I chose to overnight in Grants Pass, OR so that I would have a fresh day to take on US Highway 199, an often narrow, curvy route that cuts through the Cascades and spends a good deal of its time in California winding along the Smith River. And as I spent the morning driving through redwood-covered hills, along steep drop-offs, and under rock fall areas, I patted myself on the back for that choice.
The Oregon side of the highway was your average mountain highway drive. Some curves, some passing lanes, lots of pretty views, and some time in the valleys and plains slowing down through small towns. In California, however, things became more exciting. Tight curves, river gorges, and the kind of well-maintained roads that make you want a vehicle that's fast, sporty, and easy to handle. Sexy. You know, like a Mitsubishi Gallant.
And while all that driving was certainly fun, my favorite part about this segment of the trip was this:
When I was a kid, we drove from northern Illinois to Florida every year (grandparents, you know). And because this was mostly in the springtime, driving through the Tennessee mountains was my favorite part of the trip; little waterfalls everywhere, creeks I wanted to follow into the woods, and any number of hillsides I wanted to climb. But as a kid subject to your parents' timetable, I was left to just look out the window, occasionally satisfied by stopping at a scenic view point. On 199, as an adult on a solo trip, I was thrilled to pull over whenever I damn well pleased. Tiny waterfalls? Check. Climbing around on rocks by a river? Check. Pulling over just to take yet one more picture of a mountain. Absolutely. And if that isn't the point of this whole dang trip, I don't know what is.
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| Middle Fork, Smith River |
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| Middle Fork, Smith River |
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| Random waterfall |
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| Random frozen waterfall |
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| Smith River, near Myrtle Creek |
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| Myrtle Beach, Smith River |
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