Day 3: Epic Road Trip from Ohio to Oregon

In our 12 hours of driving today, we went through a 33 degree temperature fluctuation.  This morning, we work up in Rawlins, Wyoming to F excitedly proclaiming that it was snowing.  Less excited, at 5:13  am, we looked over and saw indeed there was a slight dusting on the ground.  

After a typical hotel breakfast, our 4^th in as many days, we packed the car at a chilling 24 degree morning.  In the course of the morning as we traveled through the desolate plains of Wyoming, we dropped to 18 degrees, of course when the kid’s had a pee emergency so we had to hightail it out of the car in bitter cold with insane winds into a rest stop bathroom.  Not a trip I wish to repeat.  

Ominous Road Warnings

Overall, our drive today was like driving on the moon.  We expected to be driving through mountain passes all day as we went from Wyoming to the Oregon border, but instead were mostly driving on flat roads with rocky outcroppings around us.  

As we left Wyoming and entered into Utah, we finally got to go through an exciting mountain tunnel and had a bit of nice mountain viewing but that was really it.  F was excited by the baby mountains and the big mountains which he called “mommies” for some reason.

Sick of cold cheese, ham and crackers for lunches, we decided to stop for a hot lunch about an hour north of Salt Lake City.  We choose a dive diner which had the BEST chili we have ever eaten.  Amazing, meaty, beany and smoky chili.  The clientele were all hardened ranchers wearing Stetsons, spurs and worn jean.  Sounds like a romance novel fantasy but reality is a lot more grizzled with silky, feminine looking scarves. 

 

L eating lunch

After lunch, we continued driving on the moon getting a few more mountain sightings in the distance.  

We made a bit of a detour in Twin Springs, Idaho for a snack/coffee stop and got our first “scenic overlook” at a bridge over the snake river.  Heights are not my cup of tea so with knocking knees, I took a quick peak and picture and let the boys check out the view a bit longer and do boy things like pee on big rocks.

Driving through Boise, we hit our first traffic jam of the journey, temperature then at 51 degrees but luckily cleared out of it quickly to arrive in Ontario, Oregon at 7 pm , Mountain Time.  

night driving is not conducive to state sign pics

Amazing Mexican food in our bellies, we are no longer just a haggard shell of our former selves.

 

the one different thing about our Oregon hotel room

Miles: 639

Hours: 12 (had an hour lunch break that slowed us down today)

States: 4

Bathroom Accidents: 1 (this was before we left the hotel when L peed out of his pjs)

Coffee Stops: 1

The Sum of My Knowledge

As we prepare for our big move, in my abundant free time (extreme sarcasm here), I have been thinking about the things I know about our new home state, Oregon.  The last time I was in Oregon was in middle school when my family drove the Pacific Coast Highway from Washington to San Francisco.  My first visit to Portland will be this weekend.  So, here is the sum of my knowledge.

1. The license plate is super sweet with an evergreen tree.  Super excited for this!
2. Marijuana is apparently legal.  Considering it took a dictionary for me to figure out how to spell it, this is not something I will be partaking in.
3. I can name most of the suburbs of Portland and their location but have no idea how to pronounce them.  (Tigard... You'd think Tih-girrd but apparently it's more like Ty-gird!)
4. There are trees, mountains and beaches/ocean within driving distance
5. Goonies was filmed in Astoria, Oregon.  I'm sure this will be one of our first weekend trips, despite the tarp over the iconic house.
6. The weather is temperate and surprisingly of similar precipitation amounts as here (just more rain as opposed to snow).  Apparently, no one carries an umbrella.  Not sure if this is because they are "too cool for school" or just totally unprepared.  Iowa country living has taught me the importance of appropriate weather gear and dry feet so you will see me in my boots with a rain jacket and umbrella.  Don't care if that makes me like a tourist!
7. You can't pump your own gas.  Right now this is so wacky to me, but when I first moved to Decorah I was totally freaked out by the Faraway cart boys and now I don't know how I'll live without someone unloading groceries for me!
8. Biking is a big part of the culture.
9. It's in a different time zone- Pacific Time which is 2 hours behind Central Time.  Family/friends:  I apologize in advance for the mistakes I will make with this.

Four years ago, Andy interviewed in Cresco as I toured Decorah for the day.  After his interview, I said, "Yeah, I can't live here."  Now, four years later and I am so sad to leave.  Despite not having a heck of a lot of knowledge about our new home, I know if we could settle so fully into county life, we can settle anywhere!  Our Acreage Adventure: The West Coast Chapter?  

The Goldilocks Dilemma

As a mom of three young kids, I am more versed in children's literature than the latest best seller novel or Oprah's list book.  I can recite "Brown Bear" and "Moo, Baa, La" by memory and amuse myself by singing the "To Market" book.  Inevitably, the books I try to hide in the back of the bookshelf are the books the kids aways request, among them "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."

Throughout the book, Goldilocks seems like a spoiled little juvenile delinquent, first breaking into the bear's house then complaining about all of their stuff.  "Too little/ too big, too hot/too cold."  Well, after the past several months, I think I perhaps have a better understanding of Goldilocks' pickiness.

Andy is a manufacturing engineer and has been working at a plant in the area specializing in air filters.  At the plant, he is the APD (accelerated product development) supervisor which basically means he is a super problem solver.  Through his experiences over the last four years at his job, he has become very passionate about LEAN principles which can be utilized within any company, not just manufacturing.  The time came to move on from his current position, which is typical in his field so he began an extensive job search.

After some initial bumbling, we focused in on three things that a prospective job would require for us to move forward:

1. Job Description- something focusing on LEAN
2. Location- a place to grow with interesting things to do/see, focused on outdoor lifestyle and family friendly
3. Product- the company makes an interesting product that Andy can stand behind

We encountered several jobs along the way that knocked two off the list but kept looking for a slam dunk.  We turned down a few opportunities that just weren't the right fit, at times feeling like a petulant Goldilocks looking for that perfect bowl of porridge.  Finally, the waiting paid off and we were able to fall asleep in that "perfect bed".  

So, we'd like to announce that we are moving to Portland, Oregon.  Andy will begin his job in two weeks as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer at a company that makes ergonomic desks (wacko that he is, Andy had actually custom-built a standing ergonomic desk for his current office).  We are super excited for this change, especially since we spent SO much time researching every aspect of it but also sad to be moving away from a town we fell in love with and our little farm that we put so much sweat into.  

I never would have guessed three years ago as I was driving here the first time from the Chicago suburbs that we would be so sad to leave but, alas, we are.  We will miss family, friends, neighbors and those damn chickens but look forward to new adventures that await.  

Yes, we will continue blogging... it will look different since we plan to rent for awhile so perhaps some posts on adventuring in our new state, learning about west coast living after 31 years of midwest life, or maybe there will even be a tiny house in our future (?!?), so stick with us as we navigate a totally new environment.  We will keep our current title so our web address stays the same but perhaps add an addendum to it... Any suggestions?  So this little Goldilocks is packing away her lock pick set for a bit and preparing for new adventures.