Note: The thumbnail pictures within the story are missing, but if you click on them,
you can see the large images.
Here's an account on our recent trip through Washington and Oregon. The pictures here
are our own (click on each one to get a full-size, and better, view of it), but you may
want to follow the links for better photos and more information.
Page 1 of 7...
| Friday, June 6 - Petaluma to
Crescent City, CA via 101 |
| S: Kind of a quick trip,
this part, except for stressful traffic (and worst of the trip) thru Santa Rosa.
There’s a lot to see just off 101 north of Santa Rosa, and I can’t tell how much
it pained me to drive past the Mendocino
Brewing Company in Hopland, my all-time favorite beer garden. Zipped up
101, admiring signs and foliage on the way. Stopped at The World's Largest Tree House,
which was okay for a tourist trap. Big redwood, hollowed-out room, about 15 ft diameter,
attached to a medium-sized gift shop. Got some postcards and stuff, and continued on nice
twisty road thru big trees. This opened onto oceanfront eventually; it was getting dark by
the time we hit Eureka and ate at the Denny's there. Managed to avoid the big
"D" and similar fat-laden fast food between then and the last day, and eat local
fat-laden slow food instead. It is genuinely difficult to find real, healthy food on the
road or, for that matter, anywhere. If you don’t want fries with it, you’re
pretty much limited to salads. We stayed at a nothing hotel in Crescent City, having gone
300+ miles from about 4 to 10:00, after a shortened workday. |
| Saturday - Crescent City to
Crater Lake (I-199, Rt. 234, Rt. 62) |
| S: This was a nice drive, until
we closed in on Medford. Housewives in minivans competed for first place in the bad
driving competition. I noticed a lot of people going 75+ in questionable vehicles on this
trip - before you go that fast, consider how fast you can stop, and whether the whole
thing’s gonna shake apart. Also, I think this was where we passed the RV passing an
RV on the two-lane road? I mean, we had just passed the point of being committed to
passing, and this guy just signals and pulls out, apparently without checking the mirror,
where I must’ve loomed large with lights on for safety. I could do nothing but floor
it in the left shoulder! I'm such a great driver <g>. We stopped in some little town
for breakfast. |
| T: The triple pass was
quite a feat...I think you forgot to mention that there was a logging truck and other
traffic heading for us in the *other* direction, and all of this was *supposedly* two
lanes. Though harrowing, speeding up was exactly the right thing to do at this
point...hitting the brakes would have no doubt sent us either into the trees and hillside
to the left, or the trees and the ravine to the right. The logging truck appeared to have
maintained calm and control in the view from the rearview mirror. Something about Oregon road signs - the diamond-yellow warning
signs use nouns only. Instead of "Deer Xing" it's "Deer". Not
"Watch for Falling Rocks" (a dubious command, anyhow) but simply
"Rocks". It continues..."Livestock". "Children".
"Congestion". It's easy enough to interpret, but as Steve pointed out, they all
start looking alike after a while.
S: But I liked the one, "Don’t Pass Snowplows on
the Right." |
| T: Yeah, good sign!
Something that should already be obvious probably does require verbs, etc. if there’s
a need for the sign in the first place. The logging trucks are something I'd never seen before. When
they're carrying logs, the logs become part of the truck. When not carrying logs, the back
portion is flipped up onto the tractor trailer, creating a much shorter vehicle.
S: And loaded or not, those suckers fly! I did this
trip once in a Datsun 510 wagon which was not doing very well, and passed through this
part at night. The trucks would come up behind me out of nowhere, and pass me on these
curvy roads whether I could find a turnout or not, and then disappear ahead of me into the
night, in a matter of seconds. |
| T: Seeing all of the logging
trucks brought to mind the various protests about and feelings people have towards the
redwoods. To some extent, I can understand this. They're amazing trees...incredibly
straight and tall and old. Similar to the saguaro cactus in the southwest...if a plant can
have a soul, these would. The forest along the route from Crescent City to Crater Lake
looks like something that would come out of a fairy tale...though I could do without the
roadside stands selling yard elves and the like. |
| S: I believe the native Americans
hereabout were of similar opinion, and would not camp in the redwood groves. If
you’ve been in there a night, you’d see why. Very spooky. The simple weight
and density of these trees… I think they do have souls; I’ve certainly
met humans of less consequence… |
| S: The drive up to Crater
Lake was just beautiful. Gentle climb on relatively straight roads, thru thick stands of
evergreen trees, giving way to snow, *deep* snow, and evergreen trees. T: Our route took us along the Rogue River, with small
river towns and some great rapids. We stopped in one town for gas and learned that all gas
stations in Oregon are full-service…why? |
 |
