DAY 2 OREGON

HI
TODAY IS WHAT I WOULD CALL A "BITTER-SWEET" DAY! A DAY FILLED WITH BOTH WONDERFUL "SWEET" MEMORIES AND "BITTER", TEETH CLENCHING STRESSES. A DAY THAT I WOULD NOT TRADE FOR ANYTHING IN THE WORLD; BUT, ALSO A DAY WHERE I PRACTICALLY S**T (SORRY KIDS, P**PED) MY PANTS SEVERAL TIMES OVER!!!!

WE STARTED OUR DAY WITH BREAKFAST AT DENNY'S THEN HEADED OVER TO GHIRARDELLI SQUARE BEFORE LEAVING SAN FRANCISCO AT 10:30 AM TO GO TO OREGON. WE RODE OVER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE (IT IS AMAZING AND MUCH BIGGER THAN ON TV) AND GOT ONTO SCENIC ROUTE 101. WE RODE ALONG SIDE THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND MILES AND MILES OF WINE VINEYARDS. UNLIKE WISCONSIN WHERE ALL WE SAW WAS CORN, HERE WE SAW GRAPES. CARL WAS IN AWE TAKING IT ALL IN AS I DROVE MOST OF THE WAY. WE TOOK A BYPASS ONTO THE AVENUE OF THE GIANTS. THIS WAS 31 MILES OF GIANT REDWOOD TREES AND ATTRACTIONS.

THIS IS WHERE I ALMOST S**T MY PANTS THE FIRST TIME! I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE A BRAND NEW FORD ESCAPE RENTAL WITH 2000 MILES THROUGH A 5000-YEAR-OLD REDWOOD TREE TRUNK. HALF WAY THROUGH, I FREAKED AND HAD NO WAY OUT CUZ OF SUCH A TIGHT SQUEEZE. I FINALLY COMPOSED MYSELF AND DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY OUT SHAKING!!!!! THE REST OF THE AVENUE WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR THE HUNDREDS OF SHARP HAIR-PIN CURVES AND FOG.

WE STOPPED FOR DINNER AT MARIE COLLENDER'S RESTAURANT AND BAKERY. WE HAD COMFORT FOOD: CHICKEN POT PIE, YANKEE POT ROAST AND SLICES OF MIXED BERRY AND PEACH PIE TO GO. WE CONTINUED OUR JOURNEY TO OREGON.

AT 6:30 PM AND AFTER EIGHT HOURS OF DRIVING (WE WERE STILL IN CA). WE DROVE THROUGH SEVERAL MORE MILES OF DANGEROUS, FOGGY, HAIR-PIN CURVES (THIS IS WHERE I ALMOST S**T MY PANTS AGAIN!!!!!) CROSSING INTO OREGON.

AT ABOUT 8:30 PM WE STOPPED FOR GAS AND CARL TOOK OVER THE DRIVING. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 10 HOURS. I KNOW GOD WAS LOOKING OUT FOR ME BECAUSE I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE WHAT CAME NEXT! WE CLIMBED UP THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN ON A NARROW 2-LANE ROAD SO HIGH THAT OUR EARS POPPED WORSE THEN WHEN WE WERE ON THE AIRPLANE. WE THEN HAD TO MAKE THE DECENT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN WITH A SOLID ROCK WALL TO OUR LEFT AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE A "MILLION-FOOT" DROP STRAIGHT DOWN TO OUR RIGHT WITH NO GUARDRAILS!!!
I WAS HOLDING THE DOOR HANDLE WITH MY RIGHT HAND AND THE MIDDLE CONSOLE WITH MY LEFT HAND SO HARD THAT MY KNUCKLES HURT. I ACTUALLY THINK I LEFT FINGERNAIL MARKS IN THE RENTAL. HERE IS WHERE I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO CHANGE MY UNDERWEAR!!!!!! LOL. I STARTED SAYING THE ROSARY AND MAKING ALL KINDS OF PROMISES.

WELL, GOD DELIVERED US SAFE AND SOUND TO OUR HOTEL AT 10:30 PM (12 HOURS OF DRIVING TODAY) WHERE WE CHECKED IN AND ATE OUR PIES.

I'M GLAD WE GOT THROUGH THIS DAY SAFELY AND I THANKED GOD FOR SUCH A MOST WONDERFUL AND MEMORABLE ADVENTURE. GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE AND I WILL POST THE PICTURES TOMORROW.

GRAMMA AND PAPPA