10 Questions About…

Day one of the road trip. Our plan is to get to Las Vegas by noon on Friday. Today our first stop was Eugene OR. We checked out the Skinner Butte Mountain. Beautiful views. Lots of local taking in the sights with friends enjoying recreational drugs. We also checked out a local secondhand arts shop. Some interesting art and Lily got some markers.

Then we made the quick drive to Springfield to see The Simpson’s murals. We arrived 20 minutes after the art center closed but the workers, standing on the wrong side of a locked door, invited us in to take a picture on the Simpson’s couch and gave us a flier with a map to the murals. Very nice of them! We found what we could and celebrated with some pizza. Also – a nod to the local Springfield newspaper and their listing of activist events and alerts. (I’ve added some non-Simpson art too.)

Each road trip, especially a family road trip, involves a moment or two of serious discomfort. Lily and I nailed it Tuesday night. It was a long day of driving, up and down the hills and mountains of Oregon. (To be fair it was gorgeous – as the pictures below will attest.) We finally pulled up to our bed and breakfast in Dorris, California – just over the border from Oregon. It’s a very rural town. It’s fine but not really what we expected. The owner and her son are very nice. But there’s not much around.

It was 8:30. By the time we figured out the key to the room (still not really working – and NOT user error) everything in town was closed. We had pizza five hours earlier but nothing before or after. So, we drove to the closest bar about 15 miles away. It’s desert dark with roads like you find going to your friend’s Wisconsin cabin – windy and not well marked. We can’t see the evaluation. I’m driving and driving is something I hate.

Someone driving in front of us pulls over, so we pass them. Then they start following us – right to the bar. (Lily figures they pulled over worrying that we might be a cop and they were in no condition to drive.) There are maybe 10 people there. Bar closes at 10pm and a few folks have already been cut off. Pick-ups parked out front with bumper stickers that don’t match our ethos. I’m having a Diet Pepsi (naturally no Diet Coke) because I have to drive back on the treacherous road in the ditch dark. They have no food. Owner was friendly. One of the 86’ed guys is asking Lily all about her journal. She’s having a Coors Light. The kitchen is not open.

Thankfully, we could get two off sale Coors Lights. Unfortunately, the bag of chips was $3 so we only got one. We had $6 but it’s the principle. We drive back to the B&B. A rabbit runs in front of us. But I miss it. Lily is feeling bad because she has selected the location. I am only anxious about driving, which can present as angry.

We get back safely. Sit on the front stoop with our two beers and just laugh. We’re thinking maybe a casino room tomorrow in Reno!