Who else finds it hard to believe that 'Apple season' is already here?

Day 9.

Homeward bound.

Most of today was spent getting to the airport, getting through security, boarding our plane, flying home, getting our Prius and picking up E.

Not too exciting. 

Kinda hectic.

            

We did get in one last early morning walk.

And we discovered that on the Sunday morning before Labor day the streets of San Francisco are relatively deserted.

Except for Starbucks.

And the line for riding this Cable car.

(I had to go all the way to San Francisco to have my name spelled right on my cinnamon chai cup. Just sayin'.)

And...well,

(awkward shrug)

...um, that's all folks...

I know. Kinda of anticlimactic, right? But you know what, the end of a vacation is always anticlimactic. It's just empty fridges, dirty clothes and a suitcase you really never want to re-pack again. 

And the thing is, we were ready for anticlimactic. 

For our routine. For math homework and soccer practice, chasing the cat off the counter and grocery shopping, bedtime drama and crazy work schedules.

It was amazing to get away. And reconnect.
Don't get me wrong.

Soooo amazing.

And yet somehow it was even more amazing to look at each other and realize, without saying it, how much we both missed home.

Like, you know what? We have roots now. Obligations. Responsibilities. A life that is built on more than excitement.

And we are okay with that.

The biggest part was being away from E for so long.

"Just the 2 of us" no longer feels fulfilling. Something is missing and it makes the adventure a little less than completely thrilling. It makes our attention a little less than 100% devoted to one another. Whether she is with us or not.

Someday it will be "just the 2 of us". So getting away and learning again what that feels like is so important. 

But we're not there yet.

Now.

How was a vacation spent almost entirely in a state of complete 'winging it'?

A little "aaarrghhh..." at moments. If I'm honest. 

(Being bounced around so much, inside of a jam packed, standing room only, Seattle public transport bus, that I came away with bruises was one of those moments. Speeding down a winding California Hwy. late at night, dead tired and starving all while watching for Elk and wondering just where exactly all the cities were, was another.)

But all in all we saw and did things we never would have planned into an itinerary. 

We would never have scheduled a stop at the Weyerhaeuser museum. Or planned a stay on Long Beach Washington. Or figured on trying to hit the Redwoods at near Sunset. Or set our hearts on wandering through Chinatown.

But I can't imagine not doing each of those things.

They made the trip.

So.

Here's to another 10 years. To 8 states in 8 days. And to 'winging it' more often.

Day 8.

It was a little bit more of a back-to-reality day for us.

(Not our reality, necessarily. But more a return to the 'ugh' moments of life.)

 And that was ok.

Because tomorrow we head home.

Traffic through the wine country of California was NO JOKE.

Everyone was trying to get out of the city while we were attempting to get in.

Thus the lack of pictures. We did not do a whole lot of stopping.

It was also, at long last, warm. Like in the 70s. We hadn't seen or felt that since North Dakota. 

Northern California is very beautiful.

In a very different way than Washington and Oregon.

We thought all the Vineyards were especially lovely.

San Francisco!

And the end of the road, so to speak, for our journey.

So many sailboats.

We drove the Marin County side, up the Headlands to another WWII bunker, and with the convertible top once again down we were treated to some fantastic views.

But the drive is not for the faint of heart.

Thousands of people. Hundreds of bikes. A one direction road with abrupt turn outs and drop offs. And people who stop and park where-ever.

The first time we drove it we were mostly looking at the road and trying not to hit anyone.

We had to do part of the loop a second time just so we could appreciate what we risked our lives for.

Our Hotel sat at the entrance of Chinatown.

Of course we walked through. 

At dusk.

It was pretty amazing.

And pretty much the antithesis of deserted beaches and giant Redwood forests.

Cable car tracks.

Day 7.

Our hotel had patio doors that opened right onto the ocean.

Unfortunately it was in the mid 40s overnight so falling asleep to the sound of the crashing waves was just not possible.

We did get out for another early morning walk though, and we had not only the deserted beach to ourselves, but also the quiet city streets.

The main drag in Yachats.

Tidal pools.

We walked still more beaches.

We couldn't not.

Another view of Yachats.

I thought it looked a little like an Italian city, looking out over the ocean.

I think this was Washburn beach. Or it was Neptune. Or Roosevelt. 

Or maybe it was none of those...?

This was a beach we discovered. It wasn't on the map. 

I still am not sure where we were. 

But the climb we had to make up and down the cliff face to get to the ocean was impressive.

California!

And the Redwoods.

We eventually got smart and put the top down. The views were amazing. But the smell was even better. 

Damp. Moss. Pine.

It was perfection.

Driving through at sundown was also pretty much perfection.

The way the soft light filtered through the soaring tree tops and slanted in between the giant trunks was absolutely gorgeous.

It was exactly like being inside a hushed cathedral.

Elk grazing at twilight.

The lone male of the group bugled just for us.

 Another lovely sunset.

We intended to stay closer to the Oregon/California border for the night.

But being a Friday, right before a holiday weekends, hotel rooms were a little difficult to find.

It ended up being a late night and a long day.