General Observations of Oregon & Oregonians

We’re back from our Oregon trip. Nine days, it was, and a great time, and I didn’t plan it jammed full like most of our vacations. From Mt. St. Helens in Washington through central western Oregon to Crescent Beach, California and the Redwoods National Forest back up the Oregon coast, we still did plenty.

It may be a week or so before I get the story written, but until then, I’ll enlighten you with some general observations of Oregon and Oregonians from an outsider’s perspective.

1. Just as all small towns in central western Ohio have at least two churches and as many bars, each small town in Oregon has a Dairy Queen and at least one Mexican restaurant.
2. Hitchhiking is legal in Oregon, and middle-aged, dreadlocked white men seem to be the only ones trying to take advantage, though perhaps they are the only ones not catching rides and so are the only ones we see.
3. Many highways are paved with pebbles, which makes driving a bit deafening. If I lived here, I’d carry hearing protection in my vehicle for when I got on I-5 or another noisy road.
4. A person is not permitted to pump his or her own gasoline.
5. Lots of grasshoppers and chipmunks hang out on trails and, of course, scamper when a hiker nears.
6. Most drivers maintain or fall below the speed limit. It’s true. Even on roads through the forests where you know a policeman would not be sitting in his car aiming the radar gun. Generally, people just don’t speed there. It was refreshing and annoying at the same time.

Keep your eyes on this blog for a narrative of the trip plus pictures. We took over 100. I won’t post them all, of course. The best ones are of Crater Lake.