Our Journey began in Arizona. The day had come, when I had to pack up my studio and load it and what ever else I could stuff into our minivan, and head to our first destination on the road to Anchorage, which was to my sisters in El Paso. After a troublesome start with the movers, and an even more troublesome sleepless night in the hotel room, when we returned the keys to our landlord, I was more than ecstatic to be getting on the road. T Minus 4 hours until my sister, and I would sleep most of the way.
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Our time in El Paso came and gone, as did the time at our next destination in New Braunfels, TX with my mother-in-law for the holidays. We soon found ourselves in Albuquerque, NM for a long awaited show from a traveling on tour band called 100 Monkeys. I'm a huge fan, so this was the single most highlighted event of the trip for me. Ha. I couldn't wait til it started. I got there as soon as the band did, hours before the doors even opened. They were still unloading their instruments when I pulled into the parking lot. Ben Graupner, one of the band's members, spotted me and said hello, as did Jackson Rathbone, who seemed shocked by my presence with the show not starting for hours still. After standing in-line for what seemed like forever, one of the club managers told us to move around to the back entrance where the doors would be opening shortly, and accepting tickets. So, after waiting there, they opened the doors, and told us that if we were 21 and up you had to go back around to the front entrance. ?????? I was confused. Why would they tell me two different things! So, once again, moved around the building, but this time, when I got there, there was a MASSIVE amount of people at the door. I had stood in line for hours for nothing. I lost my place anyways. I was so disappointed.
As I entered the club, another club manager informed me that no professional camera were allowed due to the band's celebrity status. THIS I was SUPER bummed about. Not only did I not get a good spot, but a also had to take crappy pics with my blackberry. At least, I'd get to meet the band. Or, so I thought. Marty, the band's "Bananager" (a manager who wears a giant banana suit) informed me that they couldn't stay and do an autograph signing like they did normally because of the very close scheduling of their next show in Dallas the very next day. All hope was lost. I was so upset that I sat at the bar and drank myself into an oblivion until I finally got up and tried to salvage the evening by talking to perfect strangers. One of which told the "Bananager" of what a crappy evening I was having. He handed me a CD. I asked how much, and he said, "It's for you." I thanked him, and asked him if there was any way he could run it upstairs and get it signed for me. He said it would be unfair to the others, and I understood.
Then I spotted Jerad Anderson, another band member out of the corner of my eye, and thought I'd go over and say hi. He ended up being SUPER awesome, and took pictures with me even though they weren't really allowed to. As I was talking to him, another band member, Ben Graupner, stopped by and said hi as well. I was on cloud nine. This was the coolest thing I had ever done. I got them to sign my CD, and they ran it upstairs for me to have the remaining three members sign it as well. Despite the club's attempts at destroying my evening, the Band and their crew made it WELL worth the extra 9 hour drive.
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Thought I didn't want it to, the night had to end, and when it did, I drove back to my hotel room, only to pack my things and get back on the road. We would make it all the way to Redding, California until we stopped. Pleased with the night before, and with how much ground we had covered in one day, to be right outside of Oregon felt really good. We had been on the road for 13 days. Any closer to getting on the ferry in Bellingham, WA made it better.
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Since we were making such good time, we decided to make a little detour instead of going straight to Seattle. A little town you all know as Forks. Yes, the Twilight town. Smokey looking rain forests, and constant overcasts, it was exactly what the movie and book made it seem to be.
On the way into town, my husband Joshua stated that he wanted to go for a run that night. I immediately told him that wasn't a good idea. "Why?" He asked. I said, "It's dangerous! Josh!!" He laughed, and said "Oh, come on Ashley! You don't really believe there are vampires and werewolves in these woods, do you?" ... "Something might EAT you!" I said. He snorted. "Like what!?" And at that instant, as if by fate,... the BIGGEST animal I have ever seen (outside of a zoo) tromped out of the woods. "THAT!!!" I screamed!!! His eyes widened at the HUGE beast that stood on the road in front of us. I brought the car to a dead stop, and my hands shook as I stared at the animal wondering what it was going to do. It looked to be, a... SUPER deer of some kind. Its head was far taller than the top of the minivan, and it's shoulders and body were huge. If I'd have hit this thing, the animal might have lived, but surely I would not. I, later, learned that it was an elk, and that they were common in the area.
The next day, we headed down to La Push Beach... One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was gorgeous. A photographers' dream. The town of Forks might not have been much, but I would move there in a minute just for this beach alone. So secluded. So private. SOO beautiful.
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Seattle, then Bellingham, and nothing seemed to change. Another road. Another hotel. Another pizza or Chinese delivery guy. Then, the time came, and we drove the car onto the ferry. The ship was pleasant. It had a cafeteria that served hot meals, a bar, and a gift shop that made the two day trip not so bad.
In what seemed like no time we were arriving in Juneau, Alaska. A few hours after getting off the ship, we discovered what "land sickness" was. For those of you who don't understand, it's a feeling you get after being on a boat for a long period of time. The ground still feels like its moving, and you can be just as sick as if you were still on the boat.
Despite spending the morning in the hotel room with lots of water and Dramamine, we decided to go out and get some dinner. We had discovered that the navigational system in the minivan didn't work in Alaska, and the snow made it hard to read the road signs. After a few failed attempts of trying to find the restaurant, we decided to turn around and head back to the hotel. Ugh, takeout again! We turned around in what seemed like a safe area, but we were wrong. Our slick, all weather tires were no match for the down-sloped snow-covered road. We were stuck. How ironic. Ha! Welcome to Alaska.