So far the Great Photo Expedition is running smoothly. Pulled away from the curb this morning at 8:00 and made it to Roseburn OR at about 5:00 without mishaps.
I stopped for lunch at the In-and-Out Burger(the best burger chain in the country) in Redding, where i noticed for the first time that quite a few morbidly obese people seem to be extraordinarily well groomed what with immaculately trimmed beards on the men and designer hairdos on the women. I mean, what’s the point of that if you weigh 450 pounds?
North of Redding the enormity of California’s drought began to sink in. Alas, the best vistas of Shasta Lake were from the freeway with no place to pull over for a shot, but i took an exit and drove a couple of miles to get this one of an arm of the lake. Pitiful.
And here’s Mt. Shasta. It’s supposed to be snow capped.
When i got to Roseburg, i took the central exit to the old downtown district and checked in to a Rodeway Inn for $63. Wow, what a deal, but when i started Segwaying around, i saw why the price was so low. The town is crumbling into desolation. Really sad. Most of the buildings seem to be vacant.
Asked a couple of locals where i might get a small but very tasty dinner, but these folks have not partaken in the national spread of foodiness, and furthermore, the upscale place that none of ’em had actually eaten in was closed on Sundays. Luckily, as i was Segwaying around i spotted a sushi restaurant and realized that, assuming that the fish is fresh and clean (not necessarily assumptions one should leap to) not a whole lot can be done to ruin sushi, and i gorged.
Washed it down with 24 oz. of Sapporo and wobbled back to the motel quite pleasantly stuffed and drunk.
Tomorrow, it’s on to Portland, where i’ll do a few bridges before i check in to my hotel there.
4 Comments
You should consider swinging over to the Oregon coast road on the way back, Tillamook and south – good views &tc. Not a lot of the traffics, and fairly cheap rent.
I did the Oregon coast road all the way from California to Washington three years ago on my first failed attempt to get to Vancouver and found it utterly lovely. On this trip i seem to be conserving my energy and remembered to bring my passport, so i might very well get to Vancouver this time. Did five more bridges today, so i can bag the remainder tomorrow and then set out the following day for Mt. St. Helens if all continues to go well.
I’ve never been on this northbound drive and now feel a little sad, I wonder if I may ever see a snow-topped Shasta in summertime. I’ll try to hit Roseburg on a Saturday, so I can try that fancy upscale place that’s closed on Sundays.
It’s really sad to see Mt. Shasta snowless in August, and the half-empty lake is just as sad. From my general impression of Roseburg, i’d be a bit leery of what they call a fancy, upscale place.