Onyx Northwest Tour Days 10-14
Day 10:
Had breakfast with the wedding party. Got a great picture of Puck seeming to be hung-over or rolling his eyes at something. Next we all drove 30 minutes to Multnomah Falls with the grooms and the rest of the gang. Place is amazing. We saw the beautiful Multnomah Falls then hiked to Wahkeena Falls about a half mile away. Coming back I was alone on the trail from one fall to the other and stopped to look up into the ivy and fern covered corridors leading up into these fey woods. The wind blew through the leaves and time seemed to slow significantly. I suspect it was a doorway to the fey realms, but I did not take the invitation. The rest of the gang left and I drove to the more distant Latourell Falls that required you hike for 1 mile up into the forest. It was worth it because no one else was there and I could stand underneath and be bathed by the falls like a water nymph.
Left Portland for an all too brief visit to Seattle to see Niklas and Willow for the evening and next morning. Heard great stories about the progress of Niklas’ research and Willow’s Chinese medicine. Had great Thai food take out for dinner and Willow’s humongous skillet omelet for breakfast. Wish I could have stayed longer but they are both very busy.
Day 11:
Drove to Eugene to hang out for a few days with my friend Rob who retired at age 35 with his dotcom fortune. Several of the rooms in his 3 bedroom, 3 car garage has be repurposed as a pulp room, a home brewery, and home theater. Had an amazing microbrew sampler at Hop Valley and loved their Natty Red, an old ale. Spent the evening digging through 1000s of pulps and numerous pulp art books while drinking his home brews.
Day 12:
Had lunch with Rob’s girlfriend and then on to local comic shop and used bookstores (sadly not as good as Powells). Met Alley Valkyrie at Eugene City Brewery which had some amazing Rogue beers like the Mocha Porter and Old Crustacean barley wine on tap. Rob and Alley gave me an education in Eugene politics and the “scenes.” Might consider coming back for the crazy outdoor festival The Oregon Country Fair. Before departing Alley gave me one of her unique felt “Gnomes” which I am sure Anaar will love. Capped the evening at the “Nile” as a counterpoint to my Portland bar visits last Friday (you have to guess what happens at the Nile). Rob served me a few ounces of his “Sammy Claus” high alcohol content, aged x-mas ale and I was out for the count.
Day 13:
Spent most of the day and evening listening to and copying German and Scandinavian Heavy Metal music from Rob’s vast collection. Did spent an hour at a local comics artist friend’s house Michael T. Gilbert who does a comic called Mr. Monster that I am a big fan of. Oddly he lives on “Onyx Street,” knows David Spurlock (brother of DRGN) from pulp art book publishing and knows Cat Yronwode (Lucky Mojo) from her days as a comics editor. Had more great Thai food and more high octane home brews before calling it a night.
Day 14:
Left Eugene with a trunk full of great beers and headed down hw 5 to haul ass home to spend my Freya day with my lovely wife Anaar. Driving through Medford there was heavy smoke from a forest fire which was clogging my lungs so did not stop for gas or lunch but blazed on to Yreka. Hope the Medford folks are dealing with it OK. Got home by 7 PM and had dinner at Anaar’s favorite old time restaurant Dino’s. Then cuddled with the wife whom I had not seen in 3 weeks because she had been in Germany well before I left on my road trip. “Last stop” on my tour is Web of Wyrd on Sunday (Today!).
Had breakfast with the wedding party. Got a great picture of Puck seeming to be hung-over or rolling his eyes at something. Next we all drove 30 minutes to Multnomah Falls with the grooms and the rest of the gang. Place is amazing. We saw the beautiful Multnomah Falls then hiked to Wahkeena Falls about a half mile away. Coming back I was alone on the trail from one fall to the other and stopped to look up into the ivy and fern covered corridors leading up into these fey woods. The wind blew through the leaves and time seemed to slow significantly. I suspect it was a doorway to the fey realms, but I did not take the invitation. The rest of the gang left and I drove to the more distant Latourell Falls that required you hike for 1 mile up into the forest. It was worth it because no one else was there and I could stand underneath and be bathed by the falls like a water nymph.
Left Portland for an all too brief visit to Seattle to see Niklas and Willow for the evening and next morning. Heard great stories about the progress of Niklas’ research and Willow’s Chinese medicine. Had great Thai food take out for dinner and Willow’s humongous skillet omelet for breakfast. Wish I could have stayed longer but they are both very busy.
Day 11:
Drove to Eugene to hang out for a few days with my friend Rob who retired at age 35 with his dotcom fortune. Several of the rooms in his 3 bedroom, 3 car garage has be repurposed as a pulp room, a home brewery, and home theater. Had an amazing microbrew sampler at Hop Valley and loved their Natty Red, an old ale. Spent the evening digging through 1000s of pulps and numerous pulp art books while drinking his home brews.
Day 12:
Had lunch with Rob’s girlfriend and then on to local comic shop and used bookstores (sadly not as good as Powells). Met Alley Valkyrie at Eugene City Brewery which had some amazing Rogue beers like the Mocha Porter and Old Crustacean barley wine on tap. Rob and Alley gave me an education in Eugene politics and the “scenes.” Might consider coming back for the crazy outdoor festival The Oregon Country Fair. Before departing Alley gave me one of her unique felt “Gnomes” which I am sure Anaar will love. Capped the evening at the “Nile” as a counterpoint to my Portland bar visits last Friday (you have to guess what happens at the Nile). Rob served me a few ounces of his “Sammy Claus” high alcohol content, aged x-mas ale and I was out for the count.
Day 13:
Spent most of the day and evening listening to and copying German and Scandinavian Heavy Metal music from Rob’s vast collection. Did spent an hour at a local comics artist friend’s house Michael T. Gilbert who does a comic called Mr. Monster that I am a big fan of. Oddly he lives on “Onyx Street,” knows David Spurlock (brother of DRGN) from pulp art book publishing and knows Cat Yronwode (Lucky Mojo) from her days as a comics editor. Had more great Thai food and more high octane home brews before calling it a night.
Day 14:
Left Eugene with a trunk full of great beers and headed down hw 5 to haul ass home to spend my Freya day with my lovely wife Anaar. Driving through Medford there was heavy smoke from a forest fire which was clogging my lungs so did not stop for gas or lunch but blazed on to Yreka. Hope the Medford folks are dealing with it OK. Got home by 7 PM and had dinner at Anaar’s favorite old time restaurant Dino’s. Then cuddled with the wife whom I had not seen in 3 weeks because she had been in Germany well before I left on my road trip. “Last stop” on my tour is Web of Wyrd on Sunday (Today!).