The Trouble With Road Maps...

The trouble with road maps is that they don't show elevation. For example, per the map, the quickest route from Klamath Falls OR to Eureka, CA is via Oregon 66, connecting Klamath to Ashland, where one can pick up the I-5. The problem is that Oregon 66 is the crookedist road in Christendom. It also features a 4,000 foot drop, winding down the side of a mountain. This drop is every bit as sheer, un-guardrailed and generally white-knuckled as anything from the TV series "Extreme Trucker!" About the only advantage 66 has over Indian roads is that it is in fact paved and (narrowly) 2 lanes. It took me 1.5 hours to cover 50 miles. That's 30 miles an hour on a highway with no traffic, weather or construction. I had to pull over and rest after I got down.

After I survived The Devil's Road, I continued west. My route took me down the Illinois River Valley, home to several Oregon wineries. Samples were had, and a selection of wines will accompany me home. The back country of Oregon reminds me greatly of New England - lots of small homesteads but no real towns.

I finished the day by running down the Pacific Coast Highway to Eureka, CA. Man, talk about breathtaking scenery! I also saw some "small" redwoods - trunks only the size of my car. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's excursions.