I brought an unwelcomed souvenir with me when I returned from my St. Louis and Pennsylvania trip with Suzie. I flew back to Portland, Oregon on August 19th with a sore throat and stuffy nose. I thought my head would explode and ear drums rupture from the cabin pressure of the plane. A day later after my flight, I still felt pressure in my ears and heard sounds a bit muffled as the congestion lingered. I resorted to my proven home remedy for comfort: a Benadryl capsule as directed, Lipton chicken noodle soup for lunch and dinner, Hershey kisses to soothe my throat, and a salt water gargle. Ed added one more element of TLC for my cold…a drive along Oregon’s Highway 101, the artery that ties together Oregon’s coastline.
We explored Highway 101 for 21 miles between mile makers 190 and 169, heading north from Florence. At view points, we could look down on miles of sandy beach. At some overlooks, the coastline looks rugged and steep. The waves pounded so hard along one area of the rocky shore that the water looked like a meringue topping, foamy with bronzed tips, floated on top of the waves.
The beauty of the coast overwhelmed me. This shoreline had not been tarnished by high rise condos or hotels. There were no arcades, taffy vendors or souvenir shops hawking t-shirts. This was a pure natural coastal region, protected and preserved. I breathed the fresh salty air in deep cool gulps. The sun warmed my face. It was good medicine for my stuffy head, good medicine for my whole well-being.
August 21, 2008
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