Oregon: Jefferson

Hours spent rolling down the road and we found ourselves pulling over to stop at a small grocery store in the town of Jefferson, Oregon. We'd gotten stuck in a bit of traffic a bit further back and upon finding a safe and amicable place to pull over for a minute, I opted to so we could rest our cars and grab some refreshments. We'd made pretty good distance and were nearing the Northern edge of Oregon, though there was still some miles left yet. Even so, when I found myself at the edge of a street that ran directly into a riverway while searching for a public bathroom, I knew we had to at least check it out!

Of course, no idyllic river scene is complete without a noose? Oh my! Initially I wanted to take this as a bad omen, a spooky sign that the beauty of the Pacific Northwest was really a thin, oily veneer obscuring or obfuscating a nasty propensity towards Shanghai'ing the unfortunate and spiriting them away, whether in a Missing 411 type scenario or simply into old-fashioned human trafficking... but Antho was quick to note that it looked more like a climbing point used by the local graffiti artists to get to higher ground. I'm going to hope it's the second and try to roll with that, because life is full of creepy awfulness and I'd rather cling to the ideal....or I just don't want to let superstition cast a shadow over my otherwise upbeat adventure. Onward and up! Let's go!

And after a long drive, it really is nice to stretch your legs next to the water. The gentle trickle of the flow as it winds its meandering way on to whatever destination this particular branch of hydration hopes to reach. It always kind of boggles my mind that people grow up next to these, casually dipping down to the water's edge to be alone or get up to the standard teenaged mischief. Sure, desert kids can traipse off into the wasteland to build a scrubby fire and dance around a dry lakebed, but the environment is so austere, so unwelcoming. Thick belches of bushes covered in thorns aren't exactly welcoming, not to humans, per se, but they do foster life in other forms by giving rabbits and raccoons a place to hide and forage. 

And while I was enjoying our stroll alongside the stream, Antho was quick to remind me that the grocery store we'd been parked at had ample signs warning against loitering or parking in their lot for extended periods. Better to play it safe than sorry, especially when it comes to the possibility of having your vehicle towed during a multi-state road trip...besides, we had places to be and miles to go, so as much as I'd have liked to linger we packed it in and headed back to the vehicles.

See you tomorrow with the next step of our adventure!

💘

XOXO,

NAU