A Living Magazine - Day 34 - Careful With That Axe Eugene

I woke and did the pack-up thing. Now that I had my boots I was psyched to get moving again. The goal for the day was to carefully examine Google Maps to see if there was a way to walk to Eugene. Even if it took a week, I could hit a bunch of towns along the way and it might make for great material. That would be the ideal situation.

A Note: The process for me now is not based around doing long distance walking between towns. I am not out here to immerse myself in nature--though, as you know, I do take every chance to examine plants, animals, and the land around me, nor am I striving for intense exercise. These things are secondary enjoyments, but the primary intention is to observe society. Travel will be about either (1) getting to a town or city that is more distant than a practical walk (5-20 miles) could take, by bus, train or car ride and then walking around it, sleeping there, reporting about it and its people. And/or, if the towns are an average of 5-20 miles apart from each other, (2) making the effort to walk between them as often as possible and then walking around them, sleeping there, and similarly reporting about them and their people.

The above paragraph will be important to take into consideration as the reader tries to understand my travel decisions from hereon.

I had lost half a month of travel. So, the desire to move forward was a strong motivator on this day. I'd planned to go to the library to do my research and make the post for the day, but it didn't open until 11:00 am, so I walked down Route 99 in the direction I assumed I'd be headed later, knowing that there was a Burger King there where I might also get online. I reached it within about 20 minutes and bought a lemonade. I was thrilled (small things can thrill me lately) to find an AC outlet at the back table.

I took a deep breath and began my detailed analysis of of the road ahead. Before long, it became painfully apparent that, although Route 5 (which 99 merged with) did have great frontage roads, up about halfway to Eugene, they all became dead ends. I thought that surely there must be smaller roads that I could then connect with? But no, there was a 60 mile section through a national forest area with ONLY the unwalkable Interstate running through it. Judging by some of my less successful walks in that kind of situation - being stuck with no public transportation and no walkable roads - in the past, I was worried it could happen again. The alternative then, was to check for Amtrak and/or possible buses. Google kept giving me ridiculous options. Even Amtrak itself, offered a mind-numbing 22 hour trip (for $80.00), via a Amtrak Bus Thruway, back to Klamath Falls then connecting to Coastal Starlight Train 14 (the one I'd taken twice already) and finally to Eugene. This axed the idea of taking a train.

This happens a lot with the big transportation companies. Interstates that directly link cities in a straight line are - very surprisingly - not used! I tried another search via Greyhound's site (something I usually tried to avoid) and saw the light! They offered a direct 2 hour ride from Grants Pass, on their way to Portland, with a stop in Eugene. Price: $29.50. That was the answer. I signed up at their site, and joined their rewards program, then bought the non-refundable ticket, leaving the next day (Saturday, at 5:20 pm). Now I had to print the ticket.

It was now a matter of getting back toward the library for me. When I got near it, I was a bit peckish and stopped into a market/deli to buy a snack. I picked out some corn nuts and an Arizona mango drink (my favorite juice yet on this journey--24 oz is $0.99--no tax in Oregon). After stepping outside to enjoy my snack, I stood over by a bush. I crunched away on the corn nuts, looking around for things to photograph... There were always plenty of pretty flowers around, so they got the attention, along with a birch bark close-up...

There aren't many birches in this town, and only two species that reach tree-sizes in the state. They tend to be scattered around, few and far between. I only saw one birch tree in California. They remind me of Maine, and I always appreciate figuratively running into one.

Then, there, near one of the tree's roots was a small baggie. I bent down and picked it up... It was a gram of cannabis. Naturally, my first reaction was to immediately turn it into the nearest police authority (wink). But, even IF that had been my intention, they might have just handed it back to me. Oregon is now a cannabis-legal state. Into the pocket it went. And my day got a little brighter.

At the library, I asked to use one of the computers as a guest, so that I might print my Greyhound eTicket. The very straight-standing, thin and neatly kept woman behind the desk took my info and pointed me to Computer Number 2. Within about a minute, I'd pulled up the image and clicked print. Then I signed out and went back to the desk to get my printouts. Paying the $0.40 for four sheets. I was back in business!

The library was stuffy in the computer section - even warmer than it was outside - and I already have a claustrophobic-like inclination. Therefore, I decided to head back toward the sleeping spot-end of town.

Taco Bell was a great place to work in the late afternoon, and I still had a post to publish for the day. They had AC outlets and I hadn't really eaten much yet. Their $1.00 cheese, bean and rice burritos were a great deal. Just one could satisfy. And, if I stayed a little longer I might get another too. The one thing about Taco Bell Wi-Fi is that (understandably) it cuts you off after two hours of continuous use, and won't allow you back on until the next calendar day. No problem though. That would work for me.

I wished I could kill a few hours, since the mid afternoon was dragging by. And, as if on cue, I walked onto F Street and bam! a classic car show came into view. Despite my many ramblings about not over-using cars, and simplifying life, etc., I can be a sucker for classics. Here are some...

Love this! A souped up Ford Pinto!

With a V8.

And my favorite car of all time: the 1965 Ford Mustang,

convertible (could do with a different color). 

 1955 Thunderbird. My mom would be drooling.

Corvette (not sure the year?)

Another Thunderbird.

GTO. These are the muscle cars that teenage guys in Yarmouth

used to work on and rip around town in when I was growing up in the 1970's.

My first heroes and their machines.

1973 Dodge Charger G/T

I dragged myself away from the cars, and headed back up F Street. Here was my ticket to ride...

I wandered down to the bus station to check the schedule, before going to Taco Bell...

It was a beautiful waning afternoon, and I sat for a long time on the bench. Until sunset...

Getting back up to Taco Bell, I got my work done there, and then left when I saw the starlings gathering again before their roost, getting a clearer video than last time...

I found it amusing that the spinning plates they put on the power lines only seemed to attract the little birds, who clumped around the wires...

Wanting to get to my sleep spot even earlier than the day before, I crossed the road and headed up the grassy hill along the off ramp. I was a bit too early and decided to walk past my spot to the top of the hill where I got some great evening shots...

When the light was just right, I made it back down to the spot, laid out my tarp and enjoyed the evening air. I relaxed with my "found object" of the day.

Unless some kind of problem arose, this would be my last night in Grants Pass. I'd really learned to like this place. The coffee shop, the friendly feeling in the air, the beautiful scenery... It all made a big impression on me. My love of Oregon was starting to blossom, and I was hopeful about the upcoming experiences I would soon face. Sleep gradually came upon me, and it was gratefully accepted.