Page 162 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

ported us and our SUPs to the Siletz. banks of the Deschutes River, hiked trails at Smith
Our trusty VW bus chugged east on Highways Rock State Park, visited friends and ate pizza in
18 and 22 over rolling coastal hills near Dallas the Old Mill District. The best part for Maddie, the
(Oregon) that had vineyards reminded me of Napa soon-to-be college coed and future veterinarian,
and Sonoma counties. We stopped for lunch in was visiting a llama and alpaca farm north of town
Salem and then pushed on over the Cascades to where she got to feed and pet the friendly critters.
Bend on Highway 22 and 20. Hamma Hamma Anders and I put her on a plane the next day to
struggled a bit in the mountains, prompting a cou- head off to and orientation at Marquette Univer-
ple of irate motorists to flip us off as they passed. sity in Milwaukee. Then we chugged back to Seat-
They apparently didn’t like it that our top speed tle, dropped off our van and toasted our adventure
was 55 on the steeper sections. with a root beer float. When he graduates in the
But we made it to Bend, our penultimate desti- spring of 2021, we may just be back to rent an-
nation, where we picnicked in Drake Park on the other van to putter north for a loop around British
Columbia’s Vancouver Island.

162 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021