Showerville

All great endeavors and expeditions have challenges to face and overcome. Columbus got stuck in the doldrums, the Titanic met an iceberg, and Bush lost a crucial primary in New Hampshire. It seems too that the greater the benefit to humanity offered by a grand undertaking, the greater the challenges it will have to face. Joey and I can definitely say that this historical maxim has held true for the second leg of our expedition. I'll spare you the grim details about just how filthy we got after six days in the backcountry. That would go against our stated goal of inspiring, edifying, and firing the imagination of those who would follow in our footsteps. But boy, did we look haggard. It's funny how being really dirty for more than a few hours is such a rare occurrence in modern life. We didn't shower for six days and by the end of that time our skin was covered in alternating layers of bug spray, dirt, sunscreen, and sweat. And Joey's white shirt...no, I can't bear to describe it. Our skin stuck to the sleeping bags, we found dirt on our toothbrushes, and no matter how hard we tried we couldn't remove the dirt from under our fingernails. Add to that the awful grimy and zombie-feel that comes with not having slept for several nights in a row. We began to refer to Chicago as 'Showerville'. I'm sorry to go on like this. But if this account is to be a true history then I can't airbrush any of it. Maybe a few photos will do better than words.

But now, safe in Chicago with the dirt and tears washed away, it's hard not to remember the past fondly and only think about the good times. I think I'll go ahead and share a few of those now with some pictures.

We were in Utah for several days seeing family and friends. It was too hot to venture out during the day except for brief media appearances and photo shoots or to cool off your paws.

We then headed up to the Grand Tetons where we went backcountry camping up Paintbrush Canyon. This was a spectacular spot overlooking the valley below. We were all by ourselves and had been trained to clap and yell 'BEAR!!!!' every now and then to ward off all the bears that lived there. On the way back down in the morning we actually did come across a bear just a few feet off the trail foraging for berries. We only saw his ears and shoulders as we moved through the undergrowth, but it was nonetheless exciting.

Everyone told us that the Tetons were stunning and much better than Yellowstone. The Tetons didn't disappoint. But because of these reports, we didn't expect much from Yellowstone. Maybe that is why we were so blown away by the geysers, and hot springs, and the subtle but interesting landscape.

After Yellowstone we headed to the Badlands. We were tired and dirty by then but decided to head out for one more night of backcountry camping. We didn't hike too far but it was slog nonetheless. This was probably the most isolated place we've been so far. The light pollution in the Badlands is supposed to be the least of anywhere in the US and we stayed up late staring at the stars. In the middle of the night, around 3AM we were both awoken by a coyote howling right next to our tents (closer to mine) which freaked me out.

We had so much leisure time after getting to each of our backcountry camping spots. We mostly spent our time playing chess, swimming, or looking at stars. As Joey said, this kind of leisure was unimaginable during orals.

But taking in the natural splendor is only a fraction of what happens on the road. I've found amusing the recurring conversations and entertainment we find to pass the time when all there is to do is drive from one place to the next. For example, the hypothetical game: would you rather be the lead man in your own local band or the anonymous guitarist of Paul McCartney's band where you just shut up and play what he tells you to? Or the running conversation we're having about how ridiculous car names are. Most of them seem to be just made up words that sound exciting or play on another dynamic word. Sorento, Elantra, Optima, Fiesta, and so forth.

Anyway, that's it for this post. We're now in Showerville, resting up and getting ready for the next leg. I leave you all with Sufjan's "Chicago" which is the song I had in my head as we drew closer to our destination. It seemed fitting.

Chapter 2: The Oregon Trail

Our journey didn't have the most fortuitous opening. We forgot the cooler and got lost on our way to San Rafael. But apart from a massive argument about Ukraine after which Joey threatened to separate from the road trip, everything's gone smoothly. I'm just kidding. We've only bickered once about how to properly dispose of banana peels. But I made Joey apologize and everything's good now. On a long road trip when it's just you and one other person together constantly, it's easy for little differences or disagreements to sour relations. You can't take a break from that person and every decision or action has to be negotiated and agreed upon. This is when communication skills and being ready to say you're sorry can go a long way. That's why I'm keeping a tally of how many times Joey says sorry to me on this road trip so at the end, in Maine, I can show him how much he's developed over the course of the road trip and how someday he can be as good a communicator as I am. I think this road trip will bring us a lot closer and help straighten him out.

Anywho, this post will mostly consist of photos of scenic Oregon coastline and forests with little commentary. I feel the pictures mostly speak for themselves. So let's begin!

The grand departure! There was no way Danny was ever going to fit in this car with us.

I had to post a picture of Coos Bay. This is where Steve Prefontaine grew up. A shout-out to all you runners out there. And an electric car charger! So far Oregon seems to have a lot in common with California except its Prius per square mile count is 6 while California's is 45.

Oregon's coastline is pretty dank. Well, rocky and dank. After that, we headed inland to Portland and stayed with Ari's family. We got a tour of the city and all of its bridges which Portland schoolchildren apparently have to memorize.

Then we headed to what was probably the best part of the road trip so far: the Bagby hot springs deep in Mt. Hood National Forest. We had to hike to it through a beautiful, moss-covered rainforest.

The hot springs consisted of a couple wood structures housing three or four big wooden tubs each. You turn on the valve to let the hot water fill it up and then pour in cold water from a cold spring to balance it out. Some Russians who live in Sweden were in the tub next to us and we chatted with them for a while.

And Mt. Hood...

And beautiful coastal sand dunes...

But this is mostly what our trip has been like so far...

And now we are in Utah for a couple days where it is scorching hot...see you all at the next post!

Chapter One: The Road-Trip

It's been almost four years since I last posted anything on my blog. At the time of that post I was studying in England, waiting to hear if I had gotten in to any PhD programs and thinking my Californian classmate complained way too much about English cuisine. Now, after three years of graduate school in the Bay Area, I'm about to return to Europe for another year of study and to annoy some other American about the wilted German produce, the scarcity of avocados, and having to grow my own basil. I really hope, though, that this blog doesn't turn into a catalogue of complaints about how Germany will never match up to California. I'd much rather this blog be about what Germany is than what it isn't and about my experiences and insights there. So, in that spirit, I begin this blog. The first few posts won't actually be about Germany. I don't get there until August 16th. I'm first driving across the US as one long goodbye and celebration of by far the greatest country in central North America. My driver, Joey, will first be taking me to Portland (the city popularized by Portlandia) to visit my friend Ari who grew up there. We'll then make our way across Oregon, see some stuff there, then spend a few days in Utah County visiting wineries and saloons. Then it's off to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and across the plains to the Badlands. After camping and backpacking in those parks, we'll stay with some family and friends in Chicago, before heading to Maine where Joey is from. I'm dying to see Maine and eat lobster until I puke. Joey told me that in Maine they crawl right out of the Ocean and into the boiling pots all by themselves. I kind of doubt that but there's only one way to find out! So long Cali!!!! (post beautiful picture of sunset over Golden Gate Bridge and queue "California" by Joni Mitchell).