Florence

Reedsport

Why don't I live here?

Bear with me

Oregon pace

Oregon is a good place to set the cruise control, and the ONLY place I've gotten a speeding ticket (and seriously, I wasn't speeding). I think there's this unspoken law in California that the speed limit is actually 9mph above the posted. Well, the Oregon state troopers mean business, especially when it comes to those of us cursed with CA plates.

Port Orford

I indulged on a $40 motel room overlooking battle rock. In the morning I slept in and still had the skatepark all to myself. There's a coffin to the left of this giant blue bowl and more to come. Some guys working for the city were there taking down the fence, which was only three feet high and half way around the park to begin with. I wish California would take some notes from Oregon and loose the high security jail bars and obscure hours.

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings has a pretty fun park, the first of many on drive north. The last time I was here was last summer when I was working as a wildland firefighter on the Klamath National Forest. I think I called into work sick and took a three-day trip up the coast with my friend who was also a fellow firefighter. When we got to the Brookings skatepark there was this little girl flailing around on roller-skates. She said her name was Erica and I told her how my name was Erica and how the girl I was skating with was also named Erica.
Of course she ripped off her roller-skates and ran back to her Mom’s car to grab a skateboard.

California's North Coast

Eager to get to Oregon, I stopped in Arcata only long enough to get a sandwich at the co-op and skate the park for a couple of hours. The park has got some crazy tight transitions and a unique snake run. Like every other time I've skated there, the locals were super friendly. It was also overcast as usual. There's one woman who rips up the Arcata park, you'll know who I'm talking about if you go there.

Ode to the Lilly!