Day 35-37: Virginia Beach; Outer Banks, NC

Virginia Beach wasn't originally part of our route, but Ryan remembered that an old neighbor of his had moved there a few years ago. The beach town was a very pleasant suprize. It was reminiscent of the town Miramar in Top Gun as fighter jets screamed above our heads throughout the day. Virginia Beach, in short, is everything that Atlantic City wishes it could be (minus the casinos). The boardwalk had live entertainment on every block up the coast the Thursday night that we were there.

From Virginia Beach we headed south then back toward the coast--we just cant get enough of these beaches! We had heard about North Carolinas Outer Banks as a popular getaway for New Yorkers and the like. What they forgot to tell us was that the sand fleas will eat you alive at night! But that sleepless night was justified the next morning as we witnessed not only one of the most beautiful sunrises, but DOLPHINS! It was a brief glimpse into some kind of dreamy fantasy world (minus the mosquitos).






Outer Banks, North Carolina
this photo doesn't quite do it justice, but it's the best shot i could get of a dolphin that morning

oh that sunrise

Day 28 & 32-34: The District

When we last stopped posting on the blog, we were conveniently at the halfway point in our trip. We had made our way through New England and NYC and were headed southbound through Maryland toward Virginia. Ryan’s sister, Becca and her husband Eric were kind enough to host us for the next few days. We then flew back to Seattle for Aaron and Lacey’s wedding, and with about two days at home, we were back on a plane for Ryan’s sister’s place in Centreville, VA. And thus begins part two of this incredible journey, and what better place to start than here at our nation’s capitol?

-Brown



-Obama's new home. I think those guys on the roof are getting ready to paint it black.



"Taxation Without Representation" - Washington DC's unofficial motto. Though the citizens of the District of Columbia have a representative in congress, she cannot vote. D.C.'s population is greater than Wyoming's, and their citizens pay more taxes to the federal government per-capita than any other state. I can see why they print this on all their license plates.

We're back!

GREETINGS family, friends, old co-workers, new ones, and
acquaintances from the road! As you may have noticed, it's been a while since our last post. My excuse as to why I’ve been so detached: upon my return from the trip I promised myself that I would focus on finding work, and that I would finish the blog once I found a job. The good news is that I haven’t been entirely unemployed for the four months since we got back in September. However, once I did get the job I have now, I quickly found it even harder to get back to blogging!

So, in an effort to do away with laziness once and for all, Red and I are now vowing to complete the chronicles of our trip.  You can expect a new post about every other weekday.  I'm sure you've all been chomping at the bit for this day to come!  So many questions resound in your head:  Did they make it through the south without getting shot?  How many hours did they torture the guy who stole Mark's camera?  Did the oil pan shatter after they launched the car onto the highway?  How did Ryan meet his future girlfriend in Oklahoma!?  (I mean really, does anything good come from Oklahoma?)  Who was the unexpected vagrant they picked up in Albuquerque?  And why do they call Ryan "Red" anyways?   All these questions answered, and more!!  Stay tuned for the conclusion of this legendary tale as Red and Brown go across the country - and back!

-Brown