Roadtrip! (A Belated Update)

Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania

So...I moved to Seattle! I've been here since early September and it's becoming more of a home daily. There is so much to see and do. I realized I never posted about it, so let me backup a little...

It was the end of a very long relationship. My best friend Susan and I packed up Quasi & Lola into my little car and headed west along the Northern United States. We have been friends for over 25 years and through school, boyfriends, children, family gatherings (happy and sad). There wasn't another person I'd have preferred to make this journey with. 

Goodbye, New Jersey. See you soon!

We took turns driving during the days and talked about everything. She would find the local Country music stations wherever we were. A bonus was her singing and dancing skills. I would knit and in-between, there was pug-cuddling. Sue had her husband of almost a year Ted and her dog Zoe home waiting, so she would be cuddling every chance she had.

Michigan-Indiana state line

I realized that car knitting is one of my favorite things. It's a great way to relax and just let your hands become a blur. With all of the unknown ahead of me and a new life, it was the best way to focus on something besides the breakup and epic move. Besides, one of the reasons I moved when I did was my brother Sam and his lovely fiancé Megan were getting married in less than two weeks. 

outside Fargo, North Dakota

Did you know that at the Fargo-Moorehead Visitor's Center, they have the actual grinder used in the movie Fargo? We stayed up late and talked about everything. We ate terrible food and drank way too much whiskey. These are all of the ingredients for a great roadtrip. The land was always rolling, always moving along with us. The clouds went on forever and we were in awe as we drove through miles of sunflowers, cows, plateaus, the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands. 

Big Timber, Montana

Montana is a clear favorite of the trip. The rambling rivers winding for miles around the most beautiful land I ever did see. It's where the prairies fall into the base of the Rocky Mountains. We spent the night in Butte, Montana. It's an old mining town on the edge of the mountains. Quiet and comfortable. We had local steaks at Casagranda's Steakhouse, located in the historic
Bertoglio Warehouse (built in 1900) and it was amazing. The restaurant was wallpapered with old documents found in the old warehouse from purchases and agreements for the Bertoglio business. 

Idaho

We would stop where we could easily walk the dogs. We would gather stones from the Rockies; they were all different colors and little pieces of our time together. We would almost run out of gas but only just make it to the most remote gas station in the United States. 

Wild Horses Monument Viewpoint, Washington

We would stop wherever we could and stretch our legs with the pugs and see the most beautiful things. Finally, after five days, we made it to Washington!

Space Needle, Seattle, Washington

Susan stayed for a few days before flying back to New Jersey and we did some touristy things like go to the Space Needle, check out the Public Market and stick our gum to the "Gum Wall" in Post Alley. She left me feeling fortunate to have such a good friend/sister and looking forward to seeing one another again.