Travel

Hammond – Day 3

Yesterday we drove to Ponchatoula because the ladies wanted to do a little antiquing at a place called CJ’s Antiques and Collectables. While they were poking around, I was doing the same thing, only in another section of the store that had more of a guy vibe, automotive signs, license plates, NASCAR car models, etc. When I went to catch up with them, I stumbled on an open cabinet that was five feet high and six feet long that was sectioned into 6 x 6-inch segments that was stuffed with old postcards. Very few of them were already used, but that left hundreds of blank ones to pick through.

Before I left Oregon, I bought a couple of small packs of Thank You that I planned to send to everyone who mailed me a Christmas card in 2024 because I did not send out any cards for Xmas (the only card I did send, was a Hanukah card to my sister & her husband.) While perusing the plethora of vintage postcards a light bulb appears above my head, skip the thank you cards, let me send out my gratitude on old postcards of America and the world beyond. I bought 10 at a dollar each because that was my recollection of how many Christmas cards I received, but when I checked the address spreadsheet, I had highlighted a dozen. That number, plus the one I promised a neighbor back in Fairview, meant that I was three shy.

Fortunately, CJ’s was only a little less than 10 miles away, so Sally and I went back today to pick out 3 more cards. I took those purchased Thank You cards and traded them with the manager for three more postcards. While sifting through looking for three new old cards, I came across more than I needed, but wanted, so I paid for the three more. When I said a dollar, it really was $1.10 with tax, man I miss Oregon’s no sales tax.

If you would like to be sent one of those three remaining postcards, comment below with your name and address you will get a weird or obscure old postcard with a witty bon mat or your money back. Below is an example that I’m sending to a friend that I served with on CV-41, the U.S.S. Midway, back in my stint in Uncle Sam’s Yacht Club.

Hammond – Day 2

Monday I did a beautiful & scary thing at absolutely the wrong time. You would already know this from the hints in the 2 Monday posts.

Beautiful Thing: I just won an auction for a 2001 Miata on Bring A Trailer. It only has 10k miles on the clock.

Scary Thing: It is still on its OEM Bridgestones! Tire manufacturers say to change your tires at least at 10 years, tire retailers say six. The tires on the car are over 23-years old.

Wrong Time: I live in Oregon outside of Portland and I’m Hammond, Louisiana with a friend visiting her family and I won’t be home until the 31st. before I can be home to receive the shipment.

Hammond – Day 1

The highlights of today are – Morning latte and a chocolate cookie, at PJ’s Coffee. Lunch of a sandwich made from leftovers of last night’s meatloaf. Buying a second Miata off Bring A Trailer. Dinner of Piggly Wiggly fried chicken. Part 2 of the Steve Martin documentary on Apple TV+.

Wait, “What?” Miata? “Yep!”

Oh My, Blue Sky

Today myself, Sally and a friend of hers walked over to Tune Up Cafe for lunch. The place is a mere 1/2 mile from Casa de Sally. Sally was the only one who ordered lunch, Darcy and I ordered off their extensive breakfast menu which is served all day. When Donna and I visited Sally in 2022 we ate there just based on its appearance on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and I have two of their coffee mugs back in Fairview. This time, as with the last visit, the food was tasty, plentiful and relatively inexpensive.

Late in the afternoon Sally and I headed into old town to wander around and get in a couples of walking and shopping. In today’s two walks and saw more blue sky than I’ve seen back home since probably Christmas.

38,000 Homeless People in Portland

When we visited the Pacific Northwest this year we flew into Portland instead of our usual Seattle because we wanted to check out our possible (now imminent) new city of residence in Oregon. What we did see of Portland did nothing to dissuade its quirky reputation.

We spent a couple of days in the City of Roses exploring. We were staying near the airport and one evening we took the light rail train into downtown. What amazed us were the number of homeless people that were encamped along the right of way of the tracks. Also, any highway overpass the train went under, you could see a dozen tents, or shirts stretched across the bushes. We thought there were a lot, but didn’t think it was as many as, a Portland State University report says there are, 38,000 of them. That is roughly equivalent to the entire population of our soon to ex-city of residence, Aiken!

This morning when I dropped off the CTBNL with my Fairy Godbrother1 David who is going to park it in his garage until we get an address in K-Falls to have it shipped to. When I was there he said, “You haven’t had a chance to to drive the addition to my stable, the 944 Turbo.” “Got time to go for a drive?” I said said, “Sure.” I probably would have said the same thing even if I didn’t have the time…we promptly spent the next hour or so bombing around the back roads of Aiken County. Going to miss these random drives. Somewhere towards the end of our trip I put the thirty-eighth thousandth mile on this thirty-ish year-old German engineered marvel.

Travel Day 2

Finished the second half of our trip to Granite Falls trip. It involved a quick stop at our favorite Oregon beach and 2 ferry crossings, one of which we have never been on before.

We got out of the car and walked along Cannon Beach for all of a hundred yards or so before turning right around to get back in the car. It was in the low sixties, 12 mph west winds and sprinkling lightly.

Instead of crossing the Columbia River at Astoria as we typically do, or driving practically to I-5, we opted to try a river ferry halfway between. There is a small ferry2 that runs from Westport, OR to Cathlamet, WA. We pulled into the ferry waiting line and thought, “Hey, wait a minute, we’ve been here before.” We think we were going to ride the ferry, but we just missed it and didn’t want to wait another hour, so we just got back on the road and kept driving.

The other ferry was one we have ridden several times before, and in both directions. This time we traveled east from Kingston to Edmonds. We have a newer Garmin car GPS and are finally getting used to how to search for things. To find our way to the ferry terminal, I started typing and when I finished the word Kingston in the search box, it offered the suggestions of KINGSTON, JAM and KINGSTON, WA. Why on earth would it even offer directions to Jamaica? Can’t drive there … or is there a secret tunnel under the Caribbean Sea.

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jig

Today was our shortest day on the road, we were home by 10:30 in the morning. We took just one picture, Roadside Oddity for 1 point, and that was while we were still in Hendersonville before we even started home. All told we took 23 pictures worth 31 points which brings us to 189 total. We have a possible 68 points left on the table. The big hitters are the vehicles from 1900-1909 worth 10 points, and a vehicle from 1910 -1919 is worth 7 and a rainbow is worth 4. there are four goals worth 3 points, five more worth 2 points and twenty-five goals worth just 1 point.

In the seven days we traveled 1645 miles. We filled up with gas 7 times averaging $3.12 a gallon with the lowest being $2.90 in Newport News, VA and the highest being $3.24 in Hendersonville, NC. Average MPG for the trip was nearly thirty miles to the gallon at 29.93.