Day one of our Journey!

Can't read it for the rain but the sign says "entering oregon"

We left at 11am (meant to leave at 9 am but that's another story...) from Renton and arrived in Portland, Oregon at 2 pm. We stopped for food, fuel and starbucks there. Note to self: must alot at least one and a half hours for a meal stop with 2 children in tow.

So we get one hot meal a day while all others are had in snack form in the car on the road. So where did we stop today? Where else? McDonald's! Why can't regular restaurants have playlands? Like a nice Bistro or a French Bakery... heck I'd even settle for a Subway with a place for the kids to run around and stretch their legs! So we get to McD's and the guy behind the counter is new- so while I wrestle with my wiggly 18 month old and try to keep an eye on my 5 yr old who wants nothing more than to find the entrance to the playland (it was sort of tricky) he managed to get our whole order wrong- even as I repeated everything 2 or 3 times. That crisis dealt with we head to the playland where the kids are instantly drawn to (are you ready for this?) the video games. It was like a free mini arcade in there and I was dumbstruck. They weren't running or climbing or sliding down slides...they were standing in one place staring at colorful pictures on a screen. Pretty much the same thing they had been doing in the car all day...save the standing part. So just for the record- I pick the place tomorrow!




We stopped at about 6 pm at a rest stop south of Eugene, Oregon so we could "get the wiggles out". It was dark and raining and people were staring, but we ran around in circles, played chase and danced to the music in our heads anyway! Then one more major snack (crackers, cheese, apple slices and milk) as we headed towards our nightime destination: Ashland, Oregon.