#123 Road Trip - Utah - Idaho - Oregon
Well, a road trip. After much thought, I am on a road trip to see family, see friends, and do a tour of Oregon to see if we can find a place to live that is better than Las Vegas. I regret in advance if the tone of the post is a little dark. Back has gone bad on me the last few days and the pain is enervating.
I left a week ago, and it has been a chore. I forgot how vast the distances were in the United States. It was great to see the family in Utah. Salt Lake has changed in a major way, especially down south, and not for the better. The East bench where I stayed, the Residence In at Cottonwood, was still very nice. But the rest of SLC I can give a miss completely. Coffee and Cocoa café on 3000 East was very nice. Great staff.
Two nights and then out at Oh dark thirty to head north to McCall, Idaho. Glad I got out of there early, the construction in North Salt Lake was terrible. It was a long drive. I hit the Idaho border just as dawn was breaking – really like that time of the day. The segment from Boise up to McCall was incredibly beautiful, driving along the Payette River. But they drive crazy in that canyon. Even large trucks towing trailers were going 65 to 70 and if you slow down they crawl right up your ass.
But beautiful to see streams, running water, lakes, and greenery again after months in Las Vegas. Saw my old friends Bill and Linda again… As Bill remarked sometimes you have friends that are so close, that even if you haven’t seen them for years it’s like you never parted.
Deep Lake
Went with Bill on a short hike to a place called Deep Lake - wow! Stunning. He uses an app called Gaia GPS. Seems really functional if you want to check it out for hiking. https://angelatravels.com/how-to-use-gaia-gps/
The next morning, up well before dawn again, and heading to Burns, Oregon. Beautiful country, but Burns is definitely rural USA. I was the only car on the road for the first 100 miles. Loved it 😊. Many people not wearing masks (because it obviously conflicts with their autonomy). Idiots! But the hotel was beautiful. Historic Central Hotel. Absolutely gorgeous rooms.
But Sunday in a small town in eastern Oregon. Not much open. Take out from McDonald’s and home to crash.
The next morning, my primary reason for stopping in Burns being to apply for a CCW permit, I was shot down by the Sheriff himself within minutes. Nothing bad though. He was a very nice man, I recognized him from the website. But in that county, they didn’t allow nonresidents to apply. It appears to vary by county within Oregon. Oregon is one of the only states that doesn’t recognize CCW permits from other states around it. That is why I decided I would do this on the way to western Oregon. My thinking was I’d rather apply in a sparsely populated, conservative part of the state rather than farther west.
I was very dispirited most of that day. A combination of back pain, fatigue from driving, rural USA, and… I really am an indoor cat. I probably would’ve still preferred to have just been at home in my little room in Las Vegas. And, in addition to that, I didn’t really have a plan as to where to go and what to do after Burns. I am not saying that people cannot change, but, I like having a plan. I like having a mission. It works better for me. However, I persevered. Calling around, I found out that the County immediately north would in fact make an appointment for me the following morning at 9 AM to let me apply for a CCW permit. [Imagine that – I just called the Sheriff’s department there and the first person to answer the phone took care of me without putting me on hold. That is the NICE thing about sparsely populated areas.] Talking with Mark yielded a pretty good game plan is to where to head next, and Canyon City, the county seat of the Sheriff’s department for Grant County, was right on the way.
So, the next morning I headed off for Canyon City. Another beautiful drive and, miracle of miracles, when I showed up at the Sheriff’s office, in 27 minutes, a lovely lady named Annamarie, took my information, $65, and immediately handed me my permit. Color me shocked. Now, granted, a CHL permit for non-resident from Oregon is only good in about five or six states, including Oregon, but it’s a start. So – Nevada – time = 120 days ; Grant County, Oregon = 27 minutes. Hmmm.
The beating heart of Canyon City, OR
Anyway, I continued on to the city of Kennewick in the southeast corner of Washington State. There was a radical terrain change as one came down to Pendleton, Oregon. Like a knife it changes from rough mountainous terrain to rolling farmland.
The original plan had been to explore southern Washington along the Columbia River following route 14, but after discussions with Mark, decided to stay south of the river on 84W.,
I ate takeout that night from a Inca-Mexican restaurant. Absolutely delicious food, but enough to feed 18 people. I was a moose ☹ … [old famelect (family dialect term) that means stuffed to the gills].
Again, bright and early the next morning, out the road. It was a boring drive up until about the point that I saw the Columbia River for the first time. Wow!
And then, once one hits The Dalles (pronounced ‘dolls’ I’m told), the terrain changes again. One can see Mount Hood in the distance (kind of looks like the Lonely Mountain from the Hobbit), and you start seeing hilly to mountainous terrain covered with pine trees on the left and the rolling Columbia River on the right. One of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever taken.
The Lonely Mountain - From Hood River
I arrived in Gresham, Oregon to explore a number of small cities in that area. Sandy, Estacada, Oregon City. I will let you know how it goes. My back has been really messed up since Burns, but it is slowly getting better.
Back got worse during the day. I went on a hike 10 minutes from the hotel. So green. Visited Oregon City – Beautiful town. So was Sandy but Sandy is a gateway to Mt. Hood and has a lot of traffic going through it. Clackamas County has beautiful road ways and scenery. Must be hard finding a house to rent though. I’ll post here and do another blog later next week.
The Coffee Rush, Oregon City - Welcome to the state :-)