Crossing back into the US and feeling strange that miles actually seemed more normal than kilometers, we crossed Washington State in no time and quickly ended up in Portland, Oregon, which is famous for being a hipster town and hence featuring many good coffee shops. That quickly convinced us to set up tent there.
Well – it’s true. There’s great coffee, in great many places. One of the most memorable of which was the Pearl district: An impressive mix of kinda-old looking brick stone houses, surrounded by small gardens and turned into lofts. We immediately fell in love with that style.
What else? Oh – yes. There’s no taxes in Oregon, which made us fulfill some basic necessities at the Apple store. And last but not least: There are truffle fries. Yes, that is fries fried in truffle oil. ‘Nuff said.
Heading west after a few cool days in hipstertown, we had high expectations for the miles to come: Supposedly, the coast of Oregon is the most beautiful stretch of land between Mexico and Canada. While we’re still unsure if we would go that far, we can say one thing: It was gorgeous. Very much so. The landscape was mind-blowing, and not even the not-so-good roads (in their defense, what would they pay the repairs with, if they have no sales tax?) could wipe the smile off our faces.
Crossing back into California, and soon hitting a stretch of road we’d already done a few weeks before in the opposite direction, we were sure: This was a winner. Highway No. 1 in California is the best stretch of road any of us have ever had under our wheels. Nothing beats the miles between Mendocino and San Francisco on a sunny day. Period.
On a sidenote: Funny enough, the top 3 roads on our 8000-mile trip through the states were all in California, and all named in consecutive order – Highway 1, 2 and 3. 1 goes along the coast and is the most famous one, 2 goes north from Los Angeles and is a stunner, and 3 leads (partially) from the coast towards Redding, and features absolutely perfect sized curves. Top 3, right there.
We finished our trip with a stay with friends in Santa Rosa, at the entrance to the world-famous Napa valley. A great cool-down period in an area that’s even enjoyable for a non-wine-person like me. Nice people, good food, great wine, and a house so secluded that there were deer in the backyard every night…yes, that felt just right.
After 2 months and over 8000 miles, we headed back into San Francisco with a smile on one eye and a tear in the other. More on that on our next (and final) blog entry!
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