We’re finished with two days of driving through the B places on our way back to Tucson from Eugene. Downtown Bend, Oregon, was very touristy, kinda like Bar Harbor. But Bend had the Deschutes Brewery, home of Black Butte and other unique tasty beers.

Dan enjoying two beers. Wait, he nabbed mine!

Having a beer at lunchtime made me a bit sleepy. All the better for our mostly flat, lazy drive to Burns — abiding by the 55 mile-an-hour speed limit.

Then came a surprise. The winding, nearly empty road from Burns to Ontario, Oregon, close to the Idaho border, was lush with soft green grasses dancing alongside the Malheur River. Mountains rose bearing Native American angular designs,  carved out of red rock and pine trees by wind and weather.

I’ve never seen anything like it, wish I had taken photos.

Another pleasant surprise was Boise. Bike paths everywhere. We rode 14 miles after breakfast at Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro. The salmon hash with hollandaise was yummy but the most expensive breakfast ever.

A photograph of an African woman nicknamed “Mama Goldy” used to hang at Goldy’s, according to Bon Appetit, naming the establishment one of the top ten breakfast joints in America five years ago. Underneath the photo was a Swahili inscription that meant “she gives us food.” (Don’t all mothers relate?)

But Boise, a hip place? Seemed that way. Correct me if I’m wrong.

So far I’m not thrilled with Utah. Today we yelped, consulted Trip Advisor, got stuck in Salt Lake City commuter traffic and drove around forever to find a decent place to stay. Bountiful didn’t cut it. Done with the B places. Grueling.

Finally finding an Econo-Lodge in Provo was a relief.

Ah, but tomorrow comes Moab, and the B place I enjoy most: natural beauty. Then back into Arizona, to Flagstaff. And we just got the word; our new air conditioner was installed yesterday. Home Saturday.