Brookings Oregon. Otherwise known as hell

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Last year I hitched north up the 101 from the bay area and made it up to the Oregon border in record time. The scenery was beautiful especially traveling so close to the coast. Everything was going great till I made it to brookings oregon.

Got there in the middle of the day so I decided to walk through the city up to the outskirts and hitch out from there. Eventually I met an awesome guy named Josh who could play nearly every song from Tool and could sing pretty good also. He passed me up singing at the top of his lungs walking north right out of town. Soon after he came walking back and asked for a cigarette so I obliged.

Josh told me he had been trying to hitch out of town for 5 days but couldnt find a ride ( apparently theres a prison near there and people dont pick up leather tramps.) I suggested a Id buy a bottle of whiskey and he suggested he use his stamps to get some grub. We hung out with some home bums, played a little guitar, then he brought me to the spot he was sleeping at behind a circle k. I quickly noticed an abandoned locksmith shop across the way and the squatter in me said fuck sleeping in the bushes.

Of all places, the abandoned locksmith shop had NO DEADBOLT which made entry pretty fucking easy with a swipe of a plastic safeway card. We slept like kings for the night and headed to the edge of town to hitch out further north. We waited for hours and hours. Tried for 2 days in a row. Finally in a last ditch effort I made a huge sign that said " stranded in hell" and flew it at the circle K gas station.

People gave us smokes, cash and icecream but no rides. Eventually the pigs show up and basically told us to get the fuck out of their town. We got some food and jugs of water together and started walking from Brookings to the next town ( gold beach) which is about a 26 mile walk through extremely hilly terrain with absolutely nothing in between. We meet up with another traveler (demon rider) who was walking out of town because of the same police problems. We all decided that our only choice was to continue walking till we get to Gold Beach because we didnt want to wind up camping in the middle of nowhere and become snacks for bears.

We walked every fucking inch of those 26 miles carrying 40 pound hiking packs and out of water. Noone would pick us up. But in the end, tired, blistered, and a little less sane we made it to Gold Beach right at sunset. The locals werent very friendly but we didnt care. Bought some meat, started a fire on the beach, and drank the best fucking beers I had ever tasted ( simply because they were cold...... and.... well... beer.) Needless to say, Ill never take a ride that wants to drop me off in or near brookings, but it was a journey Ill never forget
 
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Tude

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Nice story! Thanks!
 

Coywolf

Make America Freight Again
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Weird, I've always had quick rides both North and South out of Brookings. but ya, its a conservative shit hole.
 

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