Coast of Oregon

One thing.  about the rural pacific Northwest is that it seems to be a big community. Everyone appears to know everyone else; bus rides come across as community gathrings.  tToday we rode a small bus from Smith River to Brookings. Passengers were on a real friendly basis. Interesting discussions, One friendly woman, with a great smile (in spite of missing front teeth) told everyone, "I hate that Walmart! They've messed it up!" There was consensus here,

We are in Brookings, a town on the southern coast. At first glance, this town should be avoided. Main street is a long strip with McDonald's, Ace Hardware, and other chains tossed in with car dealerships and some local businesses, all stretching away ad infinatum in the rain. There is much more than meets the eye. We found a lovely coastal park, with rock formations and cliffs greeting the Pacific. It was too rainy for much exploration, but we should have better weather for the next few days.

Southern Oregon does appear to be very stratified,. We found posters on the main drag, stating "Pray for economic recovery in Curry County." Kate found an article saying that the county is close to insolvency. There is no sales tax in most of Oregon, but there is talk of putting it on the ballot here. We've read that meth labs are common on the southern coast - I don't know if that is more than a rumor. But there are gated communities right off the main drag too. We'll see what we learn in the next two days.

For the record, marijuana plots in wilderness areas are a big problem around Arcata. One local man told us they are owned by Mexican drug cartels, who care nothing about the environment and move on after they have wrecked places. We've read that ownership is
more complex than that, but it takes some investigation. Not good, at any rate.  I am for decriminilazation of marijuana, but it shouldn't be grown in wild places.

The ride from Arcata to Brookings was beautiful. Some of the coastal mountains had snow in their higher areas. There were many rivers, redwoods, and a lovely coastline. At one point we saw a herd of elk resting in a field next to the road. People had gotten out of cars to phototgraph them. One dingledorf was jumping up and down to get a reaction from them.
Fortunetly, they only stared at him.

Enough for now, but more to come.