Today’s ride felt like the real start of the tour. As soon as I got on US 101 in Astoria, my anticipation started to build.
But first, just to heighten my excitement, the route went inland, through Lewis and Clark National Historic Park (everything in Oregon is named after Lewis and Clark) and surrounding farmland. The roads were quiet and the scenery was great, but I was impatient to reach the coast.
Just before I reached the actual coast in Seaside, Oregon, I got a message from my friend, Txomin, who was in Cannon Beach, a few miles south of me, and I decided to call him to try to meet up to say hi. When I saw the ocean, I was on the phone with him, and I said, “THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE SEEN THE PACIFIC OCEAN!” Then I quietly added, “…on this trip.” I think my dad joke got him… for a second.
I stopped for second breakfast at Pig’n Pancake. I loved the name, but the food was uninspiring. Just after my breakfast came, I messaged Txomin and told him where I was. A couple minutes later, he told me he was outside, next to my bike. So I went out to say hi to him and Jasper. Jasper was excited, but Txomin bribed him so I could get a picture.
As I was leaving town, I was talking on the phone with my daughter, and saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. I was shocked to discover that, while I was distracted by my phone conversation, I’d ridden among a herd of at least 15 elk. Only one had antlers. He was too far away for me to get a good picture, but they were huge. These were not the wary elk of Colorado. They were unconcerned about my presence. They were focused on eating everyone’s garden plants. My wife gets annoyed at rabbits. She should be glad she doesn’t have ELK!
I stopped at an overlook with a view, and had a great conversation with Wallace and Emily, who are visiting from Georgia. I knew they were southerners from their accents, especially Emily’s, and they were really nice.
At the same stop, I met my first southbound bike tourists, Michelle and Bill. They’re from Golden, Colorado, which is where Coors is made from “pure mountain stream water,” and which is downstream from my hometown in Georgetown, Colorado. This was always a fun thing for a teenaged boy from Clear Creek County to know, and you might be able to guess why. But I am a grownup now, so I didn’t tell them that. OK, I lied. I did tell them.
Michelle has ridden the Great Divide, and they’re faster than I am, but I passed them when they stopped in one of the small towns on the coast. I saw them again heading down US101 after I had stopped for the day! Have a great journey, Michelle and Bill!
I am spending the night in Rockaway Beach. As I was leaving a restaurant, Eric and Brenda, from the Tri Cities in Washington, stopped me. Eric dreams of bike touring. I hope he does it!
These are the kind of days I love on a bike tour. I love to ride around by myself, and every once in a while, meet someone new and share a few minutes of conversation, stop when and where I feel like and start pedaling again. I feel like I could do this forever.
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