After a few days of hotels, waterfront walks, and catching up with old friends, Day six was about reality. Laundry, car washes, errands, and figuring out where to land next.

Ashley had collected another army of bugs on the drive from Bend to Vancouver, WA, so before leaving the hotel on the waterfront, I went in search of a self-serve car wash. Vancouver has a beautiful new waterfront area, but once I drove around the neighborhoods, I wasn’t impressed. The city felt stuck somewhere between the ’70s and ’90s—flat land, tired strip malls, dead grass, and little in the way of charm. No Whole Foods, no inviting local restaurants, nothing that made me feel like I could see myself there.