Vancouver was left behind after one more yummy breakfast at Bâtard Boulangerie. The drive down to Seattle was uneventful. Before returning the car downtown, a quick stop was made in Fremont to see some of the statues the area is known for, such as the giant troll under the bridge and a statue of Stalin … Continue reading One Last Cup of Chowder, Please
USA
North Across the Border
A new week meant heading for a new country, but before leaving Portland a quick visit was made to the Upper Macleay area in Forest Park to see the Witch's Castle, a stone building built in the 1950s but abandoned only a decade later, leading to quite an interesting looking ruin deep in the forest. … Continue reading North Across the Border
They Don’t Call Portland Beervana by Accident
Portland, the craft beer capital of the US and possibly the whole world. What a place for microbrew fans! The car was dumped at the Park Lane Suites and Inn as the travellers headed out on foot towards the trendy Pearl District and Deschutes brewery for the first taste of Portland beer flights served up … Continue reading They Don’t Call Portland Beervana by Accident
Welcome to Twin Peaks
With a Nissan Rogue picked up in downtown Seattle, it was time to head out on the road. First stop: the Kurt Cobain memorial bench in Viretta Park in the midst of a quiet residential area that's hard to imagine as having anything to do with grunge. Then on to Renton to visit a more … Continue reading Welcome to Twin Peaks
Seafood, Brews, and an Underground Adventure in the Emerald City
Jetlag with a ten hour time difference = waking up without an alarm at six am after only three hours of sleep. That just meant a whole long day of exploring Seattle, beginning with coffee and a hefty breakfast of biscuits, grits, eggs, and gravy at Biscuit Bitch. It happened to be Memorial Day and the … Continue reading Seafood, Brews, and an Underground Adventure in the Emerald City
Northwest Pacific, Here We Come!
Although The Epic Journey covered many parts of the US, a lot still remains to be seen. One such area is the Pacific Northwest, that upper left corner of the States known for coffee, grunge, and nowadays copious amounts of craft beer, but also renowned for its majestic mountains and beautiful coastal areas. Sounds like … Continue reading Northwest Pacific, Here We Come!
All good things must come to an end
The journey back home to Finland started insanely early, so early that our travellers actually managed to be at the airport before any sort of check-in was open. After waiting over half an hour (which at four in the morning felt more like half a day), the agricultural checkpoint for check-in baggage was finally opened. … Continue reading All good things must come to an end
Alooooooha!
The final stop of the Epic Journey was finally at hand, Honolulu. After a short flight from Kona and 20 minutes in a cab, the travellers was transported into the heart of Waikiki, a totally different type of island paradise, a much less quiet and calm version. The amount of people and traffic was a … Continue reading Alooooooha!
Can you say humuhumunukunukuāpua’a?
It took a full day of flying to get from San Francisco via Los Angeles to Honolulu, where the night was spent at an airport hotel with a small lounge bar and quite a nice pool. Dinner was Domino's Philly cheesesteak pizza, unbelievably cheesy and soooooo good! Then on to the Big Island, where the … Continue reading Can you say humuhumunukunukuāpua’a?
Last days on the continent
San Francisco was reached in the early evening. The surprisingly cool weather and strong winds led to jeans and jackets being pulled out of storage before heading out for a Friday night on the town: it was Midsummer's day after all. The first stop was a little brewpub, Woods Polk Station, which served nice little … Continue reading Last days on the continent
Winding roads and giant trees
Leaving the hustle and bustle (meaning the insane traffic) of Los Angeles behind was not as quick and easy as all had hoped: just getting out of the area took close to two hours on more and less congested freeways. Then it was finally time to start enjoying more natural views as the car headed … Continue reading Winding roads and giant trees
Reaching the West Coast
The deserts of Nevada changed quickly into the dry, hilly landscape of southern California. Soon after crossing the state border, the second giant electricity production plant of the day (the first being the Hoover Dam) was spotted as the car sped by the Ivanpah solar power facility, a massive construction literally in the middle of … Continue reading Reaching the West Coast
Weekend in Sin City
Las Vegas was reached on a Friday evening as the sun was setting, giving our travellers a first glimpse of the flashy lights on the Strip. To avoid too much of a culture shock, the first evening was spent off the Strip at the Gold Coast bowling alley which boasts 70 lanes. Three games and … Continue reading Weekend in Sin City
Grand outdoors of the Southwest
The first stop on leaving Colorado was naturally Four Corners National Monument, where fun photos of people reaching Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico at once were taken. The trip continued south toward Gallup, NM, for a short bit of Route 66 and then onto the interstate heading west again. On the way, a visit … Continue reading Grand outdoors of the Southwest
Mountains, ghosts and a few microbreweries
The first stop in Colorado was Colorado Springs, where our travelling bunch had a nice break from long days of driving. Three nights were spent in the welcoming home of a local friend, who was also nice enough to act as a tour guide. After a long day of driving, it was great to just … Continue reading Mountains, ghosts and a few microbreweries
Heatwave in oil territory
An early morning start had Hattivatti and friends out of San Antonio by nine a.m. The car headed west again along I-10 in sunny weather. The first stop was around lunchtime in Menard, a small town with surprisingly good food in the only restaurant that could be found, Sideoats. Then on deeper into West Texas, … Continue reading Heatwave in oil territory
Entering cowboy country
The swamps and marshes of Louisiana were soon forgotten when the skyline of Houston came into view. The heat and humidity still remained, but the view from the car windows was something completely different: wide highways, gleaming glass buildings and more cars than would seem necessary. Dinner was had at Arby's, known for their roast … Continue reading Entering cowboy country
Rainy days in NOLA
Three nights and two full days filled with sudden torrential rains passed by incredibly fast in the heart of Southern partying, New Orleans. The first evening was spent at the Avenue Pub, where good local beers and interesting versions of chili cheese fries were heartily enjoyed. The first full day started off with some cajun … Continue reading Rainy days in NOLA
On the Road
After a night in Miami Beach, it was finally time to put the road in roadtrip and start some serious driving. The goal was to make it to New Orleans in two days with minimal stopping on the way. That's a total of about 1400 km plus random stops and detours to sights. The first … Continue reading On the Road
Gators, Airboats, and the South Beach
Although a week could have easily been spent in Key West, it was time to move on towards the north and meet some wildlife. A few hours drive led to the Everglades and with some trepidation, Hattivatti and friends boarded an airboat at Gator Park. The following forty minutes contained some sightings of turtles, fish, heron … Continue reading Gators, Airboats, and the South Beach