22/50: Oregon
Oregon was one of two states where long before the “50 States: Veterans + Artists United” tour hit the road, we came out West to pitch the concept even before we hosted one of the two pilot projects.
We first visited Nike’s headquarters to see if they’d be interested in participating. I had some previous connections from past projects, including LeBron’s wedding portrait painting commissioned by Nike founder Phil Knight, plus a few new introductions from friends within the largest athletic company in the world.
Although Nike didn’t donate a blank check or offer a world of resources to us, those I met with were very supportive of the idea and would become advocates within to help us make the Oregon project happen on campus in the Blue Ribbon Sports creative studio. A few months later, we returned to Beaverton to conduct the [HAS HEART] pilot project.
Named after the company’s original name before it changed to Nike, the Blue Ribbon Sports studio is a maker space for Nike designers and creatives to innovate, experiment, and be surrounded by all things creative. For me, it was about as close to a perfect fit as you could get: design AND sports.
Check out the complete STATE 22: OR project with Nike designer Rich Tu and Army veteran Judith Burger on their collaborative “Be Bold” design.
After we conducted this pilot project in January 2017, we made a few detours on our drive up to Seattle, where we were staying with family.
Since this was the test drive for the tour, so to speak, we didn’t have our Airstream trailer yet, so we stayed at a hotel in Portland and rented a Jeep to drive up US-101 along the Oregon coast, stopping briefly at Cannon Beach.
Fast forward about a year or so, add an Airstream trailer, a truck, our cat Noel, plus a few extra pounds but with shorter hair for each of us, and Kendra and I found ourselves traveling up again through Oregon.
We came up the coast via Highway 101 from STATE 20: CA (after cutting over from STATE 21-NV), stopping along the way to this beautiful scenic beach for a barefoot walk in the sand, lunch, and maybe even a little afternoon nap.
We continued along the coast but had to stop again to take in the sights, smells, and ocean sounds as the sun crept closer to the horizon. The late afternoon sun, with the sounds of the waves crashing below us and the birds flying above us, mixed with the smell of the ocean air, is a sensory overload that never gets old.
We’ve appreciated the coastline from San Diego on up, and we were about to get the Oregon experience of West Coast living.
We stayed the night in Coos Bay at the creepiest Walmart parking lot we’ve ever experienced. But we’ll just leave it at that. The further North we drove, the foggier and moodier things became as we went through tunnels, over bridges, and past cliffs of evergreens along the Pacific.
We pulled into the Sea and Sand RV Park just a few miles north of Depoe Bay and were pleasantly surprised at how close we were to the ocean. It was oceanfront glamping. I couldn’t even leave my Eno hammock outside when I wasn’t in it because it’d get damp from the heavy ocean mist.
After an afternoon of settling into our site and getting some work done since we finally had wi-fi access again (while Noel napped), we explored the area and did some whale and sea otter watching.
The fog can be so confusing at times. It can seem like a grey, wet, miserable day, but suddenly, there’s a break in it, or it disappears altogether, and it’s a beautiful sunny day.
We visited Yaquina Head, a protected natural area and home to Oregon’s tallest lighthouse, which was first lit in 1873. Because it was protected federal land, it was hard for us not to scoop up some black rocks and weathered driftwood, but we maintained our composure and took nothing but pictures.
About an hour's drive south of Depoe Bay is a trippy (and dangerous) site known as Thor’s Well. In some long-exposure photos online, it looks like the ocean drains down into the depths of the Earth.
In reality, the crashing waves at some point broke through the rocky shore and created a 20-foot deep hole that puts on a splash pad-like show during high tide.
If you scroll fast enough, it’ll seem like a flip-book of waves shooting upwards.
After taking in some nature, we were getting pretty hungry, and when you’re this close to the ocean, the only thing you’re hungry for is some good local seafood. Especially if it’s fried, zested with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and dipped in a homemade tartar sauce.
Kendra searched review after review for the best seafood dive in Newport, OR, until she discovered Gino’s on Newport’s historic bayfront. We finished each other’s meals and walked the docks as some boats came in after a long day of deep sea fishing while others were preparing to head out for an even longer night.
As beautiful as life on the coast may seem, it doesn’t come without its dangers. US-101 has seen numerous landslides and sinkholes. In addition, there was physical evidence from a recent “minor” earth shift that crumbled the road into pieces.
But man shall not be defeated! So they could build a new section of road alongside it. I’m sure it wasn’t worth taking out the damaged road, which I think also acts like a not-so-subtle reminder that nature will always win; all we can do is try to adapt and change with it.
After a couple of days and nights on the coast, it was time for us to head inland back to Portland. But before we got too far, we needed to rinse off the truck and Airstream because there was a layer of dried ocean mist. If you were to lick it, I’m sure you’d taste pure salt.
Since we had previously completed the STATE 22: OR project as one of our pre-tour pilot projects, this time, we were heading to Portland to host a talk with AIGA Portland in which we’d share a recap of the project and have our veteran participant and friend, Judith, share her experience and story behind her collaborative “Be Bold” design with Rich.
After the event, someone came up to us who worked with Adidas and offered a 50% discount to the Adidas Employee Store. I’m a Nike guy; I always have been… so it felt a little like I was cheating on The Swoosh, but how can you beat 50% off already employee-discounted prices?? No one can resist that temptation. So, we treated ourselves to some Three Stripes products and walked around a portion of the Adidas campus in Portland.
But don’t worry; we also made it back to the Nike campus and righted our wrongs by visiting some friends and updating some of our internal supporters on tour. Unfortunately, still no Nike sponsorship checks. At least not yet.
There aren’t many RV parks in the Portland area, but we stayed southeast of the city at Milo McIver State Park, which has views of the majestic Mt. Hood to its east.
