Day Eight - Oregon!!!

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I knew we were getting close when we saw the trees.  The landscape up here changes from clusters of trees to just trees, trees everywhere, logging trucks and trees.  We were determined to get a picture with the "Welcome to Oregon" sign, but I had no way of knowing exactly how far we were from the state line (thank goodness Ilan was navigating, we had a terrible map).  I was in the left lane rounding a curve when I spotted it, and had to veer across a couple of lanes and hit the brakes to get to the side of the road.  I grabbed the camera and yelled at Ilan to hurry before we got in trouble.  We jumped out of the car, and I took Ilan's picture first.  Just as we had switched places and I was waiting for Ilan to take my picture, I saw the cop come around the corner.  He veered across the highway and pulled up next to us, and I didn't even give him a chance to speak.  I babbled on about our trip and how excited we were and how much crap was in the car and how we loved being here... I know he must've thought I was a nutcase.  He just drove off as we headed back to the car, without ever saying a single word.

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We drove through miles and miles of mountains and trees. drove through Eugene.  Stopped in Salem and had some lunch.  Pulled into Beaverton around 200p... dog-tired.  We didn't have a map of Beaverton, but my son's ability to read and recall maps is amazing.  He'd studied the area before we left Michigan.  He found a couple of streets that he recognized, made a couple of quick turns, and we were pulling up into the parking lot of our new home in no time. Unfortunately, we weren't expected until the following day, so it was one more night in a hotel before we could actually, really, go home.  As much as we wanted to go sightseeing, that would wait until Thursday.  We ordered Chinese take-out, showered, called our loved ones to let them know we'd made it, and crashed until the next morning.  

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We're here.  We're home.