Day 4 - Around to Bend

Rode: 290 miles
By Jim

Leaving Crescent City also meant saying goodbye to the Pacific Ocean and California’s magnificent coastal highway. The PCH is one of the world’s engineering marvels, not only because someone actually succeeded in building it, but also because they built it without marring the Golden State’s legendary beauty. Nonetheless, PG and the rest of us had had our fill—at least temporarily—of twists and turns and the smell of fish. (P.J. O’Rourke says fish is the only thing that, when it goes bad, smells like what it is.) We were off, through the Redwoods (and a few more twisties) to Bend, Oregon, Donald Trump’s 3rd investment choice after New York City and Chicago.

California Highway 99 can’t compete with the PCH, but it’s still a great way to get to Oregon. We took Grant’s advice and passed on Grant’s Pass, heading instead to Crater Lake, a 1938-foot deep puncture in what remains of the summit of Mount Mazama, which blew its lid—according to the information signs—about 1,700 years before God created the earth!

The lake is six miles across and bluer than Wedgwood, and its ashen walls, a thousand feet high, have the look of a colossal display case. Giving “Mother Nature” the credit for such a divine masterpiece would be sacrilege. Only Father could do work this good.

The ride down Mazama’s north slope, and then eastward through the high desert, is utterly phenomenal. The gently winding road ahead is often visible for miles, a long silver ribbon strewn over fields of brown and gold. By the time we reach Highway 97, the straight shot that leads to Bend, our cameras are full and our souls are glutted.

It’s going to be hard coming down to earth, but then, there’s laundry to do.