St. Louis to Eugene is no joke. But after a full day of travel, we knew it was worth it. The first night, Greg had us set up in a campsite tucked away in the Willamette National Forest. We were surrounded by old growth Douglas Fir and towering Hemlock Trees that leaned over the river like old men. It reminded us of a scene from Jurassic Park.

We smoked cigars, had a few whiskeys, ate fresh salmon, and hung out by the fire. That night we slept like rocks in our canopy tents with a real life sleep app, the Mackenzie River, 5 feet away providing the soundtrack. 

The next morning, we ate camp eggs and bacon, hopped in Greg’s classic FJ cruiser, and headed to the river.