The West Coast

I love the West. The countryside is so incredibly beautiful here. Every turn brings new sights, new landscapes. Up here in Oregon, the countryside is a combination of sprawling flat plains and steep wooded hillls that loom in the distance. The people here are so different from on the East Coast; relaxed, kind, generous.

I started my journey in San Francisco, where Maiya and Kelly picked me up. Our first obligatory stop was In-N-Out, which didn’t disappoint at all, although I stuck to the regular menu. Next time, I really need to order an animal burger, animal fries, and a neo shake. We then drove upstate across the Golden Gate Bridge towards the redwood forests. Along the way, we stopped at a vineyard for a wine tasting. The guy who served us was really nice to us, letting us try upper tier wines when we had only paid for a regular tasting. He waived one of our tasting fees when we bought a bottle of “Big Ass Red," a very flavorful red wine made from a blend of several grapes. We then drove through sequoias so large that the road had to weave in between them. We tried wrapping our arms around the trunk of a particularly large one, and the three of us holding hands couldn’t even make it halfway around.

The Golden Gate Bridge.

Kelly's car passed 100,000 miles!

Giant redwood.

Later, we drove along the coast, the peaceful blue sight of the Pacific Ocean accompanying us on our foray North. At some point we stopped to dip our feet in the ocean. The beach was huge; it must have been a quarter mile before we reached the actual ocean. I couldn’t resist jumping in. The cold water was jarring, but the waves were huge and exciting. I wish we had rollers like those on the Atlantic coast. It was getting dark so we left before long, but we will return to this most beautiful of oceans. We arrived at our destination after nightfall; an empty campsite by a calm river. However, on the other side of the river, some floating embers made for a worrying sight, so we decided to go for another campsite. The next morning, we saw firetrucks heading in the direction of the campsite we had left behind.

Today, we stopped at Eugene, OR. We visited Maiya’s friend Phillip, a beekeeper who sells honey at the local farmer’s market. He gave us some peppers and zucchini that he had traded some honey for. The market was an amazing place, filled with joyful people. A great band of middle-aged rockers played classics like “Bring it on Home to me” and “Black Magic Woman” beside the street food stands. There, we enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken curry, pad thai and fresh drinks acquired at various stalls, surrounded by happy, dancing people. Kelly and I agreed that we wanted to live there when we were older.