Today it actually got hot in Tacoma. This is surprising because we thought we wouldn't shed our southeastern upbringings so soon, where 100+ degrees and humidity was the only thing that could qualify as truly "hot." But today it hit 90 and we are only slightly less whiney than everyone else around here about the whole thing. We did add to our own complaining though, by talking a power walk at lunch, where Will actively tried to walk in the shade to protect his pale skin. But at least our offices are air conditioned, unlike our apartment (which feels fine, by the way). The last time we came close to feeling a temp this warm was.......
In Utah and Idaho! And thus begins part 3, the final part of our three part story of our journey across America. I left you last in Colorado with Dilara, where there was much rain and not much sleep. After our all-too-brief visit, we loaded everything up again, shoved the very unhappy cats in the car, and began our trek to Utah. We spent a short time in Colorado before crossing over into the vast, beautiful state of Wyoming. I loved Wyoming. Maybe it was because of the sense of absolute openness or maybe it was the beautiful storms we saw in the distance while crossing the mountains. We just drove across the state and didn't loop up to Jackson, so I know we did not even see its most beautiful parts. I think my favorite moment was passing by Table Rock, which gave me a flashback of Table Mountain in Cape Town. But there was something almost magical in driving through a place that was mostly uninhabited (other than a few truck stops every 50 miles or so) and was just left to be. We started seeing rock types I've never seen before and beginning our ascend up before crossing into Utah.
Wyoming
When we got to Utah, the skies parted and sun shone bright as we wound our way over mountains and through valleys, taking in the red rocks and ever increasing height of what lay ahead of us. We were absolutely exhausted, so we were so thankful that the sun came out right when we needed it, as we closed in on our stay outside of Salt Lake City. We were mesmerized, particularly as we closed in on the Wasatch Mountains. Driving through them was absolutely stunning. We arrived at our cozy little AirBNB mother-in-law suite, where we ditched the cats. We ran out to grab Indian food, did a quick Target stop for snacks, before coming back and just crashing. Our host couldn't have had nicer amenities and we slept in luxury that night. But actually, we really did because we had one of those mattresses that you could adjust your side for yourself - we were seriously spoiled. 
We could've stayed longer in that cozy bed in the quiet little suite, but alas we had to make our way up to Boise! So off we went into the deserted lands of Idaho, where the occasional mountain or town popped up, but otherwise it was mostly barren. We saw some interesting agricultural diversity (not all potatoes!) but otherwise, there were no particularly memorable moments or storms along the way. However, when we arrived at our AirBNB, we were met by our very friendly, cool host. He gave us some pointers for avoiding Boise traffic (surprisingly terrible) and we cleaned up before heading downtown to see Meghan! Downtown and the people of Boise seemed really cool, so we can see why Meghan happily moved here after her internship last summer. It was great to grab a beer and a bite with a friend and we forgave her that her city was approximately 100 degrees out. But all of us Virginians celebrated the dryness of the heat, even though Meghan said it was the first "humid" day they had in awhile (hah).
From Boise, we took off on the final stretch of our journey to Tacoma. And of course the last day we were on the road is the FIRST day the cats got brave and explored the car. I think their boredom finally kicked in and they were wondering what on earth we were doing in the damn car again. Oscar proved to be braver than Emma, peeking his head out the window and climbing on the dashboard. We were very surprised, delighted and entertained by the whole thing! By the time we crossed into Washington, all their exploration had exhausted them and they retreated back into their house. And when we crossed into Washington, we were met with the Eastern desert lands. But that quickly turned into fields and fields and mountains and more fields of grape vines. Those eventually migrated into hops vines which ultimately turned into apple orchards. And then....mountains.
As we came closer and closer to the coast, the mountains got bigger and the temperature dropped. We wound our way over the last of our mountains, hiding below the evergreens before finally reaching highway 5, which took us into Tacoma. We arrived, met our landlord, got our keys and happily settled into our apartment. It took the cats a couple days to get used to the fact that we were staying here, but once we got our stuff unpacked, they were able to figure it out! And you know the rest from there! That brings me to the end of our cross-country move. The end.
Now...just a brief tidbit about this recipe. It's great, it freezes beautifully, and I recommend you make it if you want something savory. Heats up super easily and is delicious! Highly recommended if you need to cook in advance.
Turkey Spinach Pasta Bake (adapted from Budget Bytes; serves 8)13 oz. penne pasta
8 oz. frozen cut spinach
12 oz. Italian sausage (turkey preferred)
8 oz. Italian shredded cheese blend
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh cracked S&P
24 oz. jar vodka marinara sauce
Remove the spinach from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature. Begin boiling a large pot of water - once boiling, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and return to the pot with the heat turned off. Add the marinara sauce, stirring to combine. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
While oven preheats, heat a large skillet to medium heat, then squeeze the sausage out of its casing into the pan. Cook until completely browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain excess fat, as needed.
Check on spinach - if not thawed completely, pop it in the microwave to get it softened (not hot); add 1 cup of shredded cheese to the spinach, then add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, and S&P. Stir until everything is well combined.Coat a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread half the sauce coated pasta over the bottom of the dish. Evenly distribute the spinach mixture over the pasta, then add the browned sausage on top. Add the second half of the pasta (the dish is going to get very full!), then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes to crisp (optional), watching carefully. Remove, let cool and enjoy!*
*If you want to freeze this recipe, wait until it cools to a manageable degree before cutting up. Slice and store in 8 containers for up to 1 month.
Recipe: Budget Bytes: Turkey & Spinach Pasta Bake
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