A free day

[randy_byers]

I have no obligations today, although I do have a few small household and gardening chores to putter around at. The prospect of just puttering about the house all day, perhaps watching a movie or a few episodes of Garo, is heavenly.

Had beers at the Hopvine yesterday evening with John Berry, Eileen Gunn, and Pat & Graham Charnock. Eileen's book is being published in Japan, and she's arranged for a speaking tour around Worldcon over there next year. Very exciting stuff! The Charnox are headed to Portland today for a brief visit with the Steffans, and thence southward. John and I argued about whether they should cut over to the redwood forest at Grants Pass, hitting the coast at Crescent City, or at some other point that John couldn't remember which hits the coast at Eureka instead. John abhors Crescent City, while I argued they'd just be driving through anyway. Graham seemed bemused by all this. Well, yes, aren't we just bemusing as hell?

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Route depends on the goal here. I'm assuming destination is Bay Area. Fastest is just to stay on I-5. More colorful and still pretty direct is the one you suggest. My favorite scenic route would be to cut over to the coast much further north, from McMinnville or Corvallis, because I love the south Oregon coast. (Also there are a few used bookstores here and there, or used to be. Good one in Depoe Bay in particular, though I don't know if it's still there.)

Only a lover of real mountain driving would cut over further south. There's three routes, 96 up the Klamath River, 3 from Yreka, and (most pointless from this direction) 299 from Redding. All very scenic, but very long. I've driven all three, but I don't suggest emulating this.

There, that more than you wanted to know?

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

No, actually, that's all quite interesting to me. I agree about the south Oregon coast, and I did recommend that to Graham as well, if they wanted to dawdle all the way. At Vanguard, somebody -- perhaps carl -- advocated that they should drive to Astoria from Portland and then south from there. So many options ...

[voidampersand.livejournal.com]

I-5 isn't all bad. I think Redding is extraordinarily beautiful, with the Trinity Alps, Mt. Shasta, and Mt. Lassen on three sides, the valley floor with rolling hills dotted with big oak trees, and the Sacramento River flowing through it. Continuing south, the valley opens up and has a very grand sense of space. Plus, they can stop in Corning at The Olive Pit.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

You know, Redding has always been a place I was just traveling through, and I've never stopped to appreciate it for its own attractions. It has made enough of an impression on me that I think of it as a gateway from the mountains and the first taste of urban California, but next time I'll look around more. I certainly hadn't realized that the Sacramento River runs through it, but I can be oblivious that way. For example, Corning isn't ringing any bells, and I'm guessing from context that I've been through it as many times as I've been through Redding.