Columbia River Bridge
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Day 6 cont'd:
If it weren't for cell phones, we would have lost each other on the road at this point. JD was following me over the bridge. En route, I changed my mind about which way to turn after we got across the river. When I crossed the river and stopped at the light, I motioned to the driver behind me (thinking it was still JD) to turn right....but the blinker stayed on "LEFT". I waved my hands at him wildly....and then realized it wasn't JD. I was amazed. Where did he go? Turns out, he crosses bridges v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. I hope the stranger behind me at the light got a good laugh. I sure did.
If it weren't for cell phones, we would have lost each other on the road at this point. JD was following me over the bridge. En route, I changed my mind about which way to turn after we got across the river. When I crossed the river and stopped at the light, I motioned to the driver behind me (thinking it was still JD) to turn right....but the blinker stayed on "LEFT". I waved my hands at him wildly....and then realized it wasn't JD. I was amazed. Where did he go? Turns out, he crosses bridges v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. I hope the stranger behind me at the light got a good laugh. I sure did.
Oregon coast
Day 6 - Thurs 3-29-07
On the road early, we stop for one last look at Oregon's scenic coastline.
On the road early, we stop for one last look at Oregon's scenic coastline.
View from Room
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
...in Garibaldi, Oregon, at the end of Day 5 (3-28-07)
This is the only picture I took this day, even though the Oregon coast is stunningly beautiful.
The black line in the picture is a train track, and so I fully expected to have a rude awakening sometime in the night. I was wrong. There was not a sound and I slept well.
This is the only picture I took this day, even though the Oregon coast is stunningly beautiful.
The black line in the picture is a train track, and so I fully expected to have a rude awakening sometime in the night. I was wrong. There was not a sound and I slept well.
Beach Graffiti
Day 4 cont'd:
Rocks were decorated and placed at the bottom of a lighthouse-type structure near our hotel. You can see the fake lighthouse in the background of my picture below.
Some were sweet, others were goofy, and all the rock-art was fun.
Rocks were decorated and placed at the bottom of a lighthouse-type structure near our hotel. You can see the fake lighthouse in the background of my picture below.
Some were sweet, others were goofy, and all the rock-art was fun.
at the beach
Sunday, August 26, 2007
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What about you?
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What about you?
Oregon Coast
Day 4 - 3-27-07
My journal notes say "windy, rainy, cold"...and my memory concurs.
Chains on my tires were required to drive to Weaverville, which was the ONLY stop I had hoped to make on this northbound trip. Never mind, then. By 2 PM we were still trying to get to Oregon. It was Sooooo windy, and I was surprised to see a couple of RV's on the road. Huh? What were they thinking??
My journal notes say "windy, rainy, cold"...and my memory concurs.
Chains on my tires were required to drive to Weaverville, which was the ONLY stop I had hoped to make on this northbound trip. Never mind, then. By 2 PM we were still trying to get to Oregon. It was Sooooo windy, and I was surprised to see a couple of RV's on the road. Huh? What were they thinking??
Labels: journey
Cozy
Saturday, August 25, 2007
(the last of Day 3)
In real estate terms, this place is "cozy". I took a teeny tiny spiral staircase to get to the 2nd floor.
Back on the road...a storm is reaching the coast. We arrive in Fortuna, California, just before the downpour. This particular storm made news for days as it caused havoc all across the country.
In real estate terms, this place is "cozy". I took a teeny tiny spiral staircase to get to the 2nd floor.
Back on the road...a storm is reaching the coast. We arrive in Fortuna, California, just before the downpour. This particular storm made news for days as it caused havoc all across the country.
Shrine Tree
Day 3 Cont'd:
Further down the road is another drive-thru tree. Actually, it is the solid mass of the whole redwoods that take the breath away, but my photos always fall short of capturing their superior nature.
Part of our drive was along the route described in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXotDrPcYBU
-----------------------------
Myers Flat, California
Tree Height: 275 feet
diameter: 21 feet
circumference: 64 feet
age: 5000 years
Further down the road is another drive-thru tree. Actually, it is the solid mass of the whole redwoods that take the breath away, but my photos always fall short of capturing their superior nature.
Part of our drive was along the route described in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXotDrPcYBU
-----------------------------
Myers Flat, California
Tree Height: 275 feet
diameter: 21 feet
circumference: 64 feet
age: 5000 years
Mighty Redwoods
Day 3 Continued (3-26-07):
By noon we get started on the scenic Redwood forests on Hwy 101 past Willits. JD got caught off guard with this shot. Normally he likes to pose dramatically, trying to look majestic like the trees.
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Chandelier Treet in Leggett, California
Tree Height: 315 feet
diameter: 21 feet
maximum age: 2400 years
By noon we get started on the scenic Redwood forests on Hwy 101 past Willits. JD got caught off guard with this shot. Normally he likes to pose dramatically, trying to look majestic like the trees.
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Chandelier Treet in Leggett, California
Tree Height: 315 feet
diameter: 21 feet
maximum age: 2400 years
OM
Monday, August 20, 2007
This photo typifies one of the pleasures of driving off the beaten path.
Bisquits and Gravy
Day 3 continued:
After coffee, we found a traditional restaurant in Redwood Valley where JD gets one of his favorites: bisquits and gravy. I don't understand the attraction to fat-filled gravy slopped on soon-to-be soggy bisquits; but then again, every other year or so I get the strong urge to eat thick slabs of liverwurst with raw onions and extra-hot mustard on rye (of course). No accounting for taste....
After breakfast, JD and I (in our two separate cars) perform a classic Keystone cops routine at the intersection of Hwy 101 and Hwy 20 in California. Regret: I wish I had gotten out of my car and run around both my bumpers, screaming loudly with hair flying, before resuming travel. (sigh)
JD wants to stop for gas AGAIN. This is when I become a snit. He prefers to refill every quarter tankload (or maybe that's his excuse to grab another soda). I prefer not to go below half-tank with my 50 MPG VW Golf. My 2nd husband seemed to prefer to get gas only when the warning light lit up on the dashboard. Come to think of it, he did the same with our pellet supply with heating which was our only source of heat. moving on to next post....
After coffee, we found a traditional restaurant in Redwood Valley where JD gets one of his favorites: bisquits and gravy. I don't understand the attraction to fat-filled gravy slopped on soon-to-be soggy bisquits; but then again, every other year or so I get the strong urge to eat thick slabs of liverwurst with raw onions and extra-hot mustard on rye (of course). No accounting for taste....
After breakfast, JD and I (in our two separate cars) perform a classic Keystone cops routine at the intersection of Hwy 101 and Hwy 20 in California. Regret: I wish I had gotten out of my car and run around both my bumpers, screaming loudly with hair flying, before resuming travel. (sigh)
JD wants to stop for gas AGAIN. This is when I become a snit. He prefers to refill every quarter tankload (or maybe that's his excuse to grab another soda). I prefer not to go below half-tank with my 50 MPG VW Golf. My 2nd husband seemed to prefer to get gas only when the warning light lit up on the dashboard. Come to think of it, he did the same with our pellet supply with heating which was our only source of heat. moving on to next post....
Labels: bisquits and gravy, fuel, journey
A Couple Hundred More Miles....
...and wadda ya get? Another day older while being a snit.
Day 3 = Mon 3-26-07
The day started out good enough. I insisted on stopping in Nice, CA, for a good cup of coffee. The stop was a highlight of the entire trip. The owner of the coffeehouse was a kindred spirit; and the town wasn't called "Nice" for nothing. There was even a three-legged local dog who meandered across the main street as if he owned the place (and he probably did).
Allen Ginsberg
Sunday, August 19, 2007
I spent a good part of this weekend watching "The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg" and was deeply touched. Kurt Vonnegut's tribute to Allen Ginsberg voices my own feelings when he says:
"Allen was inducted [into the American Institute of Arts and Letters] nominally as a poet, but had in fact become world-famous for the radiant love and innocence of his person, from head to toe."As I continue the struggle to stretch past my shyness and inhibitions, Ginsberg gives me a new surge of hope that all is not yet lost. As so this morning, I let my hair down and put on a wild print to venture out into the world a bit less inconspicuous than I might normally appear. It may not sound like much to you...but to me it's a healthy stretch towards the sunlight; and I have lived in the shadows my whole life. Thank you, Allen.
Labels: Ginsberg
sunset in Clearlake CA
Day 2 = Sun 3-25-07
The day got off to a bad start when I discovered that JD had requested a 6:30 AM wake-up call. Huh!!?? Why we need a wake-up call when all we're doing is meandering northward is beyond me. We have no deadlines!
Returning to my car after breakfast, I notice a station wagon with the rear gate open. The car is packed almost as tightly as mine, and includes 2 very large dogs staring at a small baby laid out on the wagon's tailgate. A young man is holding tiny feet up in the air, exposing the baby's bare bottom. Time is standing still. Nothing is happening. A young woman is standing to the man's left. Finally, she says (loudly and firmly)....."OK...Do you want me to show you how to do this?"
hahaha
It's a long day on the interstate. I want to make it past Sacramento before we return to back roads. The wind is picking up, and JD's car has trouble staying in its own lane. Is it the overloaded car+wind?....or the driver? I guess we'll never know.
Sacramento is one of my least favorite cities to drive through. The congestion just never seems to end, but it helped that this day was a Sunday. Finally, we land in Clearlake, California, in time to witness a lovely sunset from our room overlooking the Little League field.
Day 2 totalled 370 miles.
The day got off to a bad start when I discovered that JD had requested a 6:30 AM wake-up call. Huh!!?? Why we need a wake-up call when all we're doing is meandering northward is beyond me. We have no deadlines!
Returning to my car after breakfast, I notice a station wagon with the rear gate open. The car is packed almost as tightly as mine, and includes 2 very large dogs staring at a small baby laid out on the wagon's tailgate. A young man is holding tiny feet up in the air, exposing the baby's bare bottom. Time is standing still. Nothing is happening. A young woman is standing to the man's left. Finally, she says (loudly and firmly)....."OK...Do you want me to show you how to do this?"
hahaha
It's a long day on the interstate. I want to make it past Sacramento before we return to back roads. The wind is picking up, and JD's car has trouble staying in its own lane. Is it the overloaded car+wind?....or the driver? I guess we'll never know.
Sacramento is one of my least favorite cities to drive through. The congestion just never seems to end, but it helped that this day was a Sunday. Finally, we land in Clearlake, California, in time to witness a lovely sunset from our room overlooking the Little League field.
Day 2 totalled 370 miles.
Labels: California, journey
Rolling Along
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Day 1 continued:
The tiring afternoon was spent speeding through the Mohave Desert and then trying to see a train navigate the Tehachapi Loop. We just missed that event, but enjoyed the country-road detour to see this historical site.
After Tehachapi, we continued westward towards I-5 so we could find a room for the nite. On the way, I experienced one of the most beautiful drives I've ever had. It was on 223 West (off Hwy 58 to Alvin in southern California). The rolling green hills were seemingly untouched by manmade objects. The setting sun was highlighting a profusion of purple flowers which had exploded in large patches throughout the region. The place was very hobbitesque. The route is a superb back-road drive, especially in early Spring.
Drive time ends with the usual highway robbery of a pricey and bland (but convenient) room. Dinner was fast food...also bland. (sigh) We managed 295 miles on our first day out.
The tiring afternoon was spent speeding through the Mohave Desert and then trying to see a train navigate the Tehachapi Loop. We just missed that event, but enjoyed the country-road detour to see this historical site.
After Tehachapi, we continued westward towards I-5 so we could find a room for the nite. On the way, I experienced one of the most beautiful drives I've ever had. It was on 223 West (off Hwy 58 to Alvin in southern California). The rolling green hills were seemingly untouched by manmade objects. The setting sun was highlighting a profusion of purple flowers which had exploded in large patches throughout the region. The place was very hobbitesque. The route is a superb back-road drive, especially in early Spring.
Drive time ends with the usual highway robbery of a pricey and bland (but convenient) room. Dinner was fast food...also bland. (sigh) We managed 295 miles on our first day out.
Labels: journey, mohave desert, train
voted best sandwich
During 4 months of cross-country travel, the Valley Hungarian Sausage & Meat Co. in Littlerock, California, made the best sandwiches. period.
Grandmom would have loved the place. She was Hungarian, and was very fond of headcheese. Maybe this winter I will drive out there for another sandwich (but NOT headcheese). I'm learning to avoid the desert in summer (duh!). Greg's birthday this fall would be a suitable excuse to drive 3 hours one-way for a sandwich!
Grandmom would have loved the place. She was Hungarian, and was very fond of headcheese. Maybe this winter I will drive out there for another sandwich (but NOT headcheese). I'm learning to avoid the desert in summer (duh!). Greg's birthday this fall would be a suitable excuse to drive 3 hours one-way for a sandwich!
Lunch in Littlerock
Still on Day 1:
By mid-day, we are off the interstate and in the desert. By chance, we see the sign for a deli on Hwy 138. With our trusty cellphones, JD and I decide to stop for lunch and negotiate one of countless U-turns to backtrack.
By mid-day, we are off the interstate and in the desert. By chance, we see the sign for a deli on Hwy 138. With our trusty cellphones, JD and I decide to stop for lunch and negotiate one of countless U-turns to backtrack.
lots of little lizards
Friday, August 17, 2007
Day 1 continued:
In spite of my anxiety about time and goals (see previous post), I was determined on this trip to learn to allow myself the luxury of enjoying life's gifts.
At this first stop in Rainbow, I noticed one of my favorite things: piles of odd bits of metal in various stages of decay (old doorknobs, in this picture). As a bonus, the place was filled with quick-footed lizards.
In spite of my anxiety about time and goals (see previous post), I was determined on this trip to learn to allow myself the luxury of enjoying life's gifts.
At this first stop in Rainbow, I noticed one of my favorite things: piles of odd bits of metal in various stages of decay (old doorknobs, in this picture). As a bonus, the place was filled with quick-footed lizards.
contemplating outhouses
Day 1 = 3-24-07:
I don't know if this was a working outhouse or not; but I was on my way to experience rural living at its finest. This was my 1st day on the road from California to North Carolina (via Washington State). I was still in a bit of shock about my intended plan to "rough it". Picture was taken at the Rainbow exit just south of Temecula, California.
I'm no stranger to outhouses, and they don't bother me. Lack of privacy and lack of toilet paper, on the other hand, would be big problems!
At this point, I'm also wondering what I've gotten myself into. JD purchased a used car shortly before our departure. It, also, is packed to the hilt and seems to sway dangerously back and forth with the slightest side wind. On the plus side, he is an adventurous traveler with few worries. On the minus side, he stops frequently for refreshments, bathroom, places of interest, stretch of legs, etc etc etc; while I look at my odometer and wonder if we will manage more than 200 miles this day.
When this picture was taken, it is 9:30 AM on our first day of travel. We are about 40 miles away from departure!
I don't know if this was a working outhouse or not; but I was on my way to experience rural living at its finest. This was my 1st day on the road from California to North Carolina (via Washington State). I was still in a bit of shock about my intended plan to "rough it". Picture was taken at the Rainbow exit just south of Temecula, California.
I'm no stranger to outhouses, and they don't bother me. Lack of privacy and lack of toilet paper, on the other hand, would be big problems!
At this point, I'm also wondering what I've gotten myself into. JD purchased a used car shortly before our departure. It, also, is packed to the hilt and seems to sway dangerously back and forth with the slightest side wind. On the plus side, he is an adventurous traveler with few worries. On the minus side, he stops frequently for refreshments, bathroom, places of interest, stretch of legs, etc etc etc; while I look at my odometer and wonder if we will manage more than 200 miles this day.
When this picture was taken, it is 9:30 AM on our first day of travel. We are about 40 miles away from departure!
Packed and Stacked
I think I've gotten somewhat proficient at packing over the years. It helps to come from a traveling family. This picture was taken at the start of a very long (about 4 months) cross country trip from California, up to Washington State, and eastbound to North Carolina where I intended to stay until October working as a wwoofer at an herb farm.
Things didn't happen as planned. (Do they ever?!) When I get to that part of the story, I will tell all. My return trip to San Diego (aka home) followed a similar, but more northerly route and again included Washington State. The primary difference between going and coming was that I stayed in hotels along the interstate eastbound, but camped and traveled all back roads on my return. Another primary difference between the two cross-country trips was that I invited ex#1 (I'll call him JD from here on) to join me eastbound. (He flew back from Kentucky); but I camped alone going home. My return trip was waaaayyyy more fun!!
I'm now back in San Diego with plenty of photos and stories to share. I kept a journal. Day 1 on the road was Saturday, March 24th, 2007. I'm not the same person now that I was then. Now that I have access to my own computer once again, I hope you enjoy my story as it unfolds in this blog over the next several weeks.
Things didn't happen as planned. (Do they ever?!) When I get to that part of the story, I will tell all. My return trip to San Diego (aka home) followed a similar, but more northerly route and again included Washington State. The primary difference between going and coming was that I stayed in hotels along the interstate eastbound, but camped and traveled all back roads on my return. Another primary difference between the two cross-country trips was that I invited ex#1 (I'll call him JD from here on) to join me eastbound. (He flew back from Kentucky); but I camped alone going home. My return trip was waaaayyyy more fun!!
I'm now back in San Diego with plenty of photos and stories to share. I kept a journal. Day 1 on the road was Saturday, March 24th, 2007. I'm not the same person now that I was then. Now that I have access to my own computer once again, I hope you enjoy my story as it unfolds in this blog over the next several weeks.
