Day 3: Lakeview - Ashland

Here is where I start typing with the map on my lap.

Was more than happy to get out of Lakeview. On we went (I drove for a few hours), taking 140 through the Fremont National Forest, and stopping in Bly to use the bathroom and checking out antique stores...which were also closed.

Probably the most depressing photo I've ever taken:

So lots of driving through the Fremont National Forest. Beautiful, lush, high forest. Smelled more like tinder than rich wetness. Seriously, I now totally get the whole fire danger thing. The air is just high, tight, and tense but airy and clear, just waiting for something to ignite.

I even kept my inflammatory foods, comments, and opinions to myself. I wonder if someone gets fired in the area if the words spontaneously combust. Okay, I'll stop.

Some pics (I think we pulled over to take this one):

This shot epitomizes the drive to Ashland. Very curvy roads. There were few straightaways. If I hadn't been driving, or if anyone but Justin had, I'm pretty sure I would have gotten carsick. Again, something that's only happened to me in the past few years. Oh, hello, aging! Back so soon?

One shot we definitely stopped to take (a lot of the dust had blown off Nellie by this point, but you not only could have written "wash me" on her, you probably could have written the Gettysburg Address on her. Or something.

So I drove for a few hours, and then Justin took over. Probably a good thing, because at one point I was like, wait, we're going to have to descend sometime, right? Ashland isn't as high up as Lakeview, so when is the great descent?

Oh, look. Here! A 7% grade this time. Pish-Posh.

More descent. This is when it started to remind me of the times I've been to the San Francisco area. Golden hills, more seasonally dry, where you know that there's a verdant time of the year. Even though it was just as dry and hot and sunny, you knew it wasn't always the case. More greens. gold and brown; less gray and red. Is it obvious I love love love landscape changes? I'm that person on the plane, forehead against the window. It's like I'm flying for the first time, every time.

Didn't take many more photos on this drive. It was a lot of the above, really. Then we dipped south to Klamath Falls--or really, outside Klamath Falls, fueled up, some some strip mall "civilization" (I ooze irony) and then it was over and up to Ashland. Hot hot hot!

I'll post this and do Day 3 Ashland in another post.