Return to Portland

Monday, July 29, 2013

Yesterday, as we were on the way back to the rig, we noticed a historic memorial along the road, so Phil stopped to see what it was. This one memorializes the one time the Japanese fired on U.S. soil during WW II. A sub was off shore about 2 miles, surfaced long enough to fire a few rounds, then submerged again. The result of this event was the placement of bunkers all up and down the entire west coast to watch for enemy subs or activity.

A travel day, heading back to Portland where we were camped before, and back along the same road we drove out to the coast on, old Hwy 30 and I-5, but things look a little different from the opposite direction, so it wasn’t a bad drive.

When we started back down the mountain from the 500’ summit, we could see Mount Hood off in the distance again. We don’t have landmarks like that in Arkansas, so it’s different and kind of neat. The mountain has been in our sites, more or less, since we started traveling along side of the river, shortly after coming into the state.

One thing that we really took note of on this trip, after having driven a lot of the northeast coast last summer is the difference in water abodes. On the east coast we found larger luxury ocean going boats that are probably comparable to our 5^th wheel for comfort (on the bottom end). However, on the west coast we take the level of comfort and size of the water abode to a whole new level. On the west coast, tucked along the more quiet rivers, or coves of the not so quiet rivers you will find floating housing developments. These houses are built on a foundation that floats, and there will be several ‘tied’ together, hence a development. They are found in all shapes, sizes, and colors, this development evidently has no restrictions. Generally they take care to use up all of the floating foundation for the living quarters, we have seen lots of houses that are two story with a deck on top of the second story. Even the single level homes have the deck on top of the house. Of course, since these homes are on the water, and environmental laws are much tougher these days, they can’t be dumping all of their waste water straight into the water anymore, so it all has to have intricate pumping systems to get it safely from home to some sort of system on land. No garages or cars parked conveniently close, anything coming in comes by boat, or from the car parked in the parking lot located somewhere nearby. I love the water, but I’m not sure I would want to live on it like that. I would definitely have to give it a test drive first.

Portland doesn’t hold a candle to the L.A. area as far as traffic or crazy idiots on the road, but it was still a good reminder for us that we aren’t in Arkansas anymore!! I would sware that in Arkansas that our traffic lanes are at least 2’ wider than they are on the west coast. The more congested the area, the narrower the traffic lanes seem to get. I’m sure the truckers must be use to this narrow lane game, so it must be something they do out here to fluster all the old people driving rigs 3 times the size they are mentally equipped to handle. I’m pretty sure this is true, if you look around you will see cameras everywhere! So, you see, these cameras are set up to catch these old people trying to maneuver through the craziest layout of interstate system ever designed!