Oregon, USA
After starting my large hitchhiking risk lastly calendar week on Pacific coast inwards Oregon, I nevertheless haven’t left the state! Here’s what’s happened then far…
Day 1 of my cross-country hitchhiking journeying begins equally I strap on my pack as well as walked to the border of Seaside, OR. It was chilly as well as overcast outside. I grabbed a slice of former cardboard from the hostel I slept at the nighttime earlier as well as sat downwards inwards a plain to sketch out a route sign.
There wasn’t much space, then I exactly wrote out the refer of the town I was headed to inwards large blood-red block letters. Astoria, Oregon.
I stood on the side of Route 101 — the sign inwards ane hand, my pollex out amongst the other. Attempting to expect equally friendly as well as sane equally possible patch smiling to passing drivers. And overstep they did. Over, as well as over, as well as over again.
Ride #1: CJ The Redneck
About twenty minutes into my wait, a giant orangish 1976 Chevy finally skids to a halt inwards a cloud of dust behind me. I jog upward to uncovering a immature lady named CJ behind the wheel. Beside her on the bench spot sits Titan, her super friendly v twelvemonth former Husky mix rescue dog.
CJ lives inwards the area, as well as was heading to the town of Warrenton, almost eleven miles away. She could drib me off at a goodness intersection there. She told me she doesn’t unremarkably selection upward hitchhikers, but I looked pretty normal.
She’s also done some hitchhiking inwards the yesteryear herself. CJ spent a few months camping ground inwards the Montana wilderness roughly Glacier National Park when she was younger.
Ride #2: Bruce the Hawaiian
From Warrington, I threw upward my same “Astoria” sign as well as speedily landed a ride from Bruce solely v minutes later. He’s a lately retired paper-mill worker who’s solid unit of measurement is originally from Hawaii. We chatted almost things to practise roughly Astoria patch driving into town.
In add-on to the Goonies House, he recommended I depository fiscal establishment gibe out the thought from the Astoria Column. Bruce dropped me off inwards the oculus of town close a java store where I could recharge my gadgets as well as larn some operate done.
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is where the Steven Spielberg cinema “The Goonies” was filmed. One of my favorite movies of all time! Because it was then close, I couldn’t perhaps caput East without stopping yesteryear for a quick view to the famous Goonies’ House as well as trip the lite fantastic toe Chunk’s Truffle Shuffle out front.
The metropolis has a long history of angling as well as transportation manufacture via access to the Columbia river, as well as y'all tin give the axe nevertheless encounter enough of giant cargo ships loaded upward amongst timber, cars, grain, as well as other goods equally they overstep dorsum as well as forth along the river to Portland.
Stealth Camping inwards the Woods
After a 24-hour interval of exploring Astoria as well as working a bit, I decided it was fourth dimension to uncovering a house to campsite for the night. So I walked upward into the wooded expanse close the Astoria Column roughly sunset as well as searched.
But the wood out hither was pretty damn thick amongst vegetation as well as thorn bushes, then it wasn’t tardily to uncovering a place. Even amongst my awesome camping hammock.
Ride #3: Laurie the Nurse
After my nighttime inwards the woods, I hitched a curt ride dorsum into town amongst Laurie. I solely had to hold back for v minutes. Laurie is the Director of Nursing at Clatsop College inwards Astoria. She straightaway told me she NEVER picks upward hitchhikers…
So why did she selection me upward inwards the early on morn on the side of the route inwards the middle of a forest? Apparently I don’t expect similar a drug addict.
Plus she has a few of her ain hitchhiking stories from her 20’s patch backpacking roughly New Zealand. She wanted to aid out a immature homo risk seeker — then she dropped me off at Safeway where I bought breakfast.
She easily would’ve brought me further if I’d asked her to.
Ride #4: Susan the Hula Hooper
Next it was fourth dimension to travel out of Astoria as well as caput South dorsum to the town of Seaside. After walking to the border of town, I picked a busy spot amongst a large parking lot for potential rides to delineate into, threw upward a novel cardboard sign as well as stuck out my thumb.
This fourth dimension it took 25 minutes earlier anyone stopped. Still non likewise shabby!
Susan’s auto was loaded upward amongst a wheel on the torso as well as a few giant hula hoops inwards the dorsum seat. Before I could larn into the car, she made me hope I wasn’t going to murder or rob her.
Susan is a medical records auditor from Tacoma, WA as well as was on her agency to Seaside for a curt vacation. She’s a large hula-hoop fan, as well as truly makes her ain out of PVC pipe!
We decided to consume luncheon together at Norma’s Seafood & Steak when nosotros arrived inwards Seaside. The clam chowder at Norma’s was excellent!
Ride #5: Scott the Children’s Author
After splurging on a hotel room inwards Seaside as well as finally taking a shower, the side yesteryear side morn I walked to a gas station as well as constitute some cardboard inwards a dumpster for my sign. Again it took 25 minutes earlier individual pulled over.
It’s interesting to witness the reactions dissimilar people receive got equally they drive yesteryear you. Some smiling as well as wave, others expect sad they can’t delineate over (full car, non going far, etc.). Many speedily expect away similar they’re ashamed or disgusted amongst you.
But when Scott pulled over inwards his shiny blood-red Jeep Liberty, he offered to select me all the agency to Beaverton on the outskirts of Portland (a 1.5 hr drive) where he was visiting his twenty twelvemonth former daughter.
Scott was total of cracking stories. He spent a few months inwards prison theatre for causing a bad auto accident when he was younger, went on a hitchhiking journeying upward the West coast to Canada, worked equally a salesman most of his life, as well as is currently writing a children’s book.
Oh, as well as he almost died when his pump failed at a Pink Floyd concert.
In Beaverton, Scott bought me hot wings as well as a few beers at Wingstop, where he also proceeded to kicking my ass. In video trivia. Then he dropped me off at a underground station then I could accept the light-rail into Portland. ★
UPDATE: Mission Accomplished!
My hitchhiking journeying across the United States is at nowadays complete. You tin give the axe read almost the whole risk using the links below.
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