Klamath Falls
It was too bad that I was so exhausted coming out of San Franny, because the morning views coming into Klamath were Awesome. I saw a few as I nodded in and out of sleep, but mostly just registered enough to know that I was missing some killer vistas.
We hauled off the train in Klamath an hour early. We woke the kids and dressed them in the Arcade room (a Coastal Starlight exclusive). The we tripped out across town in search something to do.
Klamath is a friendly redneck town. They are way into their Vets, and businesses advertise their vet friendliness. There was a leatherneck club downtown. There were a fair amount of empty buildings, but in general it didn’t look run down, just a little skinny.
Two different guys hollered directions to us as we walked. They both pointed out the Klamath grill as the best breakfast joint, and gave us directions. We ate a nice breakfast, and then hit the sidewalks again, where we had left out huge pile of baggage while we ate. Cheryl got wireless on her Third Brain, and found the sale price hotel rooms over the internet. We then walked about five blocks down to the hotel.
We booked a room and Cheryl set up to do paperwork by remote control. While she was bookmarking, the Smalls and I headed across the parking lot to see if we could get a gig at the Creamery/ Klamath Basin Brewery. It was a nicely styled out building across from the old Ford Dealership with crumbling walls.
I had met Lenny across from the hotel, the proprietor of the munchy provider at Stoners Corner (businesses: dispensary, Dr. referral office, hydroponics shop, c-store, and art supplies). He had told to me ask for Jerry, so I did and was ushered up to his office. He had an all business demeanor, which worked in my favor cause the Itinerant Locals are GOOD FOR BUSINESS, and we left with a gig deal. Zephyr helped by holding his nose the whole time, (they were cooking malt by the smell of it) and proclaiming in a Shakespearean whisper that he was ready to go.
Then, we returned to the room at the Maverick, and crashed. Z-man first, then me, Eureka and Cheryl, all fallen to the busy SanFran-SacTown-KFalls journey of the previous day and a half. We slept all afternoon.
We got up about tea time, and prepped out for the gig, 150 feet away. We were to play from 6:30 till it got cold, which was pretty much when your table was enveloped by the shadow of the Hotel. We had dinner first, and sampled their beers, which had cynical adult names like “Bitter Bitch Blonde”. We had a live crowd made almost exclusively of visitor from other places, and met our first couple who not only knew Minot, ND, but had actually lived there.
After we returned to the hotel, Moe and Joe showed up, after a harrowing day of surreal road trip nightmares, the details of which are too sordid for me to recount here. They camped out on our floor and gave our traveling gear a ride to the station in the morning. According to Mo, Joe was at the peak of his ability to turn a relatively straightforward visit into an exercise in patience and restraint. I think this is Joe’s fairy talent, and he should go by Jo-B, and hire himself out to test zen buddhists’ progress.
We piled onto a crowded train right as “All Aboard” was called, and were sat in the Lounge Car because there were not another 4 seats together. Trip northwest to Eugene is beautiful, and we just passed the highest point on the UP. Next stop: Eugene.
Gear Update: One wheel on Anne’s bag is losing its rubber coat, but I think the hard plastic underneath should keep rolling for a while. The black bag we got from Moez is faring well except for a little softness on the zipper one the corners. The tread on the accordion cart is worn almost away, and the accordion case is starting to splinter in one place. We’re really hard on gear.