A scenic route between extended stays.

No doubt you have been distressed by my recent dearth of posts. I did publish a companion piece to my Curbed NY article on Greenwood Heights, but that was it.

I apologize. I was too busy driving.

Ah yes, that accursed time-wasting activity. But a road trip is tough without doing so, particularly when you want to sleep under moss-covered, century-old trees in the Olympic National Forest.

But fear not, I still think cars in cities are stupid.

Even in LA. Perhaps especially in LA.

I stayed with my friend Tim in Malibu. When he took his car to work, my closest option for food was a crappy slice of pizza half a mile away, to which I’d have to walk on a sidewalk far too narrow for even a slender lad like myself while cars whizzed by across four lanes of the PCH. Crossing the street was quite a trip, especially when I would have to stand in the center lane (aka the “suicide zone”).

Portland and Seattle were ok for cars, although the bus system worked just fine. And let’s just say I really wanted to add my tally to the Hawthorne Bridge bike counter, although a run past it sufficed.

But driving in Vancouver was the worst: traffic jams galore, poorly timed lights, complete priority to pedestrians and cyclists. It sucked. It was awesome.

I challenged myself to pick one photo from each day to sum up the trip. Click on the nighttime photo with the seagulls to begin the slideshow.

Tuesday, August 20: LGA to LAX (via STL). Tim takes me to a lounge near his house, Moonshadows. A floodlight gives local seagulls an extension of the day.

Wednesday, August 21: Los Angeles. I finally get to participate in O’Brien’s famous pub quiz in Santa Monica, a favorite of many a Jeopardy! alum. Our winning team includes mega-champions Jerome Vered and Michael Rooney, and fellow College Champion Cliff Galiher. (I take my job of wearing the Fez of Triumph very seriously.)

Thursday, August 22: Los Angeles. I am up early for a track workout at Malibu High School. The view of the ocean provides a welcome relief to my mile repeats.

Friday, August 23: Los Angeles. On my last evening in Malibu, I catch the sun striking the rocks at low tide.

Saturday, August 24: LAX to PDX. Tim gives me a ride to the airport. On the Pacific Coast Highway, a team of cyclists is in training.

Sunday, August 25: Portland and environs. For our initial drive, we hike to the top of 620-foot-high Multnomah Falls, the highest waterfall in Oregon.

Monday, August 26: Portland to southwest Washington. The road trip begins. We stock up on fresh fruits at Kruger’s Farm Market on Hawthorne Street in Southeast Portland.

Tuesday, August 27: southwest Washington to the Olympics. After a night camping at Cape Disappointment at the southwestern tip of Washington State, we visit some of the sites, including Waikiki Beach, named in honor of a Hawaiian who died in a shipwreck here in the early 19th century. Nearby Long Beach is awesome; upstate Forks, home to the Twilight movies, is not.

Wednesday, August 28: the Olympics to Seattle. We awaken at Klahowya campground in the Olympic National Forest. Upon returning from a trail run, we are rewarded with this break in the clouds at our campsite.

Thursday, August 29: Seattle to Vancouver via Chuckanut Road. There are many highlights on our drive: Ballard, Taylor Oyster Farm, Fairhaven. At the other end of the spectrum is Sedro-Woolley, a former mining town now filled with pawn shops.

Friday, August 30: Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver. Here a ferry sails into the terminal in front of the craggy western edge of mainland North America.

Saturday, August 31: downtown Vancouver. We do some exploring of the waterfront and see a seal on the hunt. The architecture of central Vancouver is very sterile.

Sunday, September 1: Vancouver. A hiatus from photography results in just one shot for the day: this awesome (and typical) Canada Post mailbox.

Monday, September 2: Granville Island. After a long run through Stanley Park, we are treated to a beautiful sunset while walking through the cool shops in this enclave.

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Keith Williams