Eugene Wrap Up
Our trip to Eugene Oregon to visit with Sam and Nicole was the first time Karen and I have visited Oregon. Each time Karen and I take a trip we always ask ourselves is this a place we can settle down and see ourselves living out our golden years. After Sam moved out here and told me the many wonderful features not just of Eugene but Oregon and the West coast in general I was kinda getting sold on the idea. I have to say it’s a beautiful state and Eugene is an interesting area with loads of things that interest me but I leave feeling somewhat let down.
First let me say that I’m only speaking for myself and not Karen however I think she feels the same way. With that being said I can tell you that I have bicycled the entire town of Eugene and much of the outskirts. It’s a great town to cycle with its many bike trails and most roads having bike lanes that the drivers respect. I think I can move around the town faster via bike than by car, I love it. The only problem is that once you arrive at your destination you and lockup your bike you can’t expect it to be there when you get back. Yes, it’s terrible. I visited several bike shops and spoke with locals, I hear the same thing. “Keep an eye on your bike” and “Eugene is the bicycle theft capital of the United States”. It is absolutely ridiculous. I know not all of you ride bikes but here’s another example. The other day I went out on Sam’s patio to grill a couple of burgers and noticed that the patio swing that we gave him upon our move onto Last Mango was missing from the patio. I asked if anyone had put it in the garage or moved it, nope it was stolen. That swing was on our patio in Elgin Illinois (people claim Elgin has a lot of crime) for 15 to 20 years with no problems at all. Here in Eugene it didn’t make it more than a few months. As Karen and I ride around the area we noticed a house that had a swing just like the one that was stolen. We hopped off our bikes to get a better look as we thought we found the thief. Karen saw the swing that appeared to be the same color and everything it wasn’t. We noticed something interesting though, the owners of this swing had it locked with a hefty cable to their patio.
 |
|
Shelton McMurphey Johnson House. Beautiful house on the side of
Skinner Butte in Eugene
|
The other day Karen was speaking to one of Sam’s neighbors and the subject of theft came up. The neighbor who’s a retired lifelong resident of Eugene stated that she’s actually had plants dug up from the yard and stolen. It’s a very sad fact that things are this way in Eugene. I would blame it on the homeless population but it appears that they stay mostly downtown and around the park areas. Speaking with a bartender and a couple of locals at Lucky’s Bar they agreed with our feelings and claim the Meth and Heroin problem for the crime. Like Sam’s neighbor, they state that the thefts are all crimes of opportunity, they claim there’s very little breaking and entering. Thieves look for an easy mark. Moral of the story, if you live in Eugene or Oregon in general lock everything you don’t want stolen and if it’s a decent bicycle lock it twice and check on it often.
 |
| Downtown Eugene bicycle lockup for employees. |
The past couple of evenings Karen and I have been out carousing and experiencing the local nightlife. Living in a larger college town has the benefits of all kinds of events each day and night of the week. U of Oregon is no different, from poetry readings and concerts to Burlesque and Art Shows it’s non-stop.
A couple of nights ago the two took a 6 mile (round rip) walk and went to “Sam Bonds Garage” and watch “The Americans” play. We both enjoyed the music even though they started a half hour late. We think they were waiting for more people to appear. It was a small crowd but that made it even more quaint. We still argue over what type of music they play. It is kinda country, kinda folk rock and blues. After the show we still can’t put one single label on their music but its great music for a small venue.
 |
| Turkeys all over Sam and Nicole's backyard |
 |
| A table with glass pipes for sale for smoking what ever you like. |
Each Sunday night Lucky’s Bar has a Burlesque Show that starts at 10 pm, this past Sunday we decided to go. Again it was another 6 mile (round trip) walk down to Lucky’s but we enjoy the walk and it gives us time to talk and see and experience the local area more thoroughly. The venue claims to be the oldest bar in Eugene and was mainly a cigar bar in its past until Eugene passed a no smoking law. The walk was uneventful and quiet until we started getting close to the downtown area. We started noting the local homeless population out panhandling, smoking and drinking. We entered Lucky’s roughly 30 minutes early and started chatting with the bartender and patrons. The people we spoke to talked of the rampant theft issues and the heroin and meth problems in the area. We enjoyed the show both the burlesque women and the local population. It made for interesting discussions on the way home at 2 in the morning. Karen appears to have a photographic memory of women tattoo’s and can recall each burlesque dancer by name and tattoo. Me, I just liked much of what I saw and didn’t take names or pay much attention to their body art.
 |
| Sea Lions off the Pacific Coast |
 |
| A closer look. They are noisy. |
 |
| A gorgeous windy day |
 |
| In the Redwood Forrest. |
We meet so many people who have migrated to Eugene from California and Illinois, it’s crazy and we’re still wondering why. We’ve met previous residents of Schaumburg, Naperville and West Dundee. Each person we spoke with stated they liked the climate and the city. I think there must be something more, something that draws people here that we’re not seeing other than the great weather and legal marijuana.
 |
| Tim's been holding out on everyone at SWFD |
 |
| Part of the Fire Memorial in Seattle town square. |
Of course we will continue to return to visit Sam and Nicole as long as they’re there and pursue our quest to find the next place to call home.
Comments
Post a Comment