By Emily Wood
April 15, 2009
 
How far would you go for a friend? I guess it depends on the friend so when one of my best friends came to visit, I knew there would be a lot on the itinerary, there is so much to do here!
 
A really good friend of mine, Ryan, from Ohio came to visit last week and not to pat myself on the back but I think I did a pretty swell job of showcasing my new home in the Rogue Valley.
 
Ryan flew into Medford late on Sunday and was able to watch Newswatch 12 Weekend at 11; he hadn’t been in a control room since college. We both attended Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio and were broadcast majors. Ryan took the radio path while I obviously gravitated toward television.
 
I knew I wanted to take him to California, a state neither of us had been (myself other than work purposes). Plus his undying love for the movie The Big Lebowski meant we absolutely had to go to In-N-Out Burger.
 
Yes, we drove two and a half hours (five round-trip) all for a burger, fries and milkshake. Best miles I ever put on my car. It was so much fun having someone to share my first In-N-Out Burger experience with. I kept it classic with a basic hamburger, fries and a diet pop (I believe people call it soda out here but it’s pop where I come from :) ).
 
Many people were surprised we traveled so far but the drive is absolutely beautiful, driving past Mt. Shasta and over Shasta Lake. Ryan finally understood and saw with his own eyes the beauty of the West that I have described so many times over the phone.
 
We did plenty of other classic Southern Oregon traditions, Crater Lake, Roxy Ann Winery and together we saw mine and his first Oregon Shakespeare Festival show, The Servant of Two Masters, go see it!!!! It’s sharp, fast-paced and a good laugh.
 
So many many miles later on my odometer and two tanks of gas, I now know exactly how far I will go for a friend.
 
After all he traveled more than 2,000 miles to get to Medford, I think a 150 mile drive to Redding makes it even, right?
 
-Emily
ewood@kdrv.com