We drifted north up the coast and stayed in Mendocino for 2 nights, a small town more reminiscent of New England in its buildings than California. Miss Marple was filmed here (well, Murder She Wrote actually.....). There’s a beautiful coastal walk skirting the cliffs through meadows of coastal wild flowers.
We continued north and stayed for a night in Requa Inn. On the way, we travelled through the Avenue of the Giants, which is a 33 mile road running through numerous groves of giant redwoods, which are the tallest trees in the word, over 300 feet (100 metres). The Inn is a little gem hidden away on the bank of the serene Klamath River, with mountain and forest views. We spent a leisurely afternoon in the garden reading in the swing seat, sipping Californian Pinot.
We finally left California for Oregon, the centre of herbs or, as the Americans like to say “urbs”. Our first stop was a small motel in Yachats which is a beautiful small town overlooking the river Yachats and the Ocean. There’s a great small fish restaurant run by a fisherman who supplies the produce from his own boat. Our motel had a panoramic view of yet another pristine beach. All the beaches we’ve seen have been beautifully preserved. There’s never any litter, or in the streets for that matter. And people actually pick up the mess from their dogs which is just as well, as there are just as many dogs as people.
We moved on and inland to Portland, Oregon’s largest city, although not the state capital, which is Salem. We walked into Pearl, which is nearby to our apartment and the adjoining Downtown district, to get the vibe of the city, but there was something missing – the streets were largely deserted. Where have all the people gone? It turns out that half of them are in Deschutes microbrewery and the other half are perpetually jogging, cycling or walking along the riverfront walkways boarding the Willamette. The natives do love their beer, so there are several microbreweries to choose from, all offering a large selection of ale. Lots of variety and all served ice cold and gassy, so almost a blend between Aussie and English beer.
It rained almost constantly during our stay, we may have been unlucky, but given that every store and restaurant has complimentary umbrella bags, I doubt it.
We’ve had occasion to visit a few supermarkets staying as we are in mostly self-catering accommodation. All the staff are just so friendly, polite and helpful. Quite a change from the surly UK check out chick. If you look slightly confused wandering the aisles, a member of staff is always there with a cheerful “How are you today? Is there anything I can help you with?” I usually reply with a panicked “No, I’m fine thanks” while thinking “Can’t you see I’m English. Please leave me alone.” At the checkout, while several staff pack your groceries and polish your shoes, the person ringing up the bill engages you in some uplifting conversation before sending you off with “Have a nice day!” Yesterday, I was asked how I was enjoying my stay in Oregon. After I’d said that we could do with a little bit more sunshine, I was cheerfully told that the locals didn’t bother checking the forecast here. Just expect rain every day and, if the sun shines, then it’s a nice surprise.
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