We woke up bright and (really) early on day Eight, primarily due to a deflated air mattress and an inflated bladder. One of the drawbacks of sleeping in your car on some random street, bathrooms are pretty scarce. We'd planned to grab a pastry and get on the road, but the coffee kiosk we stopped at had nothing, nor did the next few places. Annoyed, I continued on until Biggs Junction, an odd little place in the middle of nowhere, and found a gas station that was serving some pretty adequate Biscuits and gravy and potato logs.
Not the most auspicious start, but the day turned out well, with the drive going fast, and conditions great. Lindsay typed on her little netbook and I listened to my iPod most of the way, trying not to sing and annoy her... I may have succeeded, but I was pretty tired and bit delirious, so I can't say for certain...
We stopped in Durkee for a late lunch, and drove around the little town first, which was full of neat looking older homes gone to seed, 2 nicely kept newer homes, and a lot of creepy looking shanty style structures that may have housed cannibal midgets. We ate at the Hungry Redneck, of course, and had a perfect mushroom burger and fries, and for dessert... something sublime. We debated for a while on the choice of pie, they had 8 choices, and while I had a soft spot for the strawberry, it didn't look as fresh as last time, so we went with the Butterscotch Pie. It was possibly the best thing I have ever put into my mouth. It was possibly the best thing that anyone has ever put into anyone's mouth. Surprisingly heavy and thick, it was rich and buttery, with a hint of real scotch flavor. It had a solid crust that perfectly held it together and complimented the rick copper filling, and had a thin layer of white cream across the top.
I could die tomorrow, and when the Hellions get a field day up in heaven and we get to eat in the cafeteria while we're up there, I'll feel safe skipping the pie, knowing I've had better in a weird little diner in podunk and slightly creepy Durkee, OR.
We made it home around 8pm, cuddled the dogs, made the bed and crashed.
All in all, it was really fun trip. As always, we wished there wasn't such a long drive on either side, naturally, we want to move closer to the ocean. Next time we'll undoubtedly stay in Sylvia Beach, and I think it is worth the splurge to stay someplace nice for longer. As nice as it was saving money by camping and sleeping in cheap motels, the 2 days in Rockaway were easily my favorite because we felt like we were comfortable. Maybe next time we'll rent a vacation house in Gearhart or something.
All told, here are our stats:
Miles - 2166.9
Gallons of Gas - 86.675
Average Mileage - 25.00MPG
Best Mileage - 27.27MPG
Worst - 21.78MPG
States Visited - ID, OR, WA
Meals Eaten Out - 24... all of em...
Meals Shared - 20 We ate our own meals at 2 Mexican Restaurants, the diner in Toledo, and the Thai Food
Nights spent sleeping in Strontium - 3
Nights in Motels - 4
Bookstores Visited - 8
Books Purchased - 37
Money:
Admissions into places - $0
Gas - $180.26
Books - $135.00
Lodging - $248.80
Misc Snacks and crap - $167.30
Souvenirs - $15.15
Gifts for others - $85.60
Meals - $295.12
Total - $1127.23
That's not bad at all! While I've inevitably forgotten something, and the book costs are estimated, that's not bad for an 8 day vacation on the coast. Go Frugal Us!
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! I laughed, I cried, it moved me. You should teach a class in money management. Well done with the expenses!
You really whet my appetite with the tidbits you slipped in about keeping up with your writing. When you get those books published I'll be first in line to buy my copy. I'll expect an autograph of course.
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