...in fact, during our week of perusing the Northwest over Thanksgiving, it only rained three times. The luscious green fields and bright fall leaves of red, orange, and sienna were a refreshing change from Southern California's brown ground covering!
Besides the greenery, I also experienced the incredible length(mileage-wise) of California - in a car with three other friends, it took us nearly 16 driving hours to reach the California-Oregon border. Luckily, we didn't have to do it all at once - we stayed with a co-worker's family in San Francisco for an evening to break up the trip. The stop gave us the opportunity to: meet a gracious family dog, talk of politics and conservation issues around the dinner table, and cross over the Golden Gate bridge the following morning!
In the front seat of our car, the driver Lauren and I screamed with excitement as we made our way across the American landmark! We recounted the bridge's appearance on shows like "Full House" and "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" as we marveled at it's bright red features in the morning sunlight.
Nearly 6 hours after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, we needed a break from the car and pulled into the small town of Mount Shasta, CA - a mere 56 miles from the Oregon border. Named after the peak looming beyond the downtown area, the town's fresh mountain air was welcoming to our stiff legs and drooping eyelids. ("Shaaaa-STA!" was said in hushed voices repeatedly, to our car's amusement only.) :)
After a quick look in a used bookstore and some coffee in our systems, we moved back to the northbound interstate with our eyes searching for the coveted Oregon border. Several Journey songs later (including "Don't Stop Believing"), it finally appeared....
"WELCOME TO OREGON" sent a round of cheers through our Subaru Impreza, and we proceeded to pull over to capture a typical vacationer's photo opportunity by the state sign. Within four hours, we reached Eugene - home to the University of Oregon, Steve Prefontaine's incredible running career, and a co-worker, Carrie's family. Their cozy home was our "home base" for the week, and I had the opportunity to make several ventures from their middle-of-town street to other sights in Oregon, mostly by way of bicycle. On one particularly sunny day, Carrie and I biked around "The World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors," making stops in downtown shops and the university campus... I was enamored with the city instantaneously! :)I also had the chance to tour Salem, OR's downtown when I spent an evening and morning with hometown high school friends Heidi and Jordan Oschwald! It was fun to catch up on life happenings, reflections of Mt. Pleasant, and future dreams. [They're planning to stay in Oregon for a while, so visit them when you're swinging through...they are wonderful hosts!]
My reconnections with friends continued back in Eugene. On Thanksgiving morning, I biked across the Willamette River to Springfield and spent the day with Michelle Brown and Michael Herron, two friends and former Student Advisor co-workers from Truman State! Having not seen each other since graduation in May 2007, it was exciting to exchange stories and laughs as we prepared mashed potatoes, an African peanut soup, homemade stuffing (with Michelle's homemade sourdough bread!), and pumpkin pie for an evening Thanksgiving meal. With a few hours of sunlight left in the day, we hopped in the car with their dog Lira and embarked on a pre-dinner hike up Spencer's Butte. The peak looks out over the city, but we were shrouded in clouds that day. It was still a beautiful hike, and we enjoyed each other's company! We all decided that a Thanksgiving hike should be a tradition included with every future Thanksgiving... :)
Michael (with his Indiana Jones hat), Michelle, and Lira at the top of the peak!
On my last day in the middle of Oregon, I knew my trip wouldn't be complete without a trek to historic Hayward Field. I jogged up to the entrance just in time for the track's public use hours and ran a lap in Lane 8, taking in the somber, foggy atmosphere and crisp morning air.
As I was running back toward Carrie's house, I saw an interesting memorial for cyclists at a downtown street corner. Entitled "Ghost Bikes," a bike was painted white and chained at the corner where an accident had occurred, reminding travelers of cyclists' right to safe travel.
After a delightful few days in Oregon, we faced reality and started the long journey southward. Before exiting the state, we made one last stop to meet with my friend Carol, a co-worker from my time with Gore Range Natural Science School in Colorado this past summer. It was great to see a familiar face and quickly recount our adventures with each other. If only the whole naturalist crew could have been there...we missed you all!
An hour later, we hopped out of the car for another photo op...hello Cali! 
We took the windiest road possible to reach the coastal Highway 1, which took us through the heart of Klamath National Forest. As we ventured through Klamath, there were several small towns that had a strange obsession with Big Foot. (The statue pictured below was too irresistible and was begging to be photographed...)
Long after sunset, we reached Highway 1 and wound our way through the darkness, seeing redwoods with our headlights only and laughing every time the sign "Coastal Access" appeared. We pulled off onto a trailhead to sleep for a couple hours, then continued our journey down the Pacific coast. As the sun rose, we caught our first glimpse of the water! It was beautiful!
The luster wore off when we realized we still had a full day's journey in the car. With several more sing-a-longs, silly car games, and books read aloud, we finally crossed into our familiar stomping grounds and made it back to our San Bernardino Mountains at nightfall. Exhausted but happy, we hugged in honor of a well-balanced week - relaxation, adventure, laughter, and thankfulness were had by all.And now, I'm willing to be a helpful and enthusiastic tour guide for anyone going to Oregon sometime soon or in the future. Just slip me in your suitcase... :)
1 comment:
Wow, great documentation Jill. I am jealous of your Highway 1 drive. Zhu and I were suppose to take that journey together when I was sending her to San Fran, as I was heading to Fremont. But alas, we took the express ways, which involved driving past the longest stretch of cow pasture I had ever experienced in my life. I laughed so hard as Zhu and I were hit by the intense smell. It took like 5 minutes to drive past it, but the smell lingered for so long. I am wondering if you girls pasted by that area on your way up. I'm sure that's something you just don't forget.
Anyhow, I look forward to how everything's been since this last post. I'll talk to you more later. Take Care.
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