Day 17 - The ups and downs

Lincoln City, OR to Waldport, OR - 42 miles

Of all the campgrounds we have stayed at, I think we left one our favorite this morning - Devil's Lake State Park.  Our site was located only 15 yards from the restrooms, but with a hedge in between so it didn't feel like we were camping on the restroom doorstep.  The restrooms had hot water AND soap (you might think those would be standard in a maintained campground, but not so).  The showers were spacious with unlimited hot water and there was a dish washing station.  It was glorious to not have to warm up water on the stove to wash our dishes.  It didn't have all the amenities of the Astoria KOA (ironing board, hot tub, etc.), but it had all the necessary comforts of home at an inexpensive rate.

I'm not sure why it was called Devil's Lake because I didn't see a lake, but I think I know how the "Devil" part plays in to the name - Raccoons!  Those vandalizing rascals scattered our dishes, left foot prints on our trailers and woke us up in the middle of the night with their fighting.  I had to rewash all the dishes in the morning, but that wasn't such a chore thanks to the dish washing station.   Did I mention how much I enjoyed that convenience?  I can't imagine what our site would have looked like in the morning if we had left food where they could reach it.  Our favorite topic of conversation during our stay was how best to rid the park of their raccoon problem.  I don't think the rangers would have approved of our lures, traps and fire arms, so we kept the ideas to ourselves.

The ride today was stunning!  Biking the coast on a warm, sunny day and watching waves crash on sandy beaches was something I have been looking forward to since we started this trip.  Today was just such a day.  The hills were gradual and seemed almost easy.  We stopped to eat lunch at a park where a crowd was gathered for whale watching and the boys got to see their first live whale.

When we were just 2 miles from the KOA in Waldport (our planned stop for the night), we made a pit stop at Seal Rock Beach Park.  Stephen and I were chatting with a local couple and Tan was riding around on his bike.  He biked to the top of a small rise so that he could race down the path.  Midway down, he left the path for a grassy slope and didn't see the hole until it was too late.  There was a drainage area about a foot and a half deep and the same diameter as his bike.  He hit the far edge of it with his front tire and bounced out, but lost control of his bike.  He ended up on his back with the bike on top of him.  All of his body landed on grass except for his head which landed on the sidewalk.  THANK YOU BIKE HELMET!  He cried for less than a minute, calmed his nerves for another 5 minutes, then started riding around the parking lot again.  No scratches, no bruises, no headache, no doubt that this dare devil boy has an attentive guardian angel!

Day 16 - Fog horn

Netarts, OR to Lincoln City, OR - 40 miles

The days are flying by.  It's hard to believe that we have been riding for more than 2 weeks already.  During our stop in Astoria, we made a small purchase.  We bought a fog horn.  Stephen rationalized that on windy roads it would be nice to alert cars to our presence by sounding the horn.  Today, we found a few new uses for the horn.

Use #1 - Celebration.  When we got to the top of a particularly tall and steep hill, we each took a turn sounding the fog horn in celebration of our accomplishment.

Use #2 - Communication.  Usually we end up riding in pairs.  Stephen and Bins out front with Tan and me bringing up the rear, or some variation of parent/child combos with a space in between.  Previously, if the pair in the back needed to communicate with the pair in front (bathroom break, snack break, etc.) they had to race to catch up.  Now, the adult bringing up the rear carries the fog horn and lets out a blast when a stop is needed.  It's a beautiful improvement.

Use #3 - Spontaneous participation in a parade.  OK, I'm not sure how often this one will come in handy, but it did today.  We rolled into Lincoln City about 5pm and pulled into a strip mall to visit the laundromat.  The parking lot was full of patrol cars, fire engines and civilian vehicles all circled up.  My first thought was that we had just entered an accident scene, but the atmosphere was a little too casual.  Soon a school bus pulled in full of screaming teenagers answered by a chorus of honks and cheers from the waiting crowd.  The bus was then escorted to the high school for their game.  We joined in the school spirit with a few blasts of the fog horn.

Day 15 - Tillamook

Manzanita, OR to Netarts, OR - 40 miles

The more we meet other touring cyclists, the more I realize how popular this ride is.  Yesterday we met a couple from Great Britain.  I mention them not just because they came so far to do this ride, but also because this particular pair wasn't  carrying any luggage.  They had Camelbacks and handlebar bags.  At first I assumed they must have a support vehicle, but then I started thinking about the feasibility of making this trip without luggage.  If you could fit a change of clothes and a rain jacket in the handlebar bag, and if you planned to stay at hotels and eat out for every meal, then this ride could be done with a Camelback, a handlebar bag and a debit card.

We have been looking forward to this day for 2 weeks - the Tillamook cheese factory.  It was great!  We watched their production line, tasted cheese samples and bought some ice cream.  Their mild cheddar sells for $8.99 for a 2 pound block.  Ironically, down the street at Fred Meyer where we stopped for groceries, Tillamook mild cheddar was on sale for $5.99 for a 2 pound block.  I guess we payed extra for the all-encompassing cheese experience.

Tonight we camped at Cape Lookout State Park, right on the coast.  We set up camp and ate dinner, then headed to the beach.  The boys were so excited to play in the ocean!  What they didn't expect was how cold it was going to be.  All the other campers enjoying the sunset were donning jackets and blankets.  Bins and Tan played around in the sand for a while, but the allure of the sea persisted and soon they made the plunge amidst the cheers of bundled-up onlookers.  Stephen wasn't to be outdone by the boys and also took a dip.  I, however, am perfectly comfortable being called a wimp when it comes to the cold.

Day 14 - Oregon

Warrenton, OR to Manzanita, OR - 40 miles

On Monday evening, we bought the boys each a Camelback.  We discovered early on in the trip that Tanner does better if he can dedicate all of his attention to riding and not accessory activities like taking a drink of water.  His water bottles are conveniently located inside his frame, but we try to stop every 2 miles so that he can get a drink of water without taking his focus off of riding in a straight line.  Stopping every 2 miles makes for a long day, so we thought that the Camelback might speed up our progress.  Backfire!  He can now safely take a drink while riding, but consequently he drinks too much.  Now, with 2 liters of water on his back, we have to stop every 2 miles so that he can relieve himself.

Today we crossed through our first tunnel.  Now that we are on the official Oregon Coast Bike Route, there are typically wider shoulders and more signs warning drivers of cyclists on the roadways.  Another perk is the tunnel button.  Before entering the tunnel, a cyclist pushes a button on the side of the road that turns on flashing lights above the tunnel entrance.  The lights illuminate a sign that warns of cyclist in the tunnel and requiring vehicles to slow to 30 mph.  Very nice!  I wondered how long the lights flash?  As the tunnel was uphill and we were going as slow as we were, I hoped that we wouldn't still be in the tunnel when the lights decided that we should be done.  We made it through without incident and took a picture on the other side with the lights still flashing in the background.

I have now been to the Oregon coast 3 times in my life - twice in early spring and this time in the fall.  I'm sure it's probably sunny and warm in the summer time, but my opinion of its foggy, chilliness is nearly solidified.  Washington was warm during the day, but cold over night, while Oregon is a steady cool temperature.  Even with all the moisture, we have been blessed to not have to ride in the rain or loose any riding days to rain.  We have had rain twice, but only over night.

Day 13 - Exercise

Warrenton, OR to Astoria, OR... and back...in a car - 0 miles

I know, we just had a day of rest 2 days ago, but the timing and location were perfect.  We took the day off to spend time with my parents and tour Astoria.  We visited the Maritime museum which was incredible!  We learned about the treacherous river bar where the massive Columbia collides with the Pacific Ocean, fishing on the Columbia and Coast Guard rescue training.  The museum even had a Japaneese fishing boat that washed up on the Oregon Coast months after a tsunami hit Japan.  Apparently, the owner didn't want it back, so it was cleaned up and put on display, complete with a video of an interview with the owner.

Our next stop was the Astoria column.  What do touring cyclists do on a day off?  Climb stairs!  The column sits on top of a hill overlooking the city.  Tourists can hike the 164 steps up a circular staircase to the lookout at the top.  After our first trip up, we bought gliders from the gift shop and went back up to launch them.  Possibly the most entertaining $3 of the day!  And not just for us.  Everyone in the whole park was watching the gliders and the crazy adults (my Dad and me) running around trying to catch them.  By time we left, Stephen and I had climbed 328 steps, and the boys had each climbed 656.

We rounded out our tourists activities with a visit to the Goonies house.  "Why can't you learn to exercise like a normal kid?"  Ah, good memories of that movie.

Speaking of exercise, we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening jumping on the inflatable  pillow, playing mini golf and swimming at the KOA where we were staying.  I've discovered that it isn't possible to wear out little boys.  The more they exercise, the more energy they have.

 

Day 12 - Crossings

Raymond, WA to Warrenton, OR - 52 miles

We had planned to spend one more night in Washington state, but Oregon was so close that we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to keep going.  Once again, our boys amazed us!  We gave them the option of a shorter day, but they both chose to go the extra mile (more like 12 miles) and reach a bench mark of this ride - one state complete.

The bridge into Astoria, OR is AMAZING!  It's over 20,000 feet long, nearly 4 miles.  Pedestrians are prohibited, but there are signs warning vehicle traffic that there are bicycles on the roadway.  Ironically, another touring bike came up behind us on the bridge.  It was the cyclist from Quebec that we met at camp 3 days ago.  We had taken different routes on Saturday morning, but our paths crossed again as we crossed the bridge.

The best part about riding into Oregon today was the welcoming party.  My parents are vacationing on the coast this week, so we made sure to cross their path as well.

Day 11 - A day of rest

Raymond, WA - 0 miles

We didn't ride today.  It was a true day of rest.  Rather than ride 10 miles into town for church and 10 miles back to camp, we just called the local bishop and asked permission to hold our meetings here.  This was the smallest church meeting I have ever attended - 4 members.

I love to take pictures of silly signs that I see along the road.  For your reading enjoyment we are posting a few of them today.