State #7?

Ok, so we started in Illinois, headed east to Michigan, jumped on a plane that stopped back in Illinois then landed in California, drove to Arizona, then up to Utah and west to Nevada, then north west back into California.

So that's six states. Enough for six weeks? Hmm, perhaps not.

When we were in Yosemite, we started to think about Portland. Which is in Oregon FYI. 753 miles away. 13 hours and 15 minutes' drive. We could do that, right? Add another state to our list? Number seven?

Alrighty then! We found a cheap HI-hostel in dowtown Portland, got supplies, hit the road about 8.30am on Monday and prepared ourselves for two long days in the car. In about six or so hours we could get to Medford, Oregon - about half way.

A few hours into the journey the weather was getting hotter, the scenery was getting more beautiful and the thought of driving for two days (even from the passenger seat) was getting less and less attractive. "There's a McDonald's. Can we pull over?" I ask, tentatively.

Adam's sixth (Lucy) sense kicks in, realising that I want to look on t'interweb to rethink this epic drive.

Within an hour (mainly due to crappy WiFi connection), we'd cancelled the hostel in Portland, got a good deal on a Best Western in Wine Country and decided never to drink Maccy D's Strawberry Lemonade ever again.

Sorry, Portland. But this was just too good to pass up.