Grant's Pass, Oregon (Part I)

By March, I was in dire need of an adventure. Local missions had been panning out well, but I needed something that would satiate more than just my shutter finger, and my need for company and fresh air. So, on the 22nd of March, I spent two thirds of the day crossing the continent to the west coast. 

Destination: Grant's Pass, Oregon, USA.

 (artist's rendition: travel may not have been exactly as it appears)

I was picked up at the airport by my friend James, and given my first etiquette lesson of the trip. "It's the 'bathroom', not the 'washroom': you're in Americaland now."

America: 1, Canada: 0 
 

With that covered, we drove the 45 minutes or so to Grant's Pass and promptly, at my behest, he delivered us to a phenomenal little dive bar called Wonder Bur. It turns out this place is known for its strong drinks and boy, do they deliver. The bartender, upon learning that I was Canadian, not only let me leave with a shotglass souvenir, but didn't charge me for having it filled.

America: 1, Canada: 1
 

As the bar was closing, I tipped him a loonie and we were on our way.

My first day in Grant's Pass was surreal to say the least. This place is extraordinarily beautiful: I woke up to the sound of Canada geese on the Rogue River, and the stunning sight that is the Caveman Bridge first thing in the morning.

It was early, but I wasn't wasting any time. so I packed up my camera gear and went for a walk.

Crossing the bridge

and it's just as beautiful from the other side!

 

Riverside Park:

Looking left...                                                  ...and looking right.

It was about this time that James came to find me.

"What do you want to do today?"
"Can we go see that waterfall you showed me pictures of?"
"Yup, but first we need to make a stop."

Waterfall on the side of a mountain? Check.

I hadn't even asked what the stop on the way was for. It didn't matter. I'd trust this guy with my life, and it's a good thing, because it turned out I kind of had to. We drove all the way to the top of the mountain, and he takes out this:

Scared? Not even a little bit.
Until he told me I was going to shoot it.

I had never even held a gun in my life. I was a little terrified of the darn thing.
But James is army-trained and meticulous about gun safety. He showed me how to stand, how to hold it, how NOT to hold it, and where all the movable parts and safeties were. Then, when he felt I'd be okay, he stood back behind me and told me to put my finger on the trigger.

Yup, that happened.
Not only did that happen, but upon closer inspection, I discovered THIS happened:

 Check that out: you can see the bullet casing coming out of the gun in the picture. "It's because I'm awesome," James informed me.

America: 2, Canada: 1

Not one to be out-awesome'd, I immediately inspected the pictures I had taken of him.

 

 Mmhmm. Tie game.
 

America: 2, Canada: 2

 A little side trip to the very end of the road yielded an amazing view of Grant's Pass, and showed me just how high up we actually were.

Eventually, our bellies got the best of us and we went back to the truck and headed down for some food.

On the way, there might have been a bit of mud.

On purpose.
Like... the go-out-of-our-way-to-hit-it kind of on purpose.

"So what do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. Something not too heavy. Maybe just a burger or something?"

It's called the Oklahoma burger and it's from Joe's Sports Bar & Grill. I ate the onion rings out of it and maybe a third of the burger itself. It was phenomenal, but there was no way I was managing to eat all of that.

Seriously.
 

America: 3, Canada: 2

I spent the rest of the day being integrated into American society. I learned about LARPers, tweakers, and disc golf. I discovered that iced tea in America is actually iced tea, not the lemony sweetness that is assumed in Canada. Applebee's tastes different, loonies and twoonies are a thing of wonder, and the People of WalMart website is not necessarily an exaggeration.

And I learned that my body adjusts to four-hour time differences really really well...

Grant's Pass, Oregon (part II)

On my second full day in Oregon, I set out with my camera to see what the downtown core had to offer. I had only gone a few blocks when a shady-looking man in an even shadier-looking car pulled over. He had spotted my camera and decided to make small talk by asking if I worked for the local newspaper. When I told him no (and backed away a few steps), he asked what I was taking pictures of.
I was a bit leary.

"Oh, ya know, here and there, this and that."

"Oh, a visitor! Where ya from?"

"Canada."

'Canada! Well! Welcome to Grant's Pass! I hope you enjoy your stay!"
and he promptly smiled a huge smile, waved a little, and drove away.

As it turned out, I was the shady one.

America: 4, Canada: 2

Meanwhile, in downtown Grant's pass...

 

By about ten a.m., I found myself here...

...where James introduced me to phosphate soda or "phosphates" which sold for a quarter each and to which you were limited a maximum of four. One was plenty. I could feel my teeth rotting and my insulin levels working overtime. PERFECT. It also allowed us the time and brain power to formulate the plan for the day. Pacific Coast? I think so.

We ended up in a place called Harris Beach. It's on the west coast of Oregon, but to get there involves a drive through northern California. Well... I guess so... if we must... *sigh*

America: 4, Canada: 3

Photography pit stop:

and ta da! Feet in the Pacific Ocean!

It was a bit foggy when we arrived. I was told there was a large rock out there, big enough to be considered an island. Hmm... okay. I'll go with that.

 

A good climb over some rocks...

and out comes the sun!
What it uncovered was absolutely amazing.

 

 

including a large rock, big enough to be considered an island.

America: 5, Canada: 3

 

The road back to Grant's Pass was somehow even more spectacular than it was on the way down. 

"Does this look like a good spot to stop?"

"Yessir, it does!"

Smith River, California

The water was actually that colour. I can't stress it enough. That's not a Photoshop job.

It was breathatking.

That evening, we intended to just lay low. James got his end-game kill on WoW and I chased this pretty lady around the house with my camera until she got sick of me.

Shortly before dark, plans changed, and we were back in the truck, making our way back up into the mountains where, to my absolute delight, this awaited:

I met some new people, tried some new things, and tried to count the millions of stars that were visible from just out of range of the light of the flames. I also got in a bit of mudding with my newly-titled second-favourite Oregonian!

It really was that dark, that dirty, and that bumpy so what you see is the only shot I've got, but it was a ridiculous amount of fun!

The next morning, I woke up early, had breakfast and then promptly fell back asleep until about eleven o'clock. I spent the next little bit foraging for coffee, (Dutch Brothers! I'm taking a point for finding the place by myself this time) and then we went on a (successful) hunt for a souvenir Grant's Pass shot glass. It was threatening to rain so I took a few shots outside...

 ...then we settled in for some WoW, wings, and shenanigans with a USB missile launcher for my last day on the American west coast.

America: 5, Canada: 4