Road Trip 2010: The rest of the journey…

We’re rolling down the highway, pushing almost 65. As our orange bread-loaf-of-a-VW-bus presses on through the wind, the white centerlines stripe by, one after another, without end. I look up to see a white plastic bag blow across the highway in front of us, trying hard to make its way across the plains of Wyoming. As we drive the wind seems to find its way into every crack and crevice of the bus, squealing in through the dried out window seals, and when it gusts the old louvered window in the back clatters open and closed, open and closed. The bus gently sways back and forth, Laura with two hands on the giant steering wheel and driving it like a cartoon character, back and forth with the wheel, keeping it in a generally straight path. I joke that Guanella can find a way to make a straight road curvy, and with the gusting Wyoming wind this is one of those times. Today’s Destination: Mount Rushmore and the gigantic heads of Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson carved into a mountainside. The fourth of July just passed, and I think we get bonus points for visiting them. Yeah?

Our summer 2010 Road Trip Extravaganza work-ation is drawing to a close, and we have had an amazing, amazing time. Highlights? We met up with dear friends in Moab, Utah and got to experience Arches National Park [amazing beauty here]. We then stayed the night in Zion National Park, and the following day experienced a drive through the desert Southwest of Utah, Nevada, and California, sans-air conditioning, in a big orange oven and 111 degree temps. [It was hot.] We spent a day in LA and got the grand tour from our cousin Lindsey, ending with a sunset hike to the Hollywood sign up in the hills. [We even got to sneak around a real, TV show set!] We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, and were enthralled with the raw beauty of the coast, the ocean, the turquoise water, and even the strange elephant seals. Camping in Guanella feels kind of like camping in one of those forts you built when you were a kid, and as we made our way up the coast we somehow got to set up our fort and camp at the base of the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge –I was giddy with excitement each time I would wake up and look out to see the towering bridge, lit up at night. We spent a day in Redwood National Park in Northern California near the Oregon border, in awe of the massive trees reaching up to touch the sky. We pulled Guanella right up to the edge of a bluff at Flint Ridge, in Redwood National Park, California, popped the top and slept with the ocean below us, listening to the water gently crash against the shore all night long. We drove through Oregon up to Seattle, where we had a blast touring the city on foot [we love this place], and also watched the best fireworks show either of us had ever seen, over the Puget Sound and framed by the beautiful Seattle skyline, Space Needle and all. We experienced Yellowstone National Park and saw the Grand Tetons, were amazed by the boiling mud, high waterfalls, gigantic buffalo, shooting geysers, and fierce, towering peaks.

In 2 weeks we drove over 4,600 miles, often with one of us driving and one working  (or sleeping!) in the mobile office in the back of the bus, the miles ticking away as we made our way all over the beautiful West. Guanella turned 36 this year, and we (er, Travis) spent a lot of time this Spring working on her and getting her ready for the trip, and thankfully we had narry a hiccup the whole time.

Though our trip was somewhat short, with lots of driving, Laura and I had such a deeply, wonderfully amazing time tripping all over the country together. It is impossible on here to begin to encompass the breadth and depth of how amazing our experience was on the trip. If you’ve never gone on a road trip with your Love, do it, STAT! There’s so much out there to see and experience…and I feel like the time spent together was so, so good for us. Such a break from our ‘normal’ lives.

So, without further adieu, here are lots of photos from the rest of our trip, and a little video of July 4th Seattle fireworks. Enjoy!

This is on the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, where, Laura and I first met 7 years ago!

Overexposed? I love it. Camping here was…the cat’s pajamas.

Ghosts, kissing!!!

Moon over San Francisco…love it.

The view out the window ;)

Cherries on the side of the road? YES PLEASE!!

Look at that cute face!!!!

Redwoods are no match for Guanella. Ok, maybe they are. Hard to get the sense of scale in the Redwood photos…they are so amazing!!

Hellooooo, sun flare!

These trees are best friends (I could tell). They’ve been hanging out right next to each other for the past ~500 years(!) or so. .I like to think this one is of me and Laura, both living & growing alongside each other. Hopefully for the next 500 years (or at least the next 70?). Sorry if some of you just got cheesed out. I’ll reel that in now.

Opening the door? I just like this photo, OK??!

And I love this photo. How could I not be in love with this girl??

Footprints in the sand poem? Anyone? Go to your grandparent’s house and look at the poem on the bathroom wall. “One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord….”

If only you could hear the ocean here.

Laura: reading in the loft. Me? Walking around in my boxers and chaco’s taking photos. hah!

I took this after I went to bed. I think it’s a 20 minute exposure; I just set it up on the roof of the bus and zonked out. Kind of neat, yeah?

Morning view from the loft…

Laura, driving, again?! Yep! Look at that mongo steering wheel…

Just thought this was cool…little old Guany, tooting along next to a giant semi-truck…

Goooood Morning, Seattle!

Bam!!

And again!!!

July 4, 2010 Time Lapse Seattle, Washington from Travis Ramos on Vimeo.

Awesome little breakfast at the place next door to Stumptown. Forgot the name, but it wa’re awesome. Some Frenchish place.

Plans for the day!

yummmmmmmmmmmmmm

Weirdos.

I like this shot. Laura’s got such a sweet eye.

Like I said, such a sweet eye. Figure this on out!

Did I need to jump in the air and click my heels like a leprechaun? Of course I did! Do leprechauns even do that?

Found the most awesome antique shop ever right near Post Alley. Laura snapped a few off:

Impossible to not include a photo of a guy’s hand stuck in a fish in a blog post about Seattle. yuck! yum! whatever. Sorry if this grossed you out.

NKJFHU:N@UI:HR*({@UR@UFHSKJILJ(JH!  This gelato was amazing.

Coolest library, ever.

NOM NOM NOM…

Le office, mobile! Translation for those of you not fluent in French: the mobile office. (I crack myself up)

And, Yellowstone. Careful, folks.

WTH?? So awesome. I believe it’s called ‘travertine.’ They combined Travis and ovaltine to get the name.

Stay Safe! Stay Away! (seriously though, this was taken out the car.)

Me, sitting. And eating. That’s all.

200ft. waterfall – pretty neat, yeah?

And, of course, Old Faithful!!

Le Grand Tetons! Translation for all of you non-French speakers: The Large (female part on upper half of body). Gotta keep this G-rated, folks!

AH!!!! Love this photo!!!

One of my faves for sure; such grandeur, such….lack of words to describe it. Go SEE it!!

Not sure exactly why, but I like this photo a lot.

Campfire and S’mores in the plains next to the Tetons? Yes, please!

There were LOTS of stars out!!! I just pointed the camera up and set it to 30 second expo. Crazy, right?

Yes, Guanella is about to take off into space. Every night after we went to sleep, she’d go flying around the night sky with us inside.

Goodbye, Tetons :(

This cracks me up – as the motorcycle/sidecar passed us, I looked at the passenger, who was an old lady, mostly wrapped up in scarves – all I could see was her face. She had to be at least 90. She was either fast asleep, head bobbing with the wind and bumps, or dead, in which case I imagined some sort of National Lampoon’s scenario. It cracked me up…one of those things…

  • July 21, 2010 - 11:50 am

    ely - I am in LOVE with the pic of Guanella and the stars! So amazing!ReplyCancel

  • July 21, 2010 - 11:52 am

    Nick Salazar - Wow, you guys have been busy this summer! This is a great post; I particularly like “Guannella taking off into space.” We should hang out some time soon.ReplyCancel

  • July 21, 2010 - 12:03 pm

    holly - Soooooo jealous you got to see the fireworks over the Space Needle! That time lapse is incredible!ReplyCancel

  • July 21, 2010 - 2:41 pm

    Lindsey - Truly spectacular photos. I would say more, but I don’t think words do some of these photos justice.ReplyCancel

  • July 22, 2010 - 9:58 am

    Heather - Awesome. I love looking into your lives.

    Thanks.ReplyCancel

  • July 22, 2010 - 6:25 pm

    Mom - Your work never ceases to amaze me. Always fresh, interesting, and artsy. Isn’t it great being in love with what you do?! Love youse guys, MomReplyCancel

  • July 23, 2010 - 9:18 am

    Trav - Ely – Thank you!!! Me too!

    Nick – we HAVE been mad busy, but the summer’s been amazing!

    Holly – the fireworks over Seattle/the water were insane. I wish I would have actually done the time lapse for a longer time and concentrated on making it really good; I just kind of set it up last minute and let it go. Maybe next time! (hehe)

    Lindsey – thank you. Seriously appreciate it :)

    Heather – anytime!! Let’s talk soon, yeah?

    Mom – yes :), and thank you Muddah! Love you too!!ReplyCancel

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