The other day my parents called to see how I’m doing, because I hadn’t posted anything for about a week. It amazes me that it has been more than a week indeed, the days have flown by.
After my morning at the coffee place at the river in Astoria I went to a nice viewing point on one of the hills next to the town. Some locals had recommended me that and I’m glad they did. From the hill you can see the town and the bridges I drove on earlier that morning. You can look all the way to the ocean.
Up there someone tells me that the house of the movie The Goonies is also in this town, so I make sure to stop there and take a few pictures. Then I drive to Portland. It’s the largest city of Oregon and it’s about two hours from the coast. It used to be a fun city with many small breweries and coffee places, but after several days out in nature I don’t enjoy being back in a big city so much. Also, Portland has deteriorated quite a lot since I was there years ago. There are many homeless people and trash. I just make two stops in the city. The first one is the international rose garden in a big park on a hill just outside the city center. Some people from Oregon had recommended me that and even though the roses aren’t blossoming yet, it’s nice to walk around there and it gives a nice view over the city. After that I also make a stop at Powell’s City of Books, one of the largest book stores in the country. I just get a book that a friend had recommended me a few days ago and then drive out of the city again. Just an hour east of Portland are the famous Multnomah Falls. They’re easy to reach, because they’re just next to the highway. Therefore it’s also quite busy there, but it’s nice to see the large waterfalls nevertheless. I walk around there for a while and drive further until I’m in the town of Hood River and feel like I’ve traveled enough today. For a moment I look on my phone for hotels, but I quickly realize that I’d rather sleep in my car than in a hotel room. I find it interesting that I’ve gotten so accustomed to camping in my car again that I prefer that over a hotel. Fortunately there is a Walmart in town and so I park there. At the parking lot are a few signs that overnight parking is not allowed, so just to be sure I go inside to ask. I meet two super friendly people that work at the store, Bernard and Elaine, who tell me that it’s fine for me to stay there for the night. The signs are only there for if gets too busy, they say. I’m glad I found a good place for the night again and walk to a pizza place next door. I get a large pepperoni and enjoy it while watching some Netflix at the back of the car. Perfect end of the day.
The next morning I continue driving east and I make a stop at the Yakama Indian Reservation. A friend recommended me to pay it a visit. There is a museum about the history of the native Americans. You’re not allowed to take pictures inside, but it’s interesting to see. They also have the cheapest gas I’ve seen so far, so I fill up my car before I continue driving. In the evening I reach the town of Blanchard in Northern Idaho where my friends Dawn and Steve live. Years ago when I met them, they lived in California and I had often wondered why they moved here, but when I see their house, I understand it immediately. They have a beautiful farm house, surrounded by trees, very private and peaceful. Their two dogs greet me enthusiastically when I arrive and not much later Dawn and Steve come outside to greet me. I had seen Dawn last year in Amsterdam for the last time, but hadn’t seen Steve for many years. It’s great to catch up with them. In the following days we do many fun things like going out for dinner, going for walks in the towns and visit one of the big lakes near their house. I take a quick dive in the mountain lake and it’s super cold, but I enjoy it. I also get a chance to do my laundry and catch up on some work while I’m here, because I usually get up earlier than they do. After a few fun days it’s time to say goodbye again, because my next destination is grandma in Montana. It’s about five hours driving, so not too far. I arrive at grandma’s house in the afternoon and as usual she’s very happy to see me again. The days with grandma are always very relaxed. We go out for meals and coffee, go to some garage sales and thrift stores and some walks on the hills behind her house. On Saturday we visit some of her friends Gen and Jerry who live on a farm just out of the city. Jerry lets me drive his fourwheeler through the grassland and that’s a lot of fun. We also get to see his oldtimer car. When I sit down behind the wheel it feels like I stepped back into time. I don’t have a car, but if I ever buy one, it might also be an oldtimer.
While I’m here we also get to see more of grandma’s grandchildren and it’s always fun to see them as well. We’ve known each other for many years and it’s nice to see their lives develop, with children and work and everything. Grandma’s son Nick also stops by on Saturday night for mother’s day and I really enjoy talking with him. He’s a smart guy who reads a lot and with whom you can have interesting conversations.
Today is Sunday and it’s a relaxed day. This morning I took grandma out for coffee and we played some Scrabble and read a bit. We also did some groceries, it’s always fun to go to Costco. I just went on a short hike in the hills to get my steps in and now grandma is taking a nap which gives me a good opportunity to catch up with my travel blog. I’ll stay here a few more days before I continue traveling again, slowly making my way back to California.
