ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 2

 

Monday, October 21st;                            
Before the sun actually had a chance to peek over the horizon, Kerry and I (and Rosie too) were up and packed and enjoying the complimentary breakfast being offered to us. Homemade waffles, yogurt with cereal mixed in, bananas, juice and of course coffee to go. As we hopped back onto the northbound 99 highway, with full tummies, we eagerly watched as the asphalt rolled by beneath us.

The GPS was a handy tool in helping us find all of the Costco's along the way. Whatever the local gas price was, we knew we were getting the best deal.  We also used the GPS in our daily search for Starbucks. Kerry loves her morning java.

It was just a matter of hours before we saw the turn off for San Francisco. By now the 99 had merged with highway 5, our path to the Pacific Northwest. After spending so many hours driving through pristine farm land with multi color fields as far as the eye can see, making our way through Sacramento was a wake-up call for us...yes there is civilization along the way. I preferred the cows and crops myself.

We had groceries with us so there was really no need to stop for lunch, if we didn't want to...we didn't want to. As we passed Redding, we talked about our cousins (Kerry's cousins) Adrienne and Nick who live there. If we weren't on such a tight schedule it would have been nice to drop in for a day, just to say, "Howdy" (more about Adrienne and Nick later). We also contemplated on how hot Redding can get in the summer. It is one of the few places in Northern California that actually gets hotter than Tucson. That's too hot for me.

Finally, the sign up ahead said "Welcome to Oregon" and without fanfare, we crossed that invisible line, the line that marked our progression northward.

It took about 3 hours from the time we passed Redding to reach Medford Oregon. This is where we would exit the highway and drive 15 miles or so inland, towards a sleepy little town called Eagle Point; the town where John (Kerry's brother) lives, with his wife June.

Before we got to Johns house we topped up the gas tank at the Costco we passed along the way. In Oregon, you are not allowed to pump your own gas; an attendant has to do it for you. When I fuel up on road trips, especially if the gas price is a deal, I always try to squeeze that extra dollar or two in. Yes, when the nozzle clicks off, stopping the flow of gas, I move the nozzle a bit while squeezing the trigger. I can usually get an extra couple of dollars worth into my tank. In Oregon, when the gas nozzle clicks off, the attendant replaces the gas cap, hands you a receipt and says, "Thank you very much." Why does that make me feel cheated?

We GPS'd John's address and with that we arrived at their new home. John had spent the last few years building this place. It was very beautiful, in many ways.

 

After our hugs and kisses we (me) unpacked only the basic necessities into their vacant RV. This would be our home for the night. Yes, we were only staying for one night, leaving before daybreak to continue our journey north.

We sat in the Tower room, overlooking the valley below, and enjoyed a great lasagna (made with Alpaca). After eating we were shown around the house and the grounds. Right across the street was a property for sale. John suggested that we buy it. It was a 5 acre parcel with a 2000+ sq ft manufactured home nestled on to top, with incredible views.  We told him that we didn't have much time to make such considerations, but we did think about how cool it would be to live so near to Kerry's brother.

Today we completed the 10+ hour shift behind the wheel. We needed some rest. We slept well, we slept deep, we slept dreaming, "What if?"