When we woke up near Coos Bay this morning, we needed to get some more miles under our wheels and were quick to get back on the road. Of course, we did make a few stops on the way.

 How can anyone turn down the chance to see the world famous sea lion caves? The sea lions weren’t inside, but we could still see America’s largest sea cave.

 And some marine anthropology specimens throughout the cave.

 Back on the road, I was surprised by the number of bridges in Oregon. This is one out of about a million.

 My dad isn’t much of a city guy, but I’ve been aching to go to Portland for a while now so he had to yield. We kept it mellow with an obligatory trip to Powells Books, a stroll along the river and a fancy cupcake downtown.

Of course, we couldn’t forget the multitude of microbreweries and great food, either. At Hair of the Dog, a flight included an aged beer from bourbon barrels. Over Caesar salad and duck confit, my dad asked me to check the Niners score on my phone. Wow. I was not expecting their win to put us in such a great mood.

Little did I know it would lead to an involved explanation of how to read a box score. I guess anything to make me more well-rounded! What I love about beer is how much smaller it makes the world and all its problems, even if they are just about the intricacies of sports statistics.

Extra thanks to the Niners for making a 45-3 victory help a guy feel comfortable in a new city.