How many people can say they hit the most southeast and the most
northwest corners of the U.S.A in one honeymoon? That was our story. Tuesday, December 21, we were tooling across the Seven-Mile Bridge on our way to Key West; (elevation, 10 feet above sea
level). We were wearing the requisite sunblock and shorts, cruising in a convertible with the top down, and listening to Jimmy Buffet on the radio.
One brief week later, we were once again tooling along – only now we were in a four-wheel
drive Jeep Cherokee traveling through the Cascades over
Stevens Pass in Central Washington, elevation: 4,061 feet above sea level. We were drinking café mocha,
bundled up in heavy coats, and listening to the weather station (is the pass
even open? Do we need to put snow chains on the jeep?).
We had a great time combining a traditional family vacation with our “honeymoon.” We started
December 21 by spending the day after our wedding ceremony in Key West, picking out our wedding rings, sightseeing, eating at a quaint little garden café, and staying in the elegant Pier House Hotel at One
Duval Street.
One of the highlights that first evening in Key West was Breaking The News to our parents About Our Elopement (Guess what, mom and
dad – we are no longer engaged… because we are MARRIED!!!!!). “How did they react? What did your family think?” we can hear you saying. Thankfully, because we both
have loving, understanding parents, the news, although shocking, went over fairly well. I do think we might have given our parents a few more gray hairs, however!
The Cactus Tree -
This was a really funky tree that we found in Key West - it was the oddest tree we’d ever seen. First of all it was huge - about 30 ft. tall - and looked like something that Dr. Frankenstein had cooked up. It was a tree and a cactus merged into one massive living,
breathing organism. I’m sure someone out there knows the scientific name for this species - but it was sure different. Note the bark has little cactus ridges buldging from it - weird and way cool.
-Beau
Wednesday the 23rd
of December, we left Key West and moseyed back to Orlando. By the time we got home that evening, we had approximately 21 hours before we had to be on a Northwest Airlines plane, headed to the Pacific Northwest or “Left Coast” region of the country.
Once in
(mostly foggy and cold) Seattle, we spent Christmas with Donna’s brother Jerry and his family. We especially enjoyed getting to know our charming
niece Tricia and adorable nephew Travis. Our sister-in-law Cheryl made many homemade goodies for Christmas dinner, and the Cunningham family thoughtfully got us a nicely decorated wedding cake which we had fun
snacking on.
After a few days, we headed over the Cascade
Mountains through Stevens Pass to Beau’s hometown, Wenatchee, aka “The Apple Capitol Of The World.” We stopped briefly in the quaint little town of Cashmere to do the tourist thing at the
Aplets and Cotlets Candy Factory,
and finally headed into Wenatchee to meet some of Beau’s closest friends. Remember, now, no one in Wenatchee had yet met Donna, so she was feeling a little nervous (“Honey, what if they don’t like me, will you send me
back?”). Thankfully, the Wenatchee folks were a very gracious bunch and made us feel like a definite part of the family.
New Year’s Eve found us at
Campbell’s Resort on the beautiful shores of Lake Chelan. There, we got settled in our room, got comfortable, and had
a gourmet dinner in the hotel’s highly rated restaurant. We also enjoyed sitting in the outside hot tub overlooking the lake, even though the temperature of the air outside
was approximately twenty degrees! Mainly though, we relaxed and made happy plans for the future as we welcomed in the year 2000.
Oh, and the traditional honeymoon? The one where you take off for a week or two, go to some exotic locale, and do nothing but rest, play, eat, and
relax? That particular honeymoon is still coming up in the future. Sometime. Hopefully soon. We’re not missing out on that part of the traditional wedding, no way. We are going to make a point of it!
most southeast and the most
northwest corners of the U.S.A in one honeymoon? That was our story. Tuesday, December 21, we were tooling across the Seven-Mile Bridge on our way to Key West; (elevation, 10 feet above sea
level). We were wearing the requisite sunblock and shorts, cruising in a convertible with the top down, and listening to Jimmy Buffet on the radio. 
One brief week later, we were once again tooling along – only now we were in a four-wheel
drive Jeep Cherokee traveling through the Cascades over 
even open? Do we need to put snow chains on the jeep?). 
Dr. Frankenstein had cooked up. It was a tree and a cactus merged into one massive living,
breathing organism. I’m sure someone out there knows the scientific name for this species - but it was sure different. Note the bark has little cactus ridges buldging from it - weird and way cool.
Pacific Northwest or “Left Coast” region of the country.
