Hey all!

Good news on the Hawaii front: Molly finally found a job! She starts tomorrow at Cheeseburger in Paradise as a cashier/hostess. Ben is still on the hunt, but is sure to find something soon. We both have put in an amazing amount of applications, but the economic situation is becoming more and more apparent with every un-returned phone call and extra application. Not to worry though, we're confident everything will pan out. =)

The first month in Maui has been wonderful and lazy! Our roommate Monica calls it "funemployment" and it truly is. We wake up late, cook lots, ride our bikes everywhere and hang out on the beach. Another Juneau kid just got into town (Ryan Ferrel) and is staying with us while he hunts for a job. The break on rent is nice and Ryan is a constant source of entertainment, for better or worse. Monica is working more and more as the whales begin to arrive in Maui's waters for the winter season of fasting, mating, birthing and calf raising. We keep an eye out for them every time we pass a beach (which is pretty often!).

Today dawned sunny and warm, but it's pouring buckets now, and we're under a flash flood and high surf warning. It'll be nice to get some moisture and cooler temps, as it has been 85, sunny and breeze-less for the past three or four days. Hot!

Happy holidays everyone!

Ben and Molly

Aloha Maui!

Hi all!

It’s been quite a while, our apologies on the wait. We made it to Hawaii safe and sound and moved into our apartment right away. Our other roommate, Monica, is great! We both met her the first year we worked for Allen Marine and Ben actually lived with her then. She’s the one who found the place we’re living in and signed the lease before we got to Maui.

Lahaina (the town we’re in) is rather touristy, but beautiful none-the-less. We live on the third floor of a big complex. One has only to walk across the street and through the resort on the other side to get to the beach. There are several shops downstairs and the Maui Brewing Company is about a block away. The food is to die for! My favorite so far is beer battered brie…mmmm!

It has been warm and sunny most days with a little bit of rain in the afternoon or evening. Yesterday, the two of us took a bus into town and bought bikes from Poali, the owner of a “recycled” bike and board shop. Most places like that on Maui are chop shops, probably including this one, but it’s hard to pass up $50-$100 bikes. So, now we have three lovely modes of transport: bus, bike and scooter! That’s right, we bought a moped. It’s a zippy little white thing that gets up to 45mph pretty easily. It seems to be a tried and true method of transport, as lots and lots of people own them and ride them all over town. However, it’s necessary to be acutely aware of your surroundings when riding it. Cars, trucks and busses seem to have trouble noticing scoot riders on the shoulder, but so long as you keep a sharp eye out at intersections and don’t ride in the rain, it seems to be just fine!

We’ve been on several adventures since arriving in Maui. Last week, our roommate took us up north to see shooters and the amazing lava cliffs. It was a muggy, cloudy day, but beautiful even so. It has been rather stormy since our arrival, and in keeping with bigger wind, the waves have been huge! The sheer size and force of the ocean was readily apparent as we watched the water heave, boil and crash into the rock face below us. Though we were perhaps one or two hundred feet up, the force of the water hitting the cliff wall was sometimes great enough to send spray up and over the edge and blowing into our faces. It was awesome and sobering. It refreshed our memory as to why the ocean is so fascinating, terrifying and beautiful!

Last weekend, we went to the upcountry (the mountains) to visit Monica’s friend Leaf and her daughter Lotus, who live near Makawow. We arrived late in the evening and had a big bonfire with all the clippings from yard work and renovation. Leaf’s home includes avacado, star fruit, lemon, mock orange, and banana trees (which are actually a grass! Go figure!), in addition to Lilloquoi (passion fruit) and numerous gaudy, jealously competing flowers. Leaf is an artist. Her studio is an old WWII building at the back of the garden. She and her mom hand dye and screen-print beautiful bags, potholders, sarongs and t-shirts to sell in the community. Her home, studio, and the upcountry were gorgeous, and the weather was considerably cooler and wetter.

As we settle into this new life more and more, the need for jobs is becoming apparent. Both of us are on the hunt, waiting rather impatiently to find something. Sifting through mounds of applications and advertisements, resumes and interviews is becoming rather tiresome, but hopefully it’ll all amount to work sooner rather than later. The economic situation becomes more perceptible with each phone call turned down with a “we’re not hiring, actually we’re laying people off,” or “check back in a few months. Maybe we’ll have something then.” But not to worry, there are some promising prospects, and in the words of Jimmy Buffet, really, “only time will tell!”

Here’s hoping everyone is happy, healthy and well loved.

Xoxoxo,
Molly and Ben

Just a quick picture-less update (Molly's camera is on the fritz. Yikes, we need an address soon!):

Since the last post, we've covered a lot of ground! We spent the night before arriving in Arcata camping about forty miles south in a big river-cut sandstone canyon. It was beautiful and DRY. The stars and moon shined all night and the sun rose early and bright. Other than Molly's unfounded, yet profound fear of mountain lions, we had a thoroughly wonderful camping trip.

Arcata was lots of fun! Miraculously, the weather cleared up for the majority of our visit to northern California and it was warm and sunny for several days. We spent most of them basking in the sun and soaking up a little vitamin D before we head back north to Portland. Cate, Kevin and Amanda (Molly's friends), took us to several very pretty beaches just north and south of the city and the two of us spent a few afternoons disc golfing and wandering around town. Every evening, we cooked something for the housemates in lieu of rent and hung around watching movies and wasting time.

Yesterday, we packed up the car and headed out and back up north towards Portland. Instead of going back on 101 or making a straight shot up I-5, we decided to maximize our time and sight-seeing in Oregon and take a detour up route 97. Our initial plan was to visit Crater Lake National Park, but the north entrance was closed, and to get to the south entrance would have taken thirty extra miles south and some snow. That's right, as we drove up into the Cascades, it started snowing on us at around 3500 feet! As a next-best, this afternoon, we stopped at The High Desert Museum and got a chance to stretch our legs and look at some cool history of the area. The exhibits included some wildlife in captivity and lots of information about the Native Americans and early American settlers of the area. Molly's grandmother was actually born in the high desert of Oregon in a homestead much like one we saw at the museum!

In other news, we made it to Bend this evening and plan on taking it easy and getting a hotel on the river for a really good night's sleep. Molly is sick, but Ben is holding strong and still healthy as ever. We leave for Hawaii on the 10th and are both getting excited! More news soon.

Molly and Ben

Alright. So we've had a few complaints and no one seems to know who or what the Banshee is. Here's the down low. In Irish mythology, the Banshee is a female fairy spirit who appears and cries a mourning call to those who will die in the near future. Our Banshee, however, is not nearly as foreboding or caustic as all that, she is merely the wrecked little green Subaru that is taking us down the coast. Here is a picture of her majesty:

In other news, we've been camping for three nights straight and despite being rather dirty, we've stayed some of the most wonderful and lovely campgrounds the coast has to offer. The first night after drying out in the hotel, we made it a bit further south to Humbug National Park in Oregon. The campsite is right off the highway and just around the corner from the beach. In fact, you walk right under an old bridge that is a part of 101 to get there. We spent quite a lot of time playing in the sand and watching the waves.

After a lovely last evening in Oregon, we packed up early and drove across the state boarder into California. The past two days we've spent in the Elk Prairie State Park, in the heart of one of the more northern nationally protected redwood parks. Yesterday, we hopped into town for coffee at a dive of a restaurant and then took a long hike in the park. During our adventure, we happened upon a big bull elk, munching bushes and brush in a grove. While we were a mere 50-60 yards away, he seemed unaware, or rather unconcerned about our intrusion into his kitchen. We left him after a good ten minutes of observation to continue down the trail. However, the recent presence of elk in the area was not lost on us, as with every other step, Ben or Molly would slide in a pile of fresh and ever present elk poop.

When we got back to camp, it was agreed that the only way to truly experience the beauty and grandure of the red woods was to take a long, rambling hike into the depths of the forest, and spend some quality time with the trees. These giants that take up so much of our imagination are every bit as wonderful and big as you might expect. 

Today dawned sunny (finally!) and hot. We're sitting in the same little dive of a diner, after having just finished breakfast and preparing ourselves for the last little bit of drive south.  Disc golf and relaxing in the warmth is at the top of the agenda list, so we had better get moving. 

Love to all!

Ben and Molly

Hi everyone!

Well, it has been quite a while since the last post, and quite a lot has happened! Here are a few more pictures from Orcas Island. 

From top to bottom: Chickens on Bright Meadow Farm, Ben standing on a cliff in the fog on Mt. Constitution, piggies on Bright Meadow Farm

 

Since Orcas, we've been to Anacortes to visit Molly's great aunt, Marysville to visit her mom's side of the family and Seattle to see Hillary and Emily (two of Molly's good friends from home). Now, we've begun our journey down the coast on highway 101! We drove to the southern end of Washington state the first night, and camped out on the side of the road. The following morning, we drove into Astoria, Oregon, a medium sized town on the Washington/Oregon border. We had an excellent breakfast in a diner on the Oregon side of the Colombia river and then took a stroll through town.

  

from top to bottom: The calf on Bright Meadow Farm (for Pam), Molly and her grandmother at her apartment in Marysville, a madrona tree at the beach on Orcas Island

Following breakfast and the stroll, we drove further down the coast, stopping at whatever rest areas struck our fancy. Among our detours were Arcadia beach, where we searched for sand dollars, and climbed on ancient volcanic rock and Tillamook, Oregon, home of the Tillamook creamery -- we couldn't resist stopping to check out the museum and get some Tillamook icecream. That night, we made it all the way to Lincoln City, where we camped at a camping and RV rest stop. 

  

from top to bottom: pigeons sitting on the break chairs behind the diner in Astoria, Arcadia beach in the mist, Molly standing in the crack of a volcanic rock on Arcadia beach

The rest stop was well maintained and the care taker sweet. All would have gone perfectly, were it not for the storm that blew in around 2am. We woke up in the morning, soggy, tired and sore from the gravel underneath the tent. Once again, we found ourselves dealing with wet gear and sleep deprivation. Damp and dirty, the two of us trekked to the camp showers, only to find they were coin operated and only ran for a mere five minutes, before abruptly shutting off and asking for more money. Well, at 50 cents a pop, it wasn't a bad deal, until you found yourself shivering, covered in soap suds and standing in a freezing shower stall that wouldn't produce water until you walked out and stuck some more coins in the machine.

Finally, after several times each, getting in and out to shove coins in and rinse off, we were clean and dry, and ready to hit the road. From Lincoln City, we took our time driving to Florence, OR with several more stops along the way. Our best stop was at the sea lion caves on the beach. To get there, you drive to the top of a cliff, towering above the waves and dropping off the side of a mountain. The entrance is in a gaudy little gift shop, perched precariously at the top of the cliff. After buying your tickets, you, walk down a winding staircase to a long ramp that ends with an elevator. Once in the elevator, you watch the level drop from 0 to 200 feet. Finally, 200 feet down the side of the cliff, the doors slide open and reveal a deep cave that ends in crashing waves and darkness. Unfortunately, it's not mating season and there were no sea lions to be seen.  However, we were the only people there, and we got a great up close look at the empty cave.

 

from top to bottom: "Du Drops" at a roadside art gallery, the empty sea lion cave.

Tonight, we're in a cheap hotel room in Florence, drying out our sleeping bags, tent and shoes. Hopefully tomorrow will dawn dry and rested. Despite our mishaps, things are going well! The Banchee (our car) is running great, we haven't lost anything and we're well ahead of schedule. Thanks to all the friends and family we've stayed with and heard from lately, and we wish everyone good health and happiness!

XOXOXO,

Molly and Ben

Hi all! Here's a post chock full of pictures. Today dawned sunny and clear, so we attempted to go up Mount Constitution to actually see the view this time. Once again, however, just as we reached the top, clouds rolled in and the fog was so thick we couldn't see anything. =( Maybe it just isn't meant to be.  In any case, we hope you enjoy these!

An old beached boat in Juneau - out Thane

Our pumpkins! - carved in Juneau the night before leaving

On the ferry to Bellingham

A seafood store in Ketchikan (one of the stops along the way to Bellingham)

On the ferry to Orcas Island

A sign in the woods on the trail up Mt. Constitution

Blackberries along the highway on Orcas - mmmm!

Howdy! and Progress So Far

Hi all!

We thought this would be an easy and efficient way for us to keep in touch with/update all our friends and family as we travel down the west coast and eventually make it to Hawaii...so here goes!

We left Juneau on the night of the 12th and took a three day, four night "poor man's cruise" down to Bellingham, WA on the Malaspina (one of the ferries on the Alaska Marine Highway System). The ride went smoothly with stops in Sitka, Wrangell and Petersberg, until Ketchikan where Ben acquired food poisoning and Molly developed a bladder infection. Yuck. After a visit to the hospital for antibiotics, a very uncomfortable night and a disagreeable day, we both began to recover and spent our last day happily wandering the ferry and watching movies.

The ferry docked at 7:ooam Alaska time in Bellingham, and we drove off and down to Anacortes, where we got a wonderful breakfast and then caught the Yakima (one of the Washington State Ferries) over to Orcas Island. Which brings us to the present! Ben and Molly are currently staying at Bright Meadow Farm with Ruthie (Molly's god mother), Abby (Molly's god sister) and Dean (Ruthie's husband).

Today, we drove into town and went to the farmer's market to get cooking supplies. As is to be expected, we got distracted and also visited Crow Valley Pottery, the book/coffee shop and a variety of other places. After that, we drove half-way up Mount Constitution and hiked the last two miles to the observation tower. As we were coming down the mountain, dark clouds rolled in, the heavens opened and thunder and lightning boomed and flashed around us. We made it back to the car, soaking, but still smiling and rumbled down the road back to Bright Meadow.

In keeping with tradition, Molly cooked Dominican rice and beans this evening and we all munched Newman-Os for desert. Yum. Now it's off to a movie and then bed. 

Here's hoping everyone is healthy, happy and well-loved. More soon!

Love,

Molly and Ben ~ xoxoxo