Did it make sense? Not so much. Was it a short drive? Nope.
But was it one of the best road trips ever? You bet.
Before the day-long drive north, we stayed in San Francisco
on Saturday night, which we spent seeing all the top tourist spots. Jo picked me up from the airport, we grabbed burgers at a California institution (In-N-Out Burger), and then took a cab downtown. From our
hotel we walked to Union Square and hopped the cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf
where we picked up a clam chowder bread bowl and some local beer. Feeling full,
we climbed the hills of San Francisco to Chinatown where we earned ourselves a
Chinese Mai Tai at Li Po (thanks for the tip, Anthony Bourdain!).
Riding/hanging on the cable car.
We made the trek back to The Opal, an adequate hotel under
$100 a night—a financial feat unheard of in the Bay area. It wasn’t flashy, but
it was comfortable and its central location made it convenient and only
slightly sketchy. Just don’t be wooed by the free continental breakfast in the
morning that consisted of canned fruit and yogurt.
For $2 a trip (exact change only), the bus system in San
Francisco is my new favorite thing. In the morning, the bus took us within a
block of the rental car agency which was conveniently located next to a
Starbucks—the road trip was off to a great start! Then Jo forgot her license
back at the hotel. A small hiccup in an otherwise seamless journey.
After a quick drive-by Lombard Street, allegedly the most
crooked street in the United States, we headed toward the Oakland Bay Bridge. While
the hills in San Fran are tiring when on foot, they’re straight up hair-raising
when in a moving vehicle that you’re in charge of. I was glad to escape the
city unscathed (both myself and the car that didn’t have rental insurance).
The drive took us along the water’s edge and past Berkeley,
eventually winding its way through a very green part of California. No road trip
is possible without a smartphone, without which we never could have found Good Day Café smack dab in the middle of
Vallejo. Voted "Best Breakfast" in 2012, we had ourselves a winner and
a great way to start the 9-hour journey to Bend.
Once we hit our stride on the 505, the landscape quickly
changed from greenery with ocean views to flat fields of yellow with the stark
contrast of blue mountains behind. Our Nissan Versa didn’t really know how to
kick it into high gear, but it held steady at 75 without issue (until you accidentally
hit the turbo button and the car stays revved up at the red line until you pull
over and restart the car).
With Mt. Shasta clearly on the horizon, we were moving closer to the Oregon border and trees started
to look a little taller and bodies of glistening water started to appear.
Once we crossed over into Oregon (a first for both of us) and approached Klamath Lake, the views proved inspiring as the roads narrowed and landscape
grew even more dramatic.
When we weren’t using our time to take in the scenery, Jo
and I spent the drive chatting. Before the trip, people thought we were a
little crazy to drive about 14 hours on a lark, but the fact of the matter is we’d
be doing exactly what we were doing anywhere else: talking. At a bar, over
coffee, at home…we’d be doing the same thing and not getting hundreds of
miles under our belt. We also used the time to bust out some true karaoke
moments, which you can enjoy here.
You’re welcome.
We rolled into Bend, Oregon at around 6:30 that night and we
were pumped to meet up with friends from high school. Our buddies Michael and
Gentry live in Bend, a quaint town set against an amazing Oregonian backdrop. We
went to 10 Barrel Brewing Company, one
of nearly a dozen microbreweries that grace Bend, and enjoyed a few hours worth
of laughter over IPA, red, amber, brown…you name it, 10 Barrel in Bend had it.
The next day we moseyed over to the McKay Cottage with
Michael for a beautiful brunch out in the garden. It was almost dreamlike,
perhaps because the mimosas, but mostly because of the setting and getting to
spend time with one of our favorite people in the world; Michael adds a dose of eccentricity wherever she goes whether it be upstate New York, downstate New Mexico, or the forests of Oregon, so we were happy she happened to
be in Bend so we could drop in and disrupt her life a bit.
Not long after brunch, the road was calling us back again. While stopping for gas, I was approached by a young kid asking if I needed help. I waved him off with a thanks, but no thanks, until he told me you can’t pump your own gas in Oregon. Slightly embarrassed, but mostly bemused, I let the guy fill the tank.
A lovely obstacle we encountered en route: single-lane highways with 10 mph road painters.
By 4:30 we started our descent into Portland and that’s
where the excitement began. We were on the clock: the rental car needed to be
gassed up and returned by 5:00 or we’d incur several fees. Taking a rental car
from one state to another is already a ridiculous amount of money, so I went
into panic mode. (When renting a car directly on the agency's website, be sure to Google "discounts" to find a promotion code; I got 10% off at Budget doing just this)
Traffic decided to make this adventure a challenge, as Jo
barreled down the highway and we made our way right into rush hour. We pulled into a
gas station, let the guy do his thing, and asked where the Budget rental car
company was located, but no one knew. My iPhone indicated that we were right
next to it, but we only saw construction and hotels. We eventually pulled into
a hotel parking lot and found a 2-inch sign that boasted the name “Budget”.
Thanks a lot. With three minutes to spare, we made it under the wire. Remember to get detailed directions to the drop-off location if you expect to be returning your car around the 5:00 p.m. mark.
The past 48 hours had flown by in a flash and the 14-hour
drive went by in a snap. From ocean views to fields of sunflowers, redwood
forests to mist-laden roads, the journey was ideal for a Fourth of July
weekend, as we saw parts of America we had yet to discover. We felt lucky to
take in new views and it felt truly American to explore the West. So cheers to
manifest destiny! And cheers to road tripping with a favorite ally.
