After a full week and a little over 3,000 miles of driving, we finally made it to the right coast. With stops in Spokane, WA; Yellowstone National Park; Mt. Rushmore, Rapid City, SD; and The Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, OH we have all had a wonderful time. We rolled into my mother's place in Rolesville, NC late Thursday night and enjoyed a great weekend of visiting with friends and family. We dumped what few possessions we still own into a small storage shed and finally rid ourselves of the overloaded trailer that followed us across the country. We made it without any real problems. The problems we did encounter were self-induced - like leaving Toby in the hotel parking lot, getting ourselves into a parking bind with the trailer on the wrong side of the gas pump, and deciding which online direction-finding website to trust. In the end, it all worked out.

Yesterday, we waved goodbye to the North Carolina Clan and drove another 400 miles to the city of Atlanta, GA. Here we are staying with Tami's sister and her family at their loft in the heart of downtown. We have already enjoyed a few hours by the pool.

With just one more stretch of pavement to cover, we are almost done with the big road trip east. Tomorrow, we will drive even further south to Tami's parents house in South Palm Beach, FL. We will visit with them for a bit and then fly back to Seattle on Friday. We are anxiously waiting for the next leg of our adventure.

We miss our friends and home on the left coast. Over the past four years, we have grown to love our town of Olympia, WA. We have made some of the greatest friends of our lives and lived some of the most amazing adventures. The summertime weather is unbeatable and the people are, for the most part, tolerable. Even though we love visiting with friends and family on the east coast, we can't overlook the heat and humidity. It's just a different world here. We miss our home on the water and are eager to get back to Andiamo and set sail once again.

Our time to depart the Puget Sound and head south along the west coast is fast approaching. We are biting our nails hoping that we will be able to get the last minute "to do's" completed before heading out. We can't wait.