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American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

On The Road Again


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Today we launched our first road trip since ‘ole Bo became too old to travel. We miss the old guy since he went to sleep Wednesday, but we definitely don’t miss the doggy room! When you travel with a 135 pound malamute the size of a pony, motel owners tend to put you in the stable. I don’t blame them, but that doesn’t make it better.

 

I remember an AAA motel in a famous small town in Arizona where we were assigned a room where the tub had no shower curtain, and there was an unfinished wall with the studs showing. I don’t think the manager was surprised when we asked for our money back and left. We would never have had a big dog, but our son left him with us when he relocated where he couldn’t keep him, so we became proud owners of a great friend who was 100 pounds too large.

 

Anyway, we are in the town of Hood River, Oregon. Denny knows the place from his recent trip. We stopped to see what the motel he stayed in at Cascade Locks was like. The only room they had was with river view and as far as I could tell, the view cost mucho $$$$ extra.

 

We have a water view at home, so renting one for an evening seemed pointless. Instead we treated ourselves to filet mignon and a bottle of wine in a pleasant restaurant in Hood River (3 Rivers Grill), after a ride through the fall colors at the base of Mt Hood. It was a wonderful meal, well presented, by attentive staff. Very highly recommended.

 

A bit of a splurge, but what the heck, you are only young twice!

 

I don’t know where we will go from here. The weather pattern on the National Weather Service site (excellent graphic maps, practically hour by hour, out several days) suggests the best direction is definitely toward the south and east. Utah, Nevada, and even southern Idaho beckon.

 

As has become my typical tactic, we rented a vehicle that suits our plans. I know that may sound extravagant, but it allows us to live nicely at home with one smaller car that gets excellent mileage and is suitable for shorter trips, is entirely paid for, and costs next to nothing in depreciation. The rental is new, reliable, roomy, and suitable if we encounter early snow. And if appearance is anything, we appear to be” rich.”

 

I could rent this SUV for four two week trips before I paid even the sales tax on a new vehicle, let alone the first day depreciation. And we had the pick of half a dozen different vehicles, from luxury sedan to full sized SUV.

 

We will post more with pictures as we go….wherever!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

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"On the road" is good. Glad to see it. I don't recall the exact price difference between water-view and land-view but remember thinking that the difference for the two nights I stayed there easily paid for a tank of gas. I had made an advance reservation for a room on the "cheap side". It was a very nice hotel and I don't doubt that the river views are excellent. I don't have a water (or much of any other) view at home but I spend so little time gazing from motel windows that I usually can't justify a premium, either.

 

Looking forward to tales of unscripted travel in the northwest.

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Keep,

 

Sounds like the trip is off to a great start. I normally prefer a road trip this is only half planned, and there is leeway for improvising as you go. It sounds like this trip will be a lot of fun.

 

Since I am not traveling for a while, it will be fun to be traveling vicariously with you. Have some fun for me...

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"We would never have had a big dog, but our son left him with us when he relocated where he couldn't keep him, so we became proud owners of a great friend who was 100 pounds too large."

 

We will post more with pictures as we go….wherever!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

........100 pounds too large made me chuckle. It brought back the memory of my daughter, who does (as do I) pet transports. A couple years back she transported a Saint Bernard from Memphis down to his new home in middle Mississippi in her Honda CRV mini-SUV. She came back with tales of people staring at her car as they drove by - not believeing the small "pony" she had in the back - he was almost as big as the SUV. And the fellow at the post office in a very small town near where she was going who wouldn't come near the car when she stopped to ask directions.

 

When she got home, first she had to take a shower. Then she and her husband spent about 3 hours cleaning the Honda - from the inside out!!!! She told me later she knew Saints drooled - but she got the king of them all!!!! LOL She said even the cup holders between the front seats were full of drool.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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........100 pounds too large made me chuckle.

 

 

Most of my former dogs were in the 70-80 pound range. One Black and Tan Coonhound I had was lighter in weight, but extremely long legged. At the time I had a Cavalier Station Wagon with a sun roof. I often drove with the roof out, and the seats down. Champ would stand on all four with his head completely above the roof of the car. I just had to learn to use just the outside mirrors as all I saw in the rear view was his chest. I think he may have cause a few accidents as people turned their heads to watch him as we passed in opposite directions. I do sure miss having a dog, but make do with my son's Great Dane, and my daughters huge Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. But I do not miss the shedding of hair in the house.

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