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DDC 2007 Spring Tour / Day 67 / Salt Lake City, Utah to Portland, Oregon

April 22, 2007

Out of Salt Lake by 9:30am, across the city and out into the void, I-80, headed West towards the Utah border.434. "Flatness."435. "Looking north."436. "Bonneville."437. "Where the land meets salt."438. "Looking north again."Crossing over into Nevada, we got our Richmond Fontaine Nevada mix cued and let 'er rip. For so many years now, I've been listening to Willy and his songs about Nevada, and Reno, and the motel life, and sadness, and despair, and crime, and heat. It was about time I saw some of these towns from these sad, beautiful songs.439. "Wendover Will greeted us."Into Wells. I skipped up to "Wagonwheel Motel" off 1997's Safety and slowly cruised the gut...440. "The Lone Star."441. "Sorry."From "Wagonwheel Motel"...Blinded in the red lights of his room, no telephone or TVhe's got naked girl pictures, hanging on the wallsand pre-made cocktails that lay, in a cooler on the floorhis sister and me come out from Reno, NVto clogged drains and the pale green wallsof the Wagonwheel Motel in Wells, NV443. "Wagonwheel Motel sign, no.01."444. "Wagonwheel Motel sign, no.02."445. "The El Rancho Motel, downtown Wells."446. "Suddenly found myself in 1967."447. "A wall that prodded me to try my luck."Out of Wells, back on to the interstate, and over to Elko.448. "The Old West Inn."449. "Club Silver Dollar."And over to Battle Mountain...450. "The State."451. "Where Arlo met Marie."452. "We're walking along the railroad tracks, five in the morning."453. "Bell Court Motel."454. "Nevada Hotel."Then into Winnemucca. Skipped up to "Winner's Casino" off 2002's Winnemucca...Drop me off, you can leave me there alonein WinnemuccaI don't need anyone else aroundand I don't need to know anyone from townjust put my heart in Gasolineand some money in my pocketleave me at Winner's Casino, and let me disappearfor awhile.455. "Winner's Casino."456. "Scott Shady Court."457. "Scott Shady Court."458. "The Motel Life."459. "Good cookin': The Griddle."Foudn Highway 95 and left Winnemucca, going north into the nothingness of Northern Nevada.460. "Trouble ahead."461. "Why we drive."And into McDermitt, on the Nevada/Oregon bar. Skipped up to "McDermitt" off 1997's Miles From.I stare out the window hereat a closed down Texaco gas stationand a kid plays in the highwayin McDermitt at the White Horse barwaiting for you to get wellless than $90 we have left462. "The White Horse Bar."463. "Looking up."464. "Junior's living in an abandoned house..."465. "Leaving McDermitt."And then we were back in Oregon, racing north into the night, along Highway 95 up to Highway 78 towards the high desert town of Burns.466. "The Desert Theater."467. "Ponderosa Village."Out of Burns, we raced West on Highway 20 to Bend. High desert. Rolling berms. Driving like a maniac, high on bad coffee from a gas station, listening to the Flaming Lips epic Clouds Taste Metallic and high volumes. Kept me awake. Rolled through Bend, took a spin downtown, and through those old neighborhoods and got the hell out just as quick. That run up to Portland, I know it well. Probably my thousandth time over the years. Bend > Redmond > Terrebonne > Madras > Warm Springs > The Forest > Hood > Gov't Camp > Zig Zag > Rhododendron > Sandy > Gresham > Home. A blur. Real late.

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