Just for fun, I’m launching What If Knit’s first contest. Here’s what you have to do: guess the mileage for our road trip. The prize: your choice of two of these five skeins of Oregon yarn, which I purchased at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook, Oregon.
Just leave a comment on my blog between now and next Sunday at noon, Pacific Daylight Time, with your mileage estimate and yarn choices. The yarns are 100% wool in skeins of 50-75 yards each, so two should be enough to work up a hat or a pair of wrist warmers. (To identify your choices, just assume the skeins are numbered 1-5 from left to right.) The prize will go to the person who comes closet to guessing our actual mileage.
By the way, your submissions may not show up in the Comments section immediately. Do not worry! We do get them all; it just sometimes takes a little while.
Here’s a hint: We began our trip in Napa, California; from there our route went through Ashland, and east to Crater Lake, on to Portland via Roseburg; we next crossed northern Oregon to Cannon Beach, and finished by taking Highway 101 South back to Oakland. (We did a bit of tourist-y driving, as well, exploring the Columbia Gorge, driving around Portland, and making a quick jog up to Seaside.)
To inspire you as you work on your estimates, here are some of the sights we enjoyed during the first half of our trip (all photos courtesy of Melissa).
Castle Crags State Park, California
We’d like to make this park our destination for a camping trip sometime soon.
Outdoor Quilt Exhibit, near Ashland
Crater Lake, Oregon
Crater Lake’s chipmunks are completely unintimidated by the paparazzi.
Accustomed as we are to California’s summer weather, we marveled at the snowy patches that linger year-round at Crater Lake.
Umpqua River
Clearwater Falls was one of our first stops along the Umpqua. The falls aren’t high, but the dense green colors and wild spill of water charmed us.
At Toketee Falls we hiked a short, steep trail, leading to the falls. We could hear the falls during the entirety of our walk, but only caught sight of them as we rounded a final curve.
We spotted this ghostly plant on our walk back to the car at Toketee Falls.
Columbia Gorge
My knitting instincts led me straight to some locally spun yarn in the gift shop at the Columbia Gorge Vista House.
We took a short hike past a waterfall along the Columbia Gorge and continued on under this bridge into misty, silent, green woods.
We took another short hike up to the bridge at Multnomah Falls.
For the moment, I’m off to bury my face in the new Harry Potter—my first stop at home was Bookshop Santa Cruz—but I have lots more to share: scenery from the second half of our trip, roadside oddities and attractions, and yarn shop reports. Stay tuned.
My gues is going to be 1,642 miles round trip including detours
My guess is going to be 1,642 round trip and extra travel
I sent my reply on your comments but it didnt post, so I will post it here, I guess it would be 1642 miles
~Courtney
A Full Stash is a Happy Stash!!
http://www.confessionsofaknitter.blogspot.com/
With all the bopping around on the Gorge, I’m going to say 2200. Your pics are great…I’d say you’ve seen some of the best our fair state has to offer! Hope you had a good time. I absolutely love the Columbia Gorge. If I win, I’m going to pick #3 and #5….
Hey, thanks for visiting my blog! I tried to reply but now that blogger doesn’t give emails anymore, I had to write here.
Huh, I guess I am going to have to work on figuring out some mileage here. . . . I particularly like skeins #1 and 2. . . . .
Quizzes just come to me I think. I must attract them. . . . . tee hee
My guess is 1838 wonderful miles. I love your waterfall pics, and the ghost plant. Unfortunately too many of my houseplants are really ghosts now. Thanks for your generousity in offering the yarn. Tough choice, but I would choose numbers 2 and 4.
I did the best I could to figure it out because that yarn is awfully darn tempting. My guess is 1860.5 miles, that’s with stops for yarn stores and other off the road jaunts for coffee and scones. :o)
The pictures are gorgeous! Now I know we will want to go see it all in person. Thanks!
I like the yarns but favorites are 2 and 5. Fun contest, Sarah-Hope!
Those pictures are beautiful! I have been wanting to travel to Oregon and now I am sooo tempted to plan a trip.
My guess is 1453 miles and I love skeins #1 and #2.
my guess is 1,614 miles.
My guess would be 1631 miles. We haven’t actually been to the coast since moving here from Norfolk last year but hopefully we will soon. I like numbers 1 and 4.
My guess is 1,579 miles.
I will throw my hat into the ring…. 1921 miles and I would love to knit up something wonderful with numbers 2 and 4!
Great Pics!
Sarah G
A very random guess from me at 1990 miles! I like skeins 2 and 3.
Those pictures are beautiful – must have been breath-taking in person. Lucky you!!!
I’m going with 1956.1 miles and love #3 & #5.
I’ll guess 1724. We just finished a road trip ourselves…a whopping 3000 miles!
Beautiful pictures! Inspires me to take a trip to the West Coast!
Well, my guess would be 1661. I have to agree with everyone else that is some lovely yarn!
I’m guessing 1,656 miles.
I found your site through the dish rag tag! These pictures are stunning. Now, on to the important stuff. I’m guessing 1924 and, in case I’m lucky, skeins 2 and 5.
What a wonderful trip and beee-u-tiful pictures.
I will have to guess 1957 miles. Besides that was a good year!!!!!
Patty
What a wonderful trip and beee-u-tiful pictures.
I will have to guess 1957 miles. Besides that was a good year!!!!!
Patty
oops, for got to say I like 2 and 3!
Hi! What a smashing trip that must have been! Someday I will get over to that coast and see some of those sites. Even though I would love to win skeins 2 and 4, I am going to consult the ether for my mileage guess, instead of asking Mapquest (although I am sure MQ would answer me – it just doesn’t seem cricket to do that!). The driving gods tell me that you travelled 1843 miles. Hope they are right!
BEAUTIFUL photos! My guess is 1699 miles
I love #1 and #4… lovely!
P.S. here’s my webpage (forgot to include w/ comment)
What absolutely awesome pictures! Makes me want to plan a trip west!
My guess is 1,989 miles – and if I am lucky enough to win – my preference would be #2 and #3.
Happy knitting.
Wow, I’m so jealous of your trip, it sounds *wonderful*!
I’m going to guess 1772. And I really love Skeins 2 and 3.
typo in the previous email address…
Wow, I’m so jealous of your trip! It looks like it was wonderful.
I’m going to guess 1772. And I would love skeins 2 and 3. Thanks 🙂
I’m going to guess 1853 for the car and 4.3 for the feet. I’ll go with 1 and 5. But 2’s pretty, too.
Sarah-Hope, your comp is so difficult for an anglophile. I’ve tried to look for easy-to-use road maps for the US and given up!
Glad you had a great time, which is obvious from the amazing photos. Phew, beautiful views. What I’m going to do, is to just give an estimate based on what others have posted. Which is 1750 miles.
Yah! cheat!
And I wouldn’t want to rob you of your extra-zingy colours, so I’ll go with 2 and 3.
best wishes!
Hi,
The pictures are beautiful! I live in CO, and I forget that there are OTHER beautiful areas out there! 🙂 My guess is 1736, and I like #1 and #4.
You took some fabulous pictures!!! Makes me want to go visit those areas.
I am going to guess 2135 miles. I love yarns 3 & 5
I am thinking 1547 for mileage. Color choices 3 and 5
I am gonna guess 1693 miles. I am terrible at mileage tho!!!
My guess is 1952 miles. What great photos! My DH and I were in Oregon a few weeks ago, driving from Portland to Salem then over to Bend for a family reunion at SunRiver. We went up north to Mt Hood on the way back, how glorious that was. Mulnomah Falls is really spectacular, we saw that about five years ago. As my MIL says, driving through Oregon is just one postcard after another …
Oh, if I’m closest —- door #2. 🙂
Carol in Deer Isle ME
What lovely photographs! It’s been too too long since I’ve been on a road trip.
I’m guessing 1877 miles, and I love skeins #2 and #5.
Wow, it looks like you had a great time on vacation.
I am guessing 2001 and #1&5. What beautiful pics. Hope you had a great time!
Contest! I’m de-lurking to guess 1790 miles. Beautiful pictures!
Nice Pics!
I’ll pick 1793. And I’ll pick yarns 1 and 2, if you think they match, or 2 and 3, if they don’t =)
Wonderful, gorgeous trip. I so miss northern Calif. and my Mom always loves driving up to Ashland via Eureka with my sister for the festivals.
My guess is going to be 1786 miles round trip and I like skeins 2 and 4.
I envy you your wonderful beautiful trip, looks like a great time.
So here’s my guess on the mileage: 1641, give or take a few. As you
know, I don’t knit, so if I’m the closest to the correct #, give the
yarn to the next deserving guesser, OK?
That’s a lot of driving! I bet you’re both glad to get out & stay out
of a vehicle for awhile. Looks like it was an awesome trip, tho.
And for that white plant? That’s an “Indian Pipe” or Monotropa
Uniflora. Also known as Corpse Plant (I like that name!), Ice Plant,
&/or Death Plant. So now you know, unless some other floral enthusiuast
has already filled you in.
Wow – it looks like a lovely trip. My guess would 1,725 miles.
Oh, I love this trip – I’ve made it a few times myself! Never noticed yarn at gift shop tho!!! I’ll guess 1,580 miles for #1 & 2.
1824 is my guess… Great pictures! I’ve been to Northern California, but never up to Oregon. It looks great.
And my yarn choices would be 3 & 4.
Thanks!
I’m going to guess 1810 miles (and my choices would be skeins #1 and #3). You sure went to some beautiful places!
Beautiful photos and what a wonderful area to explore. 🙂 I’m guessing 1834 miles.