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Before I'd even headed out, I'd made the decision that I am not going to throw myself at the intercity bus system again, at least not that one. The Sandy and Hood area transits coordinate to make sure people don't get stranded despite being separate systems. These bus systems don't. I decided to not risk this particular type of journey again even before I was stuck for over an hour in the middle of nowhere due to road work delays. I barely made my connection.
Also, while sometimes having the same stop on a lot of journeys can make it feel familiar, comfortable, you can find a regular spot to get coffee, etc, I do not feel that way about Tillamook or the transit center there. They have a nice new transit center, but it's rarely actually open. So, no going inside, using the nice new bathrooms, getting water, getting info or having even a person on duty to talk to if a bus fails to show or is hours late. You just hang out outside a closed bus station and hope. The trip was great and nothing terrible has happened yet, but now that I have dealt with being stuck somewhere without a place to stay (my Portland, Maine trip a few years back) maybe my trips need to be a little less rough and ready. Speaking of which...
I got in and found my hotel. It was not what I was expecting. I thought I'd treated myself a little and booked myself someplace decent for once. When I was in Neskowin I didn't have options. 99% of the rentable rooms there are all ABnBs of tiny studios in the same condo building: teeny bathrooms, teeny balconies and the dividers between your balcony and your neighbor's are covered in moss and lichen and sway in the ocean breeze. You can ether choose to roll with it and make the best of it or, well, not. Garibali is a bit bigger, it has actual hotels. I had choices and I didn't take the cheapest one. I am not sure if I slept on a mattress or if that was a box spring layered over another box spring. Also, the pillows were amazingly hard. I can only assume they are some sort of foam pillow that's gotten super compressed over time. I don't mind staying in some less-than-cozy places to get my trips done. I once slept in a boat in someone's yard - I'd booked it on ABnB, I didn't just randomly climb into a boat in someone's side yard overnight, I paid to do so. I've stayed in places with composting toilets and have used bathrooms where the water isn't potable. I can roll with a lot, I just thought I was going easy on myself for once and wow, that did not work out.
While I was writing this I got a few emails from them asking for reviews and one said:
That is an actual screencap from the email. They hope the accommodations were acceptable? Acceptable was the bar they were aiming for? I can't believe I gave them money. I want to go sit in a corner and make sad noises.
Between the terrible bed, sheets that barely existed, room being way smaller than those pictures on the website and that door between me and the room next door missing it's threshold and sort of sagging in the frame so light and noise just poured through, that might be the worst place I've ever stayed. When you consider my basis for comparison, that's saying a lot.
I spent my first day just walking the town, seeing what was walkable and what bits of dock and shoreline where accessible.
Ah, Oregon beaches:
I found a public dock with a view of both the town and rail line and wound up sitting on it and reading, waiting to see what the sunset would do to the views.
The dock:
The dock and the boat house, originally a coast guard boat house, are from 1936 and still have the original supports. The dock sways a bit.
The views of Garibaldi:
Views of the track:
The views were great. People crabbing off of the dock were friendly. Crabbing is the main reason to come to the town. Despite my complaints, it was a great day. Seriously, do not feel bad for me, but do feel free to laugh. I didn't stress on the bus even though I wasn't certain I'd make it to Garibaldi, because there was nothing I could do about it. Couldn't even look up places to stay in Tillamook because there's no cell signal in the middle of the coast mountain range. The room situation sucked, but hopefully it will just make me more picky about where I stay. I'm not 20 anymore, I maybe should be a bit easier on me.
Also, while sometimes having the same stop on a lot of journeys can make it feel familiar, comfortable, you can find a regular spot to get coffee, etc, I do not feel that way about Tillamook or the transit center there. They have a nice new transit center, but it's rarely actually open. So, no going inside, using the nice new bathrooms, getting water, getting info or having even a person on duty to talk to if a bus fails to show or is hours late. You just hang out outside a closed bus station and hope. The trip was great and nothing terrible has happened yet, but now that I have dealt with being stuck somewhere without a place to stay (my Portland, Maine trip a few years back) maybe my trips need to be a little less rough and ready. Speaking of which...
I got in and found my hotel. It was not what I was expecting. I thought I'd treated myself a little and booked myself someplace decent for once. When I was in Neskowin I didn't have options. 99% of the rentable rooms there are all ABnBs of tiny studios in the same condo building: teeny bathrooms, teeny balconies and the dividers between your balcony and your neighbor's are covered in moss and lichen and sway in the ocean breeze. You can ether choose to roll with it and make the best of it or, well, not. Garibali is a bit bigger, it has actual hotels. I had choices and I didn't take the cheapest one. I am not sure if I slept on a mattress or if that was a box spring layered over another box spring. Also, the pillows were amazingly hard. I can only assume they are some sort of foam pillow that's gotten super compressed over time. I don't mind staying in some less-than-cozy places to get my trips done. I once slept in a boat in someone's yard - I'd booked it on ABnB, I didn't just randomly climb into a boat in someone's side yard overnight, I paid to do so. I've stayed in places with composting toilets and have used bathrooms where the water isn't potable. I can roll with a lot, I just thought I was going easy on myself for once and wow, that did not work out.
While I was writing this I got a few emails from them asking for reviews and one said:
That is an actual screencap from the email. They hope the accommodations were acceptable? Acceptable was the bar they were aiming for? I can't believe I gave them money. I want to go sit in a corner and make sad noises.
Between the terrible bed, sheets that barely existed, room being way smaller than those pictures on the website and that door between me and the room next door missing it's threshold and sort of sagging in the frame so light and noise just poured through, that might be the worst place I've ever stayed. When you consider my basis for comparison, that's saying a lot.
I spent my first day just walking the town, seeing what was walkable and what bits of dock and shoreline where accessible.
Ah, Oregon beaches:
I found a public dock with a view of both the town and rail line and wound up sitting on it and reading, waiting to see what the sunset would do to the views.
The dock:
The dock and the boat house, originally a coast guard boat house, are from 1936 and still have the original supports. The dock sways a bit.
The views of Garibaldi:
Views of the track:
The views were great. People crabbing off of the dock were friendly. Crabbing is the main reason to come to the town. Despite my complaints, it was a great day. Seriously, do not feel bad for me, but do feel free to laugh. I didn't stress on the bus even though I wasn't certain I'd make it to Garibaldi, because there was nothing I could do about it. Couldn't even look up places to stay in Tillamook because there's no cell signal in the middle of the coast mountain range. The room situation sucked, but hopefully it will just make me more picky about where I stay. I'm not 20 anymore, I maybe should be a bit easier on me.
