Drove up to Portand

[philip]

Welcome back; we've missed you

You're so sweet. LOL

The short is... I left Orange County at 04:00 and drove up I-5 for 847 miles to Rice Hill, OR the first day, arriving about 18:30. THAT's how nutz I was about getting out !!

[asavage]

I recognize the Rice Hill cottages -- athough not that color, did they repaint them? I think they were dark red last year. Did you actually stay over there?

I will usually stop in Rice Hill and get a sandwich or ice cream at the stand on the west side of the highway. They make a good veggie-burger, and of course their ice cream selection is unbeatable in that part of Oregon, and they use only Umpqua ice cream, IIRC.

Heading north, I usually stop at Redding or thereabouts (on I-5) or Crescent City or thereabouts (on 101), so you are hardier than I. But I also am travelling in Winter with very short days and I can't take headlight glare long without a headache, so it's harder for me to travel far in Winter these days.

[philip]

I recognize the Rice Hill cottages -- athough not that color, did they repaint them? I think they were dark red last year. Did you actually stay over there?

Of course! I had driven 847 miles to get to the day ... I was DONE. And for only $40, all the more reason to call it a day. The last time I stayed here was in December 30th, 1997.

I will usually stop in Rice Hill and get a sandwich or ice cream at the stand on the west side of the highway.

Yup ... that's where I ate at both that night and the following breakfast.

They make a good veggie-burger, and of course their ice cream selection is unbeatable in that part of Oregon, and they use only Umpqua ice cream, IIRC.

That night about 8:30, I had cream ice too. I love their maple/nut ice cream.

Heading north, I usually stop at Redding or thereabouts (on I-5) or Crescent City or thereabouts (on 101), so you are hardier than I. But I also am travelling in Winter with very short days and I can't take headlight glare long without a headache, so it's harder for me to travel far in Winter these days.

Evening glares used to bother me to hell. But now that I have to use Coumadin and occasionally with Excedrin, evening glare didn't bother a headache. Normally I would have quit at Redding too but this time ... I was so fed up with southern CA that I kept going.

[asavage]

I will usually stop in Rice Hill and get a sandwich or ice cream at the stand on the west side of the highway.

Yup ... that's where I ate at both that night and the following breakfast.

That pic's of the place on the east side; I'm talking about the trailers on the west side.

Normally I would have quit at Redding too but this time ... I was so fed up with southern CA that I kept going.

I definitely know what you are talking about.

[philip]

That pic's of the place on the east side; I'm talking about the trailers on the west side.

Yes, that photo was of the side of restaurant. I did not take a photo of the ice cream place right across the street. I had a scoop of maple nut ice cream that was delicious.

I definitely know what you are talking about.

Ya know Al, I've lived in southern CA for close to 50 years. I have seen nearly everything here that has happened. Scarely anyone speaks in English ... and every little 50+ year old costs at least $600,000. (check http://www.zillow.com for your favorite housing). In spite of Prop 13, that high price makes taxes high too. It pisses me that no City will put a stop to excessive numbers of bodies in each cheap little house. Naturally, each of 'those' people have to own 5 vehicles.

Of course, that's why there's 4 people cramping into that little house to pay it. And the traffic ... it's been insufferable for the past 10 years. That's why I left a 04:00 ... to ensure I was thru/past Los Angeles in time.

I could go on and on. When I told all this (and more) to a psychologist, he offered prozac.

[goglio704]

I could go on and on. When I told all this (and more) to a psychologist, he offered prozac.

They'll put that stuff in the water before long. Talk about over prescribed.

I lived on the Central Coast of CA many years ago. I liked it there, but I could tell that the winds of change were blowing. Southern CA always scared the hell out of me. The Mojave desert area is kinda neat - six months of the year anyway.

[philip]

I could go on and on. When I told all this (and more) to a psychologist, he offered prozac.

They'll put that stuff in the water before long. Talk about over prescribed.

Around here, the many people who need to be medicated are not ... while the people who don't need it surround themselves and homes to protect themselves. That's obvious. The dangerous ones are the people who 'think' they are good adults while they raise up really foul children.

Here's Oregon drugs ...

I lived on the Central Coast of CA many years ago. I liked it there, but I could tell that the winds of change were blowing.

So true! Mexico annexed SoCal. 15 yrs ago the joke about visitors was "Come here ... spend all the money you can and then leave. And take somebody with you!" Lately that joke has been revised to "We want this place more than you do." Ergo ... "White Flight".

Southern CA always scared the hell out of me. The Mojave desert area is kinda neat - six months of the year anyway.

When I was a trucker, this is a great example of a sand storm about near Desert Center in I-10. Look at the sky.

[plenzen]

So let me get this right.

USA: 3,537,441 Sq Miles (excluding Alaska)
Population 301,139,947 (July 06)

Canada: 3,855,174 Sq Miles (including area just like Alaska)
Population 33,390,141 (July 07)

State of California: 158,302 Sq Miles
Population of California 36,457,549
(3 million more people than we have in the whole damn country!!)

Hmmm??

Your really crowded there arent you??

I'll bet there are more that a few that need therapy.
We get stressed here if we have to sit through more than one traffic light sequence.


"It's Freakin Grid Lock!!!!"

[asavage]

Canada:Population 33,390,141 (July 07)
Population of California 36,457,549
(3 million more people than we have in the whole damn country!!)

Your really crowded there arent you??

Unless you are in a metropolitan area (San Diego, Greater LA and East, Bay Area), California doesn't seem all that crowded to me.

I have not seen a lot of the state, but I have spent some extra time on my frequent driving trips to LA, deviating from the wasteland that is Interstate Five. I now try to drive 198 every Christmas trip. This stretch of 60-80 miles is roughy east-west from Hwy 101 to I-5, and is very rural. You could drop me anywhere along that route and I'd feel right at home (except the Pleasant Valley State Prison east of Coalinga, anyway).

These pics were taken just before Christmas, 2006.



Map of this region (Google Maps)

[philip]

Al: Taking WAY TOO MANY copies of one area does not make your point.

Throughout California, there are MANY LARGE conservancies which prevent people from living there, thank to those "Short-Nosed Kangaroo Rats" and "Kit Fox" in Coalinga area. (Grrrr). And there are lots of regions that are simply not suitable to start towns. Asking ANYONE who has to commute A to B and back will tell you this place is insufferable. The exception is for those who work graveyard and/or commute in the opposite direction time of the majority.

[asavage]

I posted those pics for someone else, not a member of this board. Yes, many redundancies; ignore them.

I don't want to start a town. But I could live in, say, Priest Valley. Or east of there. Lots of houses, but not very densely populated. I saw a UPS truck during one drive -- good enough for me.

However, the area is too warm in summer for my taste. I was making the point that California is not, on anything other than average, all that crowded. I bet the median density is fairly light. Ever drive 395?

[philip]

snip- I was making the point that California is not, on anything other than average, all that crowded. I bet the median density is fairly light. Ever drive 395?

Believe what you will ... because living here will open you eyes.

I've driven up and down 395 from San Diego to Oregon before the southern part was called I-15 ... too many times to remember. Cars, motorcycles, and semi trucks.

When a trucker, I would make from Reno down 395 to 14 to I-5 to Los Angeles in 10-1/2 hrs flat. Never stop the whole 500 miles.

As I said ... more and more conservancy areas leave less and less land that you can live.

Another thing I noticed about OREGON is ... the State planning housing. That State insisted on making zero lot or close to it which supposedly makes more natural nearby. Not so hot when this is becoming more and more ....

[philip]

snip- I was making the point that California is not, on anything other than average, all that crowded. I bet the median density is fairly light.

Living in SFO is high density living ... even in the airplanes!

[philip]

Canada:Population 33,390,141 (July 07)
Population of California 36,457,549
(3 million more people than we have in the whole damn country!!)

Your really crowded there arent you??

Unless you are in a metropolitan area (San Diego, Greater LA and East, Bay Area), California doesn't seem all that crowded to me.

You guys don't understand what being a "sanctuary city" means. Let's look at Maywood ... near 710 and I-5 east of Los Angeles. There's more and more of these "sanctuary" cities and not just in CA.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665019/posts
http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/002142.html

[plenzen]

Sanctuary City? This is "NUTZ"!!! What the hell is that all about? If you/they can have that designation where you “Can’t come in” then the door should be locked from the outside too and you "Can’t come out". "You want it? It's yours!!" Put up a wall to keep the outside out and the inside in and look after yourselves!!! I have never seen anything like this before! The tail is wagging the dog!!!!
I must say that at first I thought "Sanctuary City" it was some sort of “Eden” that you were talking about and looked it up on Google Earth. I looked at it and was wondering what the heck you were talking about, Sanctuary???? Eden??? Mayberry????. Then, I opened the link and read the article about the cars being towed and "Leave us alone we got issues,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,boo hoo hoo!!!" crap and finally could not read any more of it.
MAN!!
That stuff doesn’t fly here,,,,,,,,,,,, at least yet it doesn’t, but I am sure that it is coming.

By the way

The photo out the planes window,,,,,,,,,,,,, what is all that brown gunk that you are flying thorough?

Sorry!

Cheap shot!

( 80's diesel with an EGR valve!!, and STILL CONNECTED!! What next??)