The Flooded Brick Road to The Emerald City

---

Please Note: The following entry was meant to be posted on the night of the 27th.

We are definitely not in Kansas anymore. We began our journey in Crescent City,
CA at the Comfort Inn overlooking the beach and lighthouse. Jack, our generous
manager, happened to have a double queen with a view of the water available,
which he gave to us for the price of a single. The sound of the enormous waves
outside rocked us to sleep.

In the morning, we discovered that the storm had brought with it some curious
oddities. We won't go into too much detail, but please remind us to tell the
tales of the 3-legged dog, Jack and the Mystery Shoppers, the "Christian Sea
Monster", the "freakin' huge" seagulls, the drive-thru teller in the stall next
door, the "Pacifier Tree", the "EXTREME!!!" kayaker, and the "Valley of the
80's".

We followed the Smith River into Oregon, through waterfalls and sheets of rain.
Satellite images of the storm foretold of perilous rock and mudslides, so we
decided to take an inland detour, rather than continue on our coastal route.
Sure enough, in the five hours that we drove through mountains and valleys, we
encountered several parts of the Oregon countryside completely inundated with
floodwaters. The never-ending rain guided our decision to continue to Portland
and plan a return trip to Oregon in the spring, when floodwaters recede and the
coast can be viewed in full splendor!

While Allen drove, Marce took the passenger seat and planned a birthday
surprise for the boy in the "Emerald City". She ventured a phonecall to The
Lion & The Rose Victorian Bed & Breakfast in hopes of finding vacancy. Not
unexpectedly, the romantic inn was completely booked. However, Dusty, the Good
Wizard of the Lion & The Rose, pointed us in the direction of the more
luxurious Portland White House. As luck would have it, the best room in the
house was open for one night! A spectacular pillow-top king-size canopy bed
with a claw-foot jacuzzi tub, complete with truffles and classical ambience
greeted us in Portland.

We began celebrating Allen's birthday a day early at the Newport Seafood Grill.
One look at the menu, and there was no doubt in our mind that this restaurant
would be contender for the best meal on our trip, thus far. We were not
disappointed. We have been together for almost five years, and in all that time,
we had never managed to agree upon a favorite restaurant...until now. An open
kitchen, delectable swordfish on a bed of parmesan pasta, and Spanish-style
Paella made to perfection, accompanied by a fruity Gewurstraminer and the first
birthday cake on our journey combined to make an unforgettable experience. We
would linger on the details, but we have the room of our dreams to return to.
Until tomorrow...

---

Photos

The Smith River
Waterfalls growing with rainwater feed into the river

The "Pacifier Tree"
One of several oddities encountered today.

Portland's White House
The White House...in Portland!!!

The Canopy Room
The Presidential Suite at Portland's White House.

The Boy & The Girl
The Boy & The Girl at the Portland White House!