I'm starting out today's drive by going in the opposite direction of my destination. I want to catch Route 224 at it's beginning up near Portland, so I can drive the whole scenic route.
It's as beautiful a drive as you can imagine...following along the Clackamas River, over and through the Cascades, through miles and miles of old growth forests. You go through three different National Forests on this drive...Mt. Hood, Willamette and Deschutes.
It's around 3:00PM when it happens. I know the feeling...the smell of ozone and sulphur, the tingling in the hands and feet, the brilliant points of light flashing inside my vehicle. It all means one thing...wormhole! Soon I'm racing through this huge "tube" and, then...bam...I'm out on the other side. Looking around to get my bearings, I realize that I'm in Detroit...right next to Cadillac Square. Judging by the looks of the cars and peoples' clothing, I've come back in time to the early to mid-70's. And I realize that I have a unique opportunity to change history...my history. I'll drive up to my old house on Spruce Drive in Birmingham and meet myself...the twenty-something Bill from the 70's. Then I can let him know what's in store for the future ("If you meet a girl named Amber, run like hell"). And...I know the future...Super Bowl champs, World series winners, stock market ups and downs. With all of this information, the "70's Bill" can bet and invest widely. By the time that I'm the Bill that I am now, I will have amassed a large fortune. But I've got to work fast...my 2012 Explorer, as well as the camper, is already drawing a crowd of curious onlookers. And, then, just as I'm pulling out onto Woodward Avenue, I'm back...back in the wormhole. And, just like that, I'm back in Oregon. And I reflect on the fact that, wormholes or no wormholes, I am not destined to change history...particularly my own history.
So now I'm over on the eastern side of the Cascade range...coming out of the Deschutes National Forest. There have been fires here...big fires. And you can see miles of burned out land. The 2003 "B & B Complex" fire here, alone, scorched almost 100,000 acres.
And, as I head east from the Cascades, I can watch the changes in the land. The huge forests are replaced by high dessert...fewer trees, more sagebrush.
It's after 6:00PM by the time I reach the town of Bend. I visited here in 2008, but just for one night...it was just a "stop" on the way out of Oregon. But I had such a great time...met such nice people...that I want to spend a little more time here on this trip.
Bad news at the RV Campground...they're full and the office is closed. Maybe this is a good thing because the place looked a little "dumpy". When I pull over to check my campground directory for a new place to camp, I notice that I'm right next to the Days Inn where I stayed in 2008. I check in there...my first hotel stay of this trip.
The location is great...I'm within walking distance of my favorite little "dive" bar, the M & J Tavern...and, from there, it's a short walk to an area with lots of restaurants.
The M & J is a nice friendly neighborhood bar...the beer is cold and the staff and patrons alike are welcoming. I have a few beers and head out for dinner.
The great little pan-asian place where I had dinner in 2008 is long gone...a victim of the poor economy. But there are plenty of other places. I don't often get a chance to sample Peruvian food, so a place called "Hola" seems like a good stop. I have chicken "aji amarillo"...shredded breast meat in a deep yellow sauce with peppers and rice. It's good and the Peruvian beer is going down nice and easy.
After dinner, I go over to the Deschutes Brewing Company for a beer. Bend is the "microbrew" capitol of the world, so there's plenty of beer around. Well...not exactly beer around...there's plenty of ale. I'm sorry, but I'm not an ale drinker. Oh, I've tried many times...but I just don't care for the cloudy appearance, the sour taste and all the "flavorings" that get added. At Deschutes, they have over thirty-six brews on tap...thirty-five ales and one lonely pilsener. I likie lagers and pilseners...they're dry, crisp and pair well with food. If I were President of the U.S., I would impose a punitive tax on ales...and ban some, like I.P.A.'s, outright. And I would give generous tax incentives to the producers of lagers and pilseners. I ask the bartender why there are so few lagers and pilseners, and the answer says it all..."They're too hard to make, ales are easy. And if you mess up, you can add orange peel or coriander and cover up the mistake".
Another stop at the M & J for a nightcap (or four), and it's back to the Day's Inn...my first night's sleep in a "real" bed since June 12th...it's very comfortable.
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