I have a mean crush on Portland. I never felt as firmly planted in native soil as when I lived up here for 2 years (sorry Canada!), and I still want to tell people it’s where I live. The culture here is a rare mix of down-to-earth and ultra-progressive, and the natural beauty of the area is so intense, full of moss and ferns and rushing water… you can’t beat it. It’s not the most diverse place ever, and it rains like mad, but there is something in me that just says yes to this part of the world.

We spent Memorial Day weekend up in Washington, near the north side of the mighty Columbia River. This is where they have a retreat every year where young people come from all around the region, sleep in tents, sing a whole lot and study the Bahá’í Writings. I’ve gone to it for 4 years running now, and it’s become part of my spiritual regimen to be around these awesome kids whenever I can.

Now that it’s over, we switch over to Tour Mode. The first shows are Thursday and Friday night in Seattle, and I’m ready to get started. Today we take care of last preparations and details, and do some essential Portland stuff like walking around in the drizzle and drinking really really really good coffee. Our good friends Jane & Kent Dolan have allowed us to park the RV outside their house and use their shower, so all is well….

Fun RV facts:
This 1988 RV gets 7.5 miles to the gallon.
A leak in the black water tank gets you fined up to $5000. (Hasn’t happened.)
A lot of RV parks won’t let you dump’n'go unless you pay for the whole night.
You can park an RV more places than it would seem.
Few places where you can park are actually level.
Being level is good when you are eating or sleeping.

Onwards!