Epic Adventure 2013 - Day 8 - Auntie Mary Has Arrived!

Auntie Mary has arrived!
with my lovely nieces, Merehuka, Te Ruihi and Rangitau
and my great nephew baby Iyumni!

The 90 miles to Portland from Corvallis didn't seem so bad...except I got completely lost in Merehuka's vast apartment complex -- they live right outside Portland, Oregon. I found the apartment complex just fine! the iPhone GPS saved the day yet again! finally I found them with Merehuka standing outside in the parking lot waving madly!!!

It was so good to see my nieces...the twins -- oh my gosh I hardly recognized them. they were just young girls it seemed the last time I saw them and now they're taller than me!!! Merehuka is quite the "Mom" now with her baby boy and Cecilio the quiet, mellow guy. Hey at least he's not completely outnumbered with a baby boy right?

Me and the girls and baby Iyumni

Merehuka said I could sleep in the baby's bedroom upstairs -- they had an air mattress for me. their townhouse has three bathrooms which I'm sure comes in handy! The twins are staying with Merehuka, Cecilio and the baby while their Mom and Dad walk across the United States on the "Longest Walk 4" with the Native Americans. they're supposed to get to San Francisco in December!

Merehuka had to work for a few hours the next day, so me, Cecilio, baby Iyumni and the twins set out on our own adventure into Portland -- believe it or not, even though I lived in Oregon for 11 years, I don't really know Portland that well -- we never lived there and basically only passed through. So I relied on Cecelio and the girls to help me out as we all crammed into my car. We strapped baby Iyumni into the carseat -- which definitely comes in handy for this sort of thing.

So where's our first stop? Voodoo Doughnuts, the twins tell me! Okay, here we go.

Portland, OR

standing in line at Voodoo Doughnuts. Yes that chick really is holding her pet cat!

Cecilio and Baby Iyumni

I definitely didn't need a Voodoo doughnut but it was kind of entertaining to stand in line waiting to get the coveted, sugar filled things... they're supposed to be famous -- worldwide! We finally got up to the front and the twins each ordered Captain Crunch doughnuts, and Cecilio ordered an oreo doughnut...and another one for Merehuka...! all I needed was two bites to know how yummy they were, feeling that sugar rush!

check out these doughnuts! wow! 

the menu at Voodoo Doughnuts!

Our next stop was Powell's Books! I was super excited because I'd always wanted to go to the biggest bookstore in the world located right in Portland!! believe it or not, in all the years I lived in Oregon, I had never actually been there.

Yay, we are here! Powell's books!!!

you really do need a map at this massive book store which spans several floors -- all the rooms named, like the Green Room and the Purple room. I knew there wouldn't be time to explore the whole place, especially with an antsy not quite one-year-old with Cecilio in the children's section! so I got a map and me and one of the twins traveled to the third floor to find the music section -- and of course check out all the Beatles books!

what? no Ringo! hehe! but this is cool!!!!

I found a Ukulele book written by a member of our Santa Cruz Uke Club with bios of some of my uke playing friends! at Powell's books in Portland! had to get it!

some ukulele songbooks!

wow! 

$11,000 for a book from 1542! gotta admit that is pretty cool but what would one do with this book even if they had the money to buy it? put it into glass and stare at it I suppose? you'd be afraid to touch it or turn the pages cuz everything could just fall apart!

these buskers were REALLY fabulous! they sang perfect harmony...and I dug them! they're in front of Powell's Books. If you're gonna play music in the street, at least make it be good -- they did!

We were all getting pretty hungry and the baby a little antsy -- doughnuts just don't cut it. so we drove back to where Merehuka works and waited for her to get off work so that we could find a place to eat lunch. Then we went over to what's called the "Alberta" District and walked down a quaint street...kind of dead in the late afternoon but charming and quirky nonetheless. We almost stopped at an ice cream/doughnut shop for sandwiches but I decided against it... somehow sandwiches from an ice cream place didn't appeal to me! Finally we found this "Healthy" thai restaurant. The twins were a little dubious, but I convinced them it would be good...I would help them order something they'd like! We were practically the only ones in the restaurant! and the food there turned out to be fantastic and more than we would even expect! everyone was quiet when the food came, just munching away! even the twins...the baby calmed down and all was well with the world.

We made our way back to the townhouse and I did get to play ukulele for the baby a while before having to head out yet again -- this time on a journey to Tacoma, Washington to Heidi's house. Again, it was further than I thought -- over 100 miles. Why did these places not seem as far before?

I said good-bye to Baby Iyumni, Cecilio, Merehuka, Te Rui Hui and Rangitau and continued my journey north...

we had a fabulous visit!!! see you again soon!

Epic Adventure 2013 Day 7 - Corvallis, Newport and Portland

Colleen and me at the beach in Newport, Oregon on a foggy day! I love it! still good friends after all these years!

We slept in the next day which was perfect because I'd done all the marathon driving the day before...and Colleen said she'd drive us to Newport because I really wanted to go. I can't go on an epic adventure without hitting Newport, Oregon where my journey as a single Mom begin and where many memories of my own mother still reside! I had hoped to meet up with my mother's friends, but it just didn't work out on this trip...so I've decided to make a return trip next February (when I have vacation again) because, well I must...there's something special about Newport, Oregon...Jean and the dog came along for the adventure, which was really awesome. The dog absolutely loved the beach and was all for running and jumping into the water to get his ball... and it was good to visit with Jean whom I hadn't seen in so many years. 

the fog is so beautiful and mysterious!

We walked around Nye Beach which has changed DRASTICALLY since I remembered it -- it's much more yuppified now. still with lots of charm though...even walked into the Sylvia Beach Hotel which is too touristy for my taste...remembering how my mom's and her friend Michael Marsh talked about how that hotel used to be called the Gillmore and had quite the sorted history from the 1800s...an old hotel overlooking the ocean... I tried to imagine it like that..now the rooms are set up like various authors which is really cool...but it's become quite popular. and new buildings line Nye Beach with a Starbucks of course...which is kind of a stark reminder of change if you ask me.

We had lunch at a lovely Irish Pub restaurant that's only been in existence for five years...but I still dug it. had a corned beef sandwich. Where else can you get better corned beef? We were able to sit outdoors with the doggie...and then the sun came out...

HERE COMES THE SUN, DA DA DA, HERE COMES THE SUN!
Nye Beach, ohhh how I remember this place so well! the turnaround my mother always stopped at...where I took the kids to the beach when we first returned from Germany back in 1986...

1986 - Nye Beach - Jeremy, Melissa & Stevie. :)

me and Jean

me and Colleen

We had to go back down on the beach...it was so beautiful and sunny! We tried to get to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse but it costs money just to drive into the parking lot now. My mother's ashes were scattered a mile off that lighthouse back in January 1997... if we only had more time I might have been able to get into that lighthouse. I'd been there once before when Megan was young. We even climbed the spiral staircase to the top and got buttons that said, "I climbed to the top of Yaquina Head Lighthouse!" and there are tide pools down there...not the same as that rough, rustic road me and the kids traveled on with my Mom's friend in an old pickup truck with cliffs on either side, the truck banging down the road on a thrilling journey to the lighthouse back in 1986. it's all paved now and fancy and now you have to pay money to get in? What the heck!?

So we headed back to Corvallis on Highway 20...and I was thrilled that we got to stop at "Imagine Coffee" in Philomath on the way. I had spotted that coffee shop last year on my adventure and loved the name. Come to find out Colleen knew the place well and had even donated her old piano to them! I'd never been inside the vast coffee shop before.

One thing I love about Oregon are the coffee shops. of course we have them here in California -- many of them and I've found some lovely local ones in neighbors of San Francisco...but there's something about the Oregon coffee shops -- they are even more of a way of life in Oregon and Washington I think than here...I don't know how to explain it.

Imagine -- COFFEE!

friendly!!!

We hung out and Colleen got a free coffee for her birthday and tried to play her old piano but said it was way out of tune...! we sat outside and enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine and sipped on coffee before heading back to Colleen's place...

I repacked my car to prepare for my journey further north -- to Portland, Oregon where I'd visit my nieces Merehuka, Te Rui Hui and for the first time my great nephew who just turned a year old.

But before I left, of course Colleen and I played a couple of songs!!! 

I set up my GPS -- not realizing it was over 90 miles to Portland! piece of cake after driving 530 miles in one day!

Epic Adventure 2013 - Day 6 - Good-Byes and Marathon Trip North...

Baby Jeremiah always looks out for me and helps me out...making sure I get my ukuleles into the car while checking out his car! Preparing for the journey north...

It wasn't easy to say good-bye to Baby Jeremiah and his Daddy to head back north on my epic adventure the next day.

The morning started off well...Baby J helped me get my stuff back into the car, especially my ukuleles which he is always concerned about. Then he and his Dad and me went out to breakfast at the local saloon aka restaurant! 

the only other vehicles in the parking lot of this hopping restaurant on a Sunday morning!

ohhh it's a saloon, a restaurant and a motel!

Not much is going on in the town of Loyalton on Sunday morning1 I remember going out to breakfast in the bay area or even in Sacramento and having to wait in line for a table on Sunday mornings! Not here!

The restaurant was a homey, old-school looking place and the food was GREAT!!! inexpensive too! Of course baby J held out for the pancakes, his favorite! It was hard to get him to eat anything else.

We walked across the street to the local store where there were a few people -- all seemed friendly. And then we headed back to the house where I had to say good-bye. Baby J kept saying, "No bye byes Grandma Mary! Stay here!" Man I felt bad. I almost wanted to call my friend Colleen in Corvallis who was expecting me and let her know that I wouldn't make it that evening...

Baby J loved my hat!! hehe!

but I was on a journey and I had to continue...

Don't worry baby Jeremiah, soon you'll be able to go on adventures with me!!! I love you always.

parting was such sweet sorrow and I had such a long drive.

I laughed because there was Hallelujah Junction yet again!!! I took the "eastern" route north this time since we were so close to Reno (the Nevada border) up highways I'd never been to before, one highway leading into another it seemed -- even saw the other side of Mt. Shasta and finally hit I-5 past Shasta.

it was a long drive and I pretty much drove 530 miles straight through with just a couple of breaks hitting Corvallis, Oregon around 7:30pm in the evening where Colleen's jam party on her and Tom's new deck was going full force. I caught the very last part of it having left Loyalton a little later than I'd expected not sure how long it would take. but I'd made it! I've known Colleen and her family since the 1980s and I'm glad we've reconnected! Her daughter Jean was there and she used to play with my kids when they were all young...man the years really have gone by.

Colleen on her new deck...NOW those are some fabulous shoes! I dig them!

I was able to jam a little and play a couple of Beatles songs -- and Colleen played the piano which she is sooo good at! :) Jean sang with me...and it was super fun!

then we all just relaxed for a little bit and I got to sleep in their family room on a very comfortable futon-type bed. Jean showed me the upstairs bedroom the kids used to play in all the time...with the small door that led to that fun little secret hideaway place, now a storage area...! Ah the memories.

Epic Adventure 2013 Day 5 - Visit with Another VERY IMPORTANT person!

heading down the road to Loyalton!

yay I'm with my Baby Jeremiah!

The Paul McCartney concert was BEYOND FABULOUS! :) I even hear talk that he might play at Candlestick Park before it's demolished! I so hope it's true... but the next morning I had another very important task at hand...that involved a certain Baby Jeremiah!!! I had a wonderful visit with him and his Daddy! and if I hadn't returned to California on my epic journey, I wouldn't have been able to spend the time with him, which made the it even more worthwhile!

Gia and Sonny!

 Baby Jeremiah showed me his room and helped me bring stuff in, ESPECIALLY my ukuleles! :) he calls me "Grandma Mary!"
 he even "instructed" his Dad to say good-bye to Jerry the Dog when they bounded into the car and wanted to go along with us!

me and Baby Jeremiah, my little LOVE!

We met with Jeremy's good friend Alex, his wife Gina and their kids Sonny and Gia in Cold Springs which is about 20 or 30 minutes from Jeremy's house -- with Jeremy explaining how we have to literally drive around a mountain to get to their place! several times it seemed we passed a gas station at a junction called "Hallelujah Junction for some reason, it always made me laugh to drive past there...a gas station and small store set in the middle of nowhere, yet not too far away from civilization.

Baby Jeremiah wanted to go to Chucky Cheese and kept mentioning it, but instead we went to Circus Circus and Hot August Nights and somehow ended up at a buffet that was a little too expensive...it's an experience going there with three kids -- two two-year-olds and one three-year-old! I tried to remember what it was like to do everything with three young kids -- and yes I did it! I have no idea how! there were three of us adults there as well...not just one!

Hot August Nights was cool -- old vintage cars driving down the main drag of Reno reminding me of what Reno used to be like back in the '70s when I'd visit with my friends, a very hopping town...! lots of people and excitement and the bright lights and neon sign that said, "The Biggest LIttle City in the world!

At the Circus Circus casino with Baby Boy!! RENO!

Hot August Nights! watching all the vintage cars go by!!!

Yayy! downtown Reno!

THE HIPPIE BUS! I Barely caught it as it cruised by! I yelled, "Yay for the hippie bus!" and Baby Jeremiah kept yelling, "The Hippie Bus, where's the Hippie bus?" over and over! it was so cool! the bus was filled with dead heads drsesed in tie-dye, so authentic and fabulously cool!

my favorite vehicle that passed us by, the GROOVY HIPPIE BUS!

there's a cool car.

It was a good night in Reno. we had to leave when the cars got too loud and the sirens blared...it scared baby J..and it was getting late...time to head for the store for groceries and then back home to Loyalton...after visiting with Alex and Gina for a while...

I crashed there noticing how clear it was out in Loyalton with no street lights. you can see a million stars...and it is sooo quiet...not much traffic at night there! it would be good to awaken with baby Jeremiah...