Hello from Portland, OR, where it's sunny, 80 degrees and a bit breezy.  At present, I'm sitting at Bridgeport Brewpub in the Northwest District of the city enjoying the sampler of 8 different beers which they're currently brewing.  I must say, each of them is quite tasty.  And beyond, that, I must say that it is quite nice to be sitting at a brewery enjoying a pint (or many miniatures) on a Wednesday afternoon before 5pm (local time, anyways).  Most definitely a far cry from my typical Wednesday.  I'm certainly blessed.

I wanted to take a few minutes to share some thoughts and photos on Crater Lake, which I visited on the LONG drive north on Sunday, then provide some random ramblings to satisfy my inner desire to write and give you something to amuse you on a Wednesday evening wherever you may be...

The drive from San Francisco to Portland is about 640 miles.  When you add in a detour to Claytor Lake and back to the highway by way of Eugene, OR, it stretches to well over 700 miles.  That's a long way.  Well, that was my Sunday.  I woke with the dawn in San Francisco and was on the road by 7am.  Napa Valley and the Redwoods will have to wait for future trips, though the scenery from Interstate 5 was pretty cool--I learned quickly why they refer to California as the "Golden State;" it seems that it's for the grass, not the yellow stuff the 49ers (not the football players; those who rushed westward in the middle 1800s) coveted.

It was mid-day when I finally made it to Oregon, though it took another few hours to make it into Claytor Lake National Forest.  The various National Forests and Parks which I drove through on the way were equally impressive, with towering peaks, winding roads, and what seemed like seas of evergreen trees.  In many respects, the landscape was not dissimilar from the Appalachian Mountains near which I was raised.  The primary difference was the type of tree--the towering fir trees out here are much different than the ash, maple, and other various trees of home.  Either way, the winding drive up and down the mountains evoked many memories of home.

The other big difference was the beautiful blue lakes and ponds that scattered the landscape.  While several were beautiful, none were as impressive as Crater Lake itself.  While much of the park was still closed--more than 75% of the trails were closed due to snow, with some covered in as much as 6 to 8 feet of the cold, white stuff (yes, even in mid-July; I, too, was shocked)--the main attraction was on display and more beautiful than any other body of water I've laid eyes on.

The beautiful, deep blue lake is the deepest and "bluest" body of water in North America (according to the Visitor's Center).  The colors of the water are beyond anything that I've ever seen; it was almost as it God had dumped a bucket of blue paint on a valley in the landscape.  The contrast of this deep blue against the green fir trees and the white, snow-capped peaks that surrounded the lakes presented some truly breathtaking views which in my own experience are only rivaled by some of the views of Grand Canyon.

Now...what you've really been waiting for:

Pretty impressive, huh?

Okay, one more random thing.  While observing the lake, I ran into a couple decked out in Virginia Tech gear.  I had to ask...and found out that there were originally from Hillsville, VA, a small town about 70 miles from my hometown of Rocky Mount, VA.  They were on their way back east (they now live in Williamsburg, VA) from a trip to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, the last state they had not seen.  We chatted for a few minutes about road trips--they were big proponents, as it seems the husband had grown up criss-crossing the country--and southwestern VA.  It was quite a coincidence...and awesome to run into folks from the same part of the country 3,000 miles away!

Onto my random ramblings...

What I'm Thinking (well, most of it):

Lots of random stuff....like this:

This trip is great...but exhausting.  I am typically accustomed to functioning on little sleep; however, when I hit the sack these days, it is usually 8-plus hours before I can pull myself from the comfort and warmth of covers/my sleeping bag...

Tattoos seem to be the norm here on the West Coast, at least moreso than what I'm accustomed to.

The Republicans need to move on from this whole healthcare issue.  Passing a repeal bill in the House is pointless because the Senate will kill it.  The Supreme Court has spoken.  Nothing matters but the economy, and if either party wants to truly talk about healthcare, they should be doing so in terms of what the long-term overall cost is to the system.  It's very clear that the future fiscal soundness of our system of governance is dependent upon how we manage healthcare...and I haven't heard the Republicans actually come up with a coherent, reasonable plan that seriously addresses the cost issue.  Representative Ryan's plan, while ambitious, doesn't actually do much to address the runaway costs within the healthcare system.

Anything about The Affordable Care Act--I hate when folks refer to it as "Obamacare;" can we please speak on terms like an intelligent individual--and its constitutionality is just grandstanding and posturing until the election.  To all members of Congress--go get things done.  If all you're going to do is posture and politic, go into recess and go home and talk to your electorate, where your re-election will be won or lost.  It pains me that we're paying these folks to go to Washington and do nothing productive for months simply because an election is coming...at least we can pay theme to go hang out with their constituents.

Sorry to go into politics...I know it's dangerous territory.  Eight to ten years ago, I would've described myself as a Republican.  Three to five years ago, I was a Democrat.  Today, I hate both parties; sometimes for the same reason.  And to be honest, I think I'm more the rule than the exception...

To Beard or Not to Beard...THAT is the question:

So, as you may have noticed from recent photos, I'm sporting a bit of scruff on my cheeks these days.  I have tried--emphasis on tried--to grow a beard over the last month or so.  Let's just say there are patches of success.  It is past the itchy phase, and I've tried to keep it trimmed as best I know how (which isn't all that great, admittedly).  I was committed to giving it a month...after two weeks, I was convinced it would never work.  However, after nearly five weeks, I'm still going moderately strong and intend to keep it up.  This is the longest I've ever gone without being completely clean-shaven, and I figure I will never do so again, so why not, right?  In any event, it's going okay...we'll see how long it lasts...

What I'm Reading:

I'm a bit of a book fanatic.  At any given point, I'm reading three or four books on a variety of topics (though not as wide as it probably should be).  I don't really know why, but I was sort of raised that way; with my mother being a teacher, books were always readily avaliable.  On this trip, I've picked up several books and in the middle of numerous...

As I mentioned earlier, I'm listening to Walter Issacson's biography of Steve Jobs (almost done).  Fascinating stuff; I find that I simultaneously hate and love Jobs.  He's almost bi-polar in his mood swings, is highly manipulative, and seems to be a terrible manager.  However, his commitment to producing a great product is what carries him--and Apple--through, and is his saving grace.  If only more people focused more on the human aspect of technology...and on the technological aspects of dealing with humanity.

I'm also about 1/3 of the way through "The Big Rich," a historical tale written by Bryan Burrough about the rise and fall of several Texas oil families during the 20th Century.  So far it's been a fascinating, stranger-than-fiction style tale of the evolution of Texas the impact of big oil on the state's culture.  Interesting stuff.

I'm about 80 pages into Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," the quintessential "road trip" book.  I lament that I had not read it before embarking, but I guess now is better than never...I instantly envy the free-wheeling nature of their expedition, and see some of the various aspects of my trip coming through in Jack's.  I'll save more observations for once I get through it, but I must say that it's a big-time page turner.  The version I got, from Powell's City of Books in Portland, OR, is dubbed "The Original Scroll," as it represents the exact first draft that Kerouac churned out in 1951.  There are no paragraph or chapter breaks (not sure if there are in other versions...), and it is billed as the "uncut version of Kerouac's masterpiece."  So far, I find the writing style addictive...the free-flowing, uninhibited style is inspiring, and keeps me interested.

I'm about 1/4 of the way into "The Road," a tale written by Cormac McCarthy about a father and son wandering through a post-apocalyptic America.  It's the type of book that you pick up and find yourself looking up 100 pages later wandering where the time has gone.  Overall, it's very somber; however, the style of writing--several broken sentences, quick dialogue, and stunning descriptions of a barren landscape--keeps you turning the pages.

I've also started "New Orleans Sketches," by William Faulkner, though I haven't really gotten far enough into it to pass judgment.

Other books I've picked up and plan to start in the coming days include:  "A Farewell to Arms," by Ernest Hemingway; "To Have and Have Not," also by Hemingway; "Gulliver's Travels," by Jonathan Swift; and "The Wettest County in the World," by Matt Bondurant.  The latter of these is historical fiction written about moonshiners in the county where I was raised, Franklin County in southwest VA.  It was recently made into a movie; you may have seen the trailers for "Lawless," starring Shia LeBeouf.  I've seen the trailer and, while it seems overly dramatized, I'm interested to see what the end product is.  But only after I've read the book...

What I'm Listening to:

I have Spotify, which I really like because I can see what my Facebook friends are listening to and get ideas about new music.  I also have Pandora, which is great.  However, I've found that it often takes me back to the same type of music I already have...all the way down the specific artists.  It's really frustrating, because it doesn't allow you to think too far outside the box unless you have a specific idea of what you're looking for...and I often don't.

Anyway, the artists I'm most listening to, in no particular order:
--Led Zeppelin
--Pearl Jam
--Eric Church
--Elvis Presley
--Jason Aldean
--Foster the People
--The Rolling Stones
--Snow Patrol
--Bob Seger
--John Mayer

Pictures...

So, I must confess.  A majority of the photos you've seen on here, Facebook and Picasa were taken with my iPhone.  I have a wonderful, digital point-and-shoot Nikon with a ton of different settings.  However, I've found that the iPhone is much better for panoramic shots, like those at Grand Canyon and Claytor Lake, while the Nikon is much better for specific, "zoom-in required" shots.

In general, the iPhone has made this trip so much easier.  From the apps--notably, Google Apps, Facebook, Spotify, Urbanspoon, Audible, and ESPN--to the email access and texting/phone capabilities, it's been fantastic.  My only gripe is the battery life, which is far from great.  And Siri is hit or miss.  But oh well.  I guess not everything can be perfect.

That's all for now.  I'm in Portland for the rest of tonight, then head for Seattle tomorrow morning.  I'll be there through mid-day Saturday, at which point I will start the trek eastward toward Yellowstone.  I doubt I'll make it all the way there on Saturday--it's a heckuva long drive, 13 hours plus--but I'll get there soon enough.

Now there's a brain dump, huh?  Talk soon.  :)

DRB