Running Away to California part 3

We completed our completed our continental breakfast (read: toast and waffles) and were on the road to drive the 14 miles south to the Trees of Mystery

And just as we off we determine we just have to stop at the beach right now. Cue abrupt and surprising stop in gravel. 

Then my genius idea to protect Tabatha's new foot tattoo was to give her a piggy back ride, which would have been fine except the hill gave me a bit of momentum I didn't need and all of a sudden I couldn't slow down to avoid running into Jordan and Tabatha and I were in the sand tattoo and all. Yeah. It was a mess. So we proceeded to the beach, and about halfway down decided that I probably needed new shoes anyway. At the beach we found sand dollars and took pictures. Then we were actually off to see the trees of mystery. 

The trees of mystery was awesome. Tabatha contemplated her wedding at the chapel trees (for the record she isn't engaged, which made the conversation all the more interesting) I personally really like the sky trail box floating things (look at the website I can't describe them) but Tabatha and Jordan were more wary of the getting on and off process and the heights. 

Now we are on the road for the last time.

We determined that the way we took 199 was best. In the dark on the way south and in the light on the way north because of the placement of the rock wall versus the cliff on their respective sides of the road and what we did and didn't want to be aware of while we were driving. 

We did enjoy seeing guys at the welcome to Oregon sign acting the same way we did at the welcome to California sign. 

By Grants Pass we were huuuunnnnggggrrrryyyy so we stopped at the Wild River Pizza and brewing company and had some darn good pizza. 

I think we have finally hit our last leg. We are enjoying the sunshine, windows down and some loud music (P!nk circa middle school if you are tracking our playlist)

Doubled over laughing in the backseat from Tabatha yelling at Jordan's boyfriend on the phone "I stopped your girlfriend from picking up multiple hitchhiker a so don't call me an instigator"

Stopped in Winston for gas and switched CDs (Good Charlotte the young and the hopeless) can you say homestretch? (At least we hope so)

Cue impromptu Dutch Brothers stop. 

"Would it make you feel better if I picked up this hitch hiker?" 

"Yes! But you're passing him and he has a guitar, he is your alma mater"

"Do you know what alma mater means?"

"Yes"

"Did you mean kindred spirit?"

"Yeah" 

In Salem (to the car in front of us): "We're in the home stretch baby get out of the way" 

Now is the time we go our seperate ways until next time. 

Running Away to California part 2

The Drive:

We had lunch and went to pick up the last of the supplies from Tabathas house and we were off like a heard of turtles! 

Traffic was slow but Tabathas masterful intimidation (read almost tailgating) skills made us the queens of the I-5 fast lane. 

The Corvallis exit found us rocking out to N'Sync's classic "It's gonna be me" 

Eugene's anthem was "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson

Our first break was the Safeway in Cottage Grove ("Wait I don't actually know where the Safeway is" cue the Siri noise) for bathrooms, cold water, and... Drinks and off brand goldfish/cheez-it's and lunchables for Tabatha (we had an interesting store adventure wandering around)

When we need to get gas finding that Cow Creek Station is the only option and the realization we really are in the middle of nowhere. The best part though was going in to pay for gas and coming out with ice cream, but don't worry "the red neck ninjas won't steal your stuff while you are in the store. " 

Decided to stop in Ashland for dinner found Oberlon's Three Penny Tavern which is not yet open and instead landed at Louie's right next door. We were extremely grateful for the bathroom. After burgers, fish, and lots of fries we were almost ready to hit the road, when we were made aware that the road hit us back a little (okay not at all but it's more fun to blame the road than our sub par navigation skills)

Side note: "Hey that exit says "Redding Highway" " was a far more important sentence than any of us realized at the time. 

After weighing all of our options (we managed to have 3 to compare) we decided it would be best to just suck it up and drive north 40 miles and then jump on 199 to go west towards Cresent City. So we are back on the road with only minorly bruised egos and a search for a hotel with a continental breakfast. 

Our second gas stop came before we adventured far down 199 and came with the following exclamation: "Why are there so many Dutch Brothers?" My theory is because Grants Pass is the birthplace (?) of the first Dutch Bros coffee stand. The good news is as of the gas station we have reservations at a motel 8. Hooray! Breakfast, two beds, and everything. 

Finding common ground in an old school Fall Out Boy album (From Under The Cork Tree) and rocking out. A fantastic energizer, especially since I think I'm the only one who hasn't yawned yet. 

We made it -- sort of: 

As we continue a few thoughts arose:

"I keep being afraid something snarly and/or demonic is going to jump out on the road"

"It's official; driving through the redwoods at night is what nightmares are made of"

We landed at the Super 8. See you in the morning world, for Part 3: The adventure. 

Running Away to California part 1

I like to make jokes about the fact that I'm a gypsy because I often get the urge to get away get out go someplace. Being abroad was great for this because I was practically running away somewhere every weekend. 

So this morning when making plans with my friends for what kind of adventure we wanted to take today (keeping in mind that we had been waffling with this question since we decided to hang out today (last week) ) and all we came up with was Changs Mongolian Grill. 

Side story: 4 years ago (give or take) I was driving my friend Jordan home on I-5 south and we stopped in Albany for snacks and had something close to the following conversation:

"You know if we kept driving we could go to California"

"We totally could"

"We probably shouldn't" 

"Yeah I guess" 

From there we made this elaborate plan about going to California for New Years but it fell through for a variety of reasons. 

So since then our running joke about where to go and what to do has been "lets go to California" and so when we were trying to figure out what to do today and Jordan said "let's go to California" at first I laughed but then I was like "yeah, we have the time, we could totally do that" and things were set in motion. The adventure truly begins after lunch.