Over the River and Through the Woods

Yes, we've been back for three weeks. Yes, this is old news, but Kiah had so much fun writing about our road trip to Oregon that I wanted to share her perspective on our travels. This is her last journal entry. (For backstory click here. Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)

Day #4

Morning came early, but I was thankful to wake up, for the first time on our trip so far, without a headache. We met my aunt and uncle for breakfast in Thompson Falls (near Missoula) at 8 am. It’s been really weird to be a morning person this past week.

In usual Vik girl fashion we left the house when we should’ve been arriving. When we got there, they were all waiting for us. The café was a super cute, one-of-a-kind restaurant and the food was really good! .

We said goodbye and piled into our trusty Impala again for the final leg of our Oregon trail. Their suggested “shortcut” to the interstate took us over a mountain pass.

We drove through some of the prettiest countryside that I’ve ever seen in my life! It was gorgeous, but twisty and windy! Trees everywhere, and we followed a really beautiful river for a long time. We rocked out to Onerepublic yet again. Their song “Good Life” is my favorite, and always seems to express the emotions of traveling perfectly.

Lani repeatedly complained that she was dying of thirst so right before Spokane we stopped in a small town for drinks. If I had realized how close we were to Spokane I wouldn’t have wasted my coffee fix, but would’ve rather held out for Starbucks. Mom was nice enough to stop at Starbucks to see if they had a Spokane city mug, but alas they didn’t!

Then Mom suggested we check out Moody Bible Institute in Spokane. Since my uncle had just been talking about Moody that morning at breakfast, I thought it would be nice to see if I it was something I would like.

We took a mini tour and I talked with a faculty member about my college goals. I was really encouraged that they are considering offering a specialized Medical Missionary program. I left feeling like I have another option for the next few years to keep in mind and pray about.

A few hours down the road Lani complained from the backseat, “Mom, I’m hungry.”

Mom replied in amazement, “Lani, how can you possibly be hungry!?”

Lani, “What do you mean how can I be hungry?”

Mom, “We pigged out for lunch yesterday, and then ate a huge supper last night.”

Lani, “Well I didn’t eat that much at supper last night.” (editor’s note – Lani is a picky eater)

Mom, “Well if you didn’t seize the opportunity to stuff your face last night that’s too bad, cuz’ we’re not stopping to eat now!”

A little later another interesting conversation surfaced. I really want to go to Seattle and Mom really doesn’t. I suggested we go to Portland by way of Seattle. For 10 miles I used all my persuasive charm to try and talk Mom into my bright idea.

She thought about it, but finally declined, figuring we would get into Seattle about rush hour. She promised, unless a tornado threatened to touch down, we could go home by way of Seattle. When I asked her to promise she hemmed and hawed, so jokingly I asked to get that in writing. We dropped the matter, with Mom satisfied by not going to Seattle today and me satisfied with the promise of going to Seattle on the way home.

So the note Amy handed to the front seat a half hour later completely took me by surprise. I read it to Mom and we laughed and laughed. The paper said:

(Original spelling intact)

I swear on the trip back to Wisconsin I will stop in Seattle for at least a few hours and I will enjoy it, and will not fuss or be grumby.

And if I don’t, Kiah has the right to think of a consequence’s for me.

Signature of Signature of

Kiah Vik Angie Vik

__________ ______________

This document has been agree buy

Amy Vik and Lani Vik

After I read it to Mom, Lani says indignantly from the backseat, “Hey! What did I sign!?”

Amy said, “Well you should have read it before you signed it!”

Lani, “But you told me not to read it!”

Amy, “I told you not to read it aloud, not don’t read it at all!”

I was more then game to sign it, and mom good naturedly signed it as well. So its official folks, we’re going to Seattle on the way home!!

Just east of Portland, we stopped at Multnomah Falls.

When Mom pulled into the parking lot, Lani looks out the window at the waterfall and asked, “Do I have to get out of the car? I can see it from right here.”

Mom let her know it was not an option to stay in the car. Multnomah Falls is a fun place and looks like something out of a fairy tale. We were all glad that we stopped.

We didn’t eat lunch so we could thoroughly enjoy a restaurant Mom recommended. She assured us that Marie Callenders was worth the wait. We had a great dinner and took a half hour to decide on a pie we all liked, since it was much cheaper to buy a whole pie than to buy individual slices.

At last we arrived at Grandpa and Grandma’s house, thankful for safe travels and to finally be at our destination.

Quote of the Day

We were bugging Mom about going the speed limit, thinking that maybe, just maybe, in less populated highway stretches, she could drive faster.

Mom refused to budge, saying, “Greater minds than ours have determined what a safe speed limit should be, so unless your wife is in labor, you should drive the speed limit.”

Lani, our resident smart-aleck, pipes up from the back seat. “But I won’t ever have a wife.”