The next morning however was beautiful with low lying clouds over a no less than perfect landscape set in tranquility. After scraping off our first frost of the season we arrived to the more historic part of Jackson where we grabbed a delicious breakfast from The Bunnery; we got the Glory Bowl which had 2 eggs, toast, hash browns with sauteed mushrooms and onions. It would have been a great place to sit and people watch while enjoying a yummy breakfast, but we knew a long day was ahead of us so we got it to go. On to Grand Tetons National Park! This set of mountains were just gorgeous. Being our second time, the sight just doesn't get old and the couple inches of snow and teasing clouds only further dramatized the view. After about a half hour just in awe of beauty we picked up the pace to get to Yellowstone National Park. We think that the Grand Tetons has Yellowstone beat this day in terms of majestic beauty. It also did not help that Yellowstone had 40 minutes of road construction and off and on mixed winter precipitation, yuck! Dan's car was not happy about driving on uneven gravel roads with 2 bikes strapped to the back. Anyways, many buffalo later we approached the exit to park with one last stop to the Mammoth Hot Springs. Besides the overwhelming smell of sulfur, we were amazed at the out of this world formations of mineral build-up. Really cool stuff. 
After Yellowstone, the long part of the drive was ahead. As we entered Montana, it started to snow, and not just a little bit. Luckily the weather was warm enough to keep the roads clear. Well that is until we hit a small mountain pass just before Bozeman. The snow came down harder and there was slush on the roads. We made it to Bozeman where 20 or so text messages later, we got the go ahead from weatherman Brian that things would clear up further west. We had the best lo mein at a little Chinese restaurant in downtown before getting back on the road. I think the restaurant's name was along the lines of "China Dragon Palace"...I don't know. It had an all you can eat buffet but trust us, if you ever find yourselves there, just go straight for the lo mein. So luckily, our travelers made it past some nasty weather and now the only challenge was staying awake. The sights of big sky and rolling hills were gorgeous, but the sunset happened rather quickly. We stopped in Missoula to get a pick me up. Much to our surprise there was also a Five Guys! (Side Story: Five Guys originated in Northern Virginia in the DC metro area. With that said, Dan will rave about the deliciousness of the burgers and large quantity of fries you get with each order at every opportunity.) We decided to get a regular order of cajun, which by cajun we mean they sprinkle a ton of Old Bay seasoning on it, and by regular we mean that the two of us could not finish the one order. So, coffee and fries, we are ready for the final leg of this drive with a good six hours to go. Things became a little concerning when we noticed that Dan's car headlights started flickering every so often. We drove through Spokane, 4 hours left, we just wanted to be home. Things are going well, we switch drivers every hour. Katie finishes the drive as we roll into the driveway at 3:30am, 20 hours after we left the Super 8. Semi-Home, dog, foldable beds, sleep.... 
Saturday morning was a much slower day for many reasons. This time, Brian joined in on the festivities. Today's highlight would have to be the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. Seeing the city from the water was unreal and recommended for anyone who visits Seattle. At the Harbour Public House everyone enjoyed some delicious beers and beverages as well as an excellent early dinner. Highlights included the Killer Shrimp and the Crab Melt. Afterwards we headed back and relaxed in Capitol Hill. Katie revealed the german chocolate cake she had baked as a surprise for her brother's birthday and everyone enjoyed and then went to bed early in order to be ready for the next days activities.
Sunday started off early for the boys. Dan, Katie, and Brian woke up at 4 a.m. to get up to Seattle and pick up Bill and Joseph for a 6 a.m. salmon fishing excursion. After a dedicated effort Katie switched driver's seat with Dan and the boys were off. We got to the boat and were introduced to Captain Steve and deckhand, Austin. Setting off into the sunrise, the boys were about to embark on their first salmon fishing experience. Within the first half hour, Dan reeled up a Chinook, unfortunately it was the wrong season, Salmon 1 the Anglers 0. The morning progressed and we eventually all landed a Coho Salmon. Exhausted, we headed back to the condo to meet up with the girls. They had apparently slept in, made some tasty breakfast and were having delicious coffee. Anywho, everyone lent a hand in preparing for a delicious lunch feast of salmon. We prepared the fillets 2 ways. First, Joseph found a recipe to pan sear the salmon encrusted with ginger, minced garlic, green onions, and olive oil; it was very tasty. Second, Katie baked the salmon in poaching liquid for a classic take on the fish with butter, lemon, dill, and rosemary. Everyone had a sampling of each with a side of spinach and mashed potatoes. Fish just tastes better knowing you had caught it earlier in the day.
After some record high temperatures (104-106 degrees) here in Portland, it was time to explore more of the city. This takes our travelers to Sauvie Island, 20 minutes outside of Portland proper. Sauvie Island is an agricultural treasure chest of fresh organic produce and is highly recommended for any visitors. We picked about 10 pounds of blueberries and 7 pounds of raspberries and marion berries (blackberry / raspberry hybrid). After Sweltering in the heat, we headed to the beach to cool off in the water. After a few hours of lounging we headed home to make some fantastic cobbler with our freshly picked berries as well as some marion berry mojitos to wash it all down.
A pleasant surprise, we found out that we had another SCAD friend in Portland, it's Porter! Not only was he in Portland, he lived in the adjacent neighborhood to where we were staying with Anna. We met up for a glass of wine in his neighborhood to catch up that night. Thursday was designated as girls' day meaning Katie and Anna spent the day taking the dogs for a hike in the gorge, getting a much needed hair cut and wedding dress shopping. Before the girls left the boy, we all met up for breakfast at Voodoo Donuts where you can get everything from a normal glazed donut to one that is shaped like a doll with needles in it. What did Dan do all day? Well, first he spent some time on the internet sending more resumes out at the library, laundry, and finally meeting up with Porter for a drink at Amnesia Brewery in the Mississippi District. Dan and Porter followed up the beers with a mid afternoon snack at a local oyster bar, EaT. That night everyone met up again for Alberta Street's Last Thursday which is an event where artists, musicians, and food vendors set up on the street extending several blocks for an evening of festivities. We all had a late dinner at Mississippi Pizza Pub and listened to a bluegrass band perform.
Friday we grabbed some Dutch Tacos at the delicious Flavour Spot. We then walked to the Rebuilding Center, where we could have wondered for hours looking at all the old windows, doors, beams, hardware, fixtures and more that had been salvaged from area homes.
On Sunday we all decided to head to the coast to try our luck at clamming. Waking up at 6:30-ish we drove to the coast with much enthusiasm. The first spot we arrived to was in Netarts Bay. After digging for a good hour and no luck we decide to head further south to Pacific City. After grabbing some lunch at a little beach shack of a restaurant called Fat Freddy's. We took the dogs out onto the beach where they were allowed to be off leash and let them have at. With a serious case of food coma, we decided to go sit on the beach and watch the surfing competition which evidently led to all of us passing out on the beach. Waking up with one thing on our mind we headed to another clamming spot just north of Pacific City. This time, we had a new weapon...a clamming gun. To say the least, we hit the jackpot; collecting 8-10 pounds of varnish clams, cockles, and gaper clams. That night Katie started the long process of cleaning the gaper clams as Anna and Dan prepared the varnish clams. Dinner was varnish clams poached in a garlic butter white wine sauce with a loaf of sourdough to scoop it all up with. Absolutely exhausted we all collapsed after dinner for a much needed sleep. The following day Katie (with some help from Dan) continued to clean the rest of the gaper clams for clam chowder, made blueberry pie with Anna's delicious homemade pie crust, and had some much needed beer. Sadly, by the time it was all done, we were just so clammed out that we had ramen instead....and of course, the pie was delicious, a la mode. Chowder for lunch the next day though!
Drink of the Day: Vodka Tonic w lime twist and splash of berry syrup over ice...shaken not stirred.
Next on the agenda: Tacoma-Seattle, Brian here we come!
