Dead Motels

You won’t find any lumberjacks staying at the Lumberjack Motel between Weed and Dorris on Highway 97.  Nor will any traveling salesmen, deer hunters, or budget-minded tourists be bunking there, either.  Today’s high-mileage vehicles exceeding the 65 mph posted speed limit blow right on by that place and nearly all of the 1950’s lodgings all along the east side of the Cascades on on this nearly straight-as-an-arrow “Blue Highway.”

Finding a place to have lunch is also problematic along Highway 97 once you leave Klamath Falls in your wake.  The few “wide spots in the road” that do exist may have a mangy motel or two clinging on to life, but the owners of the cafes and diners have nearly all gone to that Big Restaurant in The Sky.
 
Subway’s shop in Chemult was the most appealing eatery we passed on Monday, but the long traffic backup in town caused by repaving going on just to the north compelled us to put the pedal to the metal and keep on truckin’ without stopping to refuel our stomachs until we got to La Pine about 2:30 pm.

We veered sharply across the centerline to Ray’s Market where we picked up a bought a couple of deli sandwiches (free bag of chips with any order over $3.99) and had our repast under the shade of an umbrella at a picnic table at the corner of the grocery store’s parking lot.

As we drove out of town we passed “restaurant row” --- McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Subway.  Dang!  We could have had a real “sit-down” meal if we had only driven five more minutes up the highway.