2020 in a Road Trip

     After packing the food, camping gear, and gathering our maps, Oceane and I left late Sunday morning for our week away from society. Two hours into our drive we got pulled over for speeding, luckily the officer let us off with a warning and we were back on our trip in no time. We spent the rest of the day driving down US 97 until we made it to Bend. Stopping in Bend for gas and food we enjoyed Panda Express for dinner. 

     From there we continued on to our first campsite in Newberry Volcanic Monument in Deschutes National Forest. I was nervous about camping there because we did not make any reservations. A sign at the entrance of the monument announced that as of this year, all but one campsite in the monument will be reservations only. The only campground that had walk-ups available was the furthest one on the East Lake called Cinder Hill Campground. Before looking for a campsite we drove up to Paulina's peek on a very narrow and very steep dirt road. The view from the top was worth it, but I recommend making the hike over the drive. 

    We ended our day by looking for a campsite in a very full campground. After finding one and setting up we went for a swim in the lake. The volcanic lake was refreshing and thanks to the thermal vents it was as warm as any outdoor pool with a beach made of pebbles that sparkles from all the obsidian pieces in it.

      Our first night ended with s'mores and drinks around a campfire, followed by an unsuccessful comet search and a successful obsidian hunt.

     The second morning was filled with exploring the rest of Newberry Monument. A mile-long loop on the obsidian flow gave both Oceane and I some great tan lines. Our tan lines, or rather burn lines, were deepened with a three-mile-long hike along Paulina lake to some thermal hot springs. The hot springs are holes dug out into the beach along the lake. The water was too hot to get into, but if you sit in the lake around the shore, some of the thermal vents keep the shoreline warm. For lunch, we made sandwiches on the hood of our car in the parking lot. 

     We filled up on gas at a little station just outside La Pine and made our way down the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway. For our first stop, we went to Fort Rock. Just a quick drive-by on our way to Derrick's Cave. Unfortunately, the road to Derrick's Cave was closed, so we were not able to go explore the cave. We continued on our journey to Crack in the

Ground. 

     The Eastern Oregon travel book I borrowed from my dad said that the walk in the crack
would eventually be filled with boulders and that we would be unable to continue on. We may not have reached the point the book was talking about, but we did reach a point that also could have been the mentioned boulders. We, however, found a way through. 

     The next point we came to in the crack was a part that came back up to the surface. We walked back along the ridge of the crack back towards the car. We continued along on the dirt road as we made our way towards the sand dunes.

     We were almost 7 miles away from the paved road when disaster struck. Not one, but two flat tires. We felt the back one hit something as we were driving so we pulled over, unloaded the back, and got ready to put on the spare. Just before I pulled out the jack, I noticed that the front tire was also flat. With two flats and one spare, we had no other option... but to call our parents and ask for help. From Pendleton, my dad helped me find the nearest tow truck and nearest Les Schwab. From there we had an almost two-hour wait for the truck. 

     While we waited we played cards and ate cereal. A few cars passed by us and offered us help, but we ensured them that we were okay. The tow truck took us back to La Pine in about three hours, the driver dropped the car off at the Les Schwab and took us to a cheap motel.

     The motel we stayed at was right next to a gas station-- with the same owner-- and the teenager that was working the front desk that night also worked at a restaurant in town and was able to get us burgers and cider at 11 o'clock at night. 

     The next morning we went to Les Schwab. The mechanic replaced the front tire with a new one and put our spare on the back wheel. He also warned us that another tire was not going to last long and that we should avoid dirt roads for the rest of our trip. With no spare and another tire that wouldn't last long, we decided to cut our trip short and go home. 

     We drove back up to Bend and took US 20 to Burns. From there we took the curvy US 395 through John Day, all the way back home. 

Camping at 21

Camping

     Since my last post was towards the beginning of quarantine I haven't had much to blog about with my adventures. I tried to fill some time by writing short stories and beginning to write a novel of my own. My novel writing took me to halfway through my rough draft, but a wall of writer's block mixed with online school pushed that project to the back burner of my to-do list. 

     My job working with the city came to an end and with the decision to keep the outdoor pool closed for the summer, it looks as though that job will not be continuing. So for now, my job at Dickey's is acting as my sole provider. 

     For the whole of quarantine, my schedule consisted of school, work, and massive amounts of sleep.

Now that places are starting to open up again, my travel itch is starting to become hard to ignore as I want to fill my summer with adventures and traveling. Unfortunately, social distancing laws and lack of finance are putting those adventures to a later date. However, I'm still managing to find a way.

      With our two days off from work this week, Oceane and I packed up the car and headed east for an

Oceane and I

overnight camping trip at Minam, Oregon. We left late Monday morning and made the two-hour drive to the campground located just off the high way. Making it to our campground at noon, we ate a quick sandwich lunch and then set out to explore the nearby area and take photos. For the remainder of our time at the campground, we had a few families stop by for a quick break, but we were the only two that were camping overnight.  

     This adventure only brought us to three in the afternoon, so we started a fire and began our long and large dinner of hotdogs, s'mores, and Mike's Lemonade. Four hotdogs each and endless s'mores later it was eight at night and we were ready to call it a night. 

     The next morning we woke up to a light rain on the tent and headed back to sleep until noon when the rain finally started to calm down. Packing up camp and enjoying s'mores pop tarts for breakfast we continued on our drive to Wallowa Lake before we made our way home.

     On the way home, we stopped in Lostine at the Blue Banana for coffee and smoothies. It was a small

little coffee shop with a bug parked in the side of the building and an airplane crashing into the roof. Oceane was excited to get coffee and a lavender lemonade she had had a few years ago. I got a four berry smoothie. It was very sweet and definitely tasty, but I was upset that the four berries were syrup flavors, not actual berries. 

     Lastly, our adventure ended back at home with a birthday dinner at Prodigal Sun followed by a birthday shot at the Rainbow Cafe back in town. 

     Hopefully, for July, my travel plans will come through and I'll have more stories for the end of summer. 

 

The Beginning of a Hero

   A dim light flickers against the cold stone walls. Smoke and embers dance from a nearby fire, filling the small cottage with an orange glow embraced in a smokey cloud. Paintings of men in battle amongst foreign symbols along the stone flare into view. Each with their own story; great wars, births of heroes and downfalls of evil are depicted from the ceiling to the floor. Crouching next to the fire, a young woman dressed in rags stirs the embers as a hog roasts over the flame. She hums a gentle melody to herself as she prepares dinner.
   Across the room, hidden behind a table filled with scrolls and books sits an elderly woman. Her face and arms covered with similar markings on the wall, the quill in hand scribbles across a paper as she screams; "No! No. No. NO! This can't be!" Mumbling an ancient language the drawings on her papers begin to appear on the wall. Skulls, flames, war, death begin to take over the other drawings. "The end is coming" the elder woman slowly breathes out as she drops to the ground.
   Rushing to her side, the young woman tries to bring her back to a sitting position. "Another vision Grandma?"
    Shakily looking at the wall the old woman replies in a hoarse voice, "Darkness is coming. A world burned black. Dark shadows cover the land; nowhere to hide." Leaning forward, she adds a star to the top of the painting. "There is a light! A child... your child." Looking at her granddaughter with soft eyes she begins to smile before her face returns to a panicked expression. "Quick! You must leave. He is coming."
   A loud knock raps on the front door; giving her grandmother one final hug, tears fill her eyes as she quickly sneaks out the side door. Jumping on a black stallion in the stables she rides away as fast as the horse can carry her. Heading up the hill near the cottage, she leaves her home and heads towards the Sacred Forest.
   A scream pierces through the valley, turning back, she catches a glimpse of her home being engulfed in flames. Three men dressed in black climb on the backs of wingless dragons and begin to head in the direction of the young woman. She kicks at her horse and races through trees, dodging branches as the wind runs through her chestnut hair. It was the last time she ever looked back.
   By nightfall, she came across a small inn on the edge of the forest. Cold and wet from the heavy rain that welcomed her she desperately hoped they had an open room. After settling her horse in the stables, she pushed open the heavy door leading to the tavern.
   The tavern was filled with men singing to lively music, drinking their money away and betting whatever remaining coin they had on their strength in an arm-wrestling match. Familiar scents of meat cooking and beer filled the tavern's thick air.
   Approaching the counter, a young man with curly brown hair turns from the bar to face her. His face had flour on the cheek and his eyes were a deep watery blue. Wiping off the sauce on his hands with an old rag he places it in the front pocket of his apron. "What can I get you?"
   "Just a bed for the night."
   "We're full for the night, but you look like you're freezing. You can come stay at my place for the night if you want. I'm just finishing my shift."
   She nods and he places his apron on a hook by the door before leading her to his cottage. A small shack behind the inn.
   Early the next morning the young woman wakes to a rooster crowing nearby; quietly she makes her way out. At the door, she turns back to the man sleeping and whispers a final goodbye. The morning air chills her breath, the dew on the grass cold on her bare feet. She climbs on her horse and begins her journey before the sun peeks over the horizon.
    For the next several months the young woman covers a lot of ground. Only stopping when she needs to. Almost at the end of her journey, she comes across a small red cottage on a mountain road. With the harsh winter winds blowing sharp ice against her skin and her now large stomach bringing pain to her back she trudges through the snow to the door. Asking for shelter from the couple whose lives there she is greeted with open arms.
   "Quick! Bring me a bowl of warm water and a towel!" Orders the lady of the house to her husband. "She's gone into labor."
   The next morning, the lady of the house holds up the new baby; handing the child to the young woman, she whispers; "It's a girl."