prove to my hardcore, meat-eating friends that vegetarians and vegans can still pound a burger (in a soy-ish sort of way). On a sidenote: I have never been one of those vegetarians that tries to mimic meat. I'd rather just eliminate it: a burger without the burg, a hotdog without the dog, a BLT without the B, etc. However, we decided to give this place a try because they had to be doing something right in the mimicking department for it to be a successful chain. Andrew's conclusion? Decently delicious. My conclusion? Besides being traumatically effected by eating things very closely resembling meat (it's been years, folks), I'll stick with my original thoughts and refrain from all meat and meat-mimicking. Although, if I am ever hankerin' for some spicy buffalo wings, I know where to go. OR I could just stick my fingers in some hot sauce.