Day 7 - Wet and cold!

Hey so I am at a Wal-Mart Parking lot and My battery is not going to last very long  - I have not been able to find any internet in 2 days, it seems every one out here In oregon is cheap and makes you pay for internet... what eva', so i found this Wal-mart with a massive suburbia beside and stealing from a house. So yesterday I drove to "Chehalis" state park and went camping for the first time this trip. Was much more comfortable than my seat in the car... but in the middle of the night it started to rain, and luckily i just got nice thick tarp, so I didnt get wet, its just that I was in a rain forest and it was super damp, so everything in my tent was a little soggy when I got up - awesome area, it was called "Rainbow falls" and there were lots of old growth trees, and some rapids near the waterfall. So i realized camping by yourself is SUPER lame haha i mean it was nice but many more things to be done with a camp buddy! thats for sure, but I have my awesome Walmart shopper friends tonight so its a party. I drove through Portland today, and stopped downtown at the farmers market ( I know it seems everywhere I go theres a farmers market! Its superb) But parking was intense to I only stayed in portland for an hour, - then heading east on the I-84 towards the Dalles, but the exit that the info center showed me wasn't the right number so I was kinda lost for the afternoon. Really wanted to find it becuase there is Mt. Hood gorge lookout at the mountain, and waterfalls, and 30 mins away was the Building in the movie "The Shining" with Jack Nickolson! That would have been kinda creeping, and seeing the crazy hedge maze! oh well maybe on the way back... Tomorrow I will arrive in Salem OR, and probably spend the day there, but first need to do some major laundry, oh and found my first health food store today since I left! lol and i didnt know that cereal tasted that good with water

Uh....












This is Donald eating a mushroom....roughly the same size as himself... Good job.

- Camp Site

My Car

                           3 New Amy's Organic Vegan soups! (im sure not many ppl know what they are anyways, but for those who do! Theres "Tuscan Bean and Rice, "Southwestern Vegetable", "Indian Dal Lentil" and probably baout 6 more that I saw... Im pumped for some soup! Alright well will try to post again this week... maybe a cafe tomorrow!

Adam

Day 5: Needing a Shower....

Hello again, I am in Olympia Washington at a local mexican cafe! very nice as a storm rolls in. I slept in a Best Buy parking lot last night as the temperature keeps getting colder each night. There was a almost a layer of ice and I could see my breathe this morning lol its pretty hard to sleep. I am trying to get to Olympia state park tonight as the camp site has some old growth trees. So for the first time in 3 years I broke my boycot of not buying anything at Wal-Mart... bought some black cardboard to make a super awesome tint job in the back windows of my car so the sun doesn't fry everything. So I guess it won't count in the states and my ban is still on in Canada.  I arrived in Seattle yesterday afternoon, and like usual, had a tea...haha. I have to say that Seattle is an amazing city and would advise anyone to visit the downtown! Beautiful and many good people. I visited many little shops in the downtown core, and as luck would have it it was a Sunday so there was a huge farmers market on (actually I learned that Seattle has the oldest public farmers market in the US) Couldnt really find any vegan restaurants so I just headed on last night until I found a Market in "Des Moines, WA" and had a very expensive meal consisting of an apple, celery and chips..lol

I think that I will go camping in Olympia today and finally get to use a hot shower!.....havent had the luxury since friday morning. But while at Best Buy last night I found a laptop on sale, so I picked it up and now have a pc again! I didn't really want to spent that money, but I think it will make my trip easier and can do more research so I don't miss as many activities! Well I miss everyone and talk to you soon

Day 3 - Mount Vernon, WA

So I have started my trip south as of Thursday! Pretty pumped to actually be in the states now and on my way - Im pretty nervous to be on my own now, but I think i will make it. So I left Courtenay, BC on Thursday afternoon to pick up Bronwen and head to the ferry for 3:00 (which we missed and waited for the 5:00) and then hung out in Vancouver. We went to Bronwen's sisters house for a BBQ and later went to spend the night at her brothers house. On Friday, went to Commercial Ave. to visit some of Bronwen's freinds and went to Banyen Books ( an awesome alternative bookstore!) had lunch at a Vegan cafe before I headed off to the border. I was plannin on heading to the states last night but I found a Save on foods in Richmond so got some groceries and slept in my car for the night - I love waking up to families parking beside me in large SUV's and the children asking there moms if that guy sleeping in his car is homeless... haha its such a special feeling. So I guess im officially a bum, and will be sleeping in a parking lot again tonight before arriving in Seatle tomorrow! Maybe I will go all out and find a campsite and set up my tent tomorrow, we will see.                                              

Saying goodbye to Merville!

My travel mascot Charlie

I crossed the Boarder this morning at around 8:00 am. I was pretty excited about that until I reached the officer - thought my travel "plans" were a lame...Traveling to the California for a few months without a job family, or knowing anyone there... so he told me to park at the side of the immigrations building where I was instructed to go inside and be interviewed about my trip. After about 2 hours of waiting and having everything in my car taken out and searched, I was officially not a threat, yay -  good times

Entering the US

So i guess finding internet isnt that hard, i just went to a library and they gave me a password - so thats good news. I already miss home and hope everyone is doing well!

Adam.

Actually doing it...

So I leave in T-minus 2 days... I can't believe how fast the time has gone by since march when I started to plan my trip. I have finished my Nutrition course, finished work, saved up a modest amount of funds and ready for an adventure down the west coast through Washington, Oregon, California, and from there, we'll see... So the plan is to drive to Van with Bronwen across the ferry thursday, spend the night - then hang out and tour Vancouver Friday! Then friday night probably head across the boarder. Going to try to stay off I-5 as much as I can and hit the back-roads and 101 on the west coast! First destination is Seattle. Going to try to camp at national parks/campsites - rest of the time most likely in my car - Woot... Thanks to Gab, I have plenty of hours of awesome music - thanks again! After that I am pretty much going to wing it as I go {Super excited about not having to plan everything}.

Its crazy how it hasn't sunk in yet what Im doing - and the fact that Im going to be a Bum for few months, Amen!

Im sure I will miss everyone, especially Alissa and the Dogs... I hope I can find the internet lots so I can post some pics!!!
Adam