Mike Breiding's Epic Road Trips: September 2022

25 September 2022
Introduction: California and Oregon Road Trip

The Summer of 2022 produced no extended road trips for Betsy and me. We had planned to drive north to visit one of our favorite places and one of our favorite people but that was struck down by COVID Interruptus, a rare form of "Reluctance to Get in the Car" syndrome. So, no Wisconsin and no Debbie.

Not to be deterred the wheels started turning and it was not too long before we had another trip cooked up. Now the trick was to not lose our momentum and follow through with it. It seems we have gotten out of practice and it's now time for a refresher course in ERT-ing.

As mentioned previously I have suspended the back and forth driving between Morgantown and Tucson for now. But, I still have the hankerin' to be behind the wheel and on the way to both familiar and new places. So, Betsy and I decided the best way to do that was to fly into Tucson, stay a few days to get unpacked and reorganized and then head out on an EpicRoadTrip. This one would be to California and Oregon.
Well, we here go! Tomorrow, before the crack of dawn we will depart Tucson.
Here is the rough route:

Day One: Monday, September the 26th
Tucson to Buttonwillow CA

This will be a loooong day and the only stop we will be making is in the Tehachapi Mountains just east of Bakersfield.
Originally I had booked a room for Betsy and me at the Vagabond Inn - North in Bakersfield. I stayed there October of 2018 while my mom and I were on a road trip to San Francisco. The place seemed fine and I had no problems. But when I read the recent reviews I had second thoughts, cancelled the reservation and booked at the Motel 6 in Buttonwillow. This would mean a longer day but one advantage was the time of day when we would drive though Tehachapi pass which would be late afternoon rather than early morning - better for picture taking.

Day Two: Tuesday, September the 27th
Buttonwillow to Morgan City

Morgan City ?!?! Why would we go there?
Steve Atkinson, that's why. Since the late 90's and the Glory Days of West Virginia Brewing and 5 dollar pitchers of Appalachian Ale we have managed to stay in touch.
Who is Steve? - the first non-founding engineer at LinkedIn, Senior Software engineer at NetFlix and all round good guy. Our visit with Steve will be brief but I am sure it will be fun. We can't wait to catch up!

Day Three: Wednesday, September the 28th
Morgan Hill to San Francisco

We will be staying for 3 nights at Dan's Air BnB in Pacifica and enjoying three days exploring and revisiting old haunts in San Francisco. And, if the weather forecast holds true it should be 3 fabulous days!

Day Six 6: Saturday, October the 1st
Pacifica to Mt Shasta

The next stop will be 2 nights in Mt Shasta with Leslie.
Over the past 10 years of leading hikes in Tucson we have met a lot of fun and interesting people. But I think it is safe to say there are few who are more memorable than Leslie. She is not only a great hiking companion but such a story teller! We can't wait to hear the latest!

Day 8: Monday, October the 3rd
Mt Shasta to Ashland Oregon

Up next - Ashland Oregon which will be a new area for us.
We will be staying with Chris and Meui and the kids. They are now splitting their time between the farm near Forks of Salmon and Ashland.
I have known Chris for well over 40 years and met Meui and the kids on my first visit to the Farm back in 2014 (?). It will be fun to see the new place in Ashland and hear all about their new life there. And of course there will be some hiking and drinking of local beers.

Day ???
Ashland to Crescent City

After we depart Chris and Meui's (date unknown) we will make our way over to Crescent City and spend several days hiking in the Redwoods. After that? Unknown.

I hope to webulize the trip while on the road but that may not be possible as it might get in the way of having fun.

Stay tuned,
-Mike and Betsy

 

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