Finally Made it to the Pacific!

So we got back to our campsite last night where it had been pouring for hours. We finally got all settled and as dry as we could to sleep and passed out. We woke up really early with the intention of going on a 12 mile hike only to find that it was still pouring out, meaning the hike we were planning on doing was too dangerous for us to chance doing. We weren't thrilled but better safe than sorry, especially this far from home. So we slept in a little and finally decided to pack up camp. In doing so we discover that a huge puddle had accumulated under Kayla's half of the tent and she had basically been floating on it all night. We finally got it all packed up and when we finally got back into the truck we were muddy and soaked and none too thrilled about the state of our stuff. This is all part of the journey though. We keep hearing about all the gorgeous weather everyone back home is enjoying so my comment to ease the frustration was that we could enjoy beautiful weather at home anytime, but how often will we have the chance to experience any weather-good or bad-out here? We're safe, healthy, and having a great trip, so personally, I can deal with a little crappy weather all other things aside.

We decided to drive down the Columbia River Scenic Highway to see a few waterfalls and such since we missed seeing them on the hike we couldn't do. We got a phone call saying that the jet boat rides we were supposed to be doing tomorrow were unfortunately cancelled because of all the rain making the terrain dangerous for the boats. We're bummed about it but again, we'll live. We decided we should find a Starbucks so we could sit down and revamp our plans for the next few days since things were getting pretty drastically changed on us. In a moment of getting lost off an exit, we came across a Christian outlet store. This is typically bad news for Kayla and I because we're known for blowing all of our money in these kinds of stores. But we decided with the money we wouldv'e used for the jet boats we could use here, and spent a little time in the shop. We didn't spend nearly as much as we normally do but we both came out in higher spirits. It's almost impossible not too, being around other Christians who are just so open and friendly makes your troubles significantly more trivial and unimportant.

Then we drove out to the Pacific Coast Highway. When we finally got there we were so excited to see the Pacific Ocean. We stopped at a few places to take pictures and then finally found a Starbucks (we hadn't actually found one in the previous attempt). Now we're sitting here figuring out our next few days before checking into our campsite for the night. Fortunately, as we've been sitting here, the sun has finally come back out! So it looks like we might actually be able to get the tent dried out tonight after all. Here's hoping! More updates soon!