Made it to the coast

My friend Vanessa and I jumped in the Pacific yesterday at Devil's Punchbowl on the Oregon Coast. It took us a while to find the Punchbowl Proper (it was right next to where we parked the car) but running on the beach and body surfing on the cold cold upwelling waters afterwards was an excellent diversion in the meantime.

It is looking like I will have internet (and cell phone) access less on this trip than when I was in Mongolia since we are camping in relatively remote places most of the time. While I am here I'll sketch out where we've been:

Minocqua, WI - fishing, learning banjo, sitting around in a fresh piney cabin and making 3 pies. Visited the Wisconsin Concrete Park in Phillips, WI on our way down to Madison which was quite fantastic.
"Lincoln-Todd Monument: Second Monument Of Its Kind in the USA"

Lancaster, WI - Briana's farm!!! playing with friendly chickens and sleeping so snugly on the back of a pick up truck in the fields

The Friendliest Chickens On Earth!

Blue Mounds State Park, MN - amazing sunrise run, listening to fireworks on the 4th
Near Bozeman, MT - after long long long day of Badlands National Park and Devil's Tower National Monument and driving through hailstorms . . . first night in bear(ish) country, but no bears

Badlands!!!

Trego, MT - two lovely days of incredible folk music, glacial lakes that focused sound like ellipses in cathedrals, sleeping on soft futons in the home of a woman named Alien who was just the most, and hanging out with delightful Czech vistors

This is Bluebird Lake in the Ten Lakes region - we almost drove into Canada on our way here! Lots of bear tracks on the hike in.

Somewhere in the Columbia River Gorge, OR - woke up to fly fishers then had coffee at Pearl Bakery in Portland where my friend works and then drove to the coast!!!
Eugene OR - headed to the Oregon country fair which I am about to explode with excitement over. Spent last night at the Oregon Electric Company with a room full of veterinarians learning about worms and fleas.

Got to get ready for a day of sunshine, music and free love in Veneta.
PEACE!