Thursday, September 29, 2011

Frustrations and Disappointments

In travel, as in life, no amount of planning guarantees success. A frequent frustration across the country has been the difficulty getting accurate information about parking so that we can visit historical sites, museums, and other places of interest. We check websites, we call ahead and ask, and very often when we arrive, there is no place to park with the trailer even though we have been assured that there is. Yesterday was no different.

One of the prime spots on our "to see" list proved completely rv and trailer unfriendly. And after going up a 6% grade with a twisting, narrow road, we arrived at the Oregon Trail Center to find signs impossible to read from a safe distance, parking lots tiny and inaccessible, and only one area for rv's which would have required us to climb a hill on foot that was way too much for either of us. And so we left deeply disappointed.

But on a bright note, we had driven into Baker City and on a whim, visited their museum and enjoyed it thoroughly so the day was not a bust. It turns out that Baker City is the home of Wally Byum, Airstream inventor, founder, and intrepid traveler. The city museum had an entire room devoted to the development of Airstream trailers and the worldwide caravans he led over the years. What a way to feed our fantasy!!

We rode around through the town seeing beautiful old homes and historic hotels and city buildings. We really liked Baker City. We continue to follow the Oregon Trail and will stop at historical markers and marvel at the tenacity and strength of the people who made that journey. It is no wonder that the northwest is a different kind of place. On balance, the disappointments and frustrations are far outweighed by the beauty of the land and the serendipitous pleasures around every bend,


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