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I got to being curious about which hotel was used for the opening shots in Kubrick’s cinematic version of ‘The Shining’ (The Stanley in Estes Park near The Rockies, that I visited yesterday, was King’s inspiration for the book and also used in the 1997 mini-series) and strangely enough it’s The Timberline Lodge in Oregon, just 60 miles away from my next destination in the same state. That’s a bit weird.

Without my 2 new friends in the Lincoln this morning I got to be a bit more agressive and while there wasn’t a safe opportunity to see what the top end had, boy can that thing shift. I’ve warmed to it.

So my adventures on 4 wheels in the USA are over for now, a cool 2000+ miles later.

I won’t miss Google directions in the least, they hideously over complicate everything. All I actually needed to know to get to Denver International this morning was east on Colfax then eastbound on Interstate 70, piece of pish.

On the plus side it did allow for a dramatic Starsky and Hutch like U-turn, complete with a satisfying wheel-spin (all while no one was around of course).

Okay it’s not large and it’s not smart, but man it sure is fun. I might not get a chance to drive a powerful car for quite some time and have you ever tried the same manouvere on a Vespa. Plus like John Cooper Clarke said, “It’s a hire car baby”.

Denver Airport is huge, it’s bigger than Chicago and Dallas (airports) put together. I just had a waz in a public bathroom that doubles as a tornado shelter, crikey.

The photo is from the flight just as we were coming into Portland, it’s spoiled somewhat by engine number 2 in the bottom left corner. I had to take it from the middle seat though as I was sandwiched between 2 businessmen. Why they didn’t just sit next to each other I don’t know, it’d saved me a right bore-fest. I don’t care if you think you’ll have like 200 emails on your Blackberry when we land, I bet you had 197 when we took off anyway douchebag.

I’m at the hostel now and it seems really nice, I knew it would be okay as it’s part of the Hostelling International chain and I’ve stayed in loads of their’s without issue. Still, it’s a relief after that last pit I was in.

I can’t get my room for about 4 hours so I’ll just chill and make use of the wifi, then when I can get settled I’ll give myself and my clothes a proper cleaning. Whoo.

What Portland has to offer (I get the feeling it’s a nice City but pretty low on stuff to see) I don’t know so I’ll do my usual wandering trick later on and have a butchers.

Over.