God’s Country
Greetings from Portland, OR. Mike and I left Minneapolis Tuesday morning a little later than planned due to an alarm clock issue, but it didn’t cause any real problems. We cruised through North Dakota and Montana, making it to Rock Creek in 16 hrs. The drive was amazing. One would think that driving across North Dakota would be a bit boring, but I found the wide open spaces inspiring. Into Montana, the scenery became more dramatic. Towering mountains mixed with a few thunderstorms, creating quite a show. In Rock Creek we were staying at the fly-fishing ranch of a fellow Bates Fishing Club member. His father was kind enough to have the place opened up for us so we could just show up and crash.
The house is a 1800s barn from New Jersey that was reassembled on site and converted into a livable dwelling. The barn sits on a Blue-Ribbon trout stream, nestled in a picturesque valley. That night we stared at the sky and saw some brilliant shooting-stars. The next morning we awoke mid morning and tried our luck with the trout. The fish were not interested in the flies we were using but it was worthwhile just spending some time in the fresh air.
Around noon we hopped back in the car and drove to Spokane, where Mike’s aunt and uncle live. Mike’s uncle called the area in Montana that we were “God’s country”, and I would have to agree with him. We had an excellent dinner and then watched some home movies of a young Mike. The feature “Godzilla vs. the Scientist” (Mike was the Scientist) was quite entertaining.
Thursday, after a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs, we drove down the Columbia River Gorge and into Portland. Mt. Hood was in the distance as we drove past a number of dams. The drive was quite spectacular, and you could see the landscape change from desert into evergreen rainforest.
Here in Portland we are staying with my mom’s cousin Donna. Tonight we hope to explore a bit of the city, as I am contemplating moving here once I return from overseas. Tomorrow we make our way towards the Bay Area…
Tags: Road Trip USA
Neil
June 27th, 2004 at 6:32 pm
Neil,
Great travel writing so far – I’m enjoying following you. As I head to work tomorrow in my cubicle, I’ll think of you and smile. I wish you safe travels and great adventures buddy. I’ll check in with you soon though.
-JBALL