Hot sand on toes, cold sand in sleeping bags

Let's start out with this. Amanda is adventurous. Adventurous as f*#@. And so we woke up the other morning. And she was basically like "let's go on an adventure". Now y'all can imagine what that does for me. It's like when you yell squirrel to a dog and they jump up and get all excited and they're jumping at the door to get outside. That's basically what happened. And so we took off towards Crater Lake. Someplace I have always wanted to go and will never forget because it is BEAUtiful. We are on our merry way behind some nice cars when all of a sudden a cop comes out of nowhere and is right beside us pointing us out and telling us to pull over. He then  proceeds to pull over the other three cars in front of us as well. This was my first experience in a group ticket and I guess it was alright (every car got a speeding ticket because Oregon's speed limit is ridiculously low) and this is how we bonded with some Aussies, Frenchmen, and English fellows.

Group tickets 

 

A little less enthusiastically we kept going to Crater Lake only to have all our troubles completely washed out by pure and utter awesomeness. First we were just driving up with more snow than we expected. 

 

Snowwwww

 

And the suspension was killing us. I was almost holding my breath around every bend. You know? Like you're almost afraid to see it. But then there it was. With Wizard Island peeking (I suppose peaking would work too) out from that gorgeously blue water. And it was just incredible, especially how blue that water was. A deep deep blue that just sucks your eyes in and you can't look away. Just beautiful with the snow still there and the sun shining. 

Crater Lake

 

 

So Amanda, Tug (Amanda's dog), and I went hiking around. 

Amanda & Tug

Amanda, Tug, and I

 

 

Now I got the bright idea in my head to start asking around for rides here. And this is how I met Chip. Chip is an awesomely kind and amazing guy from Indiana. He is on a two week vacation just driving around checking stuff out. Pretty awesome right? Well Amanda and I start talking to him and we are all friends real quick like. Then I drop tha bomb. I ask to go with and you see a confused look on his face. Like he has never thought of that idea or had anyone ask him this. And then he was like "yeah, it'd be great to have someone to travel with!" And damned if I didn't hitch a ride from Crater Lake to Indiana. We arrange to meet the next morning outside the lodge where Amanda would head her way and I mine (with Chip). 

 

 

Amanda & Tug

 

 

Amanda and I decided to sleep in her car that night and let me tell you what. With her and Tug in the backseat and me in both the front seats, just chillen' there in a sleeping bag talking with an old friend, it was one of the better nights of my life. Pretty high up there on list of nights. It was great. And then we woke up early the next morning, went up to the lodge where Chip was, and promptly fell asleep in front of a fire place until it was time for me to leave. One heart wrenching hug later I was off with Chip and Amanda was off to Portland. Now I am just tagging along on Chip's trip really. But he is so excited to have a travel partner and whatnot that we talk like we are the best of friends. It's like we have known each other forever and this is a regular old thing. He wanted to head up the Oregon coast and see the sand dunes and so that's what we did. We drove four hours and headed up the coast and onto the beach. 

Me and Chip (I dunno what my hand is doing)

 

 

Now Chip normally travels in style, but he was open to stuff. And we both unanimously decided we needn't leave this beach. So here we are, after sittin' all day on the beach, camping in the sand dunes. Chip is in my tent and I'm cowboying these dunes like I own 'em. Saw a great sunset and we'll be off and up the coast tomorrow! 

Going to find some stealth

Purty

 

 

And now I lay under the stars, with a man I met yesterday and whom is taking me more than halfway across the country, with waves crashing in the background, salty air in my lungs, and stars blazing their little hearts out, I can't  help but think... Isn't life pretty darn crazy?

Beeeeeee Happy!

Beacon ;)