The coastal ups and downs have been getting to me, so I took a day off. Peter and I had fun camping with our friends John & Susan & Meg & Will.
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
What are they up to now? Flushed with musical theater success, they are bicycling the Pacific Coast from Port Angeles, Washington at the Canadian border, to Imperial Beach, California at the Mexican border. It's an unsupported trip sure to be full of camping and hotel hijinx as they travel highway 1 from April 28 to June 14, 2014.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Camping by the beach
Last few days we've had no cell signal and no internet!
I've had terrific scenery through the redwoods and then back to the ocean. Made it through Leggett, which has the biggest climb of the trip. It was a four mile hike to the top and it took me an hour with two rest stops.
We 've camped every night since getting the van. Peter is excellent support! He cooks and cleans up and provides wine and ice cream!
The weather has been perfect and I've ridden at least 50 miles per day since then.
We just passed through Mendocino county, Irish Beach...Guatemala... into Sonoma county. Next is Bodega Bay.
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
Monday, May 26, 2014
What I noticed
There was significantly greater amount of trash on the roadside in Washington than in Oregon.
My theory is that it has to do with the litter-acy rate.
The littering fine in Oregon is posted as $6250. (California's is $1000).
It's not posted on 101 in Washington. I think that's because the logging folk don't read.
------------------
We stayed in Arcata, near Humboldt U. last night. But we missed the annual memorial day human-powered kinetic art race held there every year since 1939.
Rode 61 miles today. Peter made tuna salad for lunch. We are in Redwood Forest National Park on Avenue of the Giants.
And yes, Valerie, the mosquitos are fearsome.
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Most people are friendly
Our encounters with natives have been interesting and pleasant.
So, our ride through Florence, Oregon stands out as the first distasteful experience.
Last weekend I stopped at a little market to wait for Peter and take a couple of photos. I chatted some with a guy sitting with his dog, and then decided I might get going and wait in Florence instead.
The guy said, "You might want to wait and ride through town together. There's a festival and there's a lot of traffic."
So I waited.
As soon as we got going, were passed by a lot of motorcycles. We got to town and saw a big banner welcoming us to "Rhoady-Days".
The Harley crowd was gathered in a parking lot at "the blessing of the bikes". I was afraid to take a photo.
Cars cruising main street had fat guys hanging out of them yelling at us to get off the road. Drivers flipped us off.
We stuck together and kept moving. Drivers were so rude on a bridge we crossed that we walked our bikes on the pedestrian sidewalk.
We stopped at the first campground just outside of town just to get off the road.
Found out it was the annual "Rhododendron Festival". Guess flowers bring out thugs since 1908..
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
Took Friday off
Busy day off.
We drove to Redding on Thursday night, stayed at the fabulous Best Western PLUS, and met up with Suzanne and her friend Itsel. They drove the Boltz van for us.
Peter and I tagged-teamed to take the rental car back to Coos Bay Enterprise- (our motto: "Can we make this any more inconvenient? ")
car rental.
Whew. Driving the van back to Klamath, CA where I left off riding on Thursday.
It was cool to drive back over the road we had ridden.
Stopped to get groceries. Oregon has dairy products named for Indian tribes. Peter suggested that perhaps the tribes may have been named for ice cream. Like the Tillamook s, the Umpqua s, the Baskins, the Robbins, the benznjerrys.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
A big day
Up and down the hills next to the shore for the past two weeks.
And Peter finished 535 miles, all of Washington and most of Oregon. Now he is driving a rental car and I'm riding without my trailer!
I had forgotten how much fun it is to go fast!
Suzanne is bringing us the van so Peter can continue to follow and cook for me.
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
Monday, May 19, 2014
It's a lake not a mirror
At our campground 2 nights ago
Honeymoon State Park
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
I was thinking...
As I was riding along, current audio book download finished playing, no signal for Pandora, I was thinking about the expectations and surprises we've had on our trip.
There was no sign saying "You are leaving Washington" or "Now entering Oregon" so I couldn't capture the photographic moment.
We have found that not many people are impressed that we are riding this route. There are too many cyclists all the time passing in both directions. In fact, there are traffic signs when there is no shoulder reminding drivers that there will be bicycles in the roadway. Every major bridge and tunnel has a light indicator for cyclists to activate when entering, to alert drivers to look for a bicycle in the passage.
We have met many cyclists going both directions, although many more headed south than north. They all have the same guide book we've read about cycling the Pacific Coast.
It's fun to talk to them, everyone is enthusiastic. Most visit a little and then speed off. Many are from foreign countries.
Camping isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Peter makes it fun. The rain stays out of the tent and it hasn't really been cold. Peter heats water with our little stove and we make noodles and oatmeal and hot chocolate. Then we ride somewhere and I get coffee!
Pulling the trailer isn't that bad. I am going about 5 mph slower that I would without it. When the wind blows against it, or when I'm tired, it kind of feels like riding with a flat. The first few days I kept stopping and looking to see if something was wrong!
Also- No other cyclists on the road are wearing cleats. I got sold a bill of goods about the shoes! I think they are mostly for racing. Although they are nice to have on the hills, they are mostly unsafe. They get slippery when it rains and they leak. If I have to stop in a hurry, it's always stressful, even though I haven't fallen again. Thank God. They are uncomfortable to walk very far in them. So I put on my flip flops a lot for walking.
The scenery is gorgeous! Everyday I wish I could take more pictures than I do, but one has to be reasonable. The people we've met are all very nice and mostly chatty. It's been much more sociable this time.
Peter is a very determined and strong person. Even when he is totally worn out, he keeps going.
The main thing is that we haven't crashed into each other yet. Knock on wood.
There was no sign saying "You are leaving Washington" or "Now entering Oregon" so I couldn't capture the photographic moment.
We have found that not many people are impressed that we are riding this route. There are too many cyclists all the time passing in both directions. In fact, there are traffic signs when there is no shoulder reminding drivers that there will be bicycles in the roadway. Every major bridge and tunnel has a light indicator for cyclists to activate when entering, to alert drivers to look for a bicycle in the passage.
We have met many cyclists going both directions, although many more headed south than north. They all have the same guide book we've read about cycling the Pacific Coast.
It's fun to talk to them, everyone is enthusiastic. Most visit a little and then speed off. Many are from foreign countries.
Camping isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Peter makes it fun. The rain stays out of the tent and it hasn't really been cold. Peter heats water with our little stove and we make noodles and oatmeal and hot chocolate. Then we ride somewhere and I get coffee!
Pulling the trailer isn't that bad. I am going about 5 mph slower that I would without it. When the wind blows against it, or when I'm tired, it kind of feels like riding with a flat. The first few days I kept stopping and looking to see if something was wrong!
Also- No other cyclists on the road are wearing cleats. I got sold a bill of goods about the shoes! I think they are mostly for racing. Although they are nice to have on the hills, they are mostly unsafe. They get slippery when it rains and they leak. If I have to stop in a hurry, it's always stressful, even though I haven't fallen again. Thank God. They are uncomfortable to walk very far in them. So I put on my flip flops a lot for walking.
The scenery is gorgeous! Everyday I wish I could take more pictures than I do, but one has to be reasonable. The people we've met are all very nice and mostly chatty. It's been much more sociable this time.
Peter is a very determined and strong person. Even when he is totally worn out, he keeps going.
The main thing is that we haven't crashed into each other yet. Knock on wood.
Friday, May 16, 2014
How happy Peter is with his reloaded bike
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
Regrouped
We had a lovely day off in Newport, OR, staying at the beautiful Hamilton-Salvestrin Condo. Thank you so much Holly and Heather and Family!
We decided to unload a bunch of stuff and leave Peter's trailer. We'll bum a relay ride for it or go back ourselves later this summer...heh heh...
We have paniers on Peter's bike and he is so much happier!
Newport and Nye Beach are great for photography, running on the sand and tide-pool exploring. It was a gorgeous 86 degrees when we arrived wed night. People were playing in the surf. I saw a whale spouting at the Cape Foulweather lighthouse lookout.
A cyclist named Jonathan, who was driving by stopped us on the road to ask about our gear and chatted awhile. He invited us to his restaurant The Deep End Cafe. We went on Thursday night and had a wonderful dinner and he bought us wine! We felt like celebrities!
So far the finances are holding out, our bodies old but serviceable, and the bikes are good. Gravity is constant and we are planning for more rain.
Onward!
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Fun day
Beautiful sunny day-
Stopped for coffee in Pacific City after camping. Very picturesque! Stopped at a view pt and saw a whale spouting! It was small and kind of playing in the surf. So that was cool. I was glad I had my little field glasses.
Ate lunch on the grass in front of a fancy rv resort and got looks from the aging Stepfords. They must have thought we were vagrants.
Got a flat on the trailer from a wire left by a ripped up steel radial tire.
Climbed a big 3-mile hill and then had a terrific winding rollercoaster ride down the other side for almost 20 minutes!
Stayed in Lincoln City at Captain Cooks Inn with our host, Mrs Cook.
We are about 1/3rd of the way down the Oregon Coast. Lots of hills to climb. The down side of the hills never equals the up side!
Lots of stretches w no internet...
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S™ III, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
Monday, May 12, 2014
To all of you who know Karen as a joyful, smart, creative, and sensitive person you should see her tackling these coastal hills... she is an ANIMAL! She never slows down, never stops cranking the pedals, and NOTHING WILL STOP HER! She is really good at this cross-country bicycle thing. Me on the other hand...... I still always look as if I am either about to crash or just did. We are having fun but this trip is more work than the last one as we have to pull our trailers full of dirty clothes and camping stuff. Thanks for all the good wishes and condolences from everyone. We miss you all. Finally we are in sunny weather. 9 out of the first 11 days we were soaked by the rain. Washington state was just one big aquarium and we were the fish in the tank. Talk to you later.
Peter
Peter
Visitors welcome
Evidently it's Disneyland-North. We didn't go in but the ice cream cones looked good
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
So Long, Washington, Hello Oregon!
We had a rest day in Naselle, WA and stayed at the Hunters' Inn and Grill while it rained and poured.
The Hunters' Inn is not a place you might usually stop for a vacation. Unless you were in Naselle, WA anyway and it was pouring rain and getting dark.
The motel office is in the bar.
But it was recently renovated and quite nice. We went to the logging museum. It's a lot like the museum in Placerville. Just replace "gold mining" with "logging."
We had dinner at the grill. Turns out Wheel of Fortune is on before Jeopardy here. So that was weird.
We rode in the rain today and crossed one of the longest bridges in the country: the Astoria-Megler bridge that connects Astoria, Oregon to the Washington coast. The bridge is 4.5 miles long and has a nasty cross wind.
We also met a couple who was finishing their trip. They had ridden from St. Augustine, FL to San Diego and from there were ending up at the top of Washington. They were fit.
As we were ending the day in the pouring rain, a wonderful lady stopped her car and gave us directions to her house. She said she couldn't leave us out in the cold! She put our gear in her garage, made a wonderful dinner, let us do laundry and take showers and gave us a cozy bedroom to sleep in. She's in he Warm Showers network. To us, it felt like a miracle!
So.
We are in Seaside, OR and move on tomorrow. Got a lot of great photos and met so many great folks.
We read the comments - so be sure to leave them!
K & P
The Hunters' Inn is not a place you might usually stop for a vacation. Unless you were in Naselle, WA anyway and it was pouring rain and getting dark.
The motel office is in the bar.
But it was recently renovated and quite nice. We went to the logging museum. It's a lot like the museum in Placerville. Just replace "gold mining" with "logging."
We had dinner at the grill. Turns out Wheel of Fortune is on before Jeopardy here. So that was weird.
We rode in the rain today and crossed one of the longest bridges in the country: the Astoria-Megler bridge that connects Astoria, Oregon to the Washington coast. The bridge is 4.5 miles long and has a nasty cross wind.
We also met a couple who was finishing their trip. They had ridden from St. Augustine, FL to San Diego and from there were ending up at the top of Washington. They were fit.
As we were ending the day in the pouring rain, a wonderful lady stopped her car and gave us directions to her house. She said she couldn't leave us out in the cold! She put our gear in her garage, made a wonderful dinner, let us do laundry and take showers and gave us a cozy bedroom to sleep in. She's in he Warm Showers network. To us, it felt like a miracle!
So.
We are in Seaside, OR and move on tomorrow. Got a lot of great photos and met so many great folks.
We read the comments - so be sure to leave them!
K & P
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Traveling Challenges
This story starts out, "don't worry, everybody's okay."
First, we were leaving Aberdeen over a drawbridge on a raised sidewalk when Karen scraped her trailer on the wall and fell into the road. When the dust settled, we found the rear axle spindle had stripped out and broke the trailer hitch.
Luckily, we had passed a bike shop in Hoquium. We were able to get a replacement "Bob Trailer" spindle and made it work. Nice guys at the bike shop- really busy...a customer gave me a ride back to where Peter was waiting with the trailers!
So we got going again.
We slogged uphill all afternoon and then I got a call from Peter saying he had a flat tire.
Finally it was getting dark so we pulled away from the road into the grass and set up the tent. So glad it wasn't raining! It was a grand adventure. Peter used our little stove to make delicious cup o noodles. We were cozy and nobody could see us.
We were so tired!
It was sunny this morning and we had oatmeal.
Onward to Astoria.
First, we were leaving Aberdeen over a drawbridge on a raised sidewalk when Karen scraped her trailer on the wall and fell into the road. When the dust settled, we found the rear axle spindle had stripped out and broke the trailer hitch.
Luckily, we had passed a bike shop in Hoquium. We were able to get a replacement "Bob Trailer" spindle and made it work. Nice guys at the bike shop- really busy...a customer gave me a ride back to where Peter was waiting with the trailers!
So we got going again.
We slogged uphill all afternoon and then I got a call from Peter saying he had a flat tire.
Finally it was getting dark so we pulled away from the road into the grass and set up the tent. So glad it wasn't raining! It was a grand adventure. Peter used our little stove to make delicious cup o noodles. We were cozy and nobody could see us.
We were so tired!
It was sunny this morning and we had oatmeal.
Onward to Astoria.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Soggy travellers
We've been off the grid...
So, it's been raining for 3 days. We took a break on Sunday to dry out by staying at an inn with a tv and a shower.
We've met a lot of interesting people!
Our first night we camped near some kids from Australia. They were here for the ski season and then bought a car for $100 and decided to "see the United States" until the car dies.
Guillermo from France has run into us three or four times. He's riding from Port Angeles to SF. Nice guy who wants to become a physical ed teacher and tell his students about his accomplishment.
Today we met Takahisa from Japan. He is riding around the world. He started in Whitehorse, Canada. We had dinner with him tonight in Hoquium, and asked him all about his trip.
We are tired, but having a good time talking to the local folks too. Surviving the rain and moving down the road.
So, it's been raining for 3 days. We took a break on Sunday to dry out by staying at an inn with a tv and a shower.
We've met a lot of interesting people!
Our first night we camped near some kids from Australia. They were here for the ski season and then bought a car for $100 and decided to "see the United States" until the car dies.
Guillermo from France has run into us three or four times. He's riding from Port Angeles to SF. Nice guy who wants to become a physical ed teacher and tell his students about his accomplishment.
Today we met Takahisa from Japan. He is riding around the world. He started in Whitehorse, Canada. We had dinner with him tonight in Hoquium, and asked him all about his trip.
We are tired, but having a good time talking to the local folks too. Surviving the rain and moving down the road.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
First days riding
We've had some time with zero coverage, so Peter got to say, "we were off the grid."
There have been some huge hills to climb. Peter pushes his rig on foot uphill. We stealth-camped at Fairholm campground, which was closed. It was supposed to be open.
We were joined by some kids from Australia who are touring America in a car they bought for $100. They plan to see everything and go home when the car dies.
Last night we slept very soundly in Forks Motel. We are in logging country. There haven't been many minimarts or towns. Beautiful waterfalls, creeks and rivers though.
The weight of Peter's trailer is our biggest problem. He is getting worn out pushing it over the hills.
Got barked at by a little dachshund in an over-grown yard. He had to stand on his back legs to see. Peter called him a Grass Shark.
There have been some huge hills to climb. Peter pushes his rig on foot uphill. We stealth-camped at Fairholm campground, which was closed. It was supposed to be open.
We were joined by some kids from Australia who are touring America in a car they bought for $100. They plan to see everything and go home when the car dies.
Last night we slept very soundly in Forks Motel. We are in logging country. There haven't been many minimarts or towns. Beautiful waterfalls, creeks and rivers though.
The weight of Peter's trailer is our biggest problem. He is getting worn out pushing it over the hills.
Got barked at by a little dachshund in an over-grown yard. He had to stand on his back legs to see. Peter called him a Grass Shark.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)