Road quality in Oregon definitely an improvement over California. Smoother roads in general. More comfortable ride.
Overall, surprised that Coastal Oregon does not really remind me of California at all. You can feel almost immediately that you are in a different state. Many of the small towns along the 101 up here remind me more of West Virginia, or western Pennsylvania. Old, early turn of the 20th Century industrial vibe.
Highlights of today’s drive: A tiny town called Yachats, where we found a gas station in the nick of time before running out and got a nice latte at a little Espresso shop that had really fast WiFi. You never know where you’ll find a killer free Internet connection.
(Speaking of Espresso, drive-thru espresso shacks are a big thing here. Passed by no fewer than 20 of them along the 101 today. These people love their coffee, and they don’t like getting out of their cars.)
Another good Mexican food experience in Florence, OR. Los Amigos Taqueria. Nice Burrito. And a gun shop right next door. Fun.
Coffee craze notwithstanding, I’d say rural Oregon is a lot like rural anywhere in the US. My guess is that many of the people we came into contact with today have more in common with rural Arkansans than with San Francisco residents. Not a judgement call, mind you. Just an observation.
As for Portland. Still soaking it in. But I have to say, being in an urban environment again after two days feels very comforting for me. And I’ll say this much: Portland definitely has its own thing going. It shares common traits with a lot of other cities, but it has a personality of its own, which is rare in smaller cities.
