22 March 2010

NEWS - DAY TWO. NOT WANTING TO LEAVE PORTLAND, LEAVING PORTLAND, THRIFTY SIDETRACKS, ROCKAWAY BEACH CLOSURE, CHINESE FOOD AND DIRTY MOTEL ROOMS.

[log date: late on March 21 about March 20th]
In the morning Matt took me to the Portland Artist's Market (I think that's what it was called) where I discovered even more of this awesome city. As if I needed more reason to not want to leave. I was thrilled to meet another old JPGmag contact Maria Tizon whom I've been e-friends with for several years now I think. Probably as long as Matt and I have been contacts. As well as Michelle Spokely-Lane (thanks again for the cookie) and Dan (possibly Dan The Man..?). Again we talked shop and I did the best I could to keep up with conversations being as distracted as I was. Apparently I was also distracted enough to pull the most amusing novice error in the photo I took of the market gang. Note the antlers. left to right: (name to be disclosed later), Maria Tizon, Michelle Spokely-Lane (thanks again for the cookie) and Matt Adamik.

Then, with a belly full of cookie, coffee and breakfast shawarma (no such thing in real life, it's just what you call a shawarma that is eaten in lieu of bacon & eggs. It is not advisable.) I was off! I had a date with the coast and I was late. So, onto highway 26 with my sights set for Rockaway Beach. Nothing was going to stop me! I was already behind but was determined to make up time! About 30 minutes towards the 101 I saw this place... need I say more?

I could have spent hours in there. I opted for just 45 minutes and walked away with a few frames for my project (one of which is seen with Patty the nice lady who let me wander around taking pictures in the store) and a $12 Brownie Camera.

(I could have photoshopped that wire out of there... but it's 1am and I need to finish this.)
A motorcyclist who was in the shop was telling us that there was all sorts of traffic on the 101 as it was Spring Break, a fantastic day and there was some motorbike show out there. He said the beaches were very busy and that I'd have a lot of photo ops. I hopped in the Troutmobile and was off!

... About a half hour from the 101 the weather shifted with blatant spite from fantastically sunny to dismally rainy and the traffic the motorcyclist told me about turned out to be a parade of gloomy vehicles flowing back towards the city.
I didn't care. I wasn't in it for the beach volleyball, the tan lines or the drinking contests... I was on a serious mission. Destination: Rockaway Beach.
As some of you may have known, one of the main purposes of this trip for me was to go to Rockaway Beach and listen to Rockaway Beach by the Ramones. I am happy to report that mission accomplished. Please see video log:



The drive along the coast, despite the really messy weather was really pretty fantastic. If I was able to I would stop in each and every one of those towns for at least a day. They all fascinate me. The goal was to get to North Bend but I only made it as far as Newport as it was late and the driving was pretty horrid. 8:30pm I checked into a $36-a-night dive Motel (I'm a sucker for stained carpets & leaky faucets) where I ate bad Chinese food (General Tao tasted more like a Colonel to me... Colonel Saunders with red sauce on it to be precise), wrote the post just below this one and passed the hell out. The latter, at the end of this third day I am about to repeat on a couch here in Arcata CA.
Tomorrow I will catch up to where I am now as I will be here tomorrow night as well.
Wow... am I making any sense?

TROUT OUT!

2 comments:

  1. It was a real pleasure having the chance to meet you on your journey Trout! Hope the rest of your time in the States is as enjoyable. If you're ever in Portland again, be sure to stop by and I'll treat you to a cookie :)

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  2. I really do have antlers!!! I thought I did. Now I see why photographers stay behind the camera. I gotta lay off the all you can eat tofu.

    It was good to meet you, and I'll stay tuned to the tour.

    Dan http://www.flickr.com/photos/23264388@N07/

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