Oregon

OREGON

5^th August: Cape Disappointment to Astoria, Oregon and on to Seaside. 59kms. THE BRIDGE. Up and down out of Cape Disappointment and then 11 easy miles to the bridge. 6kms bridge with two hills in it – the second was very exciting! A third of the way across is the Washington-Oregon Border. Roadworks as well at the top of the steep hill. Incredible structure. Fun and exciting going over it. Traffic and wind not too bad which was great. Great to get to the Coffee Roasters in Astoria – truly a great introduction to Oregon. There for ages and great muffins, bagels and coffee. Went and got groceries later and then Hugh Lucy and I went to the Maritime Museum (John stayed with the bikes) which was truly incredible and then John went on the boat tour with the kids. Really interesting as Cape Disappointment and the Columbia Bar has been the scene of 2000 shipwrecks and loss of 700 lives. The confluence of the river with the Pacific Ocean is extremely dangerous and the training ground for elite coastguards.

Weren’t sure where to stay so carried on to the coast and it was quite hot again. At about 5pm we went down to a cool looking RV and Tent park, thinking the day was over. Noone was at the office so just went in. The level of homelessness and trailer park destitution hits hard at times and this was certainly one of them. Felt bad leaving but have to consider the kids’ safety and they were already patting a manky cat… turned and left – even though it was close to 6pm and no idea what else was down the road except for 20 miles on.  Really makes you appreciate what you have.  Unsettling.   After another 7 or 8 miles came to this place – a small RV park in Gearhart with camping – clean, safe, lovely. Ready to go on down the coast now. Welcome to Oregon.

Wonderful visit to Astoria Coffee Roasters to recover from the bridge!

Columbia Lighthouse Boat, Maritime Museum, Astoria

6^th August

Gearhart to Nehalem  Bay State Park. 46kms. Stayed and did laundry and the children did Strategy maths stuff and we had a quiet relaxing morning. Went slowly at first getting to Seaview.  Went to the Nike shop and the shoe shop for jandals and then had lunch in the awesome community gardens there. Then there was a good stretch to Cannons Beach, with I think a substantial hill, and then as it was a truly beautiful day, we went on a side trip up to Ecola State Park. It was MASSIVE! STEEP and windy! Nearly turned back when we got to the top and saw it descend below us, but carried on and it flattened a bit and we came to the entrance after the 1.6 mile climb! The state park guy let us in for free and although some of the view was in mist, it was still spectacular and dramatic and gorgeous. Awesome descent and then carried onto Cannon’s Beach which was mad with tourists and we queued to get icecreams and then carried on. It was 4.30pm and we still had a way to go. Got over and around a headland  with a tunnel in the mist and then had a mammoth descent before the next hill. It cleared at the top looking down over Manzanita and was glorious. The top was dramatic through a precipitous rocky cliff and then the last descent down to Nehalem Bay. We were totally exhausted and met three other cyclists at the supermarket whom we had met earlier. We then headed to the camp and arrived about 7.30pm and had dinner and fell into bed.

Ecola State Park, Cannons Beach, Oregon

Prime real estate in Cannons Beach

View down to Mazanita and Nehalem Bay

Lucy and Hugh

Road to Nelahem Bay

Beginning descent to Nehalem Bay after long day

Campsite at night

7^th August

Nehalem Bay State Park to Cape Lookout State Park. 80kms. Tired and made a leisurely getaway to Cape Lookout. The aim was the Tillamook Cheese Factory en route so made quick work to Rockaway Beach where we  had lunch and relaxed. The Girabaldi Steam Train arrived so we waited and then tried to see it go past on the return trip. To our delight it arrived and we managed to ride alongside it for about four kilometres which was such fun with the people waving and passing each other repeatedly. It was a lot of fun. Got to Tillamook and again it was overrun with tourists but the kids and I went in and it was really interesting and we got icecreams and sat outside and then went in for more cheesemaking viewing and then continued on our way.

Turned inland then and it started drizzling before we were even out of the town of Tillamook. Really set in and we had a fairly challenging ride over the hill. Clearer on the other side and were pleasantly surprised that it was not as far as we thought to get to the camp at Cape Lookout. Cape Lookout was cool and stayed at our first Hiker Biker which was actually fun. Felt good to be with other cyclists. Pretty place on the beach. It was cool.

Steam train pulls into Rockaway Beach

Steam train carriage

Meeting our first of many chipmunks

Hiker Biker campsite at Cape Lookout

Thursday August 8^th

Cape Lookout State Park to Devil’s Lake State Park, Lincoln City. 61kms. Leisurely start on the next day chatting with other cyclists and packing up gradually while the children played with cars and had a great time. Started on the big hill to Cape Lookout – very steep – but made good progress on it.  Met some Swiss  cyclists at the top.  Got to Cape Kiwanda which was cool – a bit misty but gorgeous  and went to a café called Stimulus whichwas really relaxing and lovely. Later in the day was a second and bigger hill which was a challenge, but ok. Met three other cyclists on it and they clapped when we passed them going back down the hill which was nice. Pleased to get to Lincoln City – though very dull and misty by the time we got there and groceries to get. Found the campsite and the Hiker Biker was quite small and exposed but our Swiss friends were there and we met a German guy called Daniel and eventualy moved over by them where it was less windy and joined the tables together and it was great. A guy from Vancouver and his 15 yr old son also arrived quite later and so had a chat with them as well.

Bridget and Lucy on the road

Reaching top of Cape Lookout 

Cape Lookout summit

Cape Kiwanda Beach

Paying bills at Stimulus Cafe, Cape Kiwanda

Glassblowing demonstration

Friday August 9^th

Devil’s Lake State Park, Lincoln City to South Beach State Park, Newport  46kms: Got away and had a scenic ride. In the early afternoon we rode up over and around Cape Foulweather which was dramatic and stunning as the fog had lifted. Really was fun biking up around it on the alternative highway with no traffic. Stopped at the Devil’s Punchbowl and other lookouts – hot. Got to Beverly Beach – sunny and beautiful. Carried on to Newport and again the mist descended and we got camped. Great to be anticipating a rest day. Met a fellow cyclist, Martin, an English man,  who had just completed the Trans-America route and he had ridden with the German guy Daniel some of the way. Great to get camped for the rest day, though again a homeless guy there as well.

Beachcombers 

Starfish

Art deco bridge on Otter alternate route

Cape Foulweather

Approaching Cape Foulweather

View from Cape Foulweather

Kids at lookout at Cape Foulweather Visitor Centre

Saturday August 10^th

Rest Day in Newport. Slow morning. Went to the Oregon University Marine Centre which was extremely interesting. Hugh facinated by the tsunami simulator. Went into town and had trouble finding the bike shop. Went down to the old part of town which was interesting and then back up to the main town.  Also couldn’t find a laundromat so had to can that and went to a café quickly about 3.30pm at Nye Beach which was nice. Got absolutely yelled at by angry American men in their oversized pickups on the way back over the bridge – despite there being flashing lights to say bikes are on the bridge. Back to camp in the fog. Very dense, wet and depressing and of course, no clean clothes! The kids went to the State Park Junior Ranger programme with a lovely ranger called Sara and finally got to go in the yurt. They ended up being the only ones there for a while and she was just great and they helped her set up for the campfire later. John went and got us fish and chips for tea but we were still hungry when they were finished as came in bites rather than pieces. Bleak foggy night! We were a bit over it.

Newport Campsite and car-racing track

Oregon University Marine Centre - Wharf dock debris from Japanese tsunami washed up on Oregon Coast

We all live in a yellow submarine...

Giant octopus

Giant Japanese Spider Crab at bottom

Newport Bridge

Creating some campfire cheer in the drizzly fog

Roasting S'mores with Sarah the Park Ranger

Sunday August 11^th

South Beach State Park, Newport to Carl G Washburne State Park. 70kms. It was a record as we were ready to leave at 8.30am as kids helped on the promise that they could go to the Aquarium. We went and had a look the day before and there were queues sodecided 9am opening on a Sunday would be better. Met a nice man at the entrance who was a friend of the aquarium and he could take two free guests and so John and I didn’t have to pay the $18 each admission which was awesome. The aquarium was great ad saw puffins, turkey vultures, sea otters, divers cleaning inside shark encloures, and all sorts of fish, octopus and jellyfish. The kids loved the play area and didn’t want to leave. Got away about 11am and covered the 70kms in good time, though we saw whales around 7pm so didn’t get in until about 8pm. Had the most amazing lunch at Waldport where we stopped to have lunch as there was a Laundromat. We were there for about two and a half hours by the time we had lunch and did the laundry. We went into a very average looking food place and had the best lunch ever. I had clam chowder, garlic rolls and salad, the kids had spaghetti bolognaise and garlic rolls and John had a burger. We were starving. Got away at 3pm and we went around Cape Perpetua later in the afternoonand the mist cleared and it was really beautiful. Got groceries at Yachats and met a couple from Paris who cycle a lot so were a while talking to them. We were glad to get to Carl G. Washburne State Park.  A five year old boy called Colin came over and asked to play with the boy! He had walkie-talkies so Hugh was keen and Lucy joined in as well. They played again in the morning. Fell into bed as soon as we could.

Candy the seal

In the Passages of the Deep

Shark

Stingray

Divers cleaning tanks,including shark tanks

Puffin

Another cute puffin pic

Jellyfish

Lucy and Hugh's new career

Lunch at Walport - great

Oregon Coast

Bird-watching

Unexpected camp at Carl G Washburne

Smokey and friend

Monday August 12^th

Carl G Washburne State Park to William M Tugman State Park. 80kms. Left at 10am after the kids played with Colin. Straight up Heceta Head after a visit to the lighthouse – a bit foggy but quite a cool walk. Left there at 11am. Heceta Head involved a tunnel and then a gorgeous ride up the hill where the view was sufficiently clear. Went to the Darlingtonia Botanical Wayside and saw the huge carnivorous plants which were fascinating.  Had lunch by the roadside at Sutton Lake and it came out hot. Finally reached Florence and got groceries and John went to a bike shop. Met a Japanese cyclist who was travelling from Alaska to Ushasasia in Chile. On past Florence to the Oregon Dunes area where everything was backgrounded with huge sand dunes. Very hot. Made good progress to Wincester Bay and then the final big push up to Umpqua Lighthouse State Park where we were meant to stay. Sooo pleased to get to the turnoff, except that it appeared the campsite was the equivalent descent of the 500ft rise we had just completed. Despite the lateness of the day, we made the decision to go another 5 miles to the next campsite – and we were so pleased that we did. It was really peaceful and lovely there and gave us a headstart for the next day.

Heceta Bridge

Heceta Lighthouse

Tunnel

Heceta Hill...

Coos Bay Bridge!!! - nice from a distance

Paddle at North Bend 

Big Foot and friends

Tuesday 13^th August

William M Tugman State Park to Bullards Beach StatePark. 70kms. Feeling good and got away 9.30am. Made really good progress to the Coos Bay war memorial – were there earlier than expected. It was a beautiful day and gorgeous. Carried on into Coos Bay only to have a repeat bridge experience of yelling of abuse, rude signs, shaking of fists and uncontrollable rage. No sharing of the road there. We recovered briefly picking up groceries and going to a sports store, but again at an intersection further down the road in North Bend, we were subject to a woman yelling abuse at us from her car – despite doing all the right things to show we were turning left. Very scary behaviour! Glad to get out of town and down to a park to recover. The kids had a paddle in a small lake. The whole place was a little disconcerting considering that Oregon is supposed to be the bicycle-friendly stae. We have never encountered such behaviour in New Zealand and it left a bad taste in our mouths. Glad to get out of Coos and back onto the beautiful coast. Got to Charleston but turned inland onto the Seven Devils Road which turned out to be an exceptionally long and hilly forestry road with lots of up and down, steep grades and little view. It felt like North Bend’s last ditch effort to get cyclists off the road. Really wasted us in the heat but the descent as always was awesome and we were finally back on the coast, reaching Bullards Beach earlier than expected at the unbelievable time of 5pm! Of course ironically the place was riddled with killer mosquitoes – some fierce green saltwater variety that never let up. At the Hiker Biker was a woman trying to make a digeridoo out of a plastic pipe… but we survived despite being eaten alive. Apparently it is a recent phenomenon in Bandon due to enlarging the swamp. Had an early night to escape the onslaught.

Wednesday 14^th August

Bullards Beach State Park to Humbug Mountain State Park. 62kms. Got away from Bullards. Agony as people kept chatting to us when we had bare legs trying to get away… Glad to pull into Bandon two miles later. Got groceries and met our Japanese friend again – as well as an 89 year old guitar and mandolin player. Stopped for coffee – but the best place was full! Spent ages looking for another – only to return to the first one which was worth the wait. Didn’t get away again till midday. Tired. Some up and down during the day, but nothing as major as the two days before and came out on the coast again at Port Orford. Getting late by then but beautiful coast and spotted more whales which turned out to be a pod of at least four or five, quite close in to the coast. It was awesome. Lingered for ages watching them, arriving at Humbug Mountain about 7pm. It was nice there and the kids played by the creek while we cooked tea. The neighbour played his guitar late into the night which was nice.

Hugh's burnt hand at Humbug Mountain

Beach paddle

Thunder Arch

View from Thunder Arch

Thursday 15^th August

Humbug Mountain State Park to Harris Beach, Brookings. 83kms.

Another big day. The trip up Humbug Mountain was substantial and a bit misty but came out onto the coast and made good progress to Gold Beach. Had lunch there – a whole cooked chicken from the supermarket there in sandwiches – and then approached the Cape Sebastian Hill. It was about 5 miles of hill and pretty testing in the heat. Lovely to paddle in the beach at the bottom and the kids went swimming – it was glorious. Met a Brazilian cyclist called Alexander there. Then descended and started the series of hills to Harris Beach. We were tired and seemed to get late quickly but stopped at Arch Rock on the Brazilian’s recommendation and then backtracked to Thunder Rock on another guy’s recommendation and both were beautiful and lovely to have a break. Again the hills rearedup at the end of the day and we were very tired when we got here last night – to Harris Beach – at 8pm.

Friday 16^th August

The fact that the camp has a laundry – the first State Park to do so – has made us decide to have arrest day here and it is so needed. We are all very tired with so many hills and such late finishes to the day lately. Oregon has been a great journey – but also a mixed bag of spectacular rock stacks, gorgeous Art Deco bridges, whale-watching, pelicans, amazing birds, precipitous roads, fog, abuse, mosquitoes, dangerous drivers, hills and exhaustion. We go into California tomorrow.