This is the longest stretch we will have to face this trip.
With two people driving, it is quite tolerable. But beware if you are driving
alone: from Grants Pass to Crescent City the road is narrow, windy, and
extremely precipitous. You have to
be well rested – and by all means, try to make it before dark!!!
We introduced Lyuda
to American rest areas. She was very happy to find out that one does not
need to relieve herself in the Nature; now she understands why grandpa calls
these restrooms “upside down restaurants” or just restaurants.
We had a picnic in a pleasant rest area between Eugene and
Roseburg. As true Russians, we had baked salmon, fried chicken, eggs, potatoes,
stuffed eggplants, two types of cheese, mayonnaise, butter, Ciabatta bread, cucumbers,
blueberries and Coca-cola. Was it easy? Well, according to our friend Adrew
Kriegel: ”Whose life is easy nowadays?”
After Eugene the air became oppressive, there was so much
smoke from the forest fires, you could barely see the hills around. We felt
dizzy from so much carbon dioxide; I was beginning to feel for aliens who would
have to breathe foreign atmosphere.
There were lots of police patrols everywhere, and they were
all occupied; still, lots of crazy people continued driving way above speed
limit or way below… Lyada told us that in Russia, impatient drivers
constantly zooming from one lane
to another are called “chess players”. There were plenty of those. One drove
barely two feet behind us, demonstrating how slow ad dumb we are; finally, he
passed us on the right – and, alas, got stuck anyways between the car in front
and a truck on the side. He gained probably 10 feet of the road… Let him tell
the trucker how slow he is.
It was no sooner then 30 miles to Crescent City when we felt
the air was beginning to clear up;
it was also getting cooler. The forests rose on both sides of steep mountain
slopes, there was a mountain rivers on one side, and dark looming cliffs on the
other side of the road. Encouraging signs like “Danger! Rock slides!” etc. kept
us – at least me – rather awake.
And the, without a warning, we drove into the redwoods
forest. Suddenly we were dwarfed by the black trunks of the gigantic pines. I
had to stop! We had to take pictures!
Crescent City laid just at the exit of the National park. It
is a dismal looking grey little town with lots of trailer parks, hotels and
Mexican restaurants. When I asked about historic buildings, the young clerk at
the counter giggled nervously and explained that all their historical buildings
were washed away by the tsunami of 1962, and the embankment and bouleward were
washed away by the tsunami 2 years ago. All that is left are piles of concrete.
Work is going on, but it would take some time… What they still have, though, is
worth seeing – a small historical landmark, a lighthouse at the Battery point.
It was about 2 miles away from our hotel, and we just walked there and back.
The colors of the early evening were absolutely surreal: just shades of gray
and a touch of very dark somber green: fog from the ocean, steely waters,
silvered floatsome on the shore and dark, gloomy, tortured pinias…
It was low tide, and thousands of birds were looking for
food in the intertidal zone, with much flapping of wings, cries and screehing;
gulls, herons, sandpipers, cormorans, pelicans, all loudly protesting an attack
of an osprey.
We took a lot of pictures… Came home, ate, swam in the
swimming pool (indoor), and collapsed.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013 Grandmother’s birthday
We took Lyuda to see the most iconic tourist spots: we made
it to the top of the Space Needle, we walked through the sculpture park, we had
lunch at the Anthony’s restaurant, walked along piers to Pike Place Market, and
went back by monorail.
As a result we were 40 min. late to grandma’s. There were
reasons for everybody to be unhappy. Grandma thought we forgot about her; my
husband and son were unhappy that Grandma decided to add her best friend Nadya
to our group, Grandpa was unhappy hat I did not want to order wine ( 92 bucks
per bottle, thank you very much), I was unhappy that my Mom was giving a public
show to unwilling and captive audience. In the end, I solemnly swore this is
the last time I am paying for something like this.
We came back and proceeded packing up for the trip. I barely
slept…
Monday, August 19, 2013. Lyuda arrives in Seattle
OMG!!!! My best friend came to Seattle! We have been friends
since our first day at school in 1963!!!! 50 years!!!
We got her white and pink roses and drove to the airport.
She was very happy to arrive on time. It appears that Delta refused to assign
her a seat on the plane from Amsterdam to Seattle till the very last minute;
shaken, but happy, she fell into our arms . We drove through downtown on
Aurora, we showed her our home, her new quarters, exchanged presents and
talked. Surreal!
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