Wandering Retirees

It’s Saturday morning in a farming community so folks are about their business early. Except us. We lallygagged, even luxuriated until after 8:00 after our long day yesterday. I walked back to the Chevron Station/Store/Café to get some hot coffee. Got 2 small, 20oz cups of high test at $1.39 a pop. The large cups were 32 oz @ $2.49, which was tempting but a bit too much for us. As I was walking back to the motel, I wondered about the huge portions but then realized that there’s no Dunkin’ at every corner out here – there are no handy refills. Your cup has to last you for a long time, so maybe a quart is about right. Then I thought about how scarce restrooms are …

We thanked the proprietor and headed out west and south toward Klamath Falls at the south end of Klamath Lake. We took secondary and tertiary roads most of the way, riding through Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and Winema National Forest. There were signs of large logging operations in Winema Nat’l Forest and we could large tracts where trees had been harvested. Unfortunately, we also saw a lot of leavings from logging: piles of branches and small limbs that promise to be rich tinder when (not if) fire strikes. We hope that the companies that profit from timber harvesting on public lands are held responsible for clearing their mess. Just saying.

On our way through the flat but beautiful Klamath Marsh, we were treated to a stunning view of Mt. Scott in the distance. One of the smaller volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range, it’s about 420,000 years old and stands at the edge of Crater Lake National Park. (Our destination shortly.) It’s one of many in the range. We arrived in Klamath Falls and discovered there are no water falls. The lake is beautiful, but there are no falls. The city of Niagra Falls has water falls. Glens Falls is a small town in NY but, true to its name, has a water fall (Hudson River) at its south end. Never mind that we didn’t (that would be me) check ahead, but that there was no water fall in Klamath Falls. Gypped! Gypped, I say!

😀

Leaving Klamath No-Falls, we rode on OR Rt 66, a magnificent mountain road with stunning views for a passenger and lots to pay attention to as a rider. It is one of the best roads we’ve ridden ever and recommend it highly. It reminded us of CA Rt 49, the old gold road near Yosemite Nat’l Park in its splendor and challenge, but without much traffic at all. Made up for the lack of water falls earlier.

We arrived in Talent, OR late afternoon and were greeted by Laura Lee Kent, long time friend and the pastor who married us 29 years ago in Willingboro. We have had a truly wonderful time catching up on our doings and bragging (modestly) about grandkids both present and on the way. It feels like we just picked up where we left off many years ago. And she is still a gracious hostess, putting us up in comfort for the night. In the morning we’ll join her for worship at her church in Medford and brunch. We have enjoyed her company so much!

Then tomorrow we’re off to Crater Lake.

—