First flight they can remember. Hawaii bound and loving it.

When I think about when our RTW trip starts I knee jerk to this first flight from Portland to Hawaii.  

The truth is it began for me when we left our house, our home, of 12.9999999 years (as most of you know I don’t even like to write the number after 12). We drove the Amobile (adventure mobile- 99 suburban complete with custom wood bumper) and our van to Idaho to spend time with family and friends. As well as drop off a bunch of shit on my folks including The Amobile.  A wonderful visit filled with an undertone of preemptive homesickness. Smiles on people’s faces as we depart for a year knowing it will fly by but at the same time a sense longing to get together sooner.

Headed for Portland to fly to Hawaii just happened, without planning of any kind, be the solar eclipse. Our journey we have made many times would be blessed with an unbelievable spectacle as we passed through the path of totality.

Side route to Huntington, OR and down to Brownlee reservoir on the Snake river gave us a view of two states shrouded in darkness. At totality nothing could hold back my primal hoot and holler. As in the movie Better Off Dead, we had witnessed a truly awesome spectacle. My father was on hand bringing wisdom, a 70’s tripod with legs bigger in diameter than swing sets and an old pair of Bushnell binoculars attached with a piece of bike tire (no shit), 50/50 cord and a small bungee. The master of improvisation was able to project the eclipse to an old easel.