After saying goodbye to Sue and Dave in the Olympic Peninsula I had a few days to myself and worked my way down to Oregon. But first I went to the most northern/western spot in the lower 48; Cape Flattery, on the Makah reservation. The boardwalk was a work of art, and the view at the cape was dramatic. There is an amazing museum in town. 500 years ago a massive earthquake and mudslide buried their village, and it was lost in time until the ocean waves revealed artifacts. It became an archeological site and many items from everyday life were discovered in an almost pristine state. There was a cedar bark blanket at the museum that almost looked like you could sleep under it.
I stayed at Ozette Lake, 25 miles down a dead end road. I met Roberta, a woman in her late 70s (I’m guessing), who travels seven months a year solo in her van, with her very big dog. She told me some tales that gave me great respect for her chutzpah. She rode the Great Divide Trail by herself. Twice. The trail starts in Canada and ends in Mexico, some 3000 miles following the Continental Divide. That’s like, only in the mountains the whole way.
I stayed at a deserted campground deep in the rainforest on the way south. Literally no one there. The rain that night was heavy and constant, and the forest seemed to smother the campsite. Sometimes I do feel claustrophobic, like I’m living in a spaceship.
And just as it happened when I was reading Blue Highways, my travels coincided with reading of the arrival of Lewis and Clark at Cape Disappointment! I spent time at the Interpretive Center about the expedition and was like, yep, I knew that… The state park was closed so I stayed at a funky lodge that had tons of vintage RVs and buses on the property. One bus had been converted to a movie theater and I watched an artsy documentary called Holding Back the Tide about reseeding oyster beds in the Hudson Bay. I did feel homesick seeing footage of NYC subways and city streets. The next morning I rode my bike along the Discovery Trail, Where Clark explored above Cape Disappointment, looking for a place to overwinter.
And suddenly I was in Oregon. I saw the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale, the site of an early settlement, various historical markers, but I missed Fort Clatsop, where the expedition spent the winter before beginning the journey home.
I spent a night in Cannon Beach. Took myself out to dinner and a show. I still am not a fan of eating by myself in a restaurant. I was waiting in line behind a guy who was also by himself. We had a short exchange: I said,
You alone too?
Yeah
Want to eat together?
Ummm…
And the then the host said, How many?
The guy took a second, looked at me, and said, Two!
But then there was a 35 minute wait, and I said,
How long for one?
She said same
And I said Thanks but moving along
Then he introduced himself, I said my name too, and was off.
I found a spot, had dinner, and saw a live theater production of Dracula; a Comedy of Terrors! Maximum camp. It was hysterical.
I’m now covering the same ground I did the year I graduated college and rode my bike from Seattle to San Francisco with my friend Nancy. I wondered if I’d have any memories bubble up, but mostly I kept thinking how dangerous the road is for bikes.
Further south I joined up with Yvonne and Jerry, friends I met on the cruise. We spent two days together cooking, talking, hiking and just hanging out. When we said goodbye I drove straight to Newport, where I visited my friend and colleague Marcy. We both worked at Fieldston Lower School, and she moved out here several years ago. We also talked, ate, walked and caught up. We did a big drive to Crater Lake, out and back in one day . The sky was as clear as the water. Turns out the road around the caldera had been closed for over a year, and it was opened the same day we went! Plus, the roads close tomorrow for weather. So I feel very lucky to have seen it.
I took a couple days at South Beach State Park for a reset. I cleaned, organized and rearranged everything in the van. It felt like changing the closet with the season. Went to the laundromat. Got the flu shot and another Covid vaccine. I attempted to wash the van at a self-serve place but discovered I had just moved the dust around. Got a prostate test. You know, taking care of bizness.
This is the first time in the trip when I have time to slow down. I’ve generally been either driving or visiting, needing to get to a wedding, cruise or music festival. The prospect of setting up my whole studio to do some music has been enough for me not to do it. But now that I'm not immediately heading to someone for another visit, yesterday I plugged in all the wires, and suddenly realized if I switch to a twin bed and turn the orientation sideways, I could actually leave the equipment ready to go! I drove right to a sports supply store, bought a sleeping bag, and to Walmart for a foam mattress topper. Sadly, this meant jettisoning the Bamboo full mattress. I popped it on my head, and brazenly marched up to the entrance, off to the side, and left it by a trash can. Side benefit, now I can sit up in bed and not bump my head. The keyboard hits a rim so it can't slide forward, and I can simply tuck the monitor, looper and launchpad under the foam when I drive.
I have more people to visit in Chico, San Francisco, LA, Riverside and San Diego, but my next hard date isn’t until December 17-27, when I’m doing another cruise with Uncruise Adventures in Baja called “In the Wake of Steinbeck”. I’ll need to read his Journals from the Sea of Cortez to be ready.