5/6 - Home

So here it is Tuesday afternoon and we're home. Its such a surreal feeling sitting here in the house with our friends. There's a sense of familiarity, but also of the alien - even about our own place.

Here's the last "day" (from our perspective) of the trip.

We'd organised a Lincoln Town Car (think of something like a big black cadilac) to take us to the airport, and it was at the hotel 15 minutes early. So we were at the airport in plenty of time for our 11pm (US west coast time) flight and went through the usual airport stuff - checkins, security screenings etc. - without any undue stress.

Though a Qantas flight it also tripled as American Airlines and MexicanAir (or some such) - so the plane was full and there was no chance to spread out. Regardless, the 14 hour flight was relatively painless - with us all seeming to catch a reasonable amount of sleep, and enough variety in the onboard entertainment to fill in the time.

Arriving at Sydney airport at 6am (oz time) Maria and I were both struck by the thick aussie accent of some announcers - looks like we've been away longer than we thought. The kids were both very (and visibly) excited, knowing that they'd soon be seeing many of the friends they'd been missing over the last 3 months.

The Canberra flight was short and smooth, though it was interesting to contrast the excitement with which the kids had greeted their first flight 3 months earlier; with the "uhhh-I'm-so-tired-of-catching-planes" that they approached this (our 10'nth) with.

Getting into Canberra (just after 10am) we had the extremely pleasant surprise of finding Joe, Belinda and my mother Helen waiting for us (complete with a welcome home sign). Again, impressions after a time away are funny. Canberra looked much greener to us than we recalled though Belinda told us there'd been little rain in the last 3 months. More strange was how different our house looked to us ... perhaps Nigel (our friendly housesitter) had improved the place in our absence, more likely living out of hotel rooms had altered our perspective ... certain spaces (such as the kitchen) seemed larger, others darker, with other properties accentuated.

The day till now (5:30pm) has seen a constant stream of welcome guests - mum, Belinda, Jane, Leanne, Sabrina, Anne, Luke, ... as well as phone calls. Doubly welcome not only for the warmth of friendship but also due to the fact that their presence has served to keep the four of us active and alert (it now being after midnight in SF) so that we can resynch our body clocks with Australian time.

All in all its been a strange day for its ready familiarity - after so much newness each day for the last 3 months - though with some strange twists. Emotionally the sounds of laughter and glad voices that have filled the house all day reassure me that we are all happy, which in no way lessens the feelings of sadness Maria and I have shared over the past fortnight as we "felt" the trip coming to an end.

3/6 - Parks, Homesickness and Farewells

This was the last day of our entire overseas trip, with our flight home to oz leaving at 10:40pm that evening.

Unsure of what to do with the day we asked the hotel desk clerk Tony, and he suggested we head out to the cliff house (a bus ride along Geary - the street our hotel was on), "stroll" down the beach, then take in some of the attractions in Golden Gate Park, before continuing on Haight-Ashbury, and then busing back. It sounded a good plan, so thats what we started with.

Once again the day was sullen and windy, particularly as we neared the beach area. We found the Cliff House to have a fascinating history - just before the turn of the 19th century being the site of a grand bath-house (don't think 70s San Francisco bathhouses!), but now an up-market restaurant and bar/cafe. When Maria attempted to order a cappucino she was misunderstood and given a cup of clam chowder... Who says Australians and Americans speak the same language?

The beach was wind-swept, a "dirty" grey (it is permissible to light fires on the beach...) and barren of all but a few intrepid/stupid souls like ourselves. As soon as possible we turned inland to the Golden Gate Park and sought to find the Japanese Tea Garden. What we failed to recognise was that the map we were using (the standard tourist map of San Francisco) so grossly simplifies that end of the city that the representation of the park is wildly inaccurate - missing most roads, misplacing attractions and most importantly not showing the true longitudinal size of the (heavily wooded) park - over 40 city blocks. 30 minutes later after floundering our way across (rather than down the park) we learnt of our mistake and realised we had a long walk (no public transport comes into that coastal end of the park) to get up to the "populated" end of the park around the garden and museum.

By the time we arrived at the garden, footsore and particularly hungry we weren't in a great mood. That was not improved after paying the entry price when we found that they served only tea and snacks (can you believe that they gave you fortune cookies in a Japanese teahouse...or that the "gift shop" was filled with "Chinatown items"?) So it was to the museum next door for lunch; then back to enjoy the very well designed (clever usage of space) and beautiful garden.

Having had our fill of the expanse of Golden Gate Park and it being early afternoon we decided to head back closer to the city - to "Japantown" (Nihonmachi). This is a 7 block (? of course its very artificial saying exactly how large or small these things are) area of the city dedicated to Japanese businesses and products. We spent something approaching 2 hours wondering through the shops and feeling very homesick ... for Japan. We even bought a few "souvenirs" of Japan. lol.

With the time of departure approaching we travelled back into downtown, tried to find a travel-strap for one of the bags in a shop, took a last ride on the cable-car, and had a hurried dinner at our favourite (if such a thing can be said after 2 dining experiences) just up the road from the hotel. Then back to the hotel to get our bags out of storage and some quick shuffling of contents (from the day pack we had been carrying) and our car to take us to the airport was already waiting...

2/6 - Bikes, Trams, Bridges and Micro-Climates

The day we arrived in SF, Maria had seen a tourist brochure about riding bikes over the Golden

Gate bridge. This fired not only her imagination but that of everyone (perhaps even moreso for the kids who had "missed out" on bike riding in Tokyo), so this cloudy/foggy Saturday we decided to head over to Pier 39, hire some bikes, and ride across.

While we could have ridden the "F" bus to the pier area, the cable car was a more enjoyable option so we walked the few blocks to Powell St, and though the first few cars were full, were eventually able to catch a car and give the kids a real thrill. Later in the day that thrill would be amplified when they hung off the rail/outside of the car.

Within a block of hopping off the cable car down near Fisherman's Wharf we stumbled on a bike hire shop. Before we knew it the enterrpising owner had sent an employee across the road to us and we were led/lured/conducted into the shop. Fiddling with helmets (Maria and her small head!), maps, guidance on routes (e.g., where was steep and best to down-shift) ensued, but eventually we had 2 tandem bikes and were ready to head off - Grant and I as one pair, and Maria and Zoe as the other.

The initial portion of the route took us through a couple of city-block's worth of streets before we could get onto the bike path. Having never read tandems before (it requires a degree of ocordination as the pedals are directly connected and if one person stops pedalling [stands on the pedals] that impedes/halts the pedalling of the partner) and with the other 3 being unfamiliar with riding city streets, the start was a bit shakey. But soon enough we were on the bike path and down by the water.

Being a cold and blustery

(particularly out on the bridge!) day, the ride couldn't be said to be a physical pleasure. However the novelty of the sights and the experience (particularly of each pair trying to work as a synchronised team) still made it very enjoyable.

Taking half a dozen stops along the way, and gradually becoming more and more saddle-sore we made our way along the shoreline and eventually up onto the bridge where the wind really picked up (and the fog was even more obvious). Having been advised by the bike-shop people that the ride across the bridge and down into Saulsalito was very nice (the cynical part of me says such advice was given because that prolongs the ride and they are being paid by the hour) we continued across and around the shoreline. Eventually arriving in Saulsalito in the early afternoon.

Despite the close proximity to SF (maybe 10km or so?), we found Saulsalito to be an entirely different climate - warm and sunny with little wind and no fog. Indeed, looking back towards the hillside we had descended we could see the fog and clouds streaming past at the height of the hill. We had lunch at a seafood/nautical themed (e.g., turtle shell light shades, model ships on the walls) restaurant before finding what time the ferry returned to SF (it had taken probably a couple of hours to get to Saulsalito and we weren't keen to face the ride back into the wind and cold). With some time to kill we had a bit of a ride around the township - I found it too "up market" for my tastes.

We weren't alone in thoughts of catching the ferry as it is a standard return route advised the by various bike hire companies. Indeed the ferry has bike racks on its lower deck and a well-oiled system (first on, last off) for handling customers with bikes. Seeing all the bikes closely stacked together reminded me very much of Japan and the typical situation around shops and train stations.

The ferry route back is an excellent one for seeing Alcatraz at close quarters (from a different angle to the ferries that run out there) as well as SF itself and the Golden Gate bridge. There were interesting light effects to be observed as we passed into and out of the fog, and the deck really pitched and rolled for a short period.

Arriving back at Fisherman's Wharf in the late afternoon we navigated to the bike shop, dropped off the bikes, and then caught a cable car back towards our hotel and more importantly Chinatown. We explored Chinatown for well over an hour before selecting a chinese restaurant for dinner. While chinatown still possessed a preponderence of the 3-tshirts-for-$10 style of shops (overflowing with cheap merchandise) it was good to note that there were a few shops that stood out due to selling real quality items.

After the restaurant it was time to head back to the hotel, and once again we rode the cable car (this time the famous California St line), hanging off the sides in the near dark.

1/6 - This is Summer?

A placeholder post Friday 1/6, our first full day in San Francisco in which
* We experience a summer day as cold as a Canberra winter day
* We visit Alcatraz National Park (yes, a national park)
* We spend time at Pier 39

31/5 - 4,000 Miles

Thursday, the last day of spring was the day for us to drive into San Francisco - our last destination for the trip - and return the car. We had loved the atmopshere of the Apple Tree Inn in Fish Lake with its 3-unit cabins nestled on the hillside amongst the trees (Zoe even saw a deer walking across another cabin's "lawn" that morning). However the 1-hour drive from there into the heart of Yosemite NP (along with some serious packing that morning so that when we dropped the car off we would only have as many bags as we could carry) precluded another trip in.

Fortunately the edge of the park is much closer, and nestled just inside on the Fish Lake side of the park is the Giant Sequoia grove. This grove is home to some of the largest and oldest living "creatures" on the planet - up to 3,000 years, 100 metres tall, and 10 metres diameter.

So we drove to the grove and walked the first mile or two of the trails there - the Grizled Giant, Bachelor and 3 Maidens, California Tree, and others were all seen and marvelled at. The sheer mass and height of the trees is something that photography cannot capture. There was a lot of good information on plaques along the trails - some data for the kids to think about and put in their journals.

Not too sure of how long the drive into SF Downtown would take, and with the day ticking away we finally said goodbye to the grove (with its horde of trolley-riding French tourists giving a less than rousing cheer for their tour operator) and headed out towards SF.

At Marapossa we stopped at a dinner with real character (old record albums "tiling" the walls and ceiling) and which boasted the largest menu in the sierras. Maria had a baked potato with an almost obscene quantity (and appearance) of toppings. I also recall a customer arriving who's car license plate stated "Once a Marine, Always a Marine", and that there was a hand-written sign on the door asking for new staff, and that the employer would pay for drug-testing of the applicant.

Then the long and chiefly uneventful (at least till we got near SF) drive ensued. At one stage we passed through the largest wind-farm I have ever seen. Hundreds, perhaps bordering on over a thousand windmills scattered across an area of several kilometres. It was well placed too - the winds were very strong.

Somewhere along the way we were able to find a gas station with a car wash as we were concerned that a car spattered with 1-month's worth of spring insects might incur an additional cleaning fee when returned. The gas station was interesting as it doubled as an Indian grocery (and goods) store - something that I don't imagine is that common. Closer in we filled up the tank (a less than wholesome suburb it seemed as the attendant was behind a glass partition...but extremely nice) then finally found the traffic as we edged our way over the Bay Bridge.

Our drop-off of the car in downtown (a "Union Square" location - though the term Union Square seems to be used to describe anything within a 6-block radius of the square itself) had been of some concern as we had a map the showed street names and directions, but not numbers, and the street we were to drop off on (Bush) ran in the opposite direction to that we would be entering the city from. So it was a tense time in downtown as we tried to choose correct lanes in the "peak-hour" (we were arriving in close to 6pm) traffic and when to cross over onto our street. We'd naively thought we'd just "pull-over" to the side of the road if we became lost or disoriented - fortunately that wasn't necessary as there simply was no place anywhere to stop.

Soon - only 2 irate horn tirades from angry drivers (thats one way to measure time) later - we were pulling into the underground car garage and unloading our faithful car (turned out we did over 4,000 miles in the car - starting in California, out east to Arizono, then north through Utah and Idaho, west into Oregon, then south into California ... a very large circle) in cold SF (we all got our jackets on very fast and looked quite the silly tourists in our shorts and t-shirts). Then we walked our bags the 3 blocks to the hotel (memories of the Athens experience when ariving from Santorini the first time came to mind) and before long were up in our room with its hand-painted mural (fish) walls. Then down and just up the street for some excellent (and very cheaply priced) Thai.

30/5 - That Falling Feeling

A placeholder post for Wednesday 30/5 which we spent entirely at Yosemite National Park and:
* Visited Yosemite Falls
* Experienced Rain in the Yosemite Valley
* Searched for, found, and did the Mirror Lake walk

29/5 - Jelly Belly National Park?

A placeholder post for 29/5 in which
* We visit the Jelly Belly jellybean factory for a tour
* Drive to Yosemite
* Visit Bridal Veil falls at Yosemite

28/5 - Redwood Highway

A placeholder post for Monday the 28/5 in which:
* America "celebrates" Memorial Day
* We drive down the coast of California
* We see more of the coast and wonderful trees
* After a long drive we arrive in Fairfield, just north of San Francisco, and home of the jelly bean factory

27/5 - California Dreaming

A placeholder post for Sunday 27/5 in which:
* We say farewell (temporarily) to the Browns and head south towards (eventually) Yosemite
* We experience Oregon and Eugene rain
* We see the wonders of the redwood forests and the tallest trees in the world
* We make it into California and stop at Crescent City on the far north coast

26/5 - Brown Sports

This is a placeholder for Saturday 26/5 - out last full day in Eugene with the Browns in which:
* Maria and Jodie visited the markets again
* We ferry various of the kids to various activities
* The boys (males) have a soccer match - old guys versus the young
* We go out for a farewell dinner

25/5 - Oregon Sport

Friday was another day for sports-connections here - but then thats always true at the Brown place. Neither Zoe or Grant were able to attend school (issues of special activities and permission slips), so it was a quiet day, with a BBQ evening for an aussie girl in the Uni of Oregon girl's basketball team (Phil's team), who was turning 18.

In the morning we ran around doing some shopping that included visiting that American institution Walmart. We were interested to learn that at Walmart you were able to purchase rifles and ammunition -they were just there behind a glass case at an unattended counter...

We then dropped into the university and were able to walk onto the field at Autzen Stadium and the corresponding indoor stadium (Moshofsky Indoor Arena - also a massive space and eriely quiet) - home of "The Ducks" (the famous gridiron/football side of the Uni). It was quite a feeling being on such a professionally maintained field with the stands all around. Zoe, Grant and I went for a couple of runs, while Jodie did a handstand and I did a breakfall and shoulder-roll or 2.

That evening most of the members of the women's basketball team from the Uni came around for a BBQ birthday party for Victoria - an aussie girl and member of the squad turning 18. It was interesting observing these near professional (they are on full scholarships at a major US Uni) athletes at play. To a fault they were not only polite and well behaved,but genuinely fun people - Bev, Phil and the other coaching/support staff should be proud. The funniest moment of the night was when 4 of the players jumped on the enclosed trampoline in the backyard and started trying to do front-flips. At one stage there was a simultaneous gasp from observers as one girl hung suspended upside down- looking like she'd land terribly. But all was good.

24/5 - Of Lakes and Waterfalls

Thursday turned out to be a very special day for Maria and I in terms of scenic beauty. A couple of days earlier we had been advised to take a 1-day trip out east from Eugene - going to Bend, then north a hundred miles or so; then back to Eugene. The route covers a lot of territory as well as going past or near a number of parks, waterfalls and other natural attractions. Both Zoe and Grant had invitations to attend school (Zoe to tell Mitch's class of her travels, while Nate's class had a party), which meant they wouldn't accompany us, and would be gone before 8am.

So we were out and on the road well before 9am - which was just as well because it was 9pm before we arrived back in Eugene. Along Route 58, we travelled besides lakes, fast flowing streams, and even encountered quaint covered bridges (you can even do a tour of this area based on covered bridges locations!), before taking our first major stop at Salt Creek Falls.

Salt Creek Falls are the 2nd highest falls in Oregon and daunting for both their height and power. We were also the only people there,despite them being a fairly major attraction (e.g., marked on road maps). This was a theme for the day - time and time again we'd stop at a significant attraction and find little or no people there - for me it added to the beauty and wonder of these places.

Reaching the intersection with I97, we decided to extend the trip by heading south down to Crater Lake National Park. We'd ummed and ahhed about going to the park either on this trip or later when heading south to Yosemite because it is "out of the way"; but I'm so glad we added it to the trip.

Arriving at the north entrance to the park we found a queue of 4 cars and a park ranger. Turned out that the north entrance was being opened for the first time this year and just as we arrived. We were so lucky (we even didn't have to pay an entrance fee because he was the only one on,and at the gate rather than at the entrance station). Approaching the park we'd spotted snow under the trees, besides the road - imagine our excitement as the snow grew and grew so that in a number of places it towered over the road and car.

At the crater rim we found a kind of "winter wonderland" (thanks Bing) - a crystal blue reflective lake of huge size nestled in a massive crater (was a volcano that had subsided) with a lesser volcanic isle (Wizard's island) in the middle - all with a dusting of snow. Speaking of the snow and ice it was so thick that a number of the fences (little alone paths) at the scenic points were buried under the snow and it was possible (though absolutely foolish) to walk out a couple of metres further past the cliff edge on the "solid" ice that had extended the cliff. It was really something special.

We probably spent the better part of 2 hours driving the western rim (eastern was not open) of the crater - stopping at various locations - finally arriving at the lodge but finding the wait for lunch in the restaurant too long (it looked very very nice too). Aware we still had a long route to drive north we retraced our path, eventually stopping in Chemult for some belated lunch at a very average Subway's.

Driving north along I97, and 20, we were only able to peak at the entrance to the Lava River Cave (the gates were closing in 15 minutes,but you also needed your own lantern) but did get to drive up Lava Butte (a 500 feet high red pumice slag heap that the road curves around and around), again with just 15 minutes to enjoy. The area is surrounded by a "lava taffy" area of grey pumice like stones.

Around this area the 3 Sisters and other mountains such as Black Butte and 3-Finger Jack dominate the skyline -snow covered and wreathed by clouds. Its a very impressive sight and I wondered what it would be like to see them each and every day, the way the residents of the area would. Unfortunately Route 242 was closed so we couldn't get as close to the mountains as we would have liked.

As compensation though we saw a couple of wonderful waterfalls (Sahalie and Koosah) on the alternate Route 126 - again with no other people present and in the magic of twilight the downstream water of the first fall (Sahalie) was so fast and active (and so airated) that it seemed to glow.

Ariving back we found the kids already abed - though Grant restless as usual (side anecdote: after enjoying the Indiana Jones ride so much at Disneyland I promised the kids we'd watch the Indiana Jones movies. So here at Eugene we watched the first 2...Grant was quite disturbed by a couple of the "supernatural"scenes...).

23/5 - Florence Big-gale

On Wednesday we decided to take a day drive to the coast. The Oregon coast is famous for the rugged landscape, storms, mist, drift-wood, lighthouses, and sealions, amongst other things.

Heading west from Eugene through forested hillsides it was well under 2 hours and we'd arrived at Florence. We soon found our way to a beach at low-tide - the tide had withdrawn about 100 metres leaving a mist-blown (at times - just "small"drifts and clumps) landscape of rippled sand and tiny tidal-pools. It was strange and fascinating for its difference to any aussie beach I'd ever encountered.

We then went north along the coast to the sea lion caves - inhabited by some 300 sealions and the largest natural sea cave in the US you descend in a lift to take a look. We found most of the sealions outside on the rocks of the coast (some dozen odd were in the cave though), "enjoying" the spring mating season. Though we were a couple of hundred metres away from them (above on the clifftop), when the wind blew the wrong way...pyew.

We travelled as far north as Yachats, taking in the scenic and much photographed Heceta Head Lighhouse, and having lunch on a trail at the side of a bay at Cape Perpetua. It was quite uncanny seeing how localised the mist/fog was and what times of the day it would come up and subside; as well as just how affected in their growth the great times are by the wind off the ocean (the vegetation permanently frozen in a swept away aspect).

I imagine the Oregon coast would be a great place to live if you're an author - it makes me think/feel of Wuthering Heights and the Bronte sisters - sitting beside a warm natural fire writing dark and gloomy stories that reflect the storm-tossed grey ocean and landscape just outside the window.

22/5 - Downtown

A placeholder for Tuesday 22 in which:
- Maria and I get out and explore a bit of downtown Eugene

21/5 - Shopping Around

A placeholder for Monday 21/5 in which:
- Grant once again visits school
- We visit Costco - a huge "discount warehouse" and some observations

20/5 - American BBQ

A placeholder for Sunday 20/5 in which:
- Eugene's famous rain arrives
- The Brown boys have a basketball match
- The post-season party for the boy's team is held as a BBQ at the Brown's

19/5 - Hippy Markets and Assault BB Guns

Saturday we were able to sample two sides of Eugene life -in the morning we visited the downtown markets, and in the afternoon Phil, Mitch and I visited a just-opened major sports-goods chain.

Eugene is known as a University town - it is the home of the University of Oregon - and for this and other reasons there is a strong "alternate" current running through the city's culture. The Saturday markets are one place where that can be seen quite clearly. Straddling 4-blocks in the downtown area, the market consists of many, many small stalls in which hand-made goods are displayed. From printed t-shirts, through glassware, drums, and chain (as in chainmail) jewelry, there's a lot to be seen. In particular there's an aweful lot of tie dyed items. Several purchases were made at the markets.

One interested incident occured as we were walking beside the road. A large (US large) white Chevvy ute pulled into the available carspace besides us. The remarkable aspect was that the hood and roof the the utility were covered in plastic figurines (cartoon characters etc.) of about 2" to 6" in height that were apparently stuck there. Zoe and Shannon then spent 5-minutes in animated conversation with the driver (I recall him being large, 50 plus, with long hair, a soft voice, sandals and tie-dyed socks).

In the afternoon Phil, Mitch and I took in a large sporting-goods stall that had just opened at the local mall. In many aspects I found it not too disimilar to Rebel Sports or other such businesses in oz. The one thing that struck me though was that there was a Paintball and BB gun section. BB guns are a bit like slug-guns (air propelled and capable of killing birds and other small animals). Anyway, there was a range of BB guns for sale (see the 26th entry about Walmart and rifles), including a number that were replicas of assault rifles such as the Kalashnikov or M11. To me the "message" of having such items for sale in a sports store is both disturbing and less than subtle.

18/5 - Going to School

Friday was yet again a relatively quiet day of activities around town and home.

The biggest event was almost certainly the fact that Grant attended a full day of school with Nate. He enjoyed himself immensely (he didn't really have to do any work), and even rode home on one of the classic yellow school buses.

I had an extremely frustrating 1-hour+ run-around with Alamo call-centres (in India) at the end of which I still didn't know where I stood or what to do about the windscreen.

We also dropped into Phil's work for a look around and some lunch. It really provided perspective to hear that the yearly budget of Uni of Oregon's sports section/department was roughly the same as that of all of UNSW@ADFA. There's big money in sport in the US.

17/5 - The "Simple" Life

Thursday we spent relatively quietly, chielfy staying about the house; though with its own mini-dramas. With everyone out in the morning we continued with the goal of getting the kids to write in their journals and bring them up to date...that was painful. We then had the simple pleasure of enjoying a basic sandwich for lunch, while sitting in the sun. All that restaurant food has been "dragging" (and not helping our health or waists either).

Then it was down to the parking lot of one of the local malls to try and sort out the windscreen stone-chip situation. There are businesses that set up there that fix such problems "for free". Turns out its based on billing your insurance company and not being clear on the situation we couldn't go ahead. At the same mall Zoe elected to spend a chunk of her cash at one of those "make your own teddy bear" places. A good idea, but the accessories can kill you. We also did some shopping for dinner and I was amazed at the variety of beers available. I resolved to try a different beer each day... and I'd be able to keep that up for a month or 2 easily here.

In the early afternoon Nate had a"Heros Wax Works" at his school. All his grade dressed up as historic American (of course) heroes - Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, ... - and stood around stock-still in the school gym. If you walked up and touched one they would give you a 1-minute version of their life. Nate was John F. Kennedy.

In the evening Maria and Jody went for a walk together around the local neighbourhood - I wonder just how much like old times it was.

16/5 - Old Friends Reunited

This was the final day in our 3-day leg to reach the Browns. Awaking, Grant claimed he hadn't been able to sleep that night as he was so excited about seeing Nate again after nearly 2 years apart.

Our route took us directly west, just south of the Columbia river. Its a very impressive sight - extremely wide and fast flowing (a lot of height is lost going east to west), with many dams along the route. Its also extremely windy - we stopped for morning tea (and a look) at a rest-stop and waves were making their way up-river...

We also caught sight of the impressive Mt Hood swathed in snow and towering above the landscape; then stumbled onto the beautiful Multnomah Falls (though the food was so bad there we headed on for another locale rather than eat there).

On this and the previous day or 2 we started "encouraging" the kids to bring their journals back up to date. They'd been excellent in Japan, but had fallen out of "practice" further into the trip. Well, it was extremely "painful" (pulling teeth comes to mind)- seems Grant and Zoe have become accustomed to a "jetsetters life". After some discussions and the imposition of some penalties they came good though.

We saw little of Portland (the state's largest city) or Salem (the capital), though both appear very very green. Arriving at Eugene we had some real difficulties and tensions in getting to Jodie's as the exit (from the intertstate) that she told us to take didn't exist. A couple of laps of the city on the interstate then ensued.

Suddenly we were at the Brown's, and a Jodie who had been shooting hoops in the driveway rushed inside to tell Nate that we were here. It was interesting watching Grant and Nate greet eachother and the first few moments (have it on video) of "getting to know you".

In many ways it was like we'd "come home". Before long we were off to take Shannon to gymnastics lessons, followed by the boys to basketball training (Phil is their coach and they train at "MacCourt" the venerable but massive and atmospheric Uni of Oregon basketball court). Then it was home for dinner (ahhh, home cooked meals!) and relaxing with old friends over a drink or two (finally got to try Polgamy Porter - quite malty).