Eugene

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Why Eugene and Thinking Ahead

I’m in this general area of Oregon because Thursday morning I am having a 150 watt solar panel installed by the RV solar experts AM Solar. Even before I had a rig, I knew that I wanted my solar system to be installed by them. I didn’t want to say too much about this because of the number of kerfuffles since I left Abbotsford five weeks ago, but now I really do believe this project is a go!

Once I have the solar panel, I won’t need to plug in every few nights. Even in this soggy climate, I’m confident that with proper electrical management this solar panel will mean a great deal of freedom for me. It’s a lot of money at one time, but it will pay for itself quickly.

As to why I am in Eugene specifically, it’s that I have friends who were able to put me up with a 15A connection and access to a spigot to top off my fresh water tank. I am so grateful to them!

Climate notwithstanding, I am really enjoying Eugene. It reminds a lot of Ottawa, actually, and the neighbourhood where I’m staying is not unlike the grittier half of Sandy Hill and the Byward Market where I lived and worked during my university days in the late ’90’s. I can walk to all the services I need and the variety of restaurants is staggering.

Here are a few pictures that I’ve taken during my walks about the neighbourhood:

coloured houses

coloured houses

close up of the coloured houses

close up of the coloured houses

palm tree!

palm tree!

crocuses

crocuses

daffodil

daffodil

mallards

mallards

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard out for a walk

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard out for a walk

I like how they have an observation platform jutting out over the Willamette

I like how they have an observation platform jutting out over the Willamette

Willamette River

Willamette River

Willamette River

Willamette River

cinema across the river

cinema across the river

the murky Willamette

the murky Willamette

various fowl on the Willamette River

various fowl on the Willamette River

My appointment with AM Solar, located in nearby Springfield, is on Thursday, first thing, and not wanting to overstay my welcome, I will be heading out of town after. I’d like to do five to seven days on the Oregon coast, then start to work my way back to Canada. I’d have two weeks to get there, so there would be no rush.

Now that I’ve experienced life in the States, I cannot view my RVing life in the same manner as before. Everything has changed. I’ve crunched the numbers and I can do six months here for the cost of four months in Canada, and that includes health and vehicle insurance and an internet set up.

So, what does this mean? Well, I need to start earning more money in Canada and spending as little of it there as I can!

And I’ve decided not to return to Yukon this summer.

Instead, I’m going to go into Alberta, even if it means facing the brutal dregs of winter. I simply cannot afford to set up residence in BC. I want to get over the border and find work as close to the Montana border as possible.

Up until a few months ago, I just didn’t see myself being able to work for someone else again, but now I would welcome a steady stream of income. I could get that in Yukon, of course, but it’ll cost $1,500 to get up there, money I’d rather spend exploring this part of the US that is new to me.

I’ve been growing increasingly bitter about Canadian rules that dictate how I can live and now I have something else to focus on: enthusiasm for learning what I can do to conform to US laws so as to be allowed the continued privilege of vacationing here.

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Salem, Oregon

Today, I drove to Salem, capital of Oregon, to visit with Joan. She had an afternoon all planned out for us and I was happy to let a native guide take the lead!

First stop was a yummy lunch at Adam’s Rib Smokehouse. I had a BBQ pulled chicken sandwich with a side of hush puppies. The meat was very flavourful, with a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, and the bun was particularly tasty. Very nice sandwich, if not too healthy! I haven’t had hush puppies since I first discovered them in 2008 during my adventures south of the Mason-Dixon line so they were a real treat!

Next, Joan took me to a museum she’d always wanted to go to, the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village and Children’s Museum. A.C. Gilbert is the fellow who invented the Erector Set. This is the kind of place a grown up can’t really go alone without feeling silly. But as a pair? I haven’t played like that in a very long time! I even got on a swing. Joan and I just laughed and laughed and laughed. Such fun!

After the museum, she took me to the Salem Carousel. This beautiful carousel features hand carved horses, each with its own name and unique personality. I can’t remember the last time I was on a carousel. At $1.50 each for a ride, it’s an affordable outing.

Finally, we headed to the Sweet Papaya for dessert/a snack. This is a self-serve frozen yoghurt joint where you pay by the weight of your confection. You can mix together as many flavours of yoghurt as you want, then add candies, fresh fruit, sauces, mini cakes, and more. Yu-um.

Awesome day, Joan. Thank you!!!

state capitol

state capitol

state capitol

state capitol

Adam's Rib

Adam’s Rib

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

looking out over the gaming and music area; each table had a popular game like chess and snakes & ladders

looking out over the gaming and music area; each table had a popular game like chess and snakes & ladders

staircase and stained glass

staircase and stained glass

ahoy matey!

ahoy matey!

fun with shadows

fun with shadows

China exhibit

China exhibit

bridge over a 'river'

bridge over a ‘river’

wasp nest

wasp nest

wasp nest

wasp nest

Joan by the BIG chair

Joan by the BIG chair

Willamet River

Willamet River

Joan on a BIG chair!

Joan on a BIG chair!

the bubble master!

the bubble master!

creating a giant bubble

creating a giant bubble

giant bubble

giant bubble

entrance to a display looks like we're going behind a waterfall

entrance to a display looks like we’re going behind a waterfall

beautiful staircase

beautiful staircase

Joan got a kick out of the cow and insisted on a photo of me 'milking' it!

Joan got a kick out of the cow and insisted on a photo of me ‘milking’ it!

gorgeous stained glass

gorgeous stained glass

the chess set from The Chamber of Secrets?

the chess set from The Chamber of Secrets?

mammoth dig

mammoth dig

one of several giant xylophones

one of several giant xylophones

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

inside the Erector maze

inside the Erector maze

IMGP1418

IMGP1419

Atomic energy lab set!

Atomic energy lab set!

magic trick set

magic trick set

Erector sets

Erector sets

the Erector maze

the Erector maze

Doing my best Dr. Horrible impression

Doing my best Dr. Horrible impression

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village

Willamet River

Willamet River

the Salem carousel

the Salem carousel

the Salem carousel

the Salem carousel

I picked this horse because of the kitty!

I picked this horse because of the kitty!

each carousel horse had a name; this was mine

each carousel horse had a name; this was mine

Sweet Papaya self-serve frozen yoghurt

Sweet Papaya self-serve frozen yoghurt

3 kinds of yoghurt (pina colada, cheese cake, mango) with peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, brownie pieces, Oreo crumbs, pineapple, papaya, and some tasty little strawberry bubble things

3 kinds of yoghurt (pina colada, cheese cake, mango) with peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, brownie pieces, Oreo crumbs, pineapple, papaya, and some tasty little strawberry bubble things

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Fisherman’s Market, Eugene

Joan took me out for dinner tonight. She was in the mood for fish, so she took me to the Fisherman’s Market, a working fish store that also serves meals.

I had the cod and chips. The cod was exceptionally good; one of the best fried fish meals I’ve ever had. I rarely eat more than 5% of fish & chip batter and I ate all of it tonight! The batter was crisp, non-greasy, and did not have that icky taste of old oil. The chips were what I call ‘waffle-types’ and very good, with the skin on them. The meal came with a creamy honey-poppy seed coleslaw that was disappointingly bland. I also had the choice of two tartar dipping sauces, but I don’t like mayo so I asked for lemon and was given a several slices of the fruit instead.

This restaurant is yet another case of being grateful for a local guide. Thanks for dinner, Joan!

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Drum Rong Thai Street Food, Eugene

My hosts made a point to show me a Thai food vendor at the busy intersection of 6th and Blair. Housed in a brightly painted trailer, they serve up a varied menu for the fixed price of $6.50.

I haven’t had pad thai since Skagway and didn’t realise how much I was craving it until I had the noodles sitting in front of me at home! Pad thai was a comfort food for me for the better part of a decade. There were two Ottawa restaurants I’d hit, depending on the neighbourhood I was in, and also a summer street vendor at an outdoor market near where I worked in Gatineau. It’s not a food for which I have any sort of educated opinion; I just know what I like. It can’t be too eggy or fishy, and ketchupy (ew, thai restaurant off of Jarvis in Toronto!) is out of the question. I want nice gummy noodles that make me go “YUM!”

And that’s what Drum Rong Thai Street Food in Eugene serves up. I had a most satisfactory mild tofu pad thai with hints of basil and lemon, and a savoury homemade tamarind sauce. If I lived here, I’d be eating there two or three times a week.

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Pure Sushi (Japanese Bistro and Sake Bar) Eugene, OR

I passed a bunch of sushi places today, so, having had a craving for sushi for about a month, I did some research about which one within walking distance would be the best. The winner was Pure on 5th Avenue.

This restaurant is located in a building with a number of other international restaurants. It overlooks a courtyard. The decor is interesting; the red feels very ‘Asian’, but the heavy wood and leather furniture felt German!

I was seated promptly and ordered a pot of fragrant jasmine tea. The menu is huge to the point of being overwhelming, so I decided to go with a ‘combination’ meal for $17.95. This got me:

-a hearty miso soup, one of the best I have ever had;

-a bowl of ‘black rice’, which is actually a pretty purple shade. Most of the negative comments about this restaurant refer to this rice, but I did not find anything wrong with it except, perhaps, that it doesn’t clump as well as sticky white. It has the texture of brown rice, but only a hit of its nutty flavour. The most descriptive thing I can say about it is yum!

-3 pieces veggie (green bean, broccoli, and yam) tempura;

-1 piece shrimp tempura;

-one piece of a big round fried thing that looked like a hash brown but was pasty like yams and sweet like shrimp;

-two pieces of small balls that were crispy on the outside and pasty on the inside that tasted vaguely like onion rings;

-three large pieces of tuna sashimi, as red and sweet as kisses;

-6 pieces California roll (striking with the ‘purple’ rice);

-a large chicken breast, sliced, grilled and basted in teriyaki sauce over cabbage

Talk about rolling out of there STUFFED!

There wasn’t a false note to the meal or the service. I was very impressed. Even if the food had just been ‘okay’, the meal would have been very good value. With it being as good and fresh as it was, it was excellent value. I highly recommend Pure!