After leaving Mt Vernon we drove south on I-5 and checked into a motel near Portland. And we woke up to a light drizzle. We found that when on the road we need to take our walk regardless of weather. Not many pit stops along the way.
Fortunately motels still supply hair dryers. I don't need one for my thin, receding hair, but it did the trick for KoKo that morning.
We met Terry Grant who lives in Beaverton, OR, for breakfast. Picture from Terry.
We found a place that is basically a permanent food truck court that is generally very busy, but not that morning in the drizzle.
It cleared up pretty quickly as we drove south on I-5.
Driving down through Oregon the surrounding hills are covered with mostly Douglas Fir trees, sort of the "gold" crop of the Pacific Northwest. I understand that clear cutting of entire mountains is prohibited but the lumber companies can still clear huge sections of trees, leaving these ugly bald patches behind. After all these years and dozens of trips up and down from SCalifornia to Oregon and Washington I still love this drive. However, whereas I once could drive it in 24 hours with no overnight stops, I now need three overnight stops and maybe next time I will need four! It is harder to drive long distances as I grow older.
1 comment:
I too love that drive north. The hills and mountains are covered with lush greenery in spite of the logging. I particularly love the drive to Sisters, OR. Though the road is not a super highway, traffic moves right along through the beautiful countryside with views of mountains all the way. Coming home, I sometimes take the long way along Rt 1/101 and truly enjoy the OR coast. The dunes and easier access to view the Pacific is extraordinary. If I were a little younger and felt the way I do today, I'd purchase a small tag along cabin and drive across country taking the northern routes! Love dreaming about this prospect! Stay well.
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