Highway 101

After dropping the car off at the Eugene Airport, Danny called. We found each other using Craigslist Rideshare. He was moving from Portland to Santa Cruz, California for a new job and was looking for someone to keep him company; I was trying to get to Berkeley. We spoke for a few minutes and he explained that he wanted to stop for hiking and exploring along the way. We would camp in his truck for at least one night. Perfect!

A few minutes later, Holly and her husband, Paul, arrived to pick me up with their new, tiny, little baby in tow - something like 10 days old!

With Holly being a new mom, and me being totally exhausted from nonstop moving and annoying bouts of insomnia, the only thing I really remember was watching Hunger Games and cuddling with her dog.

The next afternoon, Danny arrived.

This guy shows up at the door with his RayBan glasses, mop-top haircut, and a fringe leather jacket. We are about to travel for two or three days together (and he is my second Craigslist Rideshare experience). Honestly, I was wondering what I got myself into and not sure what to think about this 26-year-old dude who looks like he has traveled straight out the sixties to pick me up. I am hopeful that I will, at the very least, get a good story out of it.

We get to his truck, which is parked a couple of blocks away, and I become suspicious. My first thought, of course, is that he has parked his car out of view of my friend's house and he is going to murder me right now. I was not thinking about how he was towing a trailer and parking is not that easy on her street.

Either way, I voluntarily get into his 1989 Ford F150 and we begin our journey, heading due west to Highway 101 - the scenic route.

I feel some relief as he tells me that he has to call his parents back in Staten Island to let them know he picked me up and we were leaving Eugene now. I could hear his father on the phone. He asked him something about making sure to stop by a commune somewhere.

As we drive along, I get to learn about my driver. Danny was a "Socialist Jew from Staten Island". He referred to himself as such multiple times, while chain-smoking cigarettes and talking passionately about politics, music, mental illness, and society.

He told me about a radio show, or PodCast or something, that he hosts. I forget if it was about music or politics, but most likely it was a combination of both.

Danny and I both love Folk Rock, so choosing the music for our trip was an easy compromise and mostly involved playing albums that we had a strong love for and then introducing each other to new artists we hadn't yet heard. Lucky for you, I forgot to write down any of the new bands that he introduced me to.

We started the trip with Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde followed by Cat Stevens, and then Joni Mitchell. The rest is a blur. But it was perfect. All of it. I made sure to pretend that I was existing in the sixties for the entire trip. But once I turned my phone off, there was no real way to tell the difference! I could pretend we were playing 8-tracks!

I loved being in this big, old truck with this vintage dude listening to the tunes out of the original speakers (playing from his Smart Phone) while driving along the breathtaking Oregon Coast. My heart feels so alive just reliving this. I can't even!

Part of the agreement to take this trip together, was that we would stop and explore when we felt so inclined.

We were somewhere near the Southern Oregon Coast when we saw these amazing mountains and decided to stop. Even though it was overgrown, we found a trail that we could hike down to these beauties. I don't need to tell you anymore. The photos will do that for me. 

For the complete experience, I recommend playing this song while you scroll:

The Three Sisters

Danny walking ahead of me on the trail.

Am I in the United States or Middle Earth?

I found a Hobbit!

Middle Earth

If you are still wondering why I want to move to Oregon, do I need to say more?

We drove for a couple more hours before finding a State Park on the Coast to sleep. We ate granola bars and talked about life - one of my favorite conversations. He went to sleep in the bed of the truck, and I slept in the cab. 

We were on the road the next morning by 7:30am - after he called his parents on the East Coast again to let them know. It did not take too long before we crossed the California border. We decided it was okay to take our pictures for both states. (The pictures of me in front of the California sign were blurry.)

We kept on driving and listening to good music. We drove and made stops when we wanted to look at the land. There's nothing more to say about the drive, really, so I'll just let you look at the pictures.

Redwood Country

Chelsea and a Tree

The first elk that Danny had ever seen in his life! Right here!

One of those places that sells... stuff.

Army of Peacocks

Sasquatch or Big Foot?

We arrived in Berkeley just before the sunset on the second day. I thanked Danny for the adventure and with that, my new friend, the Socialist Jew from Staten Island, continued on his way to Santa Cruz to begin his new job in the morning. 

Moments before Danny drove off into the sunset.

View of Berkeley at Sunset