If you haven’t read the post from two weeks ago concerning part one of the Indiana to Seattle road trip, you can do that here. For those ready to move on, buckle your seat belt. Here we go!

We followed the Columbia River until I 90 crosses it to head west then north west. What a beautiful overlook and view of the gorge and surrounding landscape. Sagebrush and rocks made me imagine discovering this country for the first time on horseback. Facing away from the river, brown hills rose up to form a secondary barrier.

Next we drove through beautiful mountain passes. Once we arrived in the Seattle area, we found a secluded beach with spectacular views of Mt McKinley and Bellevue. We drove through the University of Washington campus, resplendent with autumn color.

That afternoon, I drove to my first session at the Rubart Writing Academy run by James and Taylor Rubart. The house was in Bothell, only 3 miles from our hotel. Except for missing the driveway, I had no trouble finding the place and Jim greeted me at the door as if we were lifetime friends. Of course, we’d spoken on the phone several times and I’ve read most of his novels, so I guess we did know quite a lot about each other. The sessions were fantastic. Taylor took professional headshots which turned out perfect with the fall colors, and I enjoyed meeting the other 3 ladies who attended. We became much more than acquaintances. In fact, I am going to be working with one of them quite closely in future. More to come about that later.

When we were forced to say goodbye, hubby and I stopped at Snoqualmie Falls. I recommend visiting if you’re ever near Seattle. It was beautiful – and free! Then we drove through the breathtaking landscape of northeastern Oregon and into southern Idaho, staying overnight in Twin Falls. The next morning we drove to Shoshone Falls Park to see the falls and the Snake River. Later, we entered Utah just east of Salt Lake City. We’d planned to stop and view the lake, but the weather wasn’t cooperating and we didn’t feel like getting wet, so we just kept driving ending up in Nebraska for the night. The final day we drove from Nebraska through Iowa and Illinois, then the two hours to our home in Indiana.

10 days, 12 states, 4,682 miles round trip and a fantastic learning experience at the Academy. So many memories and scenery. I’m so glad we didn’t fly. We would have missed so much!

Have you ever done something others thought you were crazy for trying? Most people looked at me like I was bonkers when I said I was driving to Seattle and back. Flying would be so much easier, they said. True in many ways it would have been, but I would have missed these amazing rocks and the slanted ones in the photo below.

What have you seen or experienced that you would have missed if you hadn’t taken the chance to do something a little out of the ordinary, off the normal path, or a tiny bit odd? Drop a comment and let me hear your stories. I encourage you to push the boundaries the world sets because fear is a tool of the enemy. We are made for amazing, fantastic adventures. Won’t you join me in living a free life?

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Thanks for reading! Blessings and until the next time we connect, I pray you closer to understanding your unique heart and the reason for which you were created.