"9 States in 13 Days"

... this is a story that happened 5 years ago:

CA~NV~UT~WY~MO~ID~WA~OR~CA… 3,388 miles in 13 days

                                   … from the 'lost archives'

                                                                        PREFACE

My middle daughter Ashley was going to graduate from high school, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. But as important as it was to me to be there, it was equally as important for me to turn the opportunity into an adventure.

Since road trips on Honey (my motorcycle) are one of my favorite things in the world, I decided that rather than riding directly from my home in Aptos, California, to Seattle, Washington, through the State of Oregon, I would take the 'scenic route'… through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

Unfortunately, I lost my journal-log from the trip, so this story is based only on my memories from a trip that happened almost five years ago. Mostly, it's a pictorial essay about the trip.

Day 1 - 6/10/05: Aptos, California to Austin, Nevada

The first three hours of the ride was the same route I'd taken many times in the past.
Due east, over Pacheco Pass (Hwy 156)… thru Los Banos… then Hwy 33 to Merced, then the fun part of the ride, into the foothills on Hwy 132 thru Snelling and one of my favorite pit stops at the saloon La Grange, a little blink and miss it cattle town at the edge of the Sierra Nevada mountain range foothills.

One of the reasons it's my favorite, is because of the waitress that worked there for a long time… Laura serves a killer margarita, and then for special customers, put the second one in a plastic cup to go. She trusted me. I'm usually pretty good at making people feel like they can trust me. You can trust me on that.

Normally when I'm driving this route, it's when I'm on my way to "Tokosaben," the property my family owned, and I've always driven that section of road with great care, no matter how many killer margaritas I've had.

When I was 13, my family and 4 others bought 40 acres just outside of Greely Hill, and the name I came up with was voted as the unanimous winner. Here's how I came up with the name:

I took the "T" from the Tindall family; the "O" from the Opdyke (my) family; the "KO" from the Kobiashi's; the "SA" from the Sato's; and the "BEN" from the Benthin's. The really cool thing about the name was that before we voted on the name, we all voted on our choices for which of the five 2-acre parcels each family would get to build their cabin on. Based on the statistical math (5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5), the odds of each family getting their first choice were 3,125 to 1. And that's what happened.

Then, as if to prove what a 'special' place it was that we were creating… the parcels that each of the families chose as their first choice, was in the same order as the way I had put the letters from their names together. The odds of that happening are 9,765,635 to 1 (3,125 x 3,125).

Basically, Tokosaben had a one in ten million chance of happening the way it did. All of the families have always felt that this was how lucky we were to be together in the place we were. Two of the families have since sold their parcels, but the feeling of 'community and love' is still being carried on to this day, and I hope it continues that way forever.

I've spent parts of 39 summers up there (and counting), enjoying that part of the Sierra's, and it never gets old.

 Stout Lake

And then Rainbow Pool, one of my favorite places in the world, located on Highway 120, about half way between Groveland and the Crane Flat entrance to Yosemite National Park.

So... back to the Adventure Ride.  It was at the La Grange Saloon that my route changed on this trip. Instead of continuing east on Hwy 132, I veered slightly to the north, and went thru the town of Sonora, over the pass with the same name on Hwy 108, and down the other side to Mono Lake.

                                                                       Elevation 9,624'

Even in June the air was cold, and the snow was deep on the sides of the road, but the pavement was warm and dry, and I remember thinking to myself that I really needed to do a lot more of these road trips. Five years later, I've written stories about this one, and seven others.

Please visit my blog listed at the beginning of this story, to read about them, and see all the other pretty pictures.

As I remounted Honey, I said good-bye to the cool mountain air, and prepared myself for the hot desert variety I was gonna be in for the next couple of days.
After reaching the bottom of the east side of the Sierras, I traveled north on Hwy 395 for just a few miles, before turning east on Hwy 50, "The Loneliest Highway in America." My day ended in Austin (Nevada) after a first day of (+/-) 570 miles.

Day 2 - 6/11/05: Austin, Nevada to Heber City, Utah

                Welcome to Utah - still on Hwy 50… and still lonely… next services 83 miles.

Besides remembering how nice the road was, unfortunately, I'm at a loss to remember anything else noteworthy. Oh… there was one thing… I remember a stretch of about 100 miles coming into Salt Lake City, where I was riding thru a cool early summer rainstorm. Day 2: 317 miles.

Day 3 - 6/12/05: Heber City, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming

                        Welcome to Wyoming - drive thru cocktails… I Love Wyoming.

It was surprisingly cold, but fortunately I'd packed my warm weather gear, and it wasn't too uncomfortable for me. And no, I did not stop at any of the drive thru's.

Day 4 - 6/13/05: Jackson Hole, Wyoming to Livingston, Montana

          The Grand Tetons

That morning it was cold… really cold… and I stopped at a random person's home and was given hot tea and as much time as I had wanted. I just love (most of) the people I meet on my adventures. Most of them are really nice. It warms me to my cockles to think about all the wonderful people on this planet. That day however, I needed a little bit more to warm my cockles.

                      The road crisscrossed the divide three times, before taking me to…

                                                                          Old Faithful

But not willing to wait another 54 minutes… I continued on, and stopped in Livingston, Montana. It was a spectacular 213 mile day.

Day 5 - 6/14/05 - Livingston, Montana to Spokane, Washington

I remember enjoying the ride and the terrain, but cannot remember anything specific about this 426 mile day.

Day 6 - 6/15/05 - Spokane, WA to Seattle, WA

Same as above about this 293 mile day.

Day 7 - 6/16/05 - Seattle and surrounding areas

I spent most of the day with Kellie, my oldest daughter. It was a gorgeous day in the Emerald City…

... but I also made time to take a ride up to a place I found just before moving back to Santa Cruz way back in 1989:

                                                                           Denny Creek

THE DENNY CREEK DOCTRINE

You need to know where to go To meet the people you want to know
Life in the city is full of illusions
People in the city are full of... Shit in the water?! Don’t you care?
What are you thinking of?
You’re a fool to live in the city

You need to know where to go
To find the people you want to know
Life in the country is simple
People in the country understand
Shit in the water, and you get
Sick of the people in the city

I want to sit on the rocks
And watch the crystalline water
Tumble across my feet... no shit In the Denny Creek water

Day 8 - 6/17/05 - Party on the patio…

 Ashley's pre-graduation party took place at her mom Mimi's house and was attended by a small handful of her friends. Including, but not limited to: (3) friends - one seated in ponytail, one dressed in yellow, and one in aqua… aunt Tracy (Mimi's sister) - standing/ eating… sister Kellie - standing next to… her (then) boyfriend (now ex-husband) Jon… and (Mimi's mother) Blah - sitting, with last name the same as the color as her hair (Grey).

Day 9 - 6/18/05 - Father's Day…

                                                             … with Daughters #1 & 2

Day 10 - 6/19/05 - Ashley's Graduation from High School

When this picture was taken, it was only the 2nd time I'd worn this shirt. The first time was for Kellie's graduation from high school, two years previously. Since then, the shirt has (only) been worn for… in order… Kellie's graduation from college, Eron's (my youngest Daughter) graduation from high school (when she was only 16!), Kellie's graduation from college, and Ashley's graduation from college. One more (at least) graduation to go, before I can 'retire' the shirt, and put it in my cedar chest along with my high school and college graduation gowns and a few other priceless heirlooms.

Some pictures of the happy occasion:

The proud parents

The loving sisters

Art & Pat, the grandparents

… Look out World!

Day 11 - 6/20/05 - Seattle, Washington to Newport Beach, Oregon

Now I was headed south, back to Santa Cruz, but I had a passenger with me. My oldest daughter (Kellie) was sitting behind me! She'd already done a fair amount of riding with me, but this was our first 'inter-state' ride.

Instead of heading due south, we went west. Luckily, Kellie is like her Dad… she doesn't like straight lines either. At one of our stops on the north coast of Oregon, we found a photo op… several years earlier, I'd picked my 'road name,' and now… I have a picture of me standing next to my namesake…

             "I am Thor, master of the universe."

Of course there's always time to stop and kiss the girls

When we got to Newport Beach (Oregon), we were greeted and welcomed by two very loving relatives. They are technically 'ex' relatives… the brother and sister in law of my second ex wife, but to me they will always be my brother and sister… the same as Tracy and David, my first ex wife's sister and brother in law.
  

                                                                   Brad and Wren
Day 11: 334 miles.

Day 12 - 6/21/05 - Newport Beach, Oregon to Arcata, CA

It's interesting to me, how different people are when they get on the back of a motorcycle. Kellie had a really hard time. She was so relaxed and comfortable, that she kept falling asleep.

Kellie and Dad:

                                             Leaving Newport Beach

Kellie and I really enjoyed the Oregon coast, even though I had to wake her up when we stopped! =)

Day 12: 308 miles.

Day 13 - 6/22/05 - Arcata, CA to Aptos, CA; the last leg!

                                  We rode thru a redwood tree in "The Avenue of the Giants"…

                                             … and across the Golden Gate, in San Francisco

I dropped Kellie off in Los Gatos, just short of Aptos, so she could hook up with her mom, and the rest of her Seattle family, to attend a family reunion that weekend. It was a tremendous adventure. A 306 mile day, and 3,338 for the trip. And for those math wizards out there, this total includes 300 miles while I was in Seattle.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 12- 130 words

Tuesday 12/29/09

I let G sleep in, and didn't rise myself until 7:30am… as a thank you for the rise she gave me earlier that morning (for a grand total of 9 out of 11).

We continued south on Hwy 1 thru Sea Ranch… Bodega Bay… another of our late breakfasts, this one in Point Arenas… then across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco… and made our last stop in Half Moon Bay, a celebratory ice cream sunday… both to mark the near end to our adventure, and the beginning of our new diet.

Got home at 3pm, 2,682 miles and a few pages and pictures of wonderful memories.  The End.

How's THAT for a non-dramatic ending to a story?

I think it might be my best one yet.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 11- 235 words

Monday 12/28/09

5:15am - Ned up.  When we checked in the night before, I'd noticed that the motel had an 'internet available' sign, but I didn't notice that it didn't say 'free'.  Catching up on my emails and live journal posts & comments was gonna hafta wait at least one more day.

It was about 425 miles to get home, and G and I had both agreed that we'd prefer to make the trip in two short days, rather than one long one.  Neither of us is ready for this adventure to be over yet.

6:45am - I woke G up and we had a nice talk about sexuality… in general, and specifically.  Yes that's right… even when we're not doing it… we talk about it.

11:00am - We did a short sidetrack out to the end of the spit at the Eureka/ Arcata Bay, the "Most dangerous port on the California coast."

Had a late breakfast (chef's salad for me), and then followed Hwy 101 inland along the Eel River to Leggett, where we turned west on Hwy 1 to Westport.  We didn't even have to get out of the truck to take this picture.

 

When we got to the coast we followed it south to Gualala, and spent the night there, and watched our last sunset of the trip from our room overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 10- 600 words

Sunday 12/27/09

5:15am - Time to get up… to lightly falling snow!  I had my coffee and smoke, and thought about sitting under the falling snowflakes in the hot tub, but decided against it.  Instead, I sat on the toilet to read, so the lights wouldn't bother our hosts, who sleep with their bedroom door open.

Because of the snow we decided to hit the road earlier than we had talked about.  We were planning on driving up to Mt. Batchelor, but with these conditions it would've meant spending another night with Jacques and Lovely, and even though they would've been more than happy to have us, we wanted to keep moving.  Incredibly and against all the odds… G and I were still enjoying each other's company!

On our way back to the highway, I missed my turn and backed up in the middle   of the road along the tracks I'd made thru the fresh snow.  There were two other trucks on the road that had to wait for me, but neither of them seemed upset and were probably laughing at me, when they saw my California plates.  I remember from my previous visit how friendly the people here are. I love (Sunriver) Oregon.

We continued slipping and sliding our way towards the highway, where it turned to fairly good driving.  There was more traffic, and the road crews had scattered gravel and dirt on the sections of road with hills and curves, and as long as we didn't make any sudden moves and were going in a straight line where there was no gravel, we were fine.

It was mostly a flat road to Klamath Falls, and by the time we got there the clouds were clearing and we even got some sunshine and some dry sections on the road.

From there we went over one more mountain pass before getting to Medford, and the warm comfort of the ocean's influence.  But even before we were out of the snow, I told G I was gonna miss it.  She agreed.  Living in Santa Cruz doesn't afford us many opportunities to be in the snow.

From Medford we followed Highway 199, a very scenic route to the coast.  I heard Honey, all the way from her garage in Santa Cruz… asking me to be sure to bring her back to this road.  There were lots of nice twists and turns… steep cliffs rising on one side of the road, and falling on the other side… and the lovely Smith River below, with more than enough swimming holes to go skinny dipping in during the heat of summer, I'm sure.

I assured Honey out loud that she'd get a chance to experience this road.  G laughed at me, but she's getting used to the way I feel about my motorcycle, and even refers to her as 'Honey' most of the time.

By the time we got to Crescent City on the northern coast of California, we were both ready for a motel with a king size bed.  G and I love to cuddle, but we also like to stretch out and be able to toss and turn at will during the night, without the fear of bashing an elbow into the face of our partner.

We'd only traveled about 275 miles that day, but the first half was slow and stressful, on snow and ice covered Hwy 97 from Sunriver, so we were both whipped puppies.  Not whipped enough however, for G to give me some lovin'.    8 for 10.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 9- 275 words

Saturday 12/26/09

5:15am - Ned up, after early morning sex with G… that's 6 out of 9 I think.

7am - G had gone back to sleep so after giving her a chance to wake up on       her own… I gave up and woke her up, as gently as possible.

8:15am - On the road only 15 minutes 'late'.  We were headed to Sunriver just south of Bend, to visit my childhood friend Jacques and his lovely wife Lovely.

There hadn't been any precipitation for over a week, but without any thawing temperatures either… the roads were still very icy.  Over about a 45-mile stretch we didn't see one other car in either direction, but we did see elk, mule deer, white tail deer, wild turkey, and several grey bushy tailed squirrels.

We saw some beautiful scenery, and G taught me a new word for a special kind of frost… hoar frost.  I'll just leave that one alone…

3:30pm - Sunriver, groceries and pizza for dinner.                                                  

4pm - Arrived Jacques & Lovely's

I went on and on about these friends of mine in one of my other stories called, "From Here to There and Back Again", so if you haven't read that one yet, and you want to hear what they are like, you'll just have to read that story too.

5pm - Finished eating…                                                                                               

6pm - Started to fade…

7pm - G and I excused ourselves to bed… for SEX!  That's twice in one day, so the current tally is 7 out of 9!  That's a batting average of .778!  Why yes, yes I am proud.  But the best part is that it's not just quantity… the quality is there too.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 8- 560 words

Friday 12/25/099 - Merry Christmas

4:45am - Up, coffee, journal notes.

6:30am - I stepped outside in the 11-degree air, to have my morning smoke and enjoyed the beautiful sound of Christmas morning… a song sung by four or five neighborhood owls.  They were signing a song that said that if the bison's weather forecast is correct… it would be a high of 23 today.

7am - I woke G up to read to her from the book I'm reading, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

I've never been a big reader, but since I've been with G, I've developed a new, re-appreciation of the written word.  Plus… if I'm gonna be an 'author'… the least I can do is read a few books written in the same genre as my writing style.  That being said, I'm sure Robert M. Pirsig (the author of the book I'm reading) is calling his lawyers right now, preparing a suit against me, for comparing my work to his.  Here is one of my favorite lines from the book, you tell me… aren't our styles almost identical?

"I think I'll just stick to drumming," John says.  Then Chris asks, "What are you going to stick to?"

"Mah guns, boy, mah guns," I tell him.  "That's the code of the west."

They all laugh hard at this, and my speechifying seems forgiven.  When you've got a Chautauqua in your head, it's extremely hard not to inflict it on innocent people."

So… I will now continue to inflict my Chautauqua into your heads…

8:30am - I called my daughters… Eron was still asleep; Ashley was up, bright and cheery; and Kellie was sad because she was at the pharmacy picking up one of her mom's medications that she had forgotten to get the day before.  I reminded her what a wonderful daughter she is, for helping her mom, and I think it helped cheer her up a little bit.  Bless her heart, she's always had to be the adult in the family… she never had a chance to be a kid.

I napped from about 9am 'til 10 (honest… I never took naps before now), and  got up to have a snack.  I went for a walk around the neighborhood with G…  then read a little more until my next nap…

2pm - I woke up and read for another couple of hours… socialized and ate with G's family, then excused myself to bed around…

6:30pm, while they played yet another boisterous card game at the kitchen table.

Ever since my first divorce, it's been hard for me to relax and truly enjoy the holiday season.  When I left my two young daughters in Seattle, and moved back to Aptos, I left part of my soul up there, and have never been able to get it back.  I knew I had to leave Seattle… I didn't have the support group I needed after the marriage failed.  I tried to kill myself once, and I knew that if I stayed I'd try again, and maybe not be so lucky the second time.  If you missed "Please Allow Me To Introduce My Selves"... you can read more about this there.

It's gotten easier the last few years, since my daughters are basically adults now, but there is a part of me that died in Seattle back in 1989, and I don't think it will ever come back to life again.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 7- 225 words

Thursday 12/24/09 - Happy Christmas Eve Day!

5:15am - I got up, drank an entire pot of coffee, and took a short walk in the 10-degree morning air.

7am - G up.  Sex (5 out of 7).  It just keeps getting better and better.

Lounged around the house, and had breakfast at 10.

11am - I took a nap!  I never take naps!

2pm - After 12 ½ hours of sleep the night before, and another three hours today… that should get me just about caught up from the sleepless night in Seattle.  I took two walks with Skip, one for milk and chips, and another to drop off x-mas cards at the 'retirement villa' where Pat works.

3pm - Bill & Bonnie arrived.  We had a very nice lunch/ dinner, and everyone was very relaxed.  Especially Bill.

5pm - A rip roaring game of dominos.  'Simple things for simple people'… that's something my mom used to say, about how it's 'ok' to enjoy the simple things in life.  It doesn't take a million dollars or a million anythings to have a joyous life.  It's all a matter of attitude and choice.  I wish my parents were still around to meet G's family… they'd love them.

8pm - Photo op of the Dietrich kids.

 

We exchanged presents, and then…

9pm - Bed.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 6- 600 words

Wednesday 12/23/09

7:45am - I slept later than I had in a long, long time.

8am - Sex… 4 out of 6 days so far.  Better than our average.

9am - A 'light' breakfast.  That means a big bowl of oatmeal for me, and scrambled eggs and toast for G.

11am - Pendleton Wool Mill built in1909.  I met Jeff & Cheyenne, a young couple coming out as I was going in.  Jeff said he was born and raised here in town, and works at his uncle's saddle shop.  He told me to be sure not to miss the 99th annual celebration of "The Pendleton Roundup", a rodeo par excellence (he didn't say par excellence, those are my words).  They were a very handsome couple, and I wanted to get their picture for my story, but dog gone it… it didn't turn out.

2:30pm - When we were about 20 miles from Enterprise, G called her sister-in-law Pat, to tell her we were running slightly late.  It was perfect timing as we were literally just driving past the turn-off to their house… in Wallowa… not Enterprise.

Her brother Skip and his wife Pat welcomed us warmly into their recently remodeled home.  From the outside, the house looks pretty non-descript… just like most of the other homes in this little blink-and-miss-it cowboy town, but they had done a tremendous upgrade to the interior, and when we looked around, we felt like we could've been at the Ritz.  Okay, that's an exaggeration, but I know Skip and Pat are gonna be reading this, and I thought I'd give them a chuckle. 

After an hour or so of small talk, we got in Skip's car and drove blindly down the highway towards Enterprise, where G's other brother Bill and his wife Bonnie live. 

The reason I say we were driving blindly is because Skip didn't wait for the windows to de-ice or de-fog.  He just started the car and started moving.  He was making jokes about knowing the road like the back of his hand, but when I asked him how many freckles he had on his right hand, he had to take his eyes off the road to look.

Jeesh… I amaze myself.  I just met these people, and here I am, already flipping them shit.  Oh well, like everyone else… they'll either learn to love me, or learn to hate me, or learn that they love to hate me, or learn that they hate to love me.

When we got to Bill and Bonnie's, the warm welcome we got at Skip and Pat's was repeated.  Wonderful folk.  Full of love, and an easy comfort that made me feel right at home.  We also met Bill's daughters Donna and Shawna, and their respective husbands Jack and Carey, and Donna's daughter Kristen.

5pm - Great Christmas dinner… a prime rib roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, broccoli salad, fruit salad, and rolls.

Skip made us all realize how special this gathering was, when he reminded everyone that this is the first Christmas with both his brother and sister since 1959, when G was only two years old, exactly 50 years ago.  He and his brother are 19 and 17 years older than G, so they were out of the house shortly after G was born.  It's interesting… I have an older sister and (2) older brothers almost that much older than me.

7pm - Games… laughter… silliness…

9pm - Back to Skip & Pat's.

10pm - Asleep, after playing with the adjustable air mattress for a while.  Yep… simple things for simple people.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 5- 1.6k words

Tuesday 12/22/09

Kellie's cats were happy to have G and I as playthings on their living room floor that night.  I was relieved to have G next to me… her giggles about their running around making playful noises made the situation a lot more bearable for me.

Something that was not bearable for me was the air mattress that Toren had provided for us to sleep on.  It was barely big enough for me alone, so with G next to me, it was like sleeping on a space the shape of a popsicle-stick.

I rested and dozed until midnight… then got up and sat on the edge of the coffee table for about 30 minutes trying to decide if I was gonna go out and find a motel.  I decided I needed to 'tough it out'… Kellie and Toren were very gracious to let us stay with them, and I did not want to hurt their feelings by leaving in the middle of the night.  That simply was not an option.

So once I conceded to the fact that I was not gonna sleep that night, it was much easier.  I re-positioned myself on my popsicle-stick for about an hour and a half… then moved to the small couch.

At 3am I asked G if she would mind trading places, and she very lovingly and tenderly agreed.  I so much appreciate G's kind and gentle personality.  Even when things are not going well… she is a sincere pleasure to be around.  I do not recall ever hearing a 'cranky' tone in her voice… knock on wood.

I rested better on the air mattress after I had it all to myself.  I always toss and turn in my sleep.  I call it 'basting' myself.  First on my stomach, then my left side… my back, my right side… and then back to my stomach.  I think the full rotisserie cycle takes about an hour or so.  Without G pressed against me, the worry of smacking her in the side of the head with my elbow was gone, so I was able to get some sound rest until my 5am (inner) alarm went off, and it was time for me to get…

… up and at 'em.

I went down the street in search of the 'too many to count' coffee shops Kellie told me were there, and found them all… closed.  I went into one of my faithful and trusted MMGS (mini-mart-gas-stations) that have always been a part of my road trip experiences.  Cheap hotels and greasy spoon restaurants… G was finally getting to see another side of life.  I hope she can handle it.  It sure will be nice if she can become accustomed to this 'lifestyle' and enjoy these road trips with me.  I enjoy the open roads on my own, but so far at least… I am truly enjoying her company.

7am - Kellie and Toren are stirring… they'll be leaving soon, and then G and I are gonna pick her up at her work around 8:30 to take her to breakfast, before we say and hug our good-byes, and head east over Snoqualmie Pass.  The weather looks like it's gonna cooperate, but things change quickly in the Great Northwest, so there's always a chance for just about anything.  Which is just the way I like it.

10am - Off and away.

11am - A very nice family in a big SUV was kind enough to stop and help us get out of the small ditch I slid into, while 'practicing' driving in the snow.  I had taken the Denny Creek exit, wanting to show G one of my little pieces of paradise I had discovered years ago, when I lived in the area.  As we started down the side road to the small campground, I told G I was glad to have the opportunity to practice my driving skills on the slippery road.  I came out of a slight turn and gave the truck a small giddy-up, and the tail of the truck jumped sideways slightly.

The small slide was not enough for me, so I touched the gas pedal a bit more, and within seconds the back of the truck was moving down the road ahead of us, and we were totally out of control.

It was a good thing the side of the road was flat.  It was also a good thing the SUV with the good Samaritans stopped and offered there assistance, as it would have been a very tricky maneuver for me to install the cable chains on my tires, without being able to back up over them.

I hugged Jordon and Karen, and we were back on the road within about 10 minutes.  G was amazed, so I explained to her that this was a very common occurrence for me on my road trips.  I'm always getting bailed out of some sort of predicament or another.  And I am always grateful and remember to thank     the 'road gods' for their continuing helping presence.  I love (Snoqualmie) Washington.

At 2:15pm I pulled to the side of the road to leave a present for Jody Bonney at "Roadhouse 97"… a small tavern just outside the town of Goldendale in south-central Washington.  I had met Jody seven months earlier on my previous adventure ride thru these parts on Honey, and if you haven't read "From Here to There and Back Again" yet… you should… it's a real hoot.

When I came back out from the saloon and sat down in the truck next to G, I called Jody and left a message that she had a present from me waiting for her at the local watering hole… you guessed it… a sprig of mistletoe.

I was happy G wanted to go to the observatory just outside the town… seven months ago I spent too much time flirting with Jody at the Roadhouse, and didn't take the time to check it out.  I had been told that it was possible to view the stars from their telescope… during full daylight hours.  When we got to the top of the mountain, we found a sign on the locked gate that showed the hours of operation.  I was gonna hafta revisit the observatory (and Roadhouse 97) again… on a Friday, Saturday, or a Sunday from 2~5pm or 7~10pm.

It was just a hop and a skip down the road when we 'lost' an hour on our timetable, due to a missed turnoff, coming into "The Gorge"… a section of the Columbia River Basin that has sheer cliffs on either side of this massive river.  Fortunately G has the same attitude as I do on road trips… there are no missed or wrong turns.  Everything happens for a reason, and we enjoyed the ride on the side-road, even though we had to drive it twice.

After getting to within a few miles of where we were gonna be able to cross the river and get back on the 'right' road, we were turned around by a WaTrans worker, who told us there had been a serious accident and the road was gonna be closed for at least four hours.

G and I decided that the reason we had taken the 'wrong turn' was so that we would become aware of the accident and be able to 'pray' for the people involved.

About 'praying'… Christian style vs. Eckankar style:  To me it's pretty much the same thing, 'cuz the way I've always 'prayed' is to think about the person I'm trying to send 'positive energy' to, and simply positive thoughts about them, or the situation they're in, at the time.  G says the way 'they' pray is basically the same thing… to focus your thoughts towards a person or situation, and then "let the Eck take it from there."

After following the river along its north shore to complete our back and forth hiatus, we crossed where we should have, and began our journey east, on the south side of the Columbia River.  G got a lot of enjoyment out of the 'little baby frozen waterfalls' along the sheer cliffs.  The exposure this time of year doesn't allow any sunlight to hit the rock walls, and the water dripping down the sides of the cliffs had formed into beautiful still life waterfalls of ice.

JJ (Jeremy Joel… a cute gal with two boys names) checked us into our motel room in Pendleton, around 5pm, and gave us both a very warm and cozy feeling.  It's amazing how a small amount of interest and connection from someone can make such a big difference in someone's attitude.  Andrea had the same feeling about her, as she served us our meals at the restaurant next door.  I love (Pendleton) Oregon.

After the almost virtually sleepless in Seattle night, I was in bed after our meal by 7pm and asleep by 7:15.  I don't think G was awake much longer.  I'm hoping this adventure trip will give her the motivation to reset her inner clock.  She says she wants to start waking up earlier and going to bed earlier so we can spend more time together.  She also says she's been trying to get to work earlier anyway, so… I hope she can do it.

The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 4- 1.8k words

Monday 12/21/09 - Happy Winter Solstice

6am - Ned slept in, and G wanted to get up early, so we were awake at the same time, and had a nice morning conversation.  It's so nice to start off each day with G like that.  I enjoy her down to earth approach to spirituality very much.  Somehow, she can make even the most esoteric concepts seem so plain, simple, and obvious.  It's quiet a talent she has, and I’m very lucky to have her as my lover, my confidant, my friend, and my teacher.

7:30am - Off to Starbucks for foo-foo coffee and an internet connection.  G had seen a sign for one the day before as we were looking for a motel, so we went in the 'superstore/ mini mall', and looked around.  We couldn’t see the Starbucks sign anywhere from the entrance, so I asked one of the checkers.

She was on the phone to her boyfriend (is what it sounded like to me), and was too busy to turn to look at me.  She simply pointed her finger over her shoulder behind her.  I shrugged at her disconcern, and headed off with G, across the vast acreage of the mega-complex.

After traversing thru the isles for what seemed like a few city blocks, we ran into another employee and asked him if he knew where Starbucks was.  He said, "Yeah… go back to the entrance and go up the escalators to the second floor."

When we got to the escalator, we noticed the girl at the check out line was still talking on the phone.  I was surprised she didn't turn around as I burned a hole in her back with my disgust for her lack of interest in anything other than her obviously personal phone conversation.

When we got to the coffee counter, we were pleased to be greeted by not one, but two, happy and sincere employees.  Maybe the checker just hadn't had her morning coffee yet.  These two young things certainly made up for it though.  Not only pleasant personalities… they also had bodies on them that warmed me up, even before I had a chance to have any of their coffee.

The place didn't have an internet connection, so I bought myself a cup to go, and we headed back to the truck.  Not far down the road we found a little mom & pop restaurant that had a "free wi-fi" sign, so we went in, and found another smiling face.

I didn't get her name, but she was a very friendly waitress with bright eyes and a happy voice.  She brought us our food and kept our coffee and water glasses full, for the 45 minutes or so that we were there, and didn't mind at all that I had brought my own coffee in with me.

I felt like Goldie-locks… the checker was too-oo cold… the gals at Starbucks were too-oo hot… and the one at the restaurant was ju-ust right.

As we were packing up our laptops and folding up the roadmap, a gentleman in the booth next to us turned around and asked me if I wanted him to tell me an easy way to get to where I was going.  In my typical 'smart aleck' voice, I said, "Sure, you can tell me, but I'm gonna go the way I want to anyway."

Fortunately, he could see the smirk on my face, and the mischievous twinkle in my eye.  When he finished giving me his directions I asked him if the road we were on connected to the freeway, and he said it didn't.  Good thing he offered his assistance, he saved us who knows how much time we would have spent wandering around the side streets.  I love (Portland) Oregon.

As we were heading for the door, the waitress wished us a safe journey, and I told her that we really appreciated her attitude, and commented on her glowing personality.  She looked sincerely at us and said that she was glad that her effort was appreciated, and then explained that she was feeling down because her father had died several days ago.

Funny isn't it, how different people are.  The memory of the sourness of the check out clerk at the mega store was gone… sweetened by the friendly and caring people we found shortly thereafter.

We went out to the truck and just as I was ready to pull out of the parking lot, I stopped… jumped out… and grabbed a twig of the mistletoe I harvested the other day.  My intention was to share it with friends and family along our journey, and this gal was a perfect recipient of my holiday offering.

Neither Gaeir nor myself wanted to visit the arboretum as we had talked about, and since we weren't meeting my oldest daughter Kellie, in Seattle until around 5pm anyway, we decided to head for the coast, and take the scenic route to the next destination of our adventure.

About an hour out of Portland, I pulled over and had G take a picture of me, in front of my 'dream house', a log cabin with a large covered wrap around front porch.  The home was situated on what looked like it could easily have been turned into a little 'pitch and putt' golf course.  I spent a few minutes standing there on the side of the road, pretending I was the owner of this beautiful property.

 

The small highway thru the heavily forested mountains to the coast was very beautiful.  At two of the passes, the light rain turned to a gentle snow, and Gaeir and I were as happy as we had hoped we would be when we headed out from Santa Cruz.  It was only three days ago, but it already seemed like another lifetime.  We were both accomplishing what we wanted.  "Brain off", was the mantra I had been saying, and continued to repeat, as a reminder to her to relax and enjoy this time away from her responsibilities, schedules, and commitments.

When we got to the coast, we detoured about 12 miles, to visit "Haystack Rock" in the tourist town of Cannon Beach.  It was a little town with a big rock.

From there we headed north and crossed the Columbia River at Astoria.  We were now in the State of Washington, and G and I both mentioned almost exactly at the same time, how we felt the 'mood change'.  Something about this State has always made me feel different, and apparently it has that effect on other people as well.

Another minor detour just down the road had us going in circles in another vortex near Long Beach.  We were following the clearly marked signs on the road, but for the life of me it felt like we were going 180 degrees in the wrong direction.  My inner gyroscope is usually very dependable, so this was a very disconcerting feeling for me… the feeling of confusion and apprehension continued to grow for several miles, until at last I felt the effects of the vortex weakening, and that we were going north again.

At our next stop to empty our bladders I made G shake her head at me again.  It had been a while since I'd done or said anything goofy, so I was happy to get a little reaction out of her when I went out of my way to park in a spot that was clearly marked as a place not to.  Have I mentioned yet in this story how 'easily amused' I am?

4pm - We got to Seattle about an hour early, so I took G on a loop across the two floating bridges on Lake Washington.  First, we went east across the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, then west across the I-90 bridge which passes thru Mercer Island, one of the highest high rent districts in the Seattle area.

We pulled up to Kellie's house about 15 minutes early and gave her a call to check on her schedule.  Luckily my oldest daughter has a better sense of time and responsibility than Ashley.  Sometimes.

She told us she had been tied up at work, and that we could either wait there for 30 minutes for her to get home, or that we could drive about 10 minutes and pick her up.  It was an easy choice.

My feelings as I saw her come out of the building where she works, and walk across the sidewalk to the truck, are hard to convey.  Kellie has a very strong and distinct air about her.  Without anything close to cockiness, she is able to portray her confidence as an easy and comfortable self-assuredness.  I am proud of all my daughters, but there has always been something about Kellie that makes me feel that the world is a better place because of her.  Who am I trying to fool?  I feel that way about all my daughters.

When we got back to her apartment, we opened each other's presents and shared some laughs.  She had previously told me she wanted to wait until I was published, and then autograph her copies of my short stories before she read them, but when she gave me two HUGE books, and specifically told me she expected me to read them, I went out to the truck and grabbed my stories that I had originally planned to give her.  Both of us were polite in our excitement about the gifts we received.

We met Kellie's mom at the Old Spaghetti Factory, and had a pleasant meal.  I've talked quite a bit about Mimi in several of my other stories, so this time I'll say something nice… Gaeir LIKED her!  I cannot remember anyone's first reaction to Mimi as being anything but almost fearful of her (besides me).  G said she was able to see thru her loud, obnoxious exterior, and see the 'hurt child'  behind all her manic distractions.  I was touched… both by G's assessment, and… of Mimi's attitude towards Gaeir.

After she realized that she was 'being heard'… she calmed down enough to allow some of the other people at the table to be able get a word in edgewise.  I wish I would've been able to get pictures of the looks Kellie and I traded during the conversation… priceless.  The best way to describe them is for you to imagine what it would look like if someone was rolling their eyes, without rolling their eyes.

We got home to find that Toren, Kellie's roommate, had made our bed for us on the living room floor, and we all quickly settled down for the night at around 9pm.