We stopped several times as we’d had on the way down to let Gilbert enjoy running free on the beach. Seeing this little blind dog run freely was such a joy for us. Crashing surf, walking in sand and happy dog running full out, unafraid of colliding with a wall. Thanks to his memory he knew he was safe on the beach and could enjoy his freedom and motion.
In Oregon they have a rule against ‘self serve’ fill up at gas station. It was pleasant to have an attendant to chat with while he or she did this. This took both Laura and I back to the day of real personal care by gas station attendants, when they actually knew about cars and maintenance, checked oils, tires and cleaned windows. They even could give directions and knew their neighbourhoods as a rule. I really liked the gas stations in Oregon.
There was also a Cannibis sign even bigger than the Oregon sign as we entered Oregon.
I was envious of the motorcyclists we passed on these roads. What a great motorcycle ride. Like a never ending Duffy Lake run.
The views of the ocean and the rock formations were constant eye candy.
We had stayed in Coos Bay at the dog friendly Best Western there. It was one of our favourite motel stays because of the excellent staff and facility. I got Thai food take out and feasted on the best of the best spicy creations while watching yet another enjoyable episode of Big Bang Theory. I love Coos Bay since I first sailed into the harbour and stayed overnight their tied to their dock. I've come back on motorcycle as well.
We stopped at a few of the little shops along the way too. We loved best the Bandon shops where Laura got some eucalyptus lotion and I got us coffee mugs. Laura got me a Myrtle Wood cutting board in Myrtle. She also got me an Oregon fridge magnet, "to remind us of Gilbert running on the beaches."
Our trip was coming to an end so it was nice to have some touristy fun time before the last push to get home.
Laura was looking forward to getting off the American freeways. Her idea of speed is 80 km/hr in her little red Smart Car. The slowest speed on the highways we were on was 55 miles/hour but mostly it was 65 mph or 120 km hour plus. On major interstate highways the speed is 70 mph or 144 km/hr (1 mile = 2.2 km roughly). Having driven these often on my Harley Electroglide I found the Mini was a match for the freeways and the speed and loved the driving overall especially the incredibly picturesque coastal highways.
If all went well we would have been crossing the border at 6 pm. As it was Murphy had different plans. The flat tire warning went off in the Mini right in the middle of the Seatle Washington just at the beginning of rush hour. In the middle of the freeway I had to find a way off the I5 at high speed. The tires are the new 'ride slow' kind that allow you to get to a gas station at 50 km/hour. The trouble was everyone was going 120 km/hr and not at all pleased with me trying to stay at 80 km/hour till I could find an exit which took forever.
Eventually, I found an exit and was blessed to find a gas station with air hose. I checked the tires. One was 35 while the rest were 40. Probably just a matter of 5000 km of driving on that tire. Nothing too serious. I filled that tire up to 40 and was thankful for the old fashioned tire pressure gauge I’d had the foresight to put in the glove compartment.
The trouble then was finding out way back to the I5. We took another freeway forever before being able to get off that and come back to I5 now in the middle of rush hour just as a crash was being cleared off the road.
Bumper to bumper slow going north I was then desperate to pee. Getting old isn't bladder beautiful. When you have to go you really have to go. With traffic not moving I suggested I'd pull to the side and piss in the ditch.
"You know everyone has an iPhone and you've go viral on You Tube as the crazy old Canadian guy pissing on the side of I5 in Seattle. " Laura said. I held on till the next exit. That meant leaving the freeway yet again. I was thankful for another gas station. Leaving much relieved I bought some beef jerky which Gilbert and I shared. Unfortunately the I5 signs were misleading to return us to the freeway. First off a tree branch concealed the sign and then the sign pointed in one direction while the exit was in another.
The attendant had kindly told me that I had to pass three red lights but when we saw the south I5 sign was well marked but not the I5 north we knew we'd missed it.
I pulled over to turn around and fired up my Tom Tom asking for directions to Burnaby. But even with Tom Tom I missed the turn off coming back and seeing the ramp as I was passing it. I couldn't look away from the rush hour chaos of speeding angry traffic and I couldn’t hear the Tom Tom girl voice with my deafness and loud traffic noise, so Laura was repeating the Tom Tom messages. This caused moments of delay.
When she said turn around, I turned around doing a U Turn, only to have the slightly longer turning radius of the new Mini confound me. I’d have easily made the turn with the Miata. In my full box F350 Ford truck I'd have driven over sidewalks, across the lawn and taken off the front of the houses. I really did think I'd make it with the Mini. I was less than an inch off. That wouldn't have been a problem except for the idiot behind me whose helpfulness was coming up on my bumper honking, making it impossible now for me to reverse that one inch I needed. While he was honking obnoxiously, as if this was going move things faster, Laura was assisting further by telling me I was such asshole to have missed the ramp. She wanted me to pull over and let her out, a total impossibility in the middle of that intersection.
Laura can't see at night, I'm deaf, and Gilbert is blind. I love the Mini. I floored it. It drove off the curb, not even needing to mount it, to complete the turn, more like a richochet. I saw the unlighted I5 north sign half concealed by untrimmed branches. The helpful honker stopped honking. I got on the freeway ramp.
Laura wanted to stop for the night but I certainly didn’t want to get off the freeway again in rush hour. I’ve driven the I5 north at night dozens of times on motorcycles, or in cars. I love the I5. Just don't get off the free way at night.
I really was also looking forward to getting back to Canada. I really could use good nights sleep in my own bed before returning to work. The border crossing was a breeze, very nice man, welcoming us home.
"Happy New Year!" I said. He waved us through.
8 pm we arrived home. Mack was there to welcome us. When we told him we’d been all the way to Mexico, he said, “You went to Mexico for the sun and heat and left me here in the snow. I could easily have fitted in the back of the Mini with Gilbert..” We laughed.
The electric heat was fine but I had to change the propane tank to make it toasty. Laura figured out why the furnace wasn't blasting full I'd had the stove on to bleed the air out of lines but once I'd done that I needed to turn the stove off to let the furnace get the propane to start. Once the furnace was on the stove could be used again.
George the Cat made a dramatic entrance, suddenly jumping down from the highest cupboard where he’d been hiding. We'd been looking for him everywhere all the while he was plotting his show stopping entrance. Laura hugged and cuddled him.
Addendum
It’s good to be home. 5500 km. 7.1 km/l fuel consumption, about $40 a day while driving. Motels were on average about $80. I did spent $180 a night for a couple of nights. This was without planning and just dropping in. I thought we'd done well considering. Fortunately I'd had an American visa which I'd put money in last year for the New York trip but hadn't used because of a PIN problem. In a sense this trip was done with that 'saved' money. Hence Justin Trudeau's ruining Canada's economy paying off terrorists damage to the exchange rate didn't affect us too badly.
Motel 6 and Best Western were best dog friendly motels and hotels for this road trip. We’d made the road trip with Gilbert in the 2017 Mini Cooper S .It had been a whirlwind. Laura said she’d never before got out of Vancouver for the winter. I just knew I needed a break from the drudgery of bureaucracy and politics and opioid deaths. Driving had got my mind off work surprisingly.
I feel re invigorated. I don’t like the tail end cough of this cold but it was wonderful to breathe dessert air in December. I liked revisiting places I'd been to before. Lots of good memories of California living there, sailing there. A renewed love of Oregon where I'd sailed and motorcycled and driven the coast.
I’m now looking forward to meetings and church and driving my truck with it’s snow tires. The Mini Cooper performed perfectly. What an amazing car. Gilbert had the time of his life being continuously with his two favourite people, MacDonald’s burger paddy’s, and runs on the beach.
Laura was as always a lovely companion but would not like to spend more than two days driving in the car. She only called me an 'asshole twice' twice while driving which may reflect well on her character and God's grace. Other than those couple of ten minute city freeway night time anxiety provoking moments she really was delightful companion and did seem to enjoy the trip.
Gilbert made everything special. It was his road trip and he really did have the greatest time. I'll never get over seeing him running full out on the beaches. It was the first time since his blindness this year he experienced 'speed'. Gilbert lived for 'speed' and 'ball' but now despite his blindness he's got his old life back. Loved watching his little tail was wagging so much of this trip.
We found it was warm south of San Diego, so if I did it again, I’d plan to get a place along the coast a couple of hours south of San Francisco. Once we got past San Francisco the weather was great. Southern California is a great destination for Canadians at Christmas.
We'd originally planned to fly down but with Gilbert's adjusting to his blindness we decided against that. The road trip was decided mostly with Gilbert in mind. It really was Gilbert's Road Trip.
I certainly would recommend the Mini Cooper for any road trip. Not surprising it was such a successful rally car.
It is great to be home though. I always appreciate my home so much more after I’ve been away.
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1 comment:
welcome home
and a happy new year too
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