home Diary    2/15/98      59,788    
Gee, where do I start? Well, it all started with Maria. She wanted to get away. After all, the last trip we've taken was when we picked up the car, and that wasn't very relaxing. In addition, she's been waiting to hear about her new job plus the weather has been pretty poor for some time. Cabin fever, I guess. So she found us a bed and breakfast at the coast in Brookings. It was supposed to be rainy but when we got up it was nice with some patches of blue. Marginal, to be sure, but whatever excuse to take the car is fine with me.

 So we're on the road by 8:15 a.m., breakfast at the Golden Arches and off we go! As we start heading to the coast. The weather keeps getting worse. By the time we hit Cave Junction it was a full downpour. I did fill up with non-oxygenated gas which seemed to make it run much better. We head out and our mood isn't as good as it was when we left. As we cross the state border we start to get snow mixed in. We start heading up Oregon Mountain and the snow is getting heavier. We're starting to think maybe this isn't the best idea. Then we get to the tunnel - sure is fun honking this horn! We get to the other side and it's a winter wonderland! Complete with snow plow bearing down. I'm in no mood to start sliding down this mess (about 3 inches) and we decide to bail. Fortunately, there's no traffic so I turn around in the road. It's kind of going downhill and I can't do it in one turn.

 Thankfully, there's enough traction to back up and no traffic coming. The kids are not happy as they were looking forward to the trip. It does feel good to be out of there, that's for sure. We talk about somewhere else to go. Bandon might be OK but there's still the coast range over there. Bandon is a four-hour drive. Maria says, "How about Portland?" I'm game, and car is running great. The heat is even working. So off we go! We make it back to Grants Pass at about 11:30 and head north. We hit Eugene at about 1:00, ate at Wendy's and hit the road again at 1:30. We got gas in Halsey (attendants duly excited) and arrive in Portland at 3:00. The car was fabulous the whole way but my ears were worn out from the noise. Booked a room at the Hilton ($150 a night! ouch!), walk around, shop some, eat at a nice Jewish deli and back to the room to relax. Tomorrow we'll visit Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo and then OMSI and whatever. Then the drive home. Who knows what tomorrow holds?