"FIVE SLEEP"

I can barely remember my last week in Oregon. It was such a blur. Halloween was interesting. Went to Ashland and experienced Halloween like I never have before. There were people every where and you looked odd if you did not have on a costume. Don't worry, I sported a Richard Simmons outfit and we dressed up my new friend "Erica" (aka Eric) as one of my fat, supportive fans. We had a great time, but I really didn't enjoy it to the fullest because I had packing and finishing my last week of work on my mind. It seems as if seven months just flew by. I had a blast in Oregon and wonder if I will ever have another assignment like it. While I was excited about seeing my family, I was so sad to leave such great new friends and a west coast lifestyle I had grown accustomed to. The thought of making that 3,000 mile drive back home was not as exciting as it seemed back in April when I drove to Oregon. However, that soon changed. With little convincing, I had my dad on a flight to Oregon and travel buddy to explore the northern route. We were going see areas that I had never seen before and I was going to get to spend some quality time with my dad. It took us six days and "five sleep" to drive from Oregon to Mississippi. The following is a day by day journal of our travels. I will warn you...it is long and probably won't be half as interesting to you as it was to the both of us. If you choose to continue, enjoy! Otherwise, just enjoy the pictures.


Saturday Novemeber 3, 2007
DAY ONE:
Drove out of Medford, Oregon at 7am. It was still dark. Glancing down at my mileage gage reminded me we were only 10 miles into our 3,000 mile journey. Dad and I had mapped out our first leg of the trip...our destination Boise, Idaho (pronounced Boy-see not Boy-zee). I was a little apprehensive about traveling through the mountains due to the fact that everyone at work kept asking me, "Do you have chains for your tires?" It did not ease my mind that we kept passing signs stating, "Snow area-Chains or Snow Tires Required." I watched the temperature slowly drop as we climbed up higher in elevation. Luckily the sun was shining and the roads were pretty much clear. As we drove along the Rogue River I recalled all of the great times I had on that river and in Southern Oregon. It truly was a beautiful place. Imagine my surprise when we made it to Bend, Oregon and started heading eastward...desert. Ugly, boring desert. Lots of vegetation for miles and miles resembled yellow heads of cauliflower to me. Finally, as we got closer to Idaho the scenery changed. Oregon was once beautiful again but not with rolling hills covered with trees. We saw beautiful colors layered in the rocks and plateaus and the small canyons. Beautiful. The land eventually flattened again and farmland emerged. Idaho at last. I could check another state off my list. Riding with my very agriculture minded father I learned that some sugar is made from sugar beets as we passed a large truck loaded with sugar beets. Also learned that Idaho/Oregon produce a large number of onions. Day one is complete. 497 miles traveled.

Sunday, November 4, 2007
DAY TWO:
Goal today-reach Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Back on the road early again. Saw the sun rise in the hills. I was beginning to think that Idaho was going to be nothing but plowed fields with irrigation systems and hay bales. But then we took the "Thousand Springs Scenic Route" and there was the Snake River. It does just as its name states...snakes around. There were lava rocks everywhere. We also found out why it is called the Thousand Springs Route. Along the cliffs that formed the canyon which the river ran through were random water falls. Some in the middle, some at the top, some at the bottom. The most spectacular of them all required a little off-roading. Shoshone Falls. Wow. What a beautiful sight. The sun was shining and formed a perfect rainbow across the falls. Back on the interstate the scenery began to change once again and snow-capped mountains came into view. We were nearing Wyoming. Those had to be the Tetons. No, not quite but getting closer. I noticed my my car having to work harder and realized we were climbing. We first drove over Pine Creek Pass. "Entering Wyoming." Another state checked off. Now these were mountains. We then took the Teton Scenic Route. Wow. "That's beautiful" is all I could say. A few more mountains to pass and then there we were. Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Not the bustling resort town that it probably is during the ski season but still a good amount of people out wandering around. Dad and I decided to do the same after a long ride. We walked through the town square and visited a few shops. Checked on the real estate. I think it is safe to say that I will not be purchasing a 5 million dollar home anytime soon. We also checked out the visitor center and the Elk Preserve. There were probably a couple hundred elk out in the field. According to the statistics at the center, approximately 7,000 elk will come to the valley by January. I bet that is a site to see. Dinner and to bed. Stayed at a little place called The Painted Buffalo. Made me want to see some bison. 418 miles traveled.

Monday, November 5, 2007
DAY THREE:
My car says 20 degrees. It is Cold! Goal today-Rapid City, South Dakota. Left Jackson Hole heading toward Yellowstone. Around the corner and vavoom. Now those are the Tetons. The sun was rising and providing a spotlight for the snow-covered, jagged peaks. It seemed that no matter how far we drove from the Tetons, they were always there. (Side note-not able to go to Yellowstone. Closed all entrances except the northeast route yesterday. Just a day or two short.) The Tetons eventually did disappear as we climbed higher and higher and more and more snow appeared. We entered the Teton National Forest. Mountains, trees, snow. White fields with animal tracks everywhere. Small tracks and large tracks. What could they be? We got our answer. Found two moose beside the road (the large tracks). Dad wouldn't let me get to close to them. Drove a little farther and saw a red fox out in the middle of a snow covered field (the small tracks). He never noticed us and trotted along. Made dad get out of the car and play in the snow. He was very excited to see the Extension project and the boardwalk near us. This was great. I loved every minute of it. With views like this, I could drive all day. We eventually came down out of the mountains and found red rock hills and plateaus. What a transition. A friendly man at the service station in Dubois, Wyoming, highlighted my map with suggestions for a scenic route. We drove through Wind Canyon and I think my mouth was open wide the whole time. We went through tunnels and watched the train tracks on the other side of the canyon disappear in the mountain and reappear again. This drive keeps getting better and better. We drove through Thermopolis, Wyoming and saw the "world's largest hot springs." We stopped in Ten Sleep, Wyoming for a break and saw a sign answering our question, "how did it get its name?" The Indians had no method for calculating miles. So instead, they measured their journey by how many times they stopped to sleep. Thus, Ten Sleep was named. One more mountain pass to cover. The Big Horns. Unfortunately, we did not get to view the highest point of the Big Horns. Once we reached the top, we were in the clouds. The temp dropped quickly and the trees were frozen. Uh-oh. Did we need those chains now? We inched along, the clouds broke, and the sun started shining. Alpines that looked like flocked Christmas trees lined the road. Ice covered lakes with the clouds above glistened in the sun. Time again for a change of scenery. Mountains turned into prairies. We say deer and antelope everywhere. We frequently passed large flashing signs stating "Stay alert and watch for deer." Even saw a few buffalo. Crossed into South Dakota. Yet another state to check off. 571 miles traveled.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007
DAY FOUR:
Chilly! 10 degrees. Goal today-Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Before reaching our destination we had some things to see. Mt. Rushmore being one of those. I had only seen the four famous guys in pictures. Walking up to the monument through the avenue of flags, I began to realize magnitude of these sculptures and the skill it took to create them. With not a cloud in the sky, the sun was shining on Mt. Rushmore with a brilliant blue sky as a backdrop. This was of course how the sculpture intended it to be. Dad and I just sat there and stared in amazement. Well enough looking at four dead presidents. We drove through the Black Hills National Forest across the pig tail bridges and through one-way tunnels that required honking to alert oncoming traffic. I am so glad we chose to make this drive. Again, just beautiful. We eventually made it to Custer State Park which has a buffalo preserve. I was going to get to see buffalo. What I didn't realize was how up close and personal we were going to be. They ruled the road and you yielded to them. Signs stated, "buffalo are dangerous, do not approach" and I began to wonder if I was going to leave with some dents in my car. Luckily, they minded their own business. We also saw a few mountain goats. I was very content with what we had seen already but there was more to come. On our way to the Badlands, we passed about 25 miles of entertaining signs for Wall Drug. They guaranteed 6 ft tall rabbits, dinosaurs, 5 cent coffee, western wear, etc. We were both intrigued so we stopped. The signs ended up being more entertaining but I guess they worked. We stopped. The Badlands were impressive but not overly exciting. I enjoyed the many prairie dogs and their mounds along the way. One more thing to see before we reached Sioux Falls...the Corn Palace! Mitchell, South Dakota has a "palace" which is just a building but very interesting. The building is covered with murals made out of corn cobs, grains, seeds, etc. Worth the stop. 454 miles traveled.

Wednesday, November 7. 2007
DAY FIVE:
Not as cold today. Goal-St. Louis Missouri. Our hotel was off of 29 south. We figured since we were already headed south, why not continue. No sight-seeing to see today. Just driving. Iowa has to be one of the most boring states that I have ever driven through. Corn, tractors, fields, silos....the scenery never changed. We just drove and drove and drove. Finally, Missouri and then St. Louis! Whew, I need some sleep. 612 miles traveled.

Thursday, November 8, 2007
DAY SIX:
It's getting warmer. Goal-Prentiss Mississippi. Reserved a cheap room, with a hot meal and turn down service for the night. Mom even agreed to leave chocolates on my pillow. We started off the day with a walk on the river front to view the Gateway Arch. The sun was glistening off the silver arches. The trees lining the walk way still displayed the fall colors and the mighty Mississippi flowed to the left of us. We were not far from home. Crossed into Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. Considered stopping by Graceland. Quickly forgot about that as we crossed into Mississippi. The last leg of the trip. Six days, five nights, and nine states later, we arrived. Dad turned out to be a great travel buddy and I learned things about him that I never knew before. I can now identify rice and alfalfa and know more about hay than I ever thought I would. I am grateful for the experience that we had, safe travels, and most of all, home!

Flying Fish, Fresh Cut Flowers, and a Space Needle

Okay, business first. I have a little over a week and a half left here in Oregon and I am anticipating my return home. I will be heading to New Bern, North Carolina for my next assignment. It's not as close to home as I would have like to have been, but at least it is on the same coast.

Now on to the fun stuff. In my quest to see every state in the US, I knew that I was too close to Washington to not take the opportunity to visit. Even thought it is only about an 8 hour drive, I chose to fly...I will reserve the driving for the 3,000 miles it will take to get back home. Seattle was just as I had imagined it from the movies and pictures that I have seen...wet, rainy, windy, with the sun breaking through the clouds occasionally. My overall impression of Seattle: beautiful and charming with a bunch of grumpy people. Not that everyone was this way, but it seemed the majority of people that I passed all had sour looks on their faces. Is it the rain and climate? Maybe. One place though, that seemed to have happy people was Pike Place Market. Immediately you see beautiful, over-sized flower arrangements being diligently made by the SE Asian Hmong women. Walk a little farther and mounds of colorful fruits and veggies abound. Vendors were every where displaying their crafts. The main attraction though, was the entertaining fishmongers at Pike Fish Market hurling fish high over customers to the countertops to be weighed and wrapped for travel. Much to my dismay, you had to purchase a fish to be able to catch it. Honestly, I didn't want to bother with flying back with a large fish that I wouldn't know how to cook. I was also disappointed to learn that I would not see a geoduck in person (you will have to look this up yourself). Anyway, did get to see some flying fish and purchase some smoked salmon. I can't leave out the gum wall. It is located in an alley near the market. You guessed it...already chewed gum stuck to the side of a wall. Quite interesting. Across from Pike Place Market was the original Starbucks' which started back in 1971. Not a big thrill for me. Being as Seattle is known for its coffee, I made it my mission to sample all the local brands. My winner- Tully's. What it lacked in atmosphere, it made up in flavor. I think I stayed jacked up on caffeine all weekend long.

The view from the hotel was spacey. Seattle's architectural icon, the Space Needle, was framed perfectly by the window and was a short walk away. At about 600 ft, the ride up the vintage, external elevators to the top was enjoyable, but the 360 degree panoramic view while dining at the revolving Space City restaraunt was awesome. I quickly got over my motion sickness and enjoy the great food. Another great view of the city was from the top of the Smith's Tower, built in 1914. It was once the tallest building west of New York. The history of this building is fascinating, especially the Chinese Room with its antique carvings and inlaid porcelain ceiling.

One final point of interest and probably my favorite of the whole trip was the Hiram C. Chittenden Locks and the adjacent salmon ladders. The Locks are like the Panama Canal but on a much smaller scale. I still marveled at the engineering it took to raise and lower the ships and boats allowing them to pass. The salmon ladder was equally exciting. You could go below and actually view the salmon jumping and moving upstream through the large glass windows. I found myself cheering for the little guys (and extremely large guys). "Go, go, swim, swim!"

Although a cab would have seemed like the sensible option for maneuvering around the city, I got plenty of exercise by exploring on foot. I am glad I did though because I really got a flavor for the city and its many different areas. From Freemont with its trendy and artsy boutiques and restaurants, to Queen Anne with its elaborate houses on the hill; From Ballard with its enduring charm and small town feel , to Downtown with its business district and what seemed like a large homeless population; From Lake Union with its boat houses and Center for Wooden Boats, to Pioneer Square and its underground city, I was satisfied that I had seen most of Seattle and had done this in only 2 days.

Boot Camp, Chemistry, and Hiking

Started off the weekend with a little bowling with friends. Not being the best bowler in the world, I finally broke 100 and was satisfied. Perhaps I was more concerned about the young mom who was bowling with her premature infant. Yep, baby in one arm, bowling with the other. Don't worry, she took an occasional cigarette break and sang a few karaoke songs...rednecks do exist every where.


Saturday started off in a fog. Literally, there were fog clouds hanging low in the sky of the Applegate Valley. This did not deter me from Harvest Boot Camp though and the clouds would soon clear. Now I am sure that you are wondering, "what is harvest boot camp?" To be honest, I didn't really know what I had signed up for. All I knew was that I was suppose to wear something that I did not mind getting dirty. Hum? I was glad to find out there was no drill sergeant, no cadences or no push-ups. Just Chris, the owner, there to welcome us. I was given a pair of shears, a few five gallon buckets and sent out into the vineyard with "master picker" Dustin to remove the bunches of grapes from the young Cabernet Sauvignon vines. I would take clipping grapes from vines over picking tomatoes any day...sorry Dad. Thank goodness I was able to go at a leisurely rate. If I were on the clock, I would have been expected to pick 1 ton of grapes by the end of the day (that's one person). It was quite pleasant and relaxing clipping the clusters of grapes, and I soon forgot about the propane cannon that blasted frequently to scare the birds away.


Next we went back up to the processing area and removed the MOG (material other than grapes) as the "fruits of my labored" passed before me on the conveyor belt. The pressure was on. Not only because the belt was moving so quickly, but if the small green grapes (immature grapes) and jacks (AKA stems) were not removed, they could completely alter the taste of the wine. I could not be responsible for botching a batch. Next, I was able to spend some time with Herb, the "winemaker" for a little chemistry 101. He removed samples from the large vats and taught me how to measure the sugar, temperature and describe the taste sensation I was experiencing. This is logged daily and alterations are made as needed to achieve the final product. I soon realized, that Herb was the genius behind a good bottle wine. The day ended with a little wine tasting and lunch outside with all the staff and fellow boot campers. What an amazing day. I received a certificate and t-shirt for my efforts and a greater appreciation for a good bottle of wine. In 2 years or more, I will be long gone from southern Oregon, but the grapes that I helped pick will be bottled and ready to consume. I will be on the look out for Troon's Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

Ended the day with a sunset hike up to Lower Table Rock. What an amazing view of the Valley and what a great way to end a perfect day. Don't worry mom, I went with someone this time.

Sunday was a lazy day to begin with. It was beautiful. Played a tiring game of tennis, rested on a blanket in the park, and finished the day off with a little tossing of the Frisbee. Can't wait for next weekend. Flying to Seattle. Hopefully, I will have some great pictures and fun stories to share.

Purging, Painting and Productivity

While my past weekend was uneventful, it was productive. I have begun the count down and thus the purging process has been initiated. The goal-it will all fit into the trunk. Finished a book, completed a few errands, and tried to figure out how to work my new camera. I see a photography class in my future. I also drove to Grants Pass and went to the street painting festival. They blocked off a whole street and local artists from the area, on hand and knees, created these amazing paintings from chalk on the black asphalt. They also had a section for kids to create their own paintings. Grants Pass' downtown is very historical and lined with cute little shops, restaurants and pubs. I took a back road home and enjoyed the view of the Applegate Valley with kaleidoscope of colors emerging from the side of the mountains. Fall is really beautiful here.

Still hoping for an assignment close to home but not ruling out other possibilities. Have a few fun things planned before I head home. Going to a vineyard to help harvest grapes this weekend. I know...a little crazy. I am volunteering for manual labor. Should be a fun experience though. Also have a trip to Seattle planned. I figure I am this close, I should go visit. Hope to catch a fish at Pike's Market. Hope you are all doing well. Looking forward to visiting soon.