26th Week in Review: 6 MONTHs!!

Wow, 6 months, I can’t believe we have been on this adventure for half of a year already.  At the same time, if this is really the half way point I can’t imagine how many amazing adventures are in front of us.

Sharon showing off the 2nd bushel full of harvest from dad's garden

For this week in review we will do both the stat for the week as well as a 6 month overview at the end.

This week we experienced culture, temperature, and time disorientation as we traveled by plane for the first time this year from Spokane, Washington (Pacific Time) to Washington, DC (Eastern Time).  After only a day in northern VA, we hopped on a bus to New York to celebrate Sharon’s sister, Nora’s birthday.  We generally avoid big cities on our road trip, but since we are in New York anyways, we are trying to enjoy what the city has to offer, while keeping up our usual interest in breweries, bacon, and volunteering.

For Week 26

Hours volunteered: 4 at the Materials for the Arts in Astoria, New York

States & Provinces: 1 Province and 3 States

British Columbia, Rossland; Washington, Spokane; Virginia, Fairfax; New York, Astoria  — technically we took a bus through a few other states to get to New York, but I don’t count those because we didn’t stop and experience them

Budget: over – New York is expensive!

People Visited: Melinda Bloom and John Tewksbury, Nora Tewksbury, Rebecca Weiner, Sarah Bishop, and our cat, Elsa

Nights under the stars: 1 – in Rossland, BC

Best meal: Falafel sandwiches at the Jerusalem Pita House in Astoria, New York

Best beer: the unique roof top brewed beer from Birreria in New York

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6 Month Review

Hours volunteered:  196 hours (combined)

Sharon posing with the flower mural we installed in the school's courtyard

Favorite Volunteer Experience:  tie between helping at Zoe’s elementary school in Goochland County, VA and clearing trail in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

Just one of the many amazing views along the South Fork of the Flathead River in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

States & Provinces: 3 Provinces and 26 States (traveled through… we didn’t stop in New Jersey or Delaware)

Miles on the car:  estimate, over 15,000 – we will update when we can get back to the car and check

Ready to get on the road from Phoenix to New Mexico

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First picture of Jay post-accident

Budget: over – although our emergency fund had to be tapped for multiple emergencies, we are luckily still on the road.  We have had support from family, friends and strangers, and are getting better at keeping expenses to a minimum on the road.

 

 

Nights under the stars: 57

Favorite Camp Site: 

Our camping spot at Lake Mead

Favorite Brewery:  Franconia Brewery in McKinney Texas

Only 3 beers on tap and no bottling or distribution system, but this brewery is really worth going out of your way to visit.  If you are in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and are interested in beer, make sure you check it out.

the Brew Master for Franconia brewing

Favorite Biking:  

Sharon’s favorite biking experience was the mountain bike trails in Revelstoke, British Columbia.

Jay’s favorite biking experience is a tie between the trails in Copper Harbor, Michigan and the trails in Fernie, British Columbia.

Sharon on the River Mountains Loop Trail at Lake Mead