Monday, August 01, 2005

Puget Sound Vacation Vol. I

The Drive


You have no idea of the meaning of eternity until you have driven across endless brown dirt dirt and more dirt of Wyoming and Idaho at 65 miles per hour. The miles upon miles of dirt were only broken up by my white Toyota with two colorful kayaks on top. My mom and I both shared driving chores. Along the way I read the Harry Potter book Prisoner of Azkaban and my mom was reading The Notebook. Every once in a while my mom would look up from reading and tell me, "Steven the guy in this book is exactly like you. I can't believe how much this guy reminds me of you. He even kayaks Steven. When I'm done reading it you really need to read it." I told her I would read it but I doubt he is like me.


Boise was our resting stop to split the drive in half. We stayed the night in a nice Hampton Inn which my cousin got us really good rates at because he works for one in New Mexico.


We had a fabulous breakfast there with eggs, ham, and all the other nice stuff the Hampton gives you. Then we started out for the trip to Martha's Cabin in Puget Sound near Gig Harbor. I had finished the Harry Potter book and started The Notebook. Mothers know a lot and she was right, Noah is a lot like me. All I need is an Allie and I need to read some poetry. I recommend this novel. I was immediately captivated by the story, reliving it, feeling it and savoring each and every emotion. I especially thought that the way love will endure all is a great message and the way it endures towards the end of the book is amazing. I won't give anything away. Tears are sure to be shed, and you will long for a love like the one Noah and Allie share.


Slow Up


I started driving again after Portland, Oregon and when we got near Tacoma, Washington it was bumper to bumper traffic. Traffic even stopped at times. We were so anxious to get there and being stuck in traffic was killing us both. Up a few feet...stop.... Pull up an inch....screech stop.. Read this a few hundred times and you will know what I went through. Finally! we got through and the slow up was caused by an accident but it was entirely in the other lanes going South and our lanes were only slowing down because of people goggling at the accident. Once over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge we were on the final stretch to the cabin. This is a challenge. Nothing is marked, and it would be almost impossible to find at night.


We reached the tunnel of trees which is my favorite road ending at Martha's Cabin.










The road to Martha's Cabin

Now picture the most beautiful setting. Martha's cabin sits on the Puget Sound facing Mt. Rainier. It is so beautiful that words can't describe. This is why I took fabulous pictures.


The backside of the cabin


The view from the window


Martha's Cabin



Trees frame the view across Puget Sound towards the floating Mt. Rainier

Next on the shelves of the Sea of Steve, Puget Sound Vacation Vol. II.

4 comments:

Emily said...

Awesome!! Sounds like a pretty cool trip.

I read The Notebook earlier this summer. I thought it was a sweet story but I couldn't help but think this doesn't happen in real life. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the lucky one it does actually happen to, and you'll get to make out with your ancient Alzheimer's-afflicted wife in the nursing home when you're 80. :-)

Oops, sorry, hope I didn't spoil that for anyone.

Steve said...

Maybe I'm not so alike afterall. I'll agree that this probably doesn't happen in real life but I definitely think I took the ending in a different light then you. I thought that they both passed away at the end. That's why she immediately knew who he was and thus he wasn't making out with an 80 year old Alzheimers patient but with the love of his life as they were both young again.

Anonymous said...

Hello Steve your website looks awesome! I read The Notebook and I like your thoughts on the ending. This might sound strange but I think I like the movie better then the book. You should watch it. My name is Anna.

Anonymous said...

Well, now you ruined the ending.

Just kidding. I wasn't going to read it. It is filed in my brain under "Things I know I should read but don't have time for." I didn't see the movie either.