An Oregon Drive

Last week I went on a road trip! One of the places we drove through was Oregon, these are just a few pictures I took on the drive. If anyone is planning on driving through Oregon, I recommend driving on Highway 101. It is a bit slower than the other options (one being to drive Interstate 5) but it is absolutely gorgeous. Some of the 101 leads you along the cliffs next to the beach while other parts lead you through hills and dense forests! It is an amazing contrast. 

An old rotting tugboat in Gold Beach.

Another boat (that is still usable!) in Gold Beach.

It seemed like we were driving between green walls (pardon the spotty windshield). 

We finally reached Portland when the rain hit. 

Book Review: Gone Girl

Today I finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It is the story of a married couple who live deeply troubled lives. And when I say deeply troubled I genuinely mean the intense, crazy lives that only the most mad people can live.  

The couple, Amy and Nicke Dunne, started to have relationship problems a few years after they got  married. But it is the day of their fifth anniversary when things really start to get bad. Amy disappears. Everything that is discovered points to her being murdered, and the main suspect in the case of her disappearance becomes her own husband. However, as the investigation goes on, more and more ominous clues and objects reveal themselves. Leaving the people in the Dunne's town of Carthage, Missouri to second guess their original opinions and accusations about Nick.  

This story twists and turns in on itself so many times. It makes it hard to keep up, but also makes it almost impossible to put down! The mystery continues up until the final page and the writing is flawless the entire time. Flynn's style is unique, she shows the events of the story from both Amy's and Nick's point of view, alternating every other chapter. Each chapter adding more and more onto the the mystery. Gone Girl is deranged and even sadistic in some parts, but it is a great read. Nevertheless, it is not for the squeamish because it gets highly graphic in some parts and the language is constantly crude. 

All in all, it is a very thought provoking book! It makes you question how well you actually know the people you are surrounded by. I would recommend it for everyone who is old enough (and strong-stomached enough) to handle a book that is psychotic, grim, risqué, and amazing all at the same time.     

I read most of the book on my drive up the West Coast of the USA. Here it is on a cloudy beach in Oregon. 

Scotland

For the third and final post in my little "UK Series," here is the beautiful Scotland! 

We started up in Fort William. Here we went on a cruise down the loch, went on a short hike (not up Ben Nevis, that would have been too much for me!), and explored the adorable little tourist town.

The boat ride on the loch was interrupted by some rain, but not for long! It added a bit of excitement and left us with some breathtaking clouds to admire. 

And then it was down to Edinburg! The trip between these two is about four and a half hours on the train, but it's worth it. I wanted to stop and see more places on the way but unfortunately we did not have enough time.  

Inside one of the courtyards in the Edinburg Castle.

Looking back towards the entrance of St. Giles Cathedral.

 I highly recommend visiting St. Giles if you ever find yourself in Edinburg, even if you are not a religious person. The architecture is absolutely stunning and the stained glass is amazing, plus it is full of history! The famous room  in the back of the cathedral is definitely worth visiting. It is called the Thistle Chapel, this is where people can get knighted (for all you history/royalty buffs).

Many of the buildings in Edinburg look like these, giving the city a fun historical feel.

The Maze Runner Series

About a month ago I posted a book review on The Maze Runner by James Dashner and now I have finally finished the whole series! All in all the books were great but the first one was by far my favorite of the three. For those who don't know what they are about, this series follows around a young man named Thomas who is placed in a maze with other people around his age. Their goal is to solve it, but they also have other difficult situations they have to overcome; they have no specific memories of the world before the maze, they can't comprehend how they ended up in it, and many more. But little do they know, the maze will turn out to be the least of their problems. 

As the characters learn more and more about the reality of their situation throughout the series, we as the readers learn right alongside them. There is a much greater evil behind it all than I ever imagined, filled with unthinkable horrors that threaten the whole of the human race. But that is all I am going to say or I will end up spoiling the story!

I would urge anyone to read these books who loves a good action-adventure story. However, in my opinion it did get a little bit dry in the middle of the third book so beware of that. But in the end it was all worth finishing!

1. The Maze Runner 2. The Scorch Trials 3. The Death Cure

(Pardon me if this was a bit redundant to my other post on The Maze Runner)

Conwy, Wales

A couple of months ago I traveled around the United Kingdom. One of the places I visited was Conwy, Wales; a little beach town on the northern side of the country. It's small but it is packed with history! Most of it is quaint, except for Conwy Castle. It has presided over the town since the 13th century, when it was instructed to be built by Edward I of England. From the castle the old and decrepit (but gorgeous) protection walls expand to surround most of the town. Some pieces of these walls are now missing due to the wear and tear of time but you are still able to walk along the top of the sturdy remaining ones.

If you plan on visiting Conwy in the future I highly recommend you go visit the castle! The views of the surrounding town, water, and bridges are definitely worth the climbs up the steep stairways. 

One of the (more modest) turrets.

The view from one of the castle turrets looking down on the town and water.

We walked/hiked up to the top of Conwy Mountain in order to get this view! The sign originally read "Sheer Drop" at the bottom but someone changed it to "Sheep Drop," so funny. 

Another place in Conwy that is worth visiting (that I unfortunately did not get a good picture of) is "The Smallest House in Great Britain." It's adorable!

PS: I apologize for this post being so darn late.

Summer's Last Hurrah

How on earth is it already September? This year is now officially two-thirds done and it doesn't feel real. As much as I like summer, I love how it's starting to feel like autumn; how the weather is starting to turn and how the leaves are starting to change. So today, as a gesture to bid goodbye to summer, I went out and bought some gorgeous summer-y flowers. 

If anyone is wondering, they're hydrangeas and miniature carnations!

After the flowers were arranged I lit some of my favorite autumn candles. Because what better way to welcome the coming season then that? 

"Nutmeg & Spice" and "Heirloom Pumpkin," both by Bath & Body Works.