This past weekend we logged some miles as we drove across the great state of Washington. My brother, Sidney, and I went hard on our Fourth of July trip as we went from pretty much the eastern most point of the state to the western most point to the southern most point. It was a great time.

Right before we even logged one mile on our awesome trip, we posed for this photo in my parent’s living room.

On Friday morning, the three of us left Spokane and made the 4.5 hour drive to Seattle. About 60 miles from the Emerald City we stopped in a place called North Bend and picked up my brother’s friend, Cassie. From there we bulldozed straight to our destination, arriving in Seattle at around 12:30 p.m. We spent the afternoon exploring the downtown Seattle area as we explored Pike Place Market and toured the waterfront.

We had fun in Seattle! The top photo is of my brother and I at the Waterfront. The bottom left photo is of Sidney and I at Pike Place, and the bottom right photo is of our crew.

Sidney was a little overwhelmed by the density of people we encountered while walking through the market area. It was shoulder to shoulder the whole time. She also got to experience the incredible diversity of Seattle as well. When it comes to exotic cities, Seattle is definitely right up on top of the list so it was cool to show her it all. As with the rest of the state, it was HOT. After looking around for a few hours, we needed to cool off. While walking back to our car we found a bar tucked in with the endless coffee shops. We dropped in and had a couple cold ones.

Sid and I in front of Pike Place.

From there it was time to prepare for Kenny’s wedding. After a day in the sun, we desperately needed to shower. Thanks to Cassie’s connection, Sidney and I ended up getting ready in a Seattle suburb YMCA. We left the facility all cleaned up and Glen took us to the wedding venue.

Sidney and I all cleaned up in the Shoreline YMCA parking lot.

Kenny and Steve had their wedding ceremony on a ship overlooking the Seattle skyline. Specifically, it was on the MV Skansonia, a retired Washington State ferry. The ship was docked on the north shore of Lake Union and the view was absolutely beautiful. The ceremony itself only lasted about 15 minutes but it was enjoyed by all and done exactly to the specifications of Kenny and Steve. Once they said “I do” we enjoyed the reception and I had the privilege of chatting with old co-workers and friends from Missoula. I wish we could have stayed longer at the reception but we needed to get back in the car.

The top photo is of Sid and I with the gorgeous view from the ship as a background. The photo in the upper right hand corner is of the reception (courtesy of Kenny and Steve’s photographer). The bottom photo is of the wedding party (courtesy of Kenny and Steve’s photographer).

With Glen and Cassie waiting at the dock for us, we jumped in the vehicle and started to make the trek to Walla Walla, Washington. On the way we stopped in North Bend and dropped Cassie off. While Sidney slept in the back seat, Glen and I chatted the whole four hours to Walla Walla. We pulled up to my uncle’s house at around 2 a.m. and then crashed on his basement couches, exhausted after a long day.

Later that morning I awoke and talked with my Uncle Bob upstairs as we caught up after a couple years. Glen and Sidney then woke up and we went out and bought fireworks and other necessary supplies at the grocery store. We then went to my Aunt Nancy’s downtown shop where we met up with her, my parents, my cousin (Abby), Abby’s boyfriend, and Abby’s friend. Nancy and Abby showered Sidney with flowers and gifts.

All decked out for the Fourth of July with my cousin Abby in my Aunt Nancy’s shop.

After our time at the shop, we went to Pioneer Park, a beautiful large green area in Walla Walla covered with magnificently old trees. On the Fourth of July, Pioneer Park holds a celebration with music, vendors, and food. We walked around and then settled in some shade and ate curly fries. From there we went back to my Uncle Bob’s and we swam in his pool for a couple hours and relaxed.

Some photos from our time at the park and at my Uncle Bob’s pool.

A little later that night after we all showered we went over to my cousin Rachelle’s house for our big Reser Family BBQ. When Sidney and I arrived, about 20 people were on hand to welcome her to the family. They ushered us all into Rachelle’s kitchen and sang us “Happy Engagement” (to the tune of “Happy Birthday”). It was a great evening as Sidney got to meet my dad’s family and see what being a Reser is all about. We ate good food, played lawn games, told stories, and lit off a bunch of fireworks. It was perfect.

A photo of Sid and I at the BBQ on the left and then a couple photos of my bro on the right.

The next morning we all met up again for breakfast at a local restaurant. Once again it was a relaxing time where Sidney had the opportunity to get to know my family more. After the meal we took some photos and it was back to Spokane. On the way home, we stopped in another small Washington town, Dayton, so we could say hi to my Uncle Jim. Yet another relative I was able to introduce Sidney to. We arrived in Spokane at around 2:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

Me with my Aunt Debbie, Aunt Nancy, and Aunt Judy after breakfast on Sunday.

It was a crazy, fun Fourth of July weekend. It will definitely go down as a memorable one. I am so thankful to my brother who volunteered to drive us on our crazy odyssey. During that drive from Seattle to Walla Walla where Glen and I chatted about everything under the sun while Sidney slept in the back seat, I found it the perfect time to ask him a question. Nonchalantly I inquired whether he would honor me by serving as my Best Man next June. He accepted. By all accounts it was a wonderful trip! Not only did I get to see my good friend get married and not only did I get to see my family and introduce them to Sid, I also got to bond even more with my brother. Epic weekend for sure. Don’t Blink.