Oregon Road Trip
It was late one evening when Brandon called me with excitement in his voice. Before I could get a word in, he asked, "Do you want to go to Oregon?" and I laughed. I thought he was joking. With finals coming up fast in a few short weeks, I was surprised when he expressed his sincerity. Not long before, I vowed to take on any adventures that came my way, and this was no exception. I brushed it off at first but my mind was racing as I tried to figure out how I could take my classes while driving 14 hours to Oregon. What could possibly go wrong?
The trip was pushed aside as our classes ramped up. We didn't revisit the idea until 2 weeks before Thanksgiving break. With a generous spoonful of spontaneity we pulled up Google maps and planned our route. With only 5 days to complete the trip, we made some quick connections and solidified our plans. 2 days to drive up, 1 full day in Oregon, and 2 days to drive down. It was quite the ambitious plan. We set out on a Saturday for Sacramento and made record time. Tired, we fell asleep at a family friend's house and woke up the next morning to a 7.5 hour drive to Coos Bay, Oregon. As Brandon drove, I rambled on about evolutionary relationships as I studied for my finals and eventually had to stop to avoid putting him to sleep. We made our way through the rural towns and the beautiful views of Lake Shasta, convinced that we must have passed the border already given the beautiful rows of trees. Running low on gas and stamina, we stopped for gas in Weed, mostly just to look at the "I love Weed" merchandise inside the gas station.
Insistent on driving because I drive like a tortoise, Brandon drove us all the way across the Oregon border, tapping out at about 5 hours. At this point I closed my laptop and moved the driver's seat, adjusting it all the way up so that I could reach the pedals since I am far from 6'2. Cruising along, we got the full Oregon welcome as the clouds burst and gave way to rain. Having only driven the 4Runner for about an hour, we both started to question my skills as the rain came down harder and the visibility decreased. Although he was starting to get tired, we decided it was best if he finished the drive. After many hours, and many repeats of the same playlist, we finally made it to Coos Bay. Ecstatic to get out of the car, we scurried into Brandon's grandmother's house and had a quick dinner. After visiting and finishing up some school work, we went to bed and go some much needed rest for the following day's adventures.
The next day, we had a nice breakfast and headed out in the Oregon rain to explore. To make up for my limited driving the previous day, I started the drive. After passing under the red neon "NORTH BEND" sign, an impressive green metal bridge came into view through the mist. Once on the other side, I realized we were low on gas and pulled into a small gas station hidden along the tree-lined highway. Pulling up to the single pump, we waited for assistance which was quite an odd experience as a southern Californian. After a few minutes a women stepped out of the small building and made her way to my window. I quickly realized that my mask was buried in one of my bags and frantically yanked Brandon's neck gaiter over his head and put it on. I then attempted to roll down the window and failed in my frantic state, accidentally rolling down the rear window instead. Embarrassed, I finally rolled down the correct window and found the woman cracking a smile. Joking with a tinge of concern, the women asked if we had stolen the car. By this time I was blushing and assured her that it was Brandon's car and I was not used to driving it yet. Once the tank was full and we had paid, I started up the car and pulled away from the pump. Before leaving the station, I turned to Brandon who looked thoroughly concerned. "What's going on?" I ask, genuinely confused, and he replied that I didn't seem "comfortable" driving his car. Despite the fact that he was 100% correct and I was freaking out inside, I simply replied, "Well, there's only one way for me to get more comfortable". And we were off. . .
After cruising down tree lined highways and making our way over a snowy mountain pass, we decided to make our way back. As we approached Coos Bay in the dark, we passed by an elk lookout. Since there were fewer cars this time of night, the elk had made their way to the highway and were grazing right next to the road. Cautiously as to avoid hitting any of them, we watched the majestic creatures. Exhausted from a long adventure, we made it back to the house and fell asleep. In the morning, I walked into the living room and looked out the window to see a beautiful Japanese maple with orange leaves glowing in the morning light. Entranced by the magical lighting, I grabbed my boots and camera and headed outside. After snapping a few shots of the maple, I noticed the beams of light shining through the pine trees in the nearby park. Seeing a trail heading into the forest, I trudged through the mud in search of photos. I was greeted with an enchanted scene as the light refracted through the forest creating visible rays of sunshine. Having never seen such a thing, I walked down the trail to experience ever angle of the incredible light episode. After the sun had risen further, I began to look around and noticed the multitude of mushrooms all around the forest floor. After snapping a few shots, I headed back to the house.
After breakfast we walked down to the other side of the park and experienced a Japanese garden, a pond, and a wooded area full of fungi. After taking many photos, we returned to the house and packed the car. After having a delicious lunch of chili and discussing all of the adventures we could have on future trips to Oregon, we reluctantly embarked on the long drive home. Until next time Oregon!