Boise, as it turns out, is lovely. After a pretty full workday there, I packed up and crossed into Oregon. Twice. So that I could cross back into Idaho because of the screw-up with the sign yesterday. I mean, so it was staged. At least I got my welcome sign picture! Because as of tonight, the Mystery Machine and I have collected five of them.
I also finally remembered to ask someone about yesterday’s Salt Lake City rush hour bypass. I took their express lanes, which saved me a ton of time, but I didn’t see signs about paying by mail. I did, however, see a number of signs about a $350+ ticket for violators. In Texas and Colorado, they just mail you a bill if you don’t have a tag. What I would prefer not to have is an outstanding ticket on this car when I go to cross a border or sell it. So I consulted an expert friend who works in that business:
I’ll take “should” in air-quotes. And he said it with such confidence. I’ll be fine.
About half way through the Oregon, I started seeing signs for a “bridge overlook.” Some of the bridges in Oregon and Washington are incredible, and cross over massive waterways, so this seemed like a great rest stop. This was… not a bridge of such stature… it went over a creek and a rail line.
It is, however, a historic bridge: the Upper Perry Arch Bridge. “Arriving into Oregon in 1916 with new innovative ideas on how bridges should be built to support the creation of a well-planned highway system, Conde P. McCullough because Oregon’s State Bridge Engineer in 1919.”
He promoted the idea that “architectural features and scenic considerations” factored into the selection of bridge type, and that if a bridge is plainly visible in a side elevation, it should have a pleasing profile.
He also believed that pleasing bridges would draw more tourists and tourism dollars to help struggling rural economies. This bridge, designed by McCullough, opened in 1924. After I-84 was built in the 60s, bypassing Perry, maintenance on this bridge slowed and it fell into disrepair, remaining open but severely weight-limited. Oregon considered replacing it, but given its historical significance, restored it in 2008.
Can you tell I had dinner while reading the plaque? George would be proud.
From there, it was about an hour until sunset, which happened right as I crested yet another breathtaking mountain pass.
And shortly after, my last border crossing:
I’m giving myself a pass on this one — the sign is on a bridge and it was 10pm.
Tonight’s podcast was an office chat contribution. I went to the #podcasts channel on the work chat to rave about Moonrise and saw a recommendation for The Dream. It’s about “multi-level marking” schemes. You know “pyramid schemes.” Except they’re run by companies with expensive lawyers who sue the crap out of anyone who would dare accuse Amway et al of being a pyramid scheme. Which I am definitely not doing here. (And I don’t have any money anyway, the Mystery Machine drank it all.)
The show starts with the “Airplane Game” (an actual pyramid scheme) in the 70s and 80s which riffed nicely on tropes of the human prosperity movement and prosperity gospel types. Moving on to current companies that follow the MLM structure, the actual products are mostly immaterial — the podcast discusses the rise of this type of company, how gender politics and economics caused such a sharp rise among women specifically, and their origins as a reconfiguration of the traveling salesman model. One of the producers of the show even signed up to sell makeup for one of these brands to see how it works.
Host: “Wait, so in the name of offering you advice on selling at events, your ‘upline’ just sold you on a thousand dollars in product… which she’s going to get a cut of.”
Producer: “… I had actually forgotten that until you said it just now. I am so embarrassed! I went into this knowing that’s exactly how this would work and even then I fell for it.”
I did not expect to find this so fascinating, but my Facebook feed has always had at least a few people hawking miracle cures, jewelry, and beauty products for these companies. A look into this world and its history was an interesting way to pass a few miles.
I pulled into Yakima at a reasonable hour. I’m pleased with my overnight stop! My usual routine on a “work from the road on the way to a vacation” trip involves deciding at about 10 or 11 how far I think I can responsibly make it on a “school night.” Then I’ll book whatever is left on Hotels.com that falls in the “acceptable” range on a scale from “dirt cheap motel” to “great place to use as a remote-work office.” I ended up just outside Yakima at a Baymont, which isn’t particularly fancy, but I have a balcony with a door that opens and a view of a little river!
Tomorrow night’s drive into Seattle is going to be pretty short, which is good, because I need a little extra time for work and starting to tie things up. It’s so close!
