Ah, congratulations on the move! This is an awesome beach and two wonderful furred friends too. Good to see this. The Oregon coast is somewhere I find really interesting (although I've yet to cross the Atlantic), ever since I remember learning of a distant relative who went west along the Oregon trail, all the way west, although I can't remember precisely where!
As I think I said before, LeGuin as a guide is as good as it gets. Honestly, I reread things she crafted decades ago and they feel fresh and wonderful, with ideas which are just...right. I am tempted to reread Steering the Craft now too!
We made the trip in a car with air conditioning, but much of the route does follow the old Oregon trail routes, through places like Deadman’s Pass and Poverty Flats. There are stops with rest areas and historical marker signs denoting sites of battles and well sites and diverging trails and all sorts of things.
The American West is just... so vast, and so filled with tales of journeys.
Thank you for your kind words! I am excited for this next chapter in life.
One day, I'll have to take this route, it's certainly something I've thought of for a long time. As tempting as it is to hire a horse and do it as my ancestors did, I suspect it might be a lot quicker and easier by car.
Not sure if you're familiar with it, but my favourite board for Ticket to Ride is the Old West one, which is on the reverse of the board for France, I think. The names themselves are so evocative, reminders of a time in history when there were stories to be had at every saloon, trail, river, or mountain.
I too am excited for your next chapter in life, especially as you say you are only now going to get serious about the writing (although, honestly, I think your choice to begin your substack was the point where you reached a different level of seriousness--and this is backed up by what I have read of yours already!).
So happy for you Michael and excited to be a part of your writers journey! I’ve never been to the Oregon coast but it sounds perfect for you! I went through a very prolonged period of trying to move and it was very difficult for me to create anything at the time, so I totally understand.
Tonight I read a new Substack I found last week and it was wonderful! Visceral, haunting, funny and sweet. I think you’ll like it.
Ah, congratulations on the move! This is an awesome beach and two wonderful furred friends too. Good to see this. The Oregon coast is somewhere I find really interesting (although I've yet to cross the Atlantic), ever since I remember learning of a distant relative who went west along the Oregon trail, all the way west, although I can't remember precisely where!
As I think I said before, LeGuin as a guide is as good as it gets. Honestly, I reread things she crafted decades ago and they feel fresh and wonderful, with ideas which are just...right. I am tempted to reread Steering the Craft now too!
Hope you settle in well!
We made the trip in a car with air conditioning, but much of the route does follow the old Oregon trail routes, through places like Deadman’s Pass and Poverty Flats. There are stops with rest areas and historical marker signs denoting sites of battles and well sites and diverging trails and all sorts of things.
The American West is just... so vast, and so filled with tales of journeys.
Thank you for your kind words! I am excited for this next chapter in life.
One day, I'll have to take this route, it's certainly something I've thought of for a long time. As tempting as it is to hire a horse and do it as my ancestors did, I suspect it might be a lot quicker and easier by car.
Not sure if you're familiar with it, but my favourite board for Ticket to Ride is the Old West one, which is on the reverse of the board for France, I think. The names themselves are so evocative, reminders of a time in history when there were stories to be had at every saloon, trail, river, or mountain.
I too am excited for your next chapter in life, especially as you say you are only now going to get serious about the writing (although, honestly, I think your choice to begin your substack was the point where you reached a different level of seriousness--and this is backed up by what I have read of yours already!).
Hope you are settling in well.
So happy for you Michael and excited to be a part of your writers journey! I’ve never been to the Oregon coast but it sounds perfect for you! I went through a very prolonged period of trying to move and it was very difficult for me to create anything at the time, so I totally understand.
Tonight I read a new Substack I found last week and it was wonderful! Visceral, haunting, funny and sweet. I think you’ll like it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/maceyphillips/p/the-hypothesis-of-dehumanization?r=pnyz7&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Thank you for the recommendation, I will check it out now. Haunting *and* funny? That’s not easy to do!