Lessons I Learned on My Recent Road Trip

Recently I drove to Vancouver,WA to visit my sister, nieces and nephew, and my parents who were visiting as well. Here are some things I learned.

(1) Oregon drivers are really good and really courteous. They do not camp out in the passing lane. Left lane is for passing only. They get it.

(2) Idaho drivers are oblivious to minimum speed limits and that whole "left lane is for passing only" thing.

(3) Rest area stalls in Idaho and Oregon are really like little prison cells. The walls are tiled brick, go almost from floor to ceiling, and the stalls have steel doors. WTH? No wonder Senator "Wide Stance" has to go to Minnesota to get some "stance." It's a little claustrophobic.

(4) Eastern Oregon is a wasteland.

(5) Senator "Wide Stance" and his colleague Senator Crapo from Idaho apparently have naked pictures of other senators because the amount of freeway expansion in Idaho is both obscene and notoriously more than is needed. Also, they are both Republicans. So when they start whining about "government spending," have them return that wasted money for freeway lanes they don't need. 6 lanes each, in and out of Boise! Really?

(6) I hate summer freeway construction.

(7) Oregon is a very "farmy" state. I already knew this about Idaho, but Oregon is all about wheat and hay and orchards and barley and cows and goats and llamas and ...you get the idea.

(8) Western Oregon is gorgeous! As is western Washington.

(9) There is a large reservation in mid-eastern Oregon with a casino right on I-84. No, I didn't stop.

(10) The bridges to cross the Columbia River that are east of the I-5 and I-205 bridges are FREAKING SCARY! Never want to do that again.

(11) My 2004 Chrysler Pacifica is a dream to take road trips in.

And finally, (12) I can listen to Adam Lambert's UK version of "For Your Entertainment" (it has more songs on it than the US version) 11 times between my house and my sister's house!