...there's no place like home.
Three nights ago was spent in a Wal*mart parking lot, and the last two nights were spent in rest stops on the edge of the road. But oh, the things I saw!
When I got off the Coho I pulled into the Wally World parking lot and slept for the night. Then instead of heading southeast, towards I-5, I headed west, going down the Pacific Coast of Washington. Made a couple stops on the way (pictures to be posted later)--and noticed the truism that the only people whose votes count in Washington can see the Space Needle. Those rural folks don't like Patty Murray at all! And they think that DC and Olympia don't listen to, respect, or care about them. It was very eye-opening.
Crossed into Oregon, saw Lewis and Clark's camp at Fort Clatsop, and then headed to Portland to see a friend from my Air Force Academy days, and his family. After a visit of a few hours I was on the road again, stopping for the night at a rest stop near Albany, Oregon.
The next morning in southern Oregon I headed southwest, emerging from the mountains along the California coast at Crescent City. That's some beautiful real estate! Back on 101 again, I continued south, stopping for dinner in a mall parking lot in Eureka (I think), and bedded down for the night at a rest stop outside of Leggett.
I have a picture of my grandparents driving through the Drive Thru Tree some time before I was born, and now I've been there. My Camry would have fit but I didn't want to disconnect the trailer to do it, so instead I just walked up to it and got some pictures.
A few hours later I broke out of the hills on CA-20 and got my first view of the Central Valley in 12 days, and the Sutter Buttes were right in front of me. Back on I-5 again, it was a straight shot to suburban Sacramento, and then a turn east on I-80 put me back in "my" terrain.
The thermometer in my car registered 110 degrees today. Thank God for air conditioning, both in the car and at home!
Pictures to be added soon.
Update, 7/1/13: See new post for pics.
It was 102 outside my classroom last Friday.
ReplyDeleteSO GLAD we have AC for summer school! (Though I have to admit it as amuses me that it leads to the kids skipping break to keep working on their math!)
It is that way with most states, I think, Darren. The urban areas and ways are detested by the rural people, and the city people look down their noses at those of us who don't want to live stacked on top of each other.
ReplyDeletePatty Murray and Maria Can't-think-well don't represent us. Neither does our governor (Jay Greenest-governor-in-the-Union Inslee), whose latest shenanigans involve joining Barack Obama in his war on the coal industry - and, thereby, some shipping terminals in Washington, including one in our county. Our new Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, has filed suit against a business which refused to provide flowers for a gay wedding. He is also actively anti-gun.
California has nothing on WA when it comes to governmental lunacy. I expect that aside from the rain, in a few years you won't be able to differentiate between the two states.