Archives

You are viewing the week of 06/10/07 - 06/16/07

Archive Index | Main Page

Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Portland!

Hellloooooo loyal readers and readettes. I am writing from the computer lab at Reed College in Portland. We are staying the backyard of the house of a friend of TRS member Devon. Her name is Stacia and she is awesomesauce. She is the one who got me into this computer lab and currently is clicking away to my left doing something or other - probably up to no good because she has pink hair and that's what pink haired people are often up to.

We are going to have a day or two off in Portland while we wait for MinWah to arrive and get ready to ride. We'll either be staying two or three nights. It's very strange having a day off this early in the ride, but it still is welcome because we are hurting a bit.

And now I go about the task of updating you on our last two days of riding. Click the link for FUN AND ADVENTURES!

Click Here to read more

Posted by Seager {bio} @ 06:43 PM CST Link | Leave us a note!

Monday, June 11, 2007
Astoria, OR

This morning we woke up in the most beautiful state park I have ever been in to the sounds of jays and chipmunks eating our decoy ramen. All of our gear was muddy and wet, but the sky was blue and the sun was shining. I got in one last walk down to the beach before we pushed our bikes back up the path to the road and were on our way. The highlight of our ride today was stopping at Cannon Beach to run around on the low-tide sandbars. A welcome change, the sun stayed out for most of our ride, and we rolled into Astoria filled with energy and hope and a warm fuzzy sense of wellbeing...and then we started looking for a place to stay. Until today, Karen and I have been behind Seager enough that he runs around looking for a place to camp before we roll into our destination town. Today we got to participate in the search. We went to several churches, bike stores, the chamber of commerce, and the post office asking around for sympathetic yards, or even if anyone knew of a squat where three people wouldn't get caught camping. Finally we decided that we would split up to search some more, keeping the bushwacking option in a public park on the top of the highest hill in Astoria for our last option. Karen and I went to look through a phone book for housing cooperatives or food coops, since I thought I would be more likely to find people who wouldn't be sketched out by us in my own territory. It was a good move. The Astoria food coop magically produced a wonderful man named Tim. Tim heard me ask one of the employees if he knew of any place to pitch a tent, and said joyfully that he and his wife had just moved into their new house, and he would be honored to have us as their first guests. We have spent the evening washing laundry, showering, drinking wine and eating cheese, using the internet, eating our dinner (pasta as usual) and helping Tim and Kate eat their dinners...and Seager just brought me a steaming cup of tea and two warm cookies fresh out of the oven. Tim is a homebuilder by trade, and he built this house that we are staying in. We have a little apartment type place with a kitchenette on the first floor/basement. The entire house is full of beautiful woodwork that Tim made himself, artwork done by his entire family, and a general feeling of home. I'll tell you that the sense of happiness and well-being that we felt earlier after a good ride in the sun is magnified many times over now that I am warm and clean, full of good food, and about to go downstairs and listen to more of Tims stories of amazing adventures. "Thank you" is simply not enough when people are this good to us. While we are thinking of what else we can do to thank Tim and Kate, we declare that the first official greatest host award goes to Tim and Kate, and from now on the honor will be called the "Kennedy-Darling Greatest Host Award" after the greatest hosts themselves.

On a sidenote, during my wandering thoughts as I roll the Oregon Coast, I decided that since this ride is a recovery/chiari-conquering ride for me, I would like to dedicate my part of it to all chiari kids. I hope to get back in touch with the chiari support group I used to keep in contact with and tell them what I am doing so that they can see the prospect of "life after chiari."

I just finished a photo upload. You should all check it out.

Until next time,
Ariel

Posted by Ariel {bio} @ 10:48 PM CST Link | Leave us a note! (2)

June 10, 2007

This is my first post. I am not sure of what style Seager has been doing, although I read his posts I don't remember, so I will do it my way.

We started off the day sleeping in a pitch black warehouse, uncertain of the time. Seager set an alarm to wake us up at 7am, since Gunther (the man who let us stay at the warehouse last night) and his wife wanted to take us out for breakfast. I ate two slices of french toast and two eggs over easy, which is absolutely delicious food to have on a low budget bike tour, and Ariel, Seager, and Kendra had the same. Gunther and his wife were lovely, and returned us to our warehouse full fed.

We decided to ride an easy day, between 30 and 40 miles, which would put us around Cannon Beach. We had a few showers early in the ride, but later on the sun started peaking through and we didn't get as drenched as we did yesterday.

We rode 27 miles without a break before stopping in Manzanita, a very small town close to Cannon Beach. We were informed about a cool campsite a few miles down the road...supposedly with an old growth forest and beautiful beach access.

Click Here to read more

Posted by Karen {bio} @ 06:31 PM CST Link | Leave us a note! (3)

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!

Click Here to read more

Posted by Seager {bio} @ 06:10 PM CST Link | Leave us a note! (1)

Archives

Index


Monthly

June 2007
SMTWTFS
     12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930



Weekly

06/10 - 06/16
06/03 - 06/09
04/22 - 04/28
07/23 - 07/29
07/16 - 07/22
07/24 - 07/30
07/17 - 07/23
08/08 - 08/14
07/25 - 07/31
07/18 - 07/24
06/13 - 06/19