Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Home For the Moment (plus photos)

I'm home now. The tent is drying, the panniers are unpacked and the sleeping bag is washed!
What a great trip! 13 days and 573 total miles (for me)! I really enjoyed all the people we met along the way (all ages from 18 to mid 60s). Especially Peter and Darren who, although we only camped with them one night (at Humbug Mtn.), we saw them alot on the road and finished with them at the border. What a great couple of guys! The people we met were riding all types of bikes! The equipment varied as much as the people! From the boys with the wood and duct tape handlebar bag mount to the guy pulling 100 pounds in a trailer (Ian, travelling around the world). There was Marcy who was my age and decided to do a 10 day trip down the coast with a little pup tent and a bunch of heavy gear that she ended up giving away along the trip. I'm sure she made it!
One of the things I learned is that this would be a great route to do solo. There are so many people along the way and you are truly never alone (particularly in the campgrounds). The people we met that were travelling solo were the most friendly and talkative. Someday, I will ride this route all the way to Mexico!
This was a hard trip for Julie, but I'm sure she is as proud of herself for completing it as I am of her! Thanks to Julie for doing this trip with me!
Next up is the Courage Classic Bike Tour then I am off to France. So, home for the moment, then onto the next adventure!
Here are some of the 500-plus pictures I took...




Julie going across the temporary bridge on the way to Rainbow Falls.


Julie after Day 1!


The Pacific!




Hiking the bikes up the Discovery Trail from Seaview to Ilwaco.


Julie and I going over the Astoria Megler Bridge. That was a long one!


Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach


Clocking over 10,000 miles on Stella! This was just before the Arch Cape Tunnel.


Campsite at Nehalem Bay (complete with drying laundry)


Dinner at Left Coast in Manzanita with John and Paul (no Beatles).


The only actual bakery we stopped at on the whole trip! This was in Wheeler.


Cheese and Ice Cream in Tillamook. Yum!


Cape Meares Lighthouse


Another great ride in Paradise


Sunset at Cape Lookout


Yaquina Lighthouse


Newport Bridge in the fog.


Buddy and Little Red--our hosts at the beach house.


Our real hosts at the Steele Family beach house. Thanks Tom, Kelli and Brian!


Sea Lions down on the rocks after Cape Perpetua and Just before the Sea Lion Caves


On the dunes at Honeyman State Park


ATV on the dunes in the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area


Face Rock in Bandon


Humbug Mtn.


Windsurfers at the base of Cape Sebastian


Some of the beautiful scenery we got to look at most of the day.


The view from the Thomas Creek Bridge (highest bridge in Oregon at 345 ft.)


Whale Rock on the way to Brookings


We made it! 573 miles 13 days!

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