Years ago Ben's sixth grade class went on a week long field trip to Yosemite. I was one of the lucky parents chosen to accompany the kids. When we arrived we were broken into groups and assigned a young naturalist who would take us on all the hikes and into the caves and so on. We had a wonderful guy who everyone loved. He spend our rest times either reading funny questions to the kids from a book he carried, like, 'what would you do with a bogger if no one was looking?' He also used the time to weave the history of how an animal was removed from its natural environment and how that changed the entire ecosystem. He was magical. We knew that were apart of something really special. We were carried only what was necessary for our survival and we all shared the load. The kids ate food they would normally have sneered at and loved it. I actually cried when we left. It was very powerful. On day four I was reminded of that time as I realized I was becoming one with the bike. There is just nothing better then the simple life.
We left Portland and headed up to Longview to pay our respects to George's grandparents, Sarina and Sherry Platt, and his Uncle, Sanford Platt. We also rode by the home where Eldon lived as a young man. What a beautiful town. This part of Longview had a gorgeous park with a beautiful lake in the middle of it. Then we headed down HW 84 through the Columbia River Gorge . What an amazing, amazing sight. It starts in Troutdale and ends at the Dalles. It is about 80 miles long. We did stop at Multnomah Falls which was breathtaking. The problem with leathers and boots is that it makes hiking to amazing places impossible. All the more reason to come back. Oregon is so incredibly beautiful. I kept asking myself why I had never taken this trip. We ended the day in Richland Washington at the home of Jo-Ann and Mike Neely. They are old friends from Sacramento and we have not seen them in years. The old magic was still there and we immediately started catching up and haven't stopped talking through meeting their granddaughter Sydnee, a great Mexican dinner, and breakfast this morning. Today is their 37th wedding anniversary. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JO-ANN AND MIKE! There will be tears when we leave. However, we have already made plans to meet again.
So, on the road again. I began the trip with much trepidation and very little motivation. After a few days I no longer want to come back. How's that for a turnaround? There's no worries on the road mon.
Off to get ready for the next adventure. Peace out, Jenson
We left Portland and headed up to Longview to pay our respects to George's grandparents, Sarina and Sherry Platt, and his Uncle, Sanford Platt. We also rode by the home where Eldon lived as a young man. What a beautiful town. This part of Longview had a gorgeous park with a beautiful lake in the middle of it. Then we headed down HW 84 through the Columbia River Gorge . What an amazing, amazing sight. It starts in Troutdale and ends at the Dalles. It is about 80 miles long. We did stop at Multnomah Falls which was breathtaking. The problem with leathers and boots is that it makes hiking to amazing places impossible. All the more reason to come back. Oregon is so incredibly beautiful. I kept asking myself why I had never taken this trip. We ended the day in Richland Washington at the home of Jo-Ann and Mike Neely. They are old friends from Sacramento and we have not seen them in years. The old magic was still there and we immediately started catching up and haven't stopped talking through meeting their granddaughter Sydnee, a great Mexican dinner, and breakfast this morning. Today is their 37th wedding anniversary. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JO-ANN AND MIKE! There will be tears when we leave. However, we have already made plans to meet again.
So, on the road again. I began the trip with much trepidation and very little motivation. After a few days I no longer want to come back. How's that for a turnaround? There's no worries on the road mon.
Off to get ready for the next adventure. Peace out, Jenson
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