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07/03/2007 Entry: "It's been awhile (Astoria, Or)"
Holy crap, we've finally made it to Astoria and we have FOUR days to update you on. Tomorrow we head eastward to the Portland area. Currently I'm sitting in a nice house and being very warm - but more on that later. (from Ariel) I will be updating you on the ride from Waldport to Lincoln City and from Lincoln City to Tillamook. Karen will then cover Tillamook to Oswald West campgrounds, and Ariel will cover Oswald West to Astoria. Those posts will appear above this post. My post continues after you click the more link!
Waldport to Lincoln City (44ish miles) It was on this day our fourth(?) day that we first began our ride up the grand Oregon coast on the Oregon Coast Bike Route. This route, as Karen so eloquently put it, seems to have been designed to kill bikers. The traffic is horrific, the bike lanes narrow, and the cars big. We were also going the stupid direction along the coast as apparently the prevailing summer winds are strong out of the north and Odot has focused all of their shoulder widening projects on the south going side of the road. Oh well. The ride was long and very headwindy. We ate lunch in Newport and took a few Oregon bike route town bypasses that turned out to be very hilly. We ended up staying at a very hard to find campground in Lincoln City. It is there that our luck changed. We met two kids, brothers, probably 10-13ish who were very coolio. They met us, and then, quite randomally, decided they would play camp hosts to us. They gathered us a fair amount of firewood and then began dumpster diving the garbage cans for newpaper. In those garbage cans they found sunglasses, playing cards and several other things. They bestowed those gifts upon us and then hung out while we played with the fire. Then, just as they had to leave, they ran back to their campsite and snuck us crackers and string cheese. They were like our little dirty gaurdian angels. Qehndrah also decided to pay us a suprise visit and showed up late that night. It was awesome-sauce with a capital S-W-E-E-T. Lincoln City to Tillamook (55 miles) Holy balls did it rain. It rained and rained and rained. We got very wet. Our panniers leaked. We got cold, some of us died - but then came back to life just so we could bike some more and warm up. It was not pleasant. It did, however, get rid of our headwind. We combatted the cold rain by eating lunch in a little cafe and then Karen and Ariel, upon arriving in Tillamook visited a laundramat and their dryers. Meanwhile I, having arrived a bit earlier, was set about the task of finding us a place to stay. I failed over and over again. I was rejected more than a Pirate applying to Ninja school. I was smacked down more than a robot in a room full of monkeys. Finally, I found a phone number on the side of the Tillamook 7th Day Adventists church. After a few calls Gunter got in touch with us and saved the day. Gunter not only gave us a heated, dry, bathroomed, garage/warehouse thingy to sleep in, but he and his wife took us all out to breakfast in the morning! He had good stories as well, having done several coast bike rides and other adventurous activities. We can't thank him enough. Qehndrah stayed that night as well and helped us out during the day by shopping for us and taking care of many of the daily chores that we normally do ourselves on the trip. She also made us a wonderful vegetable stew and drove us later to get Tillamook Ice Cream. Unfortunately, she had to leave the next morning and is very missed. ILYQ
Replies: Leave us a note! (1)
Squawk! I had a great time with you all. I'm impressed you made it to Astoria; nice work! Keep it up, folks. ilyp
Posted by Qehn @ 06/12/2007 12:28 PM CST
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