Saturday night in the mountains (outside Spa Mom), gives me a glimpse of small towns to come. (I imagine desert akin to mountain.) Saturday night, the local Sugar Pine boasts karaoke, and, on a whim, I sweet talk my brother and mother into venturing out for some fine entertainment.

With only five or six people singing (and only two to three more drinking), I take the excessive mic time to try out handfuls of new songs … and settle my nerves of being in the spot light. I still prefer Elisabeth’s rendition of “Crazy on You” and make a note in my phone to do Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” again … somewhere in the South.

We each take our turns, sometimes performing encores, clapping graciously for others and accept praises of being “such a talented, singing family.” (Too bad, we forget to do our acclaimed “Edelweiss”.) My mom smiles a lot tonight - she’s proud I’m letting loose a little (and doing duets) - and I’m having fun turning the tables. (It feels good not having to be the responsible one!) I keep my family and the bar laughing … Mom’s right - a little vodka goes a long way.

At the end of the night, I know this will be one night of karaoke that will not be forgotten. Even though folks tell me people are people everywhere, the Sugar Pine has me excited to meet more strangers. (Though I can do without the Woodies: those suckers have me feeling sick on Sunday!)

Quietly nestled in the Sierra Foothills, between low and high elevation lakes Oroville and Buck’s, Spa Mom provides rejuvenation nourishments unparalleled by any other.

Spa Mom is 9.3 acres of woods with a year round creek, waterfall, animals and activities for kids of all ages. One can start her morning feeding the pot bellies Annabell, Peaches and Petunia before scattering feed to the widowed hens Lucy-Lu and Dotty. (This is truly a female friendly spa!) Panning for gold is best after the winter runoff and the berries are their sweetest in late July and August. The accommodations are limited (crowded) in the winter, but Spa Mom has plenty of room for camping in the spring and summer. Bald Rock is visible from Mom’s room and a 700 foot waterfall is less than an hour away. Both have two trails in and out … one for the smokers and another for the cardiovascularly fit.

It’s no coincidence I’m booked for a few days both before and after 10 weeks on the road.

It was much harder than I thought to leave Portland. But I had to do it - I’d already had 3 going away celebrations and I couldn’t bear the thought of running into anyone and having to explain why they made me a road-trip CD if I wasn’t taking the trip.

So it’s official: I’m gone. And I cried. And then I napped in Hood River, on my way to Bend. (I didn’t get much sleep between Karaoke last night and packing all morning.) If I’d been smart and charged my camera, I’d have taken some snapshots at The Dalles. Turning off of the interstate for the last Burgerville “snack” I’ll have in 3 months, I discovered the most awesome vistas and views of the gorge and river.

Then, when I had dusk on the left and sunset on the right, I drove through a small town in the White River Falls State Park. Here the houses reminded me of my childhood home in small town Nebraska, except the mansions extending over the cliffs. (And thoughts would drift in and out of life in either of these scenic, small towns…could I really leave Portland? Could I hack the country life being single? What’s the most distance from a city I could handle?)

After a bit of snow in the high desert I arrived at my Aunt’s in Redmond, where I intend on sleeping for the first night in a long while. Don’t tell my kitties, but she has the most beautiful, blue-eyed fluffy cat I plan on snuggling with.

Kisses from Oregon,

~jewel

Welcome to another year - and yes, another site. This one (as always) is in the making and I look forward to keeping in touch with y’all via updates from the road. Check out the tour page for a map on where I’ll be and please send me suggestions for sites, people and roads to check out.

As for expectations, they’re great … but it’s late and I still have work in the morning so will write on those later.