Ok, it was an epic 3000 mile adventure.
Since creating my Bucket List a while back, I look for ways to complete items. I checked off quite a few on this trip.
#1. Visiting all 50 states. I got Oregon and Washington on the list. For as close as they are, I had never visited either one.
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| The beauty of Snoquamish Falls, Washington |
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| Haystack Rocks, Cannon Beach, Oregon |
Ironically, a groupon helped me out with this one. I went on the Seattle page of Groupon and found a 6 hour Whale Watching tour out of Bellingham for $49. It ended up being closer to 7 hours since we were in fog for a majority of the trip, so it was a very good deal. We saw Orcas and a Minky whale. This only increased my desire to see Grey whales. So don't be surprised if I do this one again.
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| A pod K male Orca in the San Juan Islands |
My mom, for reasons I never understood, has always wanted to take a Segway tour. I have not, but since I was the main organizer of the trip, I took the lead and once again used Groupon for a Segway Tour in Seattle. Mom was very scared and nervous when we got there, but between our guide/instructor, Aaron, and me--we got her on and within minutes, she was having a ball.
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| Learning the ropes and crossing off a Bucket List item off for Mom |
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| Guess what, I had a ball too! |
#4 Visit all of the National Parks
This is a goal that will probably take me a long time to achieve and that's ok.... I love spending time outdoors and our National Parks are exceptional places to do that. On this trip, Olympic National Park and Redwood National Parks were visited.
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| The Beauty of Olympic National Park |
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| The massive trees of Redwood National Park |
There was not a great start to this adventure, when after a 5 hour drive to get to San Francisco, I missed the turnoff for the parking area and my GPS decided to have a hissy fit. I was a little frustrated when we finally got there and started the walk. The crowds, sometimes walking 4 across, the wind, and being right next to 6 lanes of traffic didn't help once we started either. As a result by the time we had crossed the length and started back, it was not fun. We found a a quiet, non windy, spot and took a break and to realize what we were doing. On the parts of the bridge that were not crowded, we would stop and enjoy the views. By the time we completed the back and forth, we were actually having an ok time. We were a little taken back with the wind and noise of the this adventure, but still glad it was done.
#6. oh wait, I missed the opportunity to pay a toll for someone else.
When I was getting in line for the ferry in Edmunds, Washington, I was all set to pay for the car behind me til I saw how much it was, and then I backed out. It would of been $20 something bucks and I wimped out. I thought I had a cheaper toll still ahead and would do that one. There wasn't. The Golden Gate Toll is all automated now, so you can't pay for the car behind you. The toll that I thought I would pay later was included in my ferry fee. Lesson of the day, don't wimp out. Don't think, oh, I'll do it next time. Do it......
One of the reasons I wanted to do this post was to reiterate that Bucket List items do not have to be expensive. The Whale Watching and Segway tours were done thru Groupon. Visiting a National Park is not that expensive and when you camp in them, your costs get even cheaper. It was free to walk across the Bridge. Life is all about experiences and Bucket Lists can be about making sure you accomplish the experiences that matter to you.
And now that I am home, I am working on more drips in my Bucket.
Melissa
Impressive.
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