The roadtrip is over and we are somewhat settled, Sophie in Redwood Valley and I in McMinnville, Oregon, working the land and starting real life. To recap:
Punctured oil pan
2 nights and days working for crazies
10 WWOOFers, no space
Escaped Thursday morning
After we broke Joey, (the song of the day there, by the way, was "Joey I'm So Sorry" by hit country sensation Sugarland—thanks to Scott Ramsey for suggesting that one) we were brought up to the house where we unloaded our things from the car only to be prevented entrance by the presence of a rattlesnake. Eric Levin, owner of Le Vin Winery, happily recounted stories of the days when he used to decapitate rattlesnakes with shovels and then eat them. He no longer does this because they help with the rodent problem.
Our time at Le Vin was manageable, and even fun, because we had our private space at The Inn. Otherwise, we would have been like the other WWOOFers: left to fight for a spot on the living room floor, in the sauna, on a lawn chair, on the hammock, or reduced to purchasing a tent, which pretty much negates the free housing aspect of WWOOFing. We were very lucky that no guests were staying while we were at Le Vin and the knowledge that this would change is part of the reason Sophie left with me once the car was fixed. The prospect of sleeping outside in a summer-weight sleeping bag with rattlesnakes and mountain lions on the prowl was not the most inviting. Still, we had fun our 2 days working there: mornings in the vineyard, tucking leaves to expose the grapes to morning sun, and then the afternoon in the winery, labeling and packaging bottles while drinking wine and listening to Santana. One of the days we went to a swimming hole near a highway overpass and jumped off rocks. In the evenings we opened up the music room and people jammed on drums, guitar and bass (although once Eric got involved, the jam session ended and turned into a music dictatorship). It didn't really seem like work, and by the end we truly liked everyone there, but it was time to move on.
I left Sophie on Thursday morning, the 20th, at the Buckner's beautiful house an hour north of Le Vin. Their son gave us a tour of the bountiful vegetable garden and we played frisbee with the adorably excitable dogs, then I was on my way.
I was very excited for the drive, as I knew I would see redwood trees for the first time. I drove through two redwood forests, Humboldt State Park and the Redwood National Park, both of which were spectacular. I pulled over a few times to take pictures (non-digital, unfortunately) and even stopped for a quick .6-mile hike through one area. Looking at trees that are hundreds and in some cases thousands of years old is unbelievable. After I walked far enough away from the road to escape the sound of cars, it was natural to just stare and consider that the trees have grown at their slow pace and stood relatively undisturbed while the rest of world has been developing and changing constantly.
My other first was the Pacific Ocean. I turned a corner and suddenly there it was. It's probably just my imagination that it looks different from the Atlantic, where I was just 3 weeks ago, but the California fog hanging over it and the waves hitting the rocks looked strictly "left side of the map" to me. I pulled over, took off my flipflops and put my feet in the water, which was incredibly cold. When I came back to the edge of the beach I couldn't find my shoes so I asked a little boy with long, golden curls if he had seen them and he promptly grabbed his shovel and dug, informing me that he had buried them to protect them for me.
I spent the night in a Best Western in..somewhere, Oregon, near a Seven Feathers Casino. I ate dinner at a diner attached to a gas station store and drank pinot noir with my BLT. A great welcome to Oregon.
Finally, on Friday at 11am I arrived in McMinnville at my new home. The house is beautiful; white with blue trimming, one level, full of light, with hardwood floors. My room is all set up now and I have a bike to get around town. The winery is a block away, which is as good a commute as I could hope for. Tad, my boss, is friendly and independent—I'll be staying here at the house alone most of the time, while he stays at the farm a little bit away. McMinnville is nice, small and manageable, with a cute downtown full of coffee shops, wine bars, restaurants and stores, and a strip mall with all of the unsightly necessities like Walmart and Safeway.
Tomorrow, work officially starts. Tad is going to pick me up to go to the farm where we will be installing a septic system, prepping the land for barley, and doing various construction work. I will even learn to drive a tractor. Over the next few weeks, as we get closer to crush, I will work in the winery more, and once crush starts in 5 weeks or so, I will be there exclusively.
I don't know if this is real life. Maybe real life requires paying jobs, in which case Sophie and I will get back to you all once real life really starts. As my friend Kiana commented today, they spend so much time preparing us for the high school-to-college transition, and none at all for the college-to-real world transition. Part of me still feels that school is coming up, that this is just an internship to fill the summer months. I'm sure that will change as I establish my life here, make friends, get to know the area better, and get into the routine of work. We'll see.
Final mileage was over 5,000. Final "Don't Stop Me Now" playcount was 16. Final number of states hit was 14 (Sophie had Massachusetts and I have Oregon).
Thanks for reading. Hope you all enjoyed following our adventures and misadventures across this huge country! On to the real world...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Day 14: The Last Day?
We didn't have internet for a while, so we just posted a lot. See below for new posts!
Update: after 4200 miles of incident-free driving, we turned the corner into the dirt driveway of Le Vin winery where Sophie is going to work and proceeded to puncture the oil tank on the side of the road. Who knows. So we are staying at The Inn, where guests pay $200 per night to stay, at least for tonight. We are going to wake up at 5:30 and get to work with the other kids (a mixture of post-college roadtrippers, future wine enthusiasts, and something in between), then take the car over to a mechanic and get a prognosis. It is very possible Genevieve will end up staying on here as a WWOOFer for a few days...
We do have internet but it is quite slow, and we have some great pictures to accompany our posts below that we can't load so even if you read them now, do come back to see some epic shots.
Stay tuned.
Update: after 4200 miles of incident-free driving, we turned the corner into the dirt driveway of Le Vin winery where Sophie is going to work and proceeded to puncture the oil tank on the side of the road. Who knows. So we are staying at The Inn, where guests pay $200 per night to stay, at least for tonight. We are going to wake up at 5:30 and get to work with the other kids (a mixture of post-college roadtrippers, future wine enthusiasts, and something in between), then take the car over to a mechanic and get a prognosis. It is very possible Genevieve will end up staying on here as a WWOOFer for a few days...
We do have internet but it is quite slow, and we have some great pictures to accompany our posts below that we can't load so even if you read them now, do come back to see some epic shots.
Stay tuned.
Days 12 and 13: Yosemite!
As Alex headed off to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he is starting an acting MFA program, we packed up the car to camp in Yosemite. We tried to get a first-come, first-served campsite but that was not possible so we got the last spot at a campground just outside the park and did a day hike to Mono Lake.
Yosemite is unlike anything either of us expected. It’s not just mountains, it’s granite rock shaped by glaciers millions of years ago. It’s jawdropping. If you haven’t been, you must go. Our awe was intensified by our 8-hour hike to Clouds Rest, which provides the best view of the park. Luckily, we befriended an REI guide on a pleasure hike and he explained the geology, geography and history of Yosemite.
We wanted to stay another day but after surviving 30-degree weather the previous night, we opted to head back to Gary and Nancy and warm beds.
Yosemite is unlike anything either of us expected. It’s not just mountains, it’s granite rock shaped by glaciers millions of years ago. It’s jawdropping. If you haven’t been, you must go. Our awe was intensified by our 8-hour hike to Clouds Rest, which provides the best view of the park. Luckily, we befriended an REI guide on a pleasure hike and he explained the geology, geography and history of Yosemite.
We wanted to stay another day but after surviving 30-degree weather the previous night, we opted to head back to Gary and Nancy and warm beds.
Days 9-11: CALIFORNIA
States covered: Nevada and California
Song of the day: Candy by Mandy Moore
Don’t Stop Me Now play count: 14
Tuesday was a long drive from Vegas to Moraga, California, which is across the bay from San Francisco. True to Vegas form, we slept through the alarm and got off to a late start. We arrived just in time for a meaty, home-cooked dinner with the Breaux family. They gave us a few minutes to recover after dinner before putting us through an athletically strenuous initiation process. We passed.
The next morning we finally took Gen to the doctor, or Night Owl Pediatric Clinic. The wonderful doctor ruled out the flu and snuck me some antibiotics for pneumonia.
Over the next couple days, we explored Berkeley and the Cal campus and spent a lot of time wandering San Francisco.
In San Francisco, we walked up and down many hills, explored the waterfront, ate humongous sundaes from Ghirardelli Square, had drinks at a rooftop bar in the seedy but cool Mission District, and were serenaded at a tapas restaurant. We got in and out of the city on BART, which is a really cute acronym for a transportation system.
In Berkeley, we shared a large, $6.50, refreshingly fresh and simple salad. Yes, we had to blog about it. We visited all the used bookstores and went to the library to research Yosemite, then hung out with my friend from highschool, Win, who has the most unreal apartment with a great terrace close to campus. We finished off the day with another meaty, home-cooked meal created by Nancy and Gary Breaux for the eating pleasure of their son, Alex. (We were happy too).
Song of the day: Candy by Mandy Moore
Don’t Stop Me Now play count: 14
Tuesday was a long drive from Vegas to Moraga, California, which is across the bay from San Francisco. True to Vegas form, we slept through the alarm and got off to a late start. We arrived just in time for a meaty, home-cooked dinner with the Breaux family. They gave us a few minutes to recover after dinner before putting us through an athletically strenuous initiation process. We passed.
The next morning we finally took Gen to the doctor, or Night Owl Pediatric Clinic. The wonderful doctor ruled out the flu and snuck me some antibiotics for pneumonia.
Over the next couple days, we explored Berkeley and the Cal campus and spent a lot of time wandering San Francisco.
In San Francisco, we walked up and down many hills, explored the waterfront, ate humongous sundaes from Ghirardelli Square, had drinks at a rooftop bar in the seedy but cool Mission District, and were serenaded at a tapas restaurant. We got in and out of the city on BART, which is a really cute acronym for a transportation system.In Berkeley, we shared a large, $6.50, refreshingly fresh and simple salad. Yes, we had to blog about it. We visited all the used bookstores and went to the library to research Yosemite, then hung out with my friend from highschool, Win, who has the most unreal apartment with a great terrace close to campus. We finished off the day with another meaty, home-cooked meal created by Nancy and Gary Breaux for the eating pleasure of their son, Alex. (We were happy too).
Day 8: Sedona, Grand Canyon and Vegas!
States covered: Arizona, Nevada
Song of the day: Michael Charley’s Best of John Faher mix. Thank you, Michael.
Sooooo we have not written in a long time. Sorry, I know you’re all devastated (Moms, if you read this, please cite this blog post). We woke up early in Phoenix and set off to the Grand Canyon via Sedona, which is a shockingly beautiful area of red rocks and forest. As we drove, we listened to Michael’s CD of guitar music which lasted the perfect amount of time to get through Sedona; we’d been saving it for the West Coast and figured we’d finally reached it.
We thought we had seen amazing in Sedona but the Grand Canyon was…well, grand. We pulled over as soon as we reached the rim and stared into the abyss for a long time, blocking many a tourist’s picture. After toying with the idea of a short hike in the 110-degree blazing sun, we settled for just walking around the rim and leaning over cliff edges.
As we headed over the border to Nevada, we crossed the Colorado River and the Hoover Dam.
After all of the natural beauty, we decided it was time for a little gambling and cheesy neon lights. On to Vegas!
We got off to a slow start in Vegas. After arriving at 8pm, we ate some Whole Foods salads purchased at the shopping center off the highway, watched tv, and tried to get our party ducks in order. It took a little cajoling, but we got ourselves out of the hotel room and off to the Bellagio, where we put our dollar bills to work at the slot machines. Finding ourselves out of luck there, we moved on to Paris and played a few slots while waiting for the shuttle back to our hotel. Sophie put one dollar into a slot machine, pulled a lever, and we watched with wide eyes as the numbers rolled up to $41.35. We decided it was time to cash out. Thanks, Vegas.
Song of the day: Michael Charley’s Best of John Faher mix. Thank you, Michael.
Sooooo we have not written in a long time. Sorry, I know you’re all devastated (Moms, if you read this, please cite this blog post). We woke up early in Phoenix and set off to the Grand Canyon via Sedona, which is a shockingly beautiful area of red rocks and forest. As we drove, we listened to Michael’s CD of guitar music which lasted the perfect amount of time to get through Sedona; we’d been saving it for the West Coast and figured we’d finally reached it.
We thought we had seen amazing in Sedona but the Grand Canyon was…well, grand. We pulled over as soon as we reached the rim and stared into the abyss for a long time, blocking many a tourist’s picture. After toying with the idea of a short hike in the 110-degree blazing sun, we settled for just walking around the rim and leaning over cliff edges.
As we headed over the border to Nevada, we crossed the Colorado River and the Hoover Dam.
After all of the natural beauty, we decided it was time for a little gambling and cheesy neon lights. On to Vegas!
We got off to a slow start in Vegas. After arriving at 8pm, we ate some Whole Foods salads purchased at the shopping center off the highway, watched tv, and tried to get our party ducks in order. It took a little cajoling, but we got ourselves out of the hotel room and off to the Bellagio, where we put our dollar bills to work at the slot machines. Finding ourselves out of luck there, we moved on to Paris and played a few slots while waiting for the shuttle back to our hotel. Sophie put one dollar into a slot machine, pulled a lever, and we watched with wide eyes as the numbers rolled up to $41.35. We decided it was time to cash out. Thanks, Vegas.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Day 7: Santa Fe to Phoenix
Miles so far: 2,804.7
States covered: New Mexico, Arizona
Song of the day: “Ready for the floor” by Hot Chip
“Don’t stop me now” play count: 11
Sunday morning we woke up bright and early and left Shelly and John and beautiful Santa Fe. At 7am the moon was still out while the sun was rising which meant we could see one on either side of us as we drove through the mountains and plains into Albuquerque and on into Arizona.
As we got closer to the border we found ourselves surrounded by those red craggy rocks that are so characteristic of the Grand Canyon State. We passed the Continental Divide somewhere along the road, which neither of us really knows anything about—but we’re assuming it’s got something to do with continents and plate tectonics and topography. And probably explains why it was so flat to the left of the road and so mountainous and craggy to the right. I like the word craggy.
On the way we took a scenic detour into the Petrified Forest National Park. Turns out it’s not a forest at all, but actually a desert with “petrified” logs and various geological marvels. From the pamphlet we learned this wood is not the victim of a Basilisk’s stare nor is it the effect of petrificus totalus (if you don’t get it, it’s time to read some Harry Potter)…rather petrified wood is wood that has crystallized over time because it’s been submerged in water, minerals, and volcanic ash and sediment for centuries. For your reading pleasure here’s the pamphlet’s own words on the subject:
“[The trees of the area] fell, and swollen streams washed them into adjacent floodplains. A mix of silt, mud, and volcanic ash buried the logs. This sediment cut off oxygen and slowed the logs’ decay. Silicia0laden groundwater seeped through the logs and replaced the original wood tissues with silica depots. Eventually the silica crystallized into quartz and the logs were preserved as petrified wood.”
I really hope you didn’t just read that. The park itself was crazy though because it actually looked like we were driving on the moon.
Not to be forgotten is the World's Largest Petrified Tree in Geronimo, Arizona. Just to add to our "World's Largest" list:
After the park we drove the rest of the way to Phoenix where we met up with Winston, who is doing Teach for America there. He is living with other TFA kids, seems to be really busy but happy and doing really well. TFA certainly doesn’t sound like a walk in the park—they all had lessons to plan and stories of 3 hours of sleep at night for 5 weeks in a row.
We saw a bit of Phoenix itself: went swimming at Winston’s pool, got coffee, drove through the down town, had dinner in Scottsdale, and then hung out with TFA people for a friend’s birthday.
Phoenix has some great spots here and there—nice coffee shops and this really cool system of misting water at all the outdoor restaurants to keep you cool in the 100+ degree weather—but neither of us is quite sure what makes Phoenix Phoenix. It’s definitely spread out and seems to lack a concrete downtown. Also there’s a sense that you really have to work hard to find the cool spots and that in between you’re driving everywhere. Of course, the mountains surrounding the city do offer something unique.
After birthday cake it was early to bed for everyone so that the teachers could all prep for their lessons the next day at their various schools around Phoenix, and so that we could wake up early and head to the Grand Canyon!
States covered: New Mexico, Arizona
Song of the day: “Ready for the floor” by Hot Chip
“Don’t stop me now” play count: 11
Sunday morning we woke up bright and early and left Shelly and John and beautiful Santa Fe. At 7am the moon was still out while the sun was rising which meant we could see one on either side of us as we drove through the mountains and plains into Albuquerque and on into Arizona.
As we got closer to the border we found ourselves surrounded by those red craggy rocks that are so characteristic of the Grand Canyon State. We passed the Continental Divide somewhere along the road, which neither of us really knows anything about—but we’re assuming it’s got something to do with continents and plate tectonics and topography. And probably explains why it was so flat to the left of the road and so mountainous and craggy to the right. I like the word craggy.
On the way we took a scenic detour into the Petrified Forest National Park. Turns out it’s not a forest at all, but actually a desert with “petrified” logs and various geological marvels. From the pamphlet we learned this wood is not the victim of a Basilisk’s stare nor is it the effect of petrificus totalus (if you don’t get it, it’s time to read some Harry Potter)…rather petrified wood is wood that has crystallized over time because it’s been submerged in water, minerals, and volcanic ash and sediment for centuries. For your reading pleasure here’s the pamphlet’s own words on the subject:
“[The trees of the area] fell, and swollen streams washed them into adjacent floodplains. A mix of silt, mud, and volcanic ash buried the logs. This sediment cut off oxygen and slowed the logs’ decay. Silicia0laden groundwater seeped through the logs and replaced the original wood tissues with silica depots. Eventually the silica crystallized into quartz and the logs were preserved as petrified wood.”
I really hope you didn’t just read that. The park itself was crazy though because it actually looked like we were driving on the moon.
Not to be forgotten is the World's Largest Petrified Tree in Geronimo, Arizona. Just to add to our "World's Largest" list:
After the park we drove the rest of the way to Phoenix where we met up with Winston, who is doing Teach for America there. He is living with other TFA kids, seems to be really busy but happy and doing really well. TFA certainly doesn’t sound like a walk in the park—they all had lessons to plan and stories of 3 hours of sleep at night for 5 weeks in a row.
We saw a bit of Phoenix itself: went swimming at Winston’s pool, got coffee, drove through the down town, had dinner in Scottsdale, and then hung out with TFA people for a friend’s birthday.
Phoenix has some great spots here and there—nice coffee shops and this really cool system of misting water at all the outdoor restaurants to keep you cool in the 100+ degree weather—but neither of us is quite sure what makes Phoenix Phoenix. It’s definitely spread out and seems to lack a concrete downtown. Also there’s a sense that you really have to work hard to find the cool spots and that in between you’re driving everywhere. Of course, the mountains surrounding the city do offer something unique.
After birthday cake it was early to bed for everyone so that the teachers could all prep for their lessons the next day at their various schools around Phoenix, and so that we could wake up early and head to the Grand Canyon!
Day 6: Santa Fe
Miles so far: still 2232.2
Song of the Day: Santa Fe from the hit musical “Rent”
Update: Gen DOES have cholera. We are in desperate need of a medicine man. And some extra buffalo meat. One ox has died.
Gen’s sickness, as it turned out, was a blessing in disguise. We followed Shelly’s carefully mapped out city tour and both promptly fell in love with Santa Fe. We started downtown at the Farmer’s Market, which is unlike any farmer’s market we’ve ever seen: large, organic, wonderful, varied. Yarn is sold next to burritos next to honey next to live music next to corn being sold out of the bed of a truck. It is the social event of the morning and stands often sell out by 10:30.
We grooved to an African dance class in a studio next to the market, then wandered into a couple galleries and the Artists’ Market.
Santa Fe has an overwhelming amount of art. Every other store is a gallery or a museum and it seems everyone is either working to create art or is selling it. We went into a fair number of the galleries, the most exciting of which had an Ansel Adams and Annie Liebowitz exhibit, and also visited the small but beautiful Georgia O’Keeffe museum. We thought we had already seen the art district, but then we went to Canyon Road, the actual art district, which is about a mile long and has nothing but galleries and a cute teahouse on top. We have no idea who is buying this art and how the galleries all stay in business.
The art is only one aspect of what’s so cool about Santa Fe. Everyone was dressed in totally different ways and looked relaxed and happy. Not a single person was on a cell phone during the entire farmer’s market. People are friendly, generous, healthy and they all seem to be having the time of their lives. The sky is perfectly blue, it was hot but dry, and even though you are at 7,400 feet you are surrounded by gorgeous mountains that tempt you to come hike and ski.
All the houses are built in the Native American adobe style—low to the ground, blending into the hills. At night you can’t really see other house lights because the homes are nestled into the gaps of the mountains sides. Santa Fe has no tall buildings—and no downtown of commerce or finance. We asked John and Shelly what people do here and their response was “relax.”
Overall this place seems perfect. Yoga, live music, chill people who aren’t pretentious about being chill…It’s a perfect city with 4 seasons and beautiful weather, outdoor activities all year round.. Exactly what we dream about… and yet, it’s almost as if it’s too perfect. Perhaps we need to save it for after we’ve worked in the world and added something useful it (being the world), after we’ve put our brains to work, so that we really deserve and can appreciate that kind of rest. After we’ve done whatever it is we’re going to do, then Santa Fe will be ready for us to come back to. Right now, it feels like we haven’t suffered enough, or done enough that contributes to the world, for us to toss in our hands and live the life of relaxation amid gorgeous mountains and perfect weather.
So for now, Santa Fe will have to be a dream. Perhaps we’ll come back for a short stint in the foreseeable future, but nothing long term until we can afford that house on the mountain and deserve that lifestyle of outdoor bliss.
Thank you so much John and Shelly for having us—what an amazing time spent with you two. Thank you Peter for putting us in touch with such a fantastic couple—we’ll have to see you next time we’re in Santa Fe!
Song of the Day: Santa Fe from the hit musical “Rent”
Update: Gen DOES have cholera. We are in desperate need of a medicine man. And some extra buffalo meat. One ox has died.
Gen’s sickness, as it turned out, was a blessing in disguise. We followed Shelly’s carefully mapped out city tour and both promptly fell in love with Santa Fe. We started downtown at the Farmer’s Market, which is unlike any farmer’s market we’ve ever seen: large, organic, wonderful, varied. Yarn is sold next to burritos next to honey next to live music next to corn being sold out of the bed of a truck. It is the social event of the morning and stands often sell out by 10:30.
We grooved to an African dance class in a studio next to the market, then wandered into a couple galleries and the Artists’ Market.Santa Fe has an overwhelming amount of art. Every other store is a gallery or a museum and it seems everyone is either working to create art or is selling it. We went into a fair number of the galleries, the most exciting of which had an Ansel Adams and Annie Liebowitz exhibit, and also visited the small but beautiful Georgia O’Keeffe museum. We thought we had already seen the art district, but then we went to Canyon Road, the actual art district, which is about a mile long and has nothing but galleries and a cute teahouse on top. We have no idea who is buying this art and how the galleries all stay in business.
The art is only one aspect of what’s so cool about Santa Fe. Everyone was dressed in totally different ways and looked relaxed and happy. Not a single person was on a cell phone during the entire farmer’s market. People are friendly, generous, healthy and they all seem to be having the time of their lives. The sky is perfectly blue, it was hot but dry, and even though you are at 7,400 feet you are surrounded by gorgeous mountains that tempt you to come hike and ski.
All the houses are built in the Native American adobe style—low to the ground, blending into the hills. At night you can’t really see other house lights because the homes are nestled into the gaps of the mountains sides. Santa Fe has no tall buildings—and no downtown of commerce or finance. We asked John and Shelly what people do here and their response was “relax.”Overall this place seems perfect. Yoga, live music, chill people who aren’t pretentious about being chill…It’s a perfect city with 4 seasons and beautiful weather, outdoor activities all year round.. Exactly what we dream about… and yet, it’s almost as if it’s too perfect. Perhaps we need to save it for after we’ve worked in the world and added something useful it (being the world), after we’ve put our brains to work, so that we really deserve and can appreciate that kind of rest. After we’ve done whatever it is we’re going to do, then Santa Fe will be ready for us to come back to. Right now, it feels like we haven’t suffered enough, or done enough that contributes to the world, for us to toss in our hands and live the life of relaxation amid gorgeous mountains and perfect weather.
So for now, Santa Fe will have to be a dream. Perhaps we’ll come back for a short stint in the foreseeable future, but nothing long term until we can afford that house on the mountain and deserve that lifestyle of outdoor bliss.
Thank you so much John and Shelly for having us—what an amazing time spent with you two. Thank you Peter for putting us in touch with such a fantastic couple—we’ll have to see you next time we’re in Santa Fe!
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