Nice report, Don.
Sounds like you are "living the dream"!

YMMV,

Mr. BZ-sounds like a Good Fryeday

On Apr 22, 2011, at 7:57 AM, Don Hanson wrote:

>  Don't try this in your SUV or your motor home..
>
> 6:30am...  40 degrees F, with the sun rise pink on Mt. Hood.  Clear as a
> bell, for the first time in a long time.  Town-Trip.
>
>  I'll roll down my road to our gate, pull on my 'new-style' E-brake handle
> and jump out to open it up....listening to the burble of my 2.0 liter Jetta
> powered van.   About 70 miles west....Portland, Oregon.  Route: Through the
> Columbia River Gorge National Scenic area, past all the spring-full water
> falls with the sun in my mirrors.
>
>  First-stop...  Pick up 4 free wheels and tires from the S.E. part of the
> city..Toss those in (after moving my bicycle to the rack on the outside of
> the rear hatch) then off to the lumber store for 2 sheets of marine plywood
> and a 14' White Oak plank, over across the river on the northwest side of
> town.   Then back across one of the beautiful downtown Portland bridges to
> Harbor Freight (north side of town) to get yet another inexpensive random
> orbital air sander (and probably some other cool stuff that I don't need,
> but I can't pass up)  Then east, along Marine drive alongside the Columbia
> River again, past PDX airport to the  WEST Marine store.  From there,
> continue on east, along Marine Dr. back to Troutdale,  at the west end of
> the Gorge. I'll take  a bike ride up a 3000'+ forest road to the summit of
> Larch Mountain.  Then east again, back upriver, crossing the toll bridge
> (.75$ for cars) at Hood River.  Back through the gate to my shop...unload
> the work materials and the bike, load up the sail boards, maybe and head
> East in the Gorge for session on the water...Or maybe I may even do some
> work, if I can fit it in and the wind isn't blowing.
>
>  Sound Ok?   Vanagon stuff, right?
>  Don Hanson