Portland

If only one image could describe Portland, this would be it.

Mixer

Moving to London- 600.000 Pounds. Her first Tony- a life time of work. Getting a KitchenAid stand mixer- priceless.

A real breakfast

Yes, I did get together with Elizabeth. Here we're enjoying a coffee.

Booo-Ya

My home for the next 3 days. Sweet room!

I parked outside the hotel here in Portland. The redhead is watching the car for me overnight. Thanks.

I checked out the Snake River Canyon on the way out of Twin Falls this morning, and I thought- "Isn't this where Evil Kenevil attempted to jumped the Snake River on September 8th, 1974 with his rocket powered motorcycle?" It was!

An unsolicited endorsement of Motel 6 in Twin Falls. If you've ever traveled with me, or labored through my travel stories, you know I can pick the "shit holes" to stay in. I've had some overnight stops in such reprehensibly horrible conditions that I'm embarrassed to speak of them. Suffice to say that if motels used yellow police tape to warn guests of deplorable conditions, I would ignore the tape and take the room. It is with "this" track record that I spent a night at the Motel 6 in Twin Falls, Idaho. The room was more than impeccably clean, it was so clean that all my horrific motel apprehensions dissolved into thin air. Quite a feat for any hotel- more amazing for one on the bottom of the food chain.

We must be getting closer to Portland. I found taps with a couple of IPA's.

The Snake river near Twin Falls, Idaho. When I come back in 45 million years it will look just like the Grand Canyon.

Utah. Dinosaur theme. I get it. Every small town has an unpainted cement dinosaur displayed on the main drag.

Northwest Colorado...as wide open and quiet as you could ever ask for.

Mountains! 1200 miles to get a view of this.

I need to get something off my chest. I've been patient with this country, I've been tolerant of its customs. WHY IS IT F'N IMPOSSIBLE TO GET DECENT CRAFT BEER WEST OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN? Northern Illinois? Your answer to craft beer is Leinenkugels? Right? Is that supposed to make us forget how depressing your sweat-short, mullet wearing, train spotting existence really is? And Iowa and Nebraska? O.K. You don't have a craft beer culture. Never had, never will. But if you cared about craft beer 1/10th as much as you care about Iowa State or Cornhusker football, I wouldn't be staring down a 22oz. can of Busch Light. Colorado-shame on you. I KNOW you have good craft beer. But if I'm not driving through the hometown of the microbrewery, I'm stuck drinking Coors. I don't care how cold it is, or how thirsty I am, I've got two words for you- HORSE PISS. If the people who invented lagers would have made it taste like Coors they would have been crucified and their breweries burned to the ground. Is it too much to ask to have the odd six pack of "good" beer just in case I, or anyone who has taste happens to stop bye? Utah and Idaho, you're on notice.

A wonderful breakfast at the diner in the hotel. No need to ask for extra napkins!

The days drive ended at the Ottumwa Hotel in Ottumwa, Iowa. A city that was as visually bleak as the food and hospitality were outstanding.

Left Saturday morning around 7:30. Had a celebratory beer when I crossed the muddy Mississippi.

Elizabeth asked me to bring everything she didn't pack when she moved to Portland in January.

When the boss turned his back...