A Fun Sign Somewhere in Washington
After spending the night in a stupid hotel because I didn't get to the campsite I wanted in time, I made it to Montana yesterday, and was quite impressed by the scenery. There are some beautiful colors covering the soft-peaked mountains on either side of I-90. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture of the river flowing through the area, but here's a sample of the scenery.
Should be leaving Portland today. I'm off to the next stage - coming to Portland was the easy part. From here I'll be on my own for 4-5 days. I'm headed to Montana first, I think, then I'll spend a day or two in Yellowstone.
Today was less eventful. I just drove most of the day. 101 is certainly beautiful, as is Highway 5 north of Grant's Pass, but I didn't take any pictures. Photographs just don't do justice to the landscape. And besides, it's tough to take pictures when you are going 70 miles an hour (though I did do that once on a motorcycle with a disposable camera).
Instead of San Francisco, fog
Today was partly foggy.
I have been staying with my friend Amanda in Daly City, "Gateway to the Peninsula", a city just to the south of San Francisco. It's an ugly city, with not much going for it beyond the fact Amanda lives there (hi Amanda!) and it is, well, "Gateway to the Peninsula", as every freeway onramp is happy to tell me. And it's foggy - I had no idea. June 30th, and it is 70 degrees and completely foggy. Ridiculous.
What a mix of emotions. I'm just about finished gutting my room of everything I've collected over the past 5 years here in SF and even before, and while I recognize a familiar feeling of freedom from (how's that for alliteration) previous moves, I'm also not liking the idea of leaving this city, my cat, my friends here, and a feeling almost but not quite near "home", to go off into the blue yonder. So half the time I feel like I'm crazy for leaving, the other half that I'm crazy for staying in one place for as long as I have. And who wouldn't be excited about a 2 week trip travelling across the western US camping and looking at pretty things? But then...
Thus my daily emotional ride. Two days from now I leave, and that'll be it. I guess.
Currently Reading Kafka on the Shore By Haruki Murakami