Since I didn’t leave town until almost 5p, I’m not calling that my first full day. It’s Day 0.5.
My home to Roseburg, OR is 183 miles.
Picked up the car a bit early, 3:30p or so. The kid behind the counter was new, and showed it. Every little step of the transaction got a confused look from him. Swiped my AmEx – confused. Clicking through the screens on his computer – confused. Figuring out what car they had set aside for me – confused. I was patient and didn’t bug him about it, and in the end, he realized that the whole thing was taking far too long, so he upgraded me from my Toyota-Corolla-or-similar to a ’07 Malibu, in a cool dark gray color. Nice. I thought the gas milage would suck, but so far I’ve used less than a half-tank. I’ll be fine.
When I tossed my luggage in the trunk, O.B. remarked, “You look like you’re runnin’ away from home!” Maybe I am, O.B. Maybe I am.
Which thought explains why I was a bit embarrassed when, after my last go-through in the apartment to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, as I was literally walking out the door to leave, iPod in hand, I ran smack into Kevin, smiling like he caught me. Well, he did catch me as I was leaving. He said he’d been on his way home from work, saw that my front door was open, and took a chance. We caught up, I showed off the rental, I invited him along. He couldn’t go. Or, he could but there’d be Hell to pay when he got home to the wife and kids. I understood and was amused. As I quickly told the story of my last road trip to Vegas, I realized that I had forgotten my road atlas. Thanks, Kevin, for delaying me just long enough to remember that handy item. Maybe things do happen for a reason after all…
Traffic on I205 southbound past Oregon City was exactly what would be expected for 5p Friday before a virtual holiday weekend. Ugh. It didn’t really clear up and start moving until past Wilsonville. I didn’t start my music until then. I played 3 full albums on Day 0.5:
- “The Blues Brothers Original Soundtrack”
- “One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This” by the New York Dolls
- “Straight on Till Morning” by Blues Traveler
.
Stopped in Eugene for dinner. I could’ve sworn that one of the waitresses was staring at me. Might’ve been my bald head and the fact that I was eating alone, both of which made me stand out. Lots of couples and families in there. The waitress was cute, too – curly brown hair and a round happy face. Even though she wasn’t my original waitress, she took the initiative to refill my drink, and get me my check. Flirting? Or was she just filling in for the other girl, who I did not see after she took my order?
I checked Google Maps at a coffee shop (delicious Dutch apple pie, yum) near where I parked the car, and saw that I could detour to see Crater Lake National Park. That would mean turning off of I5 at Roseburg. I decided Roseburg was far enough for the first half-day, seeing that it was already after 9p, and would be another hour and a half or more down the road. I got disoriented and pulled off the road in Sutherlin, saw that there was no room available at the hotel there, and kept going. Got a text from Tracy asking how I was doing. I replied but figured she was already asleep by then.
Three different motels did not have a sign visible from the highway or street indicating whether or not they had a vacancy. That seems wrong. Or maybe I was tired. At the last full one, a Best Western, the lady behind the counter started to tell me that there wasn’t a bed to be had in town, then, reluctantly, said, “You can try the one just down that way. It looks just like this one; it’s called America’s Best Value Inn.”
Sure enough, it was laid out exactly like the previous one. Same blueprints. I felt an entirely understandable deja vu driving into the courtyard. Unlike the Best Western, this one’s office was closed so I had to ring a bell at the night window. Down the stairs behind me walked a beauty in blue jeans, brown eyes and red hair, and she greeted me warmly and stepped into the office. “Sure, I’ll sell you a single,” she said. I wanted to ask her if I could stay with her instead, but the ring on her “alert” finger dissuaded me.
I crashed quickly, after trying to set the alarm for 8a. The digital readout was broken. When the alarm went off in the morning, and I got up to check my email (the motel offered free internet (at least I hope it’s free! Haven’t checked out yet) if you provided a Cat5 cable) I found that it was actually 6a. Oh, well, I was awake already.
Dressed for a run. Decided I’d run away from the motel for 15 minutes then turned around. 10 minutes along, I saw a sign for “Gaddis Park” so I took that street, past the oil tanks, and found five baseball diamonds, with bleachers for each. A paved trail ran around the park so I continued along it, still running, and found myself down by the river (the Umpqua? The Willamette?) and passing underneath the freeway back to the other side. Through a small woods, then past a huge fenced-off field. Shortly I spotted a huge, old, 2-story brick mansion on the other side of the field, and shortly after that the field became a golf course. Then I popped out back by the freeway overpass by which my motel sat. And then I showered and posted this.
More to come…