A shining memory

I’ve had an image stuck in my head lately. A little background: years ago, I thought up a calmative, soothing image that I could focus on in my head, either when I was trying to relax or trying to go to sleep. It involved a glassy plain (parts of this were inspired by the depths of the Lunar Subterranean in FFIV), yawning wide beneath a starry night sky, with dark mountains nearby, and nothing else around. So this image is kinda like that, but it’s from real life, and a memory.

The image is as follows, and has a very specific place and time (of day, at least). Travelling west on I-105 in Eugene, OR, my hometown. It’s a small connector that eventually gets you to either highway 126 or I-5, one of the main freeways in Oregon (north-south). So, travelling west, looking west, where eventually you’ll find the cold, craggy, lovely Oregon coast. But that’s an hour away. As you drive west, the sun is just setting, breaking through dark clouds above. It’s either just rained or about to rain; you never quite know in Oregon. But the spears of sunlight glitter through a gloomy haze as the light is dying away for the day. The road is quite short (only about 3 miles), and if you go far enough west, you end up on 6th Ave and Highway 99. This particular stretch I’m thinking of is not far from the Valley River Center mall. Off to the left is the Willamette River, lazily flowing by, mostly hidden by a thick canopy of trees. It’s lovely, but that’s not the attraction. It’s the sunny and cloudy sky ahead and above. Above the highway you have a clear view of this stunning vista, with copious trees around. Here’s another set of images; the stretch I’m thinking of is just before the exit to Delta Hwy.

I’ve been thinking of this lately and wanted to write down my thoughts. There are plenty of lovely sights in Eugene and its surroundings, but this one has stuck with me for a long time. My parents’ house has a really nice view as well, but it’s just different. I never lived in that area I’m writing about, but I spent a lot of time going to the mall and places near there, so I know it pretty well, and drove that stretch fairly often. The lovely stretch of Zenan Bridge in Chrono Trigger is similar to this view. The sun breaking through heavy clouds, shining and glittering, illuminating the purplish waters. That image has stuck with me for decades at this point.

Just a shorty, I know, but I wanted to get my thoughts down as I said and share them with you. Any favorite haunts or spots you all love that may have similar significance?