Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

When you live on the coast the phrase “going to the valley” means a trip is on the calendar. Normally we coastal residents take the journey into the valley for a variety of reasons. Some are for medical appointments, some for business reasons, some for shopping, some for visiting and some just for the sake of going to the valley. Of course the valley is the Willamette valley and we’re going to Eugene, Corvallis, Salem, Albany, Woodburn, Wilsonville, Portland or many other inland communities.

It’s like the folks that live in the valley talking about coming over to the coast! When they say they are “going to the coast” they can be talking about a multitude of places including Seal Rock, Waldport, Yachats or Florence and other places!

Nevertheless, a trip to, or from, the valley is an occasion that will take you away from your normal day to day activities. It’s a chance to see a change of scenery, experience new places, different traffic patterns, see a number of new faces and often make new memories.
These days a big factor in a decision to travel is the cost. With fuel costs falling and rising at times it can be prohibitive to take a trip yet at other times it can seem like a bargain!

But regardless of the different reasons for taking trips it’s likely to be an adventure and hopefully a fun adventure.

Some of the better trips into the valley are those that folks make in order to make airline connection to fly and visit other places. A fun trip like that could include staying at a hotel in say, Portland or Eugene the night before the flight out. Check into the hotel, have some refreshments, get a little rest and shuttle to the airport for the next leg to for the trip. Another fun trip is a shopping trip which gives us coastal residents at crack at the big box super stores like Cosco or Winco. We’ve got big stores on the coast but nothing like these two giant outlets. For sports fans a trip into the valley to watch a football, basketball or baseball game can be a great way to see one of the many teams in Oregon put on a show. There is nothing like attending a Oregon or Oregon State football game and taking in the pageantry and atmosphere of the collegiate spirit!

So we have many good reasons for taking the trips but the other day I heard a unique one. While talking to some folks someone mentioned how much they enjoyed a chili dog they got at a restaurant in the valley but hadn’t had one in a long time. Well that lead to cheeseburgers and one fellow began to talked about how he missed a “valley restaurant that has great cheeseburgers”

His description of the cheeseburger made me hungry and when he got a big smile on his face and declared that a trip to the valley was necessary I gave it some thought. A great big cheeseburger did sound good and I know the restaurant he was talking about!
So folks I’ll see you on the road and hopefully your next trip will be a worthwhile one!!

To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net