Somewhat after dawn, fortified with a couple of cuppas from Cupz (née Pony Espresso), the two set out from Eugene with the destination of Idaho’s panhandle, via I-5, I-84, US-395, and I-90. Thos has had a hard-on for Coeur d’Alene since the early planning stages of the trip, and he has been teasing it incessantly by reminding everyone within earreach that it appears in “every crossword puzzle that I do.” Most of the drive is through landscape bleaker than the surface of the moon. It is nice to see The Dalles again; with Mount Hood in the rearview, it is the only opportunity to safely fill up on dark chocolate-dipped sesame blocks.

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After a day of cycling and sunburning the two take a very late lunch at the Viva! cart on Willamette where Thos has been eager to take a second pass at the tempeh reuben, having seemingly forgotten the ingredients consist of far more putrid ‘saukraut’ [sic] than tempeh. This is surprising to JHT, as Thos had talked of little other than his displeasure with the sandwich during last year’s visit.

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Our tableauxists, JHT and Thos, collectively known as CT, begin their On The Road trip in Eugene, OR, by cycling on leased comfort bikes through icy August morning fog to the Wandering Goat that JHT had been raving about for weeks, though he’d been there only twice. “I hear they’ve got vegan omelettes and home fries!” Free-locking their Treks together, they wade through all manners of sprawled scabby white drifters on the sidewalk and peep the menu. To our heroes’ mutual disappointment they offer only breads. Choose your format: bagel or biscuit.

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