by Michael Allen McCormick

Created on: May 12, 2008   Last Updated: March 08, 2010

Have you ever seen a pigeon play chicken?

Archived Story from a mystery tour in 1999... Mystery tours are fun. We start out picking up our guests at their homes, and listen to them speculate on where we might be going. Sometimes, we don't even know for sure where we might go. These tours can be very spontaneous, and can change with the weather, as did this one.

The mystery tour also allows us creative flexibility, to try new things, see new places, without being committed to an itinerary. Now mystery trips aren't for everyone. Some people do not like surprises, and would rather stick to a plan. Mystery trips are for those who like exploration and adventure. I like everything, so I'm not hard to please. Hey, I am Mikey, so I like it.

I knew this would be a great trip, because immediately I saw something I had never seen before in eight years of professional driving. I saw a fully intact large pepperoni pizza in the middle of a lane on Interstate 205. It had apparently blown off the roof of someone's car. It was still steaming, and looked good enough to eat. The poor guy goes home and says to the family," Honey I lost the pizza."... "Sure pizza breathe!" (Thanks to our guest, Norma R. for that possible scenario)

Eastward turn on Interstate 84, and everybody starts making new guesses. Our tentative plan was to ride on the Columbia sternwheeler out of Cascade Locks, down to the dam and back, under the Bridge of the Gods, and enjoy the cuisine of the river boat, with a view.

Upon arrival to Cascade Locks, it was very windy. We went into the Charburger restaurant to get a snack, while Mom checked on the boat ride. Canceled due to high winds.(we keep missing the boat lately, just ask Eunice, she was on both trips) So our snack stop turned out to be our meal stop, while Mom invented a new plan.

Marian told us that the Charburger was a favorite stop for her and her husband to get chili, many years ago. Naturally, she had chili, just to rekindle that memory a bit.

We went over the Bridge of the Gods, rather than under (on the Sternwheeler). Then east on highway 14 in Washington. Pulled off the road to see the wind surfers. They were lovin it up in this wind storm. Hundreds of them, looked like butterfly wings flapping on the water. It becomes an extreme sport in this wind. Mountain Dew missed a photo op.

We saw where they anchored the sternwheeler for this wind storm. The anchor is weighed. Great, I was just wondering, How much did it weigh? We grabbed a Washington back

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