Lincoln City to Roseburg

Posted on September 24, 2022 by TheJessicaness

Caleb gets up before 5am, as is his habit, and that wakes Ed up, who turns on all the lights. The guys repack the bags, and I will get a snack and some coffee while they look at bike stuff. Caleb and I walk to Circle K to get some drinks for the road. (More places should have refillable water bottle stations.) I mention the bird of paradise tattoo on Teresa’s chest and learn that our cashier just spent the last year near Glacier National Park with her wife and two dogs that are over 100 pounds each. After this year, she wants to go to Vegas, but her wife wants to move to Canada.

I was ready to eat an hour ago, as always seems to be the case, but the guys aren’t in a rush. They prefer to load the bikes with bags that we can’t leave unattended, vs going to breakfast and returning to the room to worry about it. While I wait, I think about how I should’ve grabbed a protein drink and a sandwich from the gas station. We return north to Wecoma Beach for breakfast at Pig N’ Pancake, and on our next potty break, the guys use the outside while I get the bathroom key. I thought they weren’t in a hurry, but I’ve seen some public restrooms in my day, and people can be nasty.

Instead of continuing south, we will detour inland through the Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor to Timber Town Harley in Salem because Ed’s bike needs a water pump (or his engine could fail). It’s here that we find out we’ve got to go to their Paradise shop near Portland, which is another 45 minutes north, to get the necessary parts or spend a day or two here waiting for it to arrive. An estimated 2-3 hour job turns into four upon arrival, but it will be a seven-hour fix. I’m upset that we’ll lose our $100+ room reservation in Arcata, while Ed is more concerned with the $120/hour labor fees (rightfully so).

Caleb and I walk to 7-Eleven for drinks. I try the Puddle Jumper (notes of chocolate, vanilla, and lemon) coffee and quickly exchange it for a mocha that doesn’t taste as bad to go with our king-size Snickers for lunch. Upon return, we move from the sun-covered bench (still need our vitamin D) to a cooler seat inside. We get to watch a fire extinguisher be used on a car engine, and then stare at a motorcycle as it gets rinsed and blow-dried. I should’ve taken pictures of our afternoon entertainment, but we kept hoping the most recent half hour would be our last.

We were all itching to get back on the road, so Caleb and I went for another walk, and he reminded me of the trip I took where I was being followed by a creeper (in Kentucky or Tennessee) until he realized I was going to the police station (thank you, TomTom GPS). We’ll ride at 65mph (the fastest yet) all the way to Roseburg so that we’re only four hours away from our planned stop. We should’ve brought books, but none of us planned on a day like this. We check-in and Ed’s age qualifies us for a discount. I don’t know whose birthday it was, but I enjoyed a piece of their cake before going to bed later than yesterday.

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Oak Harbor to Lincoln City

Posted on September 23, 2022 by TheJessicaness

Port Townsend Bay

Caleb gets up at 5am because he hears Ed moving around. We had agreed last night to take an early ferry and bypass Seattle and start south on Hwy 101. Caleb comes back in fifteen minutes later, turns on the light, and then leaves me in the dark. When he comes back and grabs everything, but my shirt, I figure it’s time to get up and partake in the guys’ excitement by standing around sleepily. Ed hands me a pair of chaps, thinking they’re Lorraine’s (that I’m buying), and we both have a laugh when we realize they’re his.

The guys have the bags strapped (so nothing flies out or off), we’re wearing all the safety gear, and the windshield towels are put near the handlebars for wiping bugs or a wet seat. We leave the house, after saying bye to Lorraine, and get to the first light where we get separated. Caleb stopped because he said his glasses were fogging up. The guys can talk through their headsets, but all I see are the missed calls on both phones, and I try to connect my speaker three times with no luck. I turn it off until we can deal with it later, and so that we have less to charge tonight.

While we’re waiting at Keystone Ferry Landing, I’ll have a granola bar, which improves my demeanor. Being on the water always helps, too. I take the warming liner out of the heavy pants as the day starts to warm. We park the bikes in front of the Chimacum (a Native American tribe) Cafe, and put the jackets in the booth next to me. I’ll order the meal that comes with cottage cheese and tomato, as it reminds me of breakfast with Dad and Caroline at the Wagon Wheel in Cave Creek, AZ.

Astoria-Megler Bridge

We stop in Montesano for gas and candy, and my pants liner is lost out of an open saddle bag about ten miles from the Oregon border. We sit in traffic in Astoria, and our planned stops, still over one and a half hours away, might be taken off the itinerary (that I can’t find). Caleb gets to pump gas in Tillamook (because of Covid) and drops his bike. Caleb realizes how tired he is and how exhausting it can be to keep a 700+ pound bike upright for a full day’s driving, and we’re not done yet. He’ll drop it again when we get to the Air Museum.

Ed will stay outside the hangar and keep an eye on the bikes since he’s already been inside, which held more than I was expecting. We saw the familiar patches, war paraphernalia (postcards, base passes, and shower shoes turned into a letter), and cockpits you can sit in. There is an exhibit of model boats and small planes, a wall of full-size tractors, and a room of single and two-seater planes. As with any WWII history, there are stories of the Holocaust, these from children who changed their names, religions, and addresses in an attempt to avoid the extermination camps. Well, that’s depressing.

The museum continues outside with an aircraft that was modified from a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser that was given to Pan-Am Airways and renamed the Mini-Guppy. The airlines went under in 1991 after a bombing over Scotland in 1988 took 270 lives, and then the Persian Gulf War forced them into bankruptcy. There’s a photo of pieces of a blimp being loaded inside the Mini-Guppy in 1972. It’s large enough to haul wrecked aircraft and was used to transport helicopters for firefighting efforts, and was retired in 1995. It was featured in the film “Universal Soldier!” and had the Dandy Warhols use it as a concert stage.

Ed helps a guy put air in his motorcycle tire so he can continue towards Santa Monica. Our destination for the evening will be Lincoln City. We lug all the bags to the room because they seem heavier after a long day in the saddle. We walk to Figaro’s Pizza to pick up food and to Safeway for drinks. I’m starving, of course, so I’ll eat what I can while they shower. I’m ready for bed before the guys, which isn’t usually the case, but they are wired from their first ride across state lines.

My ass is sore from being stuck in a single position for ninety percent of the day. My brain case is aching from having an extra-small helmet shoved on my large noggin, but I’m not going to buy a new helmet just yet. I close my eyes and think about the noise, brightness, and warmth keeping me from sleep. I debate napping on the bike or attempting to go to bed earlier tomorrow, but I can be tired for a few days as I’m not driving.

Posted in Animals, Family, Food, History, Media, Military, Motorcycle, Travel, Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How Did We Get Here?

Posted on September 22, 2022 by TheJessicaness

September is a busy month for us. We just got back to Imperial Beach from our trip to Guam (business and pleasure), we’re getting things in order, to move the furthest from a military base (we’re not in a roommate age), ever, and then we’re taking our first motorcycle road trip with Uncle Ed as a way to acquire his Softail Cross Bones that he doesn’t want to ride anymore. We try the new Pizza Port location and watch the sunset.

Lakeside Imperial Beach

still moving in

We sign the lease for Lakeside, and I pay the deposit, change our address, set up electric, upload proof of insurance, schedule movers, and take a load of boxes to the storage unit (where most of our stuff is because we didn’t have room for it in our friend’s place — we appreciate the discount rent). I’m moving boxes to save money because we’ve never had to pay for movers, and I want to save them time and stairs that they will charge for. Then I can pack the car full to drop off after the walk-through tomorrow.

Lindo Lake

Caleb walks me to the beach for coffee before he leaves for work, since he has to stay late for Chief season as he takes two weeks off soon. Sometimes we live such a romantic life, and I’m here for it. I’ll go to my optometrist for an Optomap retinal exam (without dilating drops) that detects eye diseases and systemic conditions. I’m glad to know that my young eyes were just lacking exams altogether, as this technology was developed in the 90s. The doctor I see most is my dentist.

airplane views

I meet with our property manager, Shannon, on Wednesday. Caleb gets home an hour before the movers arrive, and they’re on the clock until 6pm, minus a long lunch break. Anyway, we helped move stuff too, or it would’ve taken two days, even though it feels like that’s what we paid for. We drive back to the old place for our food and kitchen appliances, unpack for two hours, and then enjoy a short bath. I’ll go back the next day to pick up my bicycle (that was in our friend’s garage) and then clean the floor as I would when moving out of anywhere else.

Oak Harbor

I don’t usually write about oil changes, but my notes for this… the oil light comes on, even though we’ve put more oil in (this turns out to be a recall issue that we get fixed). At the shop, one guy likes that I have Classical music on the radio, a tonic water bottle in the cup holder, and my bike in the back. The other guy opens my door for me, and loves that the cameras offer full surround footage. We still have so many boxes, but it’s nice to see our things after so many years.

Caleb on a motorcycle

I’ll go for a walk through the neighborhood, start a new donate pile (it seems to be a constant in our house), and Caleb finds room for his garage things in the dining room, living room, and spare bedroom. We’ve got to get it semi-liveable in here, as we will have our first guest when Uncle Ed stays with us before he rides back home to Washington.

burrito from El Cazador

Caleb lands in Denver as I’m eating breakfast on his way to Montana to deal with paperwork that he’s mailed twice in an attempt to get this done before our ride. I will walk around Lindo Lake and look at birds while he deals with the drama that is his dad. I fly out two days later to meet Caleb in Seattle. I get to walk through the metal detector because of the line, which is rare these days unless you’re a child or in a wheelchair. On the plane, I turn my long sleeves into a scarf, put my hair up, and take off my boots to help me cool down on this overly warm flight.

I’m sitting here, smiling, thinking about the sandwich that Caleb will get me when he lands first and how much I love him. I’m not sure what he has to choose from, though. This message, “Due to normal aircraft movement, channel is temporarily unavailable,” pops up on my screen. Luckily, it was just a temporary loss of GPS, as this usually occurs in flight simulators, so I’m sure the pilots were prepared. I wait on the tarmac while Caleb is at my gate with either sandwiches or a shitty turkey wrap (it’s happened before).

Washington

We wait an hour and a half for the shuttle that will take almost three hours to get us to Oak Harbor with a twenty-minute ferry ride. In the morning, I’ll have coffee with Ed and Lorraine. Caleb will join us for breakfast. We’re off to the bank for funds and then the motorcycle store for a fancy brain-protecting case for Caleb with a Bluetooth system, so we can talk or listen to music while we ride, which the guys can’t get to connect after an hour. I’ll buy Lorraine’s helmet, jacket, chaps, and gloves. We take a 40-mile ride with me on the back of Ed’s bike, and Caleb does great.

The guys continue to work on comms, and then we’ll go to dinner with Aunt Jamie and Kevin at El Cazador. Up early again, treated to a breakfast of eggs with onion and tomato, buttered toast, and coffee with chocolate creamer (and bacon for those interested), and on the bike to ride along the Skagit River and Sauk River with lunch at Burger Barn. When we get home, it’s time to wash butts and gear as we will ride to the Keystone Ferry Landing under the cover of tomorrow morning’s darkness.

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The Return to California

Posted on September 10, 2022 by TheJessicaness

Caleb drops me off at the Guam Airport, and we agree to meet on the other side of customs after he returns the rental and makes sure all his employees are on their first flight home. We have an on-time departure and nap our way to Hawaii. I get pulled aside for a random check, and the agent is more interested in asking questions than looking through my bag. A guy switches seats with Caleb on our second flight, and luckily, Caleb is up to hear the guy trying to get us to buy him wine because the attendants charge the card on file with the seat number.

Caleb’s legs after diving

We get a proper breakfast in San Francisco, fly to San Diego, and get an Uber home. We walk to the beach and see a car event. We walk to Grocery Outlet for laundry soap and need more quarters because the laundromat is charging for drying again. We put away clothes, go look at an available apartment away from our current situation, and upon return, can relax with both families, full of kids, gone for a while. I make us dinner, sweep, and wash dishes — all the chores that make traveling more enjoyable.

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We Didn’t Summit Lam Lam

Posted on September 8, 2022 by TheJessicaness

The morning sky is dark and cloudy. We debate whether to snorkel, because if we do, we will have to dry our suits on base, so that we don’t pack a mildewy possibility for the return stateside tomorrow. We’ll enjoy breakfast at Linda’s while it rains. Once that’s done, we drive to the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor’s Complex and learn about the Lone Sailor, who represents a seasoned petty officer. The original has stood in DC since 1987, and this seven-foot guy was unveiled in 2018 by the efforts of the Vietnamese-American community. Guam was known as the “Ellis Island of the Pacific” for sheltering refugees en route to safety.

Even taller is the roughly 80-foot Latte (stone pillar with cup-shaped capstone) of Freedom, which serves as the “Statue of Liberty of the Pacific.” The governor, in commemoration of America’s 200th birthday, asked school children to donate money to build this large beacon, and they raised thousands. This is similar to the fundraising that took place in France for the building of Lady Liberty and in America in the 1880s for her pedestal. A restoration campaign for her 100th birthday brought in $225,000 for repairs. This is not just an early example of the power of crowdfunding, but a continuing show of support by ordinary citizens in what these monuments represent.

I’m sure on the top of my list of things to do in Guam was to hike to its tallest point, Mount Lam Lam, at 1,332 ft. The distance from the Mariana Trench to the top makes it the tallest mountain in the world. We underestimated how steep the climb would be in the few miles and hadn’t planned on going after rain, which makes it more slippery. The panoramic views from the height we reached were amazing, but we had yet to reach the bushwhacking and the pink ribbon portion of the trail before the heat, humidity, and use of a muddy rope made us turn around. We had to laugh that someone thought this was moderate, but perhaps when they were here, it was.

Caleb says his body is now 50% water after all that sweaty exertion, and he shall soon perish if we don’t find some rehydrating beverages. We’re in luck, as just across the street from the Inarajan Natural Pool (currently closed but still pretty) is the Inarajan Market. We try to hike at Talofofo Caves, but it’s muddier and more slippery than the mountain, so we turn back, again. We backtrack to visit Talofofo Falls Park and Yokoi Cave, where the Japanese soldier hid for 28 years until being found in 1972. The entrance feels like an abandoned theme park, the only one to offer an adults-only area, and to have multiple warnings about pigs, with no sightings.

We take the cable car to the first waterfall and then across the suspension bridge to the History Museum. It’s a short hike to the hole in the ground (believed to be a replica) where the soldier lived for nearly three decades. He returned home to gifts, a pension, his pre-war sweetheart, and media attention. He became an author and found modern Japan overwhelming, so he would return frequently with his wife to Guam and advocate for self-sufficiency and austere living. It’s no wonder I didn’t last in the military. I would have been walking the villages looking for food and friends.

We see Falls #2 and then take the cable car back. We visit the Ghost House and have more fun with the blacklight than the old movie props, though perhaps some of those bones were real. It would be a great place to hide the evidence. Only those 19 years and older may enter Love Land, the garden of sexy statues. When I have a backyard again, I shall have one of these commissioned, by me, because I can’t afford an artist’s price. We stop at Fort Nuestra de la Soledad, where I visited three days ago, so we can take in the views together, along with a family in matching Frenchie shirts.

A short stop at the Umatac Bridge before the 30-minute drive to Fort Santa Agueda, another of the five remaining Spanish forts. The Americans used it as a signal station until it was turned into a naval government park in 1933. The Japanese used the strategic site during WWII. The area is now owned by the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, allowing visitors to view the village of Hagåtña, the Philippine Sea, and the sheer northern cliff lines of Oka Point. Half a mile walk away is the Latte Stone Park, where eight historical lattes were relocated from Fena (where the largest reservoir is). They were set aside to make room for an ammunition depot.

The park also contains two fallout shelters constructed by the Japanese, and inside one is a set of eight rules written on cardboard, a new religion in the making. We find the little Statue of Liberty, the original was a replica of copper about a quarter height of the one in NYC, donated in 1951 as part of the Boy Scouts’ 40th anniversary. It was replaced with marble after being vandalized in 1990, so she could return to the Paseo and continue looking out over Agana Bay. We stop at the gas station for drinks and have dinner on the balcony. I tried marlin the other night (the steak of fish) and forgot to try breadfruit (it’s sticky on the forest floor). We discuss months and politics as they come up in SPQR by Mary Beard.

Posted in Books, Food, Forts, Hiking, History, Military, People, Travel, Water | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment