Here We Go Again...

April 2022 (throwback!)

Settle in… this one’s a doozy!

After tying the knot in 2021 our wanderlust slowly started to build (as everyone knows by now… we get a little stir crazy if we are in one place for too long), and we started thinking about our next big adventure. We rented a storage unit, packed up our apartment in Lolo, threw a cargo carrier on the roof of our new Subaru, and hit the road. The plan… a few years traveling and living around the US while working as a travel nurse and remote entrepreneur!

With excited anticipation we hit the road for an epic road trip en route to our first ‘travel rotation’.

First, we headed a couple hours south to Salmon, Idaho and spent a few nights in a super cute tiny house. Why start our road trip in Salmon of all places? Well, one of the ‘bucket list’ activities we wanted to check off before we left the area was visiting Goldbug Hot Springs. We were lucky enough to have our friends Haley and Nick join us and the four of us set out on the 3+ mile hike to the springs. The springs exceeded our expectations and we enjoyed the afternoon bouncing from pool to pool, taking in the valley views.

We continued the road trip by driving west… we soaked up some family time with the Shriners… took in views of the massive Columbia River… got misted with water while visiting the beautiful Snoqualmie Falls… survived a night at the Sunset Motel near Snoqualmie (trust me… there was nothing ‘sunny’ about this cheap and dodgy motel)... and drove west until we couldn’t anymore and the Seattle skyline filled our windshield.

Although we had both visited Seattle individually, we had never explored the city together… till now! We spent three days doing all of the touristy things (such as strolling the stalls of pike place market, sampling chowder and lobster mac and cheese, and even adding a chunk of gum to the gum wall) along with a few not so touristy things. We enjoyed the sunshine at Gas Works Park, sipped on beers and played cribbage at Fremont Brewing, and caught up with our friends Erin and Tam. The highlight of our time in Seattle was taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island with Erin and spending the afternoon strolling the quaint streets and slurping oysters.

Now that we had enjoyed a few days in the city, it was time to continue our road trip. We had three weeks till Tatum started work at the hospital… and a LONG way to go. Honestly, Seattle was the absolute farthest we could have gotten from our end destination (you’ll see what I mean when you get to the end of this post). Next, we headed south down Highway 1.

All Corbin could think about were the oysters and clam chowder to be had, so we drove a few hours and stopped in Long Beach, Washington for the night. It’s cleverly named because the small town sits a looooong a beach (that is called word play my friends). It rained the entire time we were there, but we still made the most of it by driving on the beach, going for a bike ride along the boardwalk, eating oysters, hanging out in the hot tub, and doing a complimentary whiskey tasting.

Highway 1 winds south along the Pacific Coast and is littered with viewpoints, pull-outs with hiking trails, and beaches. We spent the next several days traveling into Oregon and exploring as many sites as we could fit in the day. There were too many stops to mention here on the blog, but here are two of our favorites…

1) Hug Point: We parked the car and hiked down to the sandy beach in our rain gear. We had heard that on the north end of the beach, during low tide you can skirt a rocky outcropping and reach another small beach with a waterfall and cave. Well, it wasn’t quite low tide, but when the waves went out, we ran for it. Corbin, annoying athletic as he is, made it no problem. Tatum, on the other hand, spent the rest of the morning with wet yoga pants. Corbin - 1, Tatum - 0.

On the south end of the same beach, there are rocky tide pools to explore. Long story short, Corbin - 2, Tatum - 0.

2) Cape Kiwanda: Imagine a massive beach with a large sand dune and rocky tide pools filled with sea life… you’ve found yourself at Cape Kiwanda. We spent the afternoon in awe looking at the colorful starfish, bright anemones, and thousands of black muscles. The cherry on top was a happy hour beer at Pelican Brewing.

Other Oregon Coast highs included sipping coffee on Cannon Beach, picnicking in the dunes, playing cribbage at a cozy winery, and dramatic coastal views. Trust us… put the Oregon Coast on your bucket list!

Let the road trip continue… we turned east. Next stop… Bend, Oregon. We were joined by our friends Colleen and John (I know, you're shocked we have so many friends… so are we) and spent a couple days exploring Bend. Bend has over 30 craft breweries (I think Corbin now knows what heaven looks like) and we enjoyed visiting a few and sampling amazing beers. Our time in Bend went by too fast.

With a unique spot in mind, we journeyed southeast into Utah and, after a long day of travel, arrived at Mystic Hot Springs. We spent the evening soaking in the cast iron bathtubs and looking out at the desert landscape. We channeled our inner hippie for the night and camped in a converted vintage bus. Mystic Hot Springs is one of a kind and so worth the stop!

Next, it was time to visit our first (and surprisingly only) national park of the trip… Bryce Canyon. The view from the rim was spectacular… but Bryce Canyon was made for hiking! We laced up our boots and started the descent into the canyon. Soon we were surrounded by towering orange hoodoos. The switchbacks kicked our asses up and down the canyon slopes, but man was it worth it. Check out these views…

After a night of tent camping near Escalante, we were off to hike again… this time, a slot canyon recommended by Tatum’s bad ass momma, Amy, who had just spent several weeks exploring the area. We ventured into the desert and after a few miles were surrounded by tight canyon walls. We squeezed our way along the path, laughed while taking photos, and felt like kids again. On the way back to the car we had to skirt a baby rattlesnake… a little more excitement than either of us were hoping for.

Alright… sometimes life on the road isn’t all fun and games. Tonight was one of those nights. Imagine experiencing a wind storm warning while tent camping in a sandy desert. Sound fun? Well, it was worse than you think. After our tent (weighed down by our cooler and luggage) was lifted and moved several feet by the wind, Corbin decided the best thing for our new marriage was to ‘call it' and rent a cabin in Escalante for the night. Zero complaints from Tatum.

Yep, we are still going! After driving east through our first dust storm (like driving through a blizzard in Wyoming style winds but with sand everywhere!) we finally made it to Santa Fe, New Mexico. How much Mexican food can two people eat in 24 hours? Turns out, quite a bit! We walked the streets lined with adobe style buildings, shopped for a turquoise ring for Tatum, and munched on amazing Mexican cuisine complete with margaritas. Santé Fe has a lot of character and is a place we would love to visit again.

After an awesome overnight stay in Tulsa, OK with the Roesle family (Corbin’s Aunt and Uncle), we bombed to our final destination… drum roll please…

Greenville, South Carolina… our home for the next three months! Stay tuned to see what southern livin’ for the Shriners looks like.

With Love,

Boots Abroad

Corbin’s

Highs: Oregon Coast, Tatum getting soaked, Long Beach dinner

Lows: Driving in dust storm, windy tent night/fight, cat allergy stay

Tatum’s

Highs: Oregon views, time with friends, amazing coastal food, excitement of being back on the road, SO many highs from this road trip!

Lows: Windy/sandy tent nights, slight nerves regarding working as a travel nurse, migraine in New Mexico

Bloopers…

After their wedding, many couples freeze a bit of wedding cake to enjoy on their 1st anniversary. We did too… but when you decide to hit the road before your 1st anniversary arrives… you adapt and need to celebrate a little early! Cheers to our 8/12ths anniversary and our unorthodox lifestyle, we wouldn’t have it any other way!