Day 24-28 Durango-Denver-Home

Day 28 Juniper rest area, ID to home 10/02/17

Day 27 James Robb SP, CO to Juniper rest area, ID 10/01/17 Drove thru Colorado National Monument

Day 26 Denver to James Robb State Park, CO 9/30/17 State park $31 to camp with crappy cold coin op showers

Day 25 Great Sands NP to Denver, CO 9/29/17

Day 24 Durango to Great Sands NP 9/28/17

Day 23 Durango to Aztec to Durango 9/27/17

Wednesday, September 27

A rainy day in Durango.  We started the day with a trip to Bread-a bakery with a reputation of good products, and brusque, surly customer service.  They didn't disappoint.  We got som pastries and some sandwiches to take on our day's adventure.  

We made a road trip to Aztec, New Mexico to the Aztec Ruins National Monument.  Contrary to the name, no aztecs lived here-the ruins are from ancient puebloan people. The ruins are kinda like the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, with the cliffs.  We toured the ruins in the rain-as such picture taking was difficult, so I don't have many photos to share. Afterwards, we wandered our bank to Durango on backroads, stopping for lunch along some unknown river.  Our sandwiches from Bread were tasty.

When Laurel got home from work, we went for dinner at the Carver Brewery BrewPub for dinner.  Had a great time! Our server asked Jo for her ID when she ordered a beer-she was thrilled, he was embarrassed when he realized Jo's statement of "I'm older than your mother" was correct! We all a good laugh.

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 22 Tuesday, September 26 Durango, Colorado

Day 22 Tuesday, September 26

Durango, Colorado.  

35 miles, 1,398 feet elevation gain. 

After a yuge breakfast at Doughworks, John and I went for a mellow ride up to Bakers Bridge, a historical river crossing back in old miner's days, and the site where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed-this is where they jumped off cliffs and swam.  We continued on, crossing hwy 550 over to the parallel, and much less busy county road 203.  We rode the 15 miles back to town and proceeded to make a four-stop Brewery tour:Durango, Steamworks, Carver, and Animas.  All but Steamworks had good beer . We also rode down to the kayak park in town-permanent slalom gates are hung-it looks like an awesome resource!   

Janet and Bob the beagle took a walk on the Animas trail while Jo relaxed in the van next to the river. 

We waited for Laurel to get home from work, and we all went out for Himalayan food. It was all delicious, including the ground yak dumplings!

Day 21 Monday, September 25 Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Durango, CO

Monday, September 25

Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Durango, CO

A transit day, off the bike.  It was chilly morning, so we waited a while for the frost to melt and dry from John's tent, and then drove south, with the destination of Durango. We stopped at the Walmart in Montrose, to buy supplies and a folding step-to replace the one that someone stole from our campsite!  Then, we continued south to Ouray, where we had lunch at the Red Mountian Brewery. After lunch we checked out Ouray and went for a short hike to Lower Cascade Falls.  We also checked out the municipal pool and hot springs.  Unfortunately, the pool is closed Mondays-otherwise we would have gone for a soak in the hot springs pool. After Ouray, we continued on hwy 255, also known as the "Million Dollar Hwy".  The drive was spectacular-i didn't take many pictures, except at a couple stops-the road is narrow, steep, no guardrails, in some places no shoulder, and drop offs that go 1,000feet down!  I paid close attention to my driving and the road!   But wow, beautiful scenery! The road goes over a couple of passes near 11,000 feet elevation, and passes by the historic town of Silverton. We didn't stop there, as we planned to have dinner with our friend Laurel in Durango.  We arrived in Durango right on time, and went to dinner at the Animas Brewing Company.  We will stay at Laurel's house a couple of days and explore Durango.

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 20 Dry Gulch CG to Black Canyon Junction to Highpoint. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Sunday, September 24. Black Canyon Junction to Highpoint. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. 17 miles, 2,491 elevation gained.  11 GBE 🍻

Today's ride was a short one, but plenty of UP!   After leaving camp at Dry Gulch CG in the Curecanti National Recreation Area, we stopped at the Black Canyon Junction and US Hwy 50 got on our bikes to ride up to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. 

Immediately the road begins the climb-about 2,000 feet of gain in 5 miles to the park entrance.  With only a couple exceptions, the road climbs very steadily at 7% to 8% grades.  While not as high in elevation as Hoosier Pass, the 8,000'+ elevation made for some thin air, and the climb was fairly strenuous. 

Once in the park, we continued the rolling hills of the South Rim Drive, and stopped at the various viewpoints and overlooks along the way of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It's an impressive gorge, and it was interesting to see places that I have heard about over the years in rock climbing literature; the Painted Wall in particular.  The ascent by Bill Forrest took 8 days and at the time was considered the most difficult climb in Colorado.  We saw a couple of parties climbing on the wall this day.  

After making it to road's end at High Point, we turned around and met Janet, Jo, and Bob in the Sprinter making their way along Rim Drive.  We loaded the bikes and continued with them to High Point, where we made the 1 1/2 mile hike to Warner Point and back. Along the way there were excellent views of both the Gunnison Gorge, and the town of Montrose, the Uncompaghre Valley, and the San Juan Mountains.  We also saw juniper and pinyon pine trees that are 750-850 years old.  

After our hike, we drove back to Sunset Point, where we parked the van and made dinner and watched the sunset and interesting clouds in the sky.  We drove back to our camp in the dark, and settled in for a clear, calm, but cold night.

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 19 Fairplay, CO to Dry Gulch CG, Curecanti NRA, CO

Saturday, September 23. 

A day off the bike. After looking at the weather forecast for the next week, we decided to head west, where it looks like we have better chances for warmth and less rain. So, we drove to Gunnison, over Monarch Pass, and will explore the  west side of the Rockies.  Sunday we will ride in Black Canyon of the Gunnison Natl Park/Monument.

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 18 Dillion, CO to Fairplay, CO Friday, Sept 22

Heaton CG to Hoosier Pass. 24 miles, 2,829' elevation gain. 11 GBE 🍻. Elevation high point, 11,540'

Guess I Chose Bad Day to Give up blood Doping. Or, How to Suck Wind while Sucking Wind.  Today's forecast called for a comfortable temps, 20mph wind, and a chance of light rain late in the day. Immediately upon catching the bike trail towards Breckenridge, we were into a constant headwind, and with a constant uphill gradient, progress was slow. But, we made to the busy town of Breckenridge and stopped at the Gold Pan Saloon for a second breakfast.  The Gold Pan was a happenin' place , the food and service was good. We figured we needed some extra fuel for our climb up to Hoosier Pass, elevation 11,540'.  

The skies were mostly sunny as we left town, but dark clouds appeared towards the Pass. As we continued up, it began to rain lightly.  Rainjackets on, an up we went.  At 4 miles to the Pass, the climb steepened, our progress slowed, and the weather was deteriorating.  Steep switchbacks kept things interesting, and soon the temperature dropped, the rain picked up and turned to ice pellets, sleet, and snow.  The final 2 miles were cold, steep, slow, windy, and the air was thin.  According to my GPS, it was 31 degrees.  As I rounded the final turn to the Pass, I saw the Sprinter van, which provided motivation to finish quickly!  The sun broke out of the clouds briefly, but soon disappeared, and it was stormy once again.  

With slippery road conditions, and cold temperatures we decided to load the bikes on the van and go down to the town of Fairplay in heated comfort! We found a camp for the night at the Middle Fork RV Park, and found the South Park Brewery nearby.  After a relaxing beer, we went into town and had dinner at Milonzi's-an excellent Italian restaurant!

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 17 Kremmling, CO to Heaton Bay CG/Dillon 9/21/17

Thursday, September 21. Kremmling, CO to Heaton Bay CG/Dillon Reservoir/Frisco, CO.  46 miles, 2,980' gained, 18 Garmin Beers Earned

With a relatively warm morning,  light wind, and a route that promised to be all up hill for the day, we got on the road after the usual leisurely breakfast and morning chores. We made a left turn onto Colorado 9 in Kremmling, and were greeted with a headwind that would last all day. Today's wind wasn't too bad, maybe 10mph or so.  The wind had some minor effect on us, but probably not as much as the altitude.  We began our ride at a little under 8,000 elevation, and ended at a little over 9,000-we could definitely feel it.  

The road steadily climbed, with awesome Rocky Mountain scenery. Riding conditions were generally good, with occasional zero shoulders, with crumbly pavement edges.  After a while we veered onto Colorado 30, along another reservoir.  We saw a sign for a marina and a shop called "Master Bait and Tackle". When we got there, the store appeared closed, or maybe it just a self service operation. Anyway, we didn't stop.  We saw  Jo, Janet and Bob in the Sprinter, and they took pictures and videos of us as we rode.   We had hoped to stop at the store in Heeny for a snack, but they were "closed for the season", but luckily, down the road a bit, the Melody Cabins and store was open and we had lunch-prepackaged sandwiches.  They weren't bad-but we certainly avoided the chicken salad and egg salad choices. 

Back on hwy 9, we continued to th town of Silverthorne-a very busy place with outlet malls and a Target, where the Sprinter crew stopped for supplies. In Silverrhorne, we picked up a bike trail, one that we will be able to ride one all the way to Breckenridge.  We looked at our ACA map and noticed a squiggly line leading to the lake-our original thought was that the was the trail DOWN to the water's edge, but in fact it was a steep climb up the face of the earthen Dillon dam. The entire town of Silverthorne is built below the reservoir.  The steep climb up to the top of the dam,at 9,000 feet elevation,was arduous for us low-land sissies!  

There's a road along top of the dam-with various security gates and guards.  The Sprinter crew was stopped and questioned about the van's weight, propane etc.  After a complete grilling, they were allowed to pass, and found our camp for the night.  John and I soon met them, and enjoyed a warm afternoon in the sun.  Another excellent dinner of curried chicken, zucchini, and potatoes.  Also, an avocado, tomato, and balsamic vinegar salad!

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 16 Denver Creek CG, CO to Kremmling, CO

Wednesday, September 30. Denver Creek CG to Parshall, CO. 26 miles, 726' gained, 11 Garmin Beers Earned. 

A cold morning start-20', with frost and ice, and minimal wind! It also appeared to us that the wind had shifted to a more easterly direction, so we got our bikes ready and began our ride.  The first 10 miles were down a beautiful canyon, and although the wind was increasing, it mostly was gusty and from the side, so the wind wasn't too much of an issue.  The Canyon was beautiful-we followed Denver and Willow Creeks downstream, and the hillsides were covered with Aspen trees in various stages of color change, which contrasted nicely with the pine trees-almost all of which were gray and black-killed by bark beetles.  Sad.  Bigly.  

Along the we way passed some horse riders-Share the Road, Colorado style!

Soon we were at the end of our downhill run, at turned west on US 40. At this point, we realized we were fooled by local terrain in the canyon and its effect on wind direction, and were rudely slapped in the face with a 25 mph headwind.  We beat into the wind for 10 miles, and ran into Janet, Jo, and Bob at the Dari Delight in Hot Sulphur Springs. We ran into a local guy there, and he requested a Sprinter tour.  After the tour, he gave us a hot tip about a great bar/restaurant down the road in Parshall.  John and I decided to tough it out another 5 miles into the wind, and stop for a beer at the Parshall Inn, aka the Pi.  We rode another great canyon section alongside the Colorado river. The road had absolutely zero shoulder, but traffic was fairly light, and what traffic was out there, gave us plenty of room. 

Soon we arrived at the PI, and we hitched our bikes to the hitching rail, and went inside for a beer and a light lunch. Janet and Jo soon met up with us.  We decided to come back for dinner, because Wednesday night was all you can eat fried chicken dinner! Winner winner, we had chicken dinner!  

After lunch, we loaded the bikes on the van and drove the final miles to our campsite at the Red Mountain RV park in the outskirts of Kremmling. The park was very comfortable and clean.  We appreciated the showers, and did laundry too.  Another camper at the park had a Casita trailer, done with a wrap that made it look like a New Mexico pueblo . It was awesome!

We drove back to Parshall for the chicken dinner, but before dinner, Jo took Bob out to pee, and a couple of loose dogs came out running at Jo and Bob. Bob lunged at the dogs, pulling Jo over in the dirt street, resulting in a nasty skinned knee. She will be fine-it's just a flesh wound. 

Meanwhile, back at the restaurant I had a burrito, while everyone else had fried chicken and they said it was excellent. If ever in Parshall be sure to stop at the Pi. With full bellies, we went back to camp and soon went to bed!

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 15 Saratoga Hot Springs, WY to Deer Creek CG, CO

Tuesday September 19. Saratoga HotSprings. The day started with a beautiful sunrise at our campsite at Saratoga Lake, but the wind quickly built, soon blowing a constant 20mph with higher gusts.  With the weather forecast saying higher wind through the day, we decided it was another day in the van.  

After breakfast, we loaded up and drove south to the small town of Encampment WY, and visited the Grand Encampment Museum.  This museum was surprisingly large for such a small town-it appears to be well funded and many volunteers.  We took a tour with our guide ,Marvin-he has lived his entire life in Encampment. Some of the Interesting things on display here are the two-story outhouse, some reconstructed pioneer homes, a folding bathtub(like a Murphy bed), and many other artifacts from the early days of copper mining.  They also have a 60' tall fire lookout tower, so we had to climb it!  After our tour, we saw several large buck deer roaming the streets of town, and then stopped in the nearby town of Riverside, for lunch at the Mangy Moose Saloon.  Tasty food and friendly people.  

We took a drive up Michigan Creek, and stopped at the Colorado State Forest State Park visitor center. Apparently we were in the moose viewing capital of Colorado. We didn't see any moose, but there was a very cool moose sculpture out front, made entirely of barbed wire. 

Soon  we went in search of a camp for the night, and ended up Denver Creek CG, which gave us a little shelter from the wind. Jo made gourmet 3 cheese grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner, and pound cake with blueberries and strawberries for dessert. 

It rained a little at night, and woke up to some ice and frost, which soon melted as the sun hit it.

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 14 Rawlins, WY to Saratoga, WY

Monday,September 18. Rawlins, WY to Saratoga,WY.  45 miles, 2,033 feet gained, 19 Garmin Beers Earned. With only a 45 mile day planned, we took our time getting ready to get back on the bikes today.  A leisurely breakfast, and we rolled out at about a quarter to 10:00. The wind was already building from the southwest, and pushed us along quickly as we headed east. We rode through the town of Sinclair, and I don't think we saw a single car on the streets of Sinclair. It was eerily quiet. Maybe everybody in town works at the Sinclair refinery, as their parking lot was full.  We took a few pix of the refinery, but didn't want to appear too obvious, lest we be thought "suspicious". I did mange to get a pic of the green, and pink, dinosaurs behind the fence.  

Just past Sinclair, our route put us on Interstate 80 for a few miles.  Riding on the shoulder of the freeway wasn't awful- traffic was fairly light and the shoulder was wide.  With a quartering tailwind of about 25 mph, the miles easily passed by.  At Walcott, we exited the Interstate and headed south, now with that 25mph wind right in our faces. By now the wind was fairly consistent at about 30mph with higher gusts.  The 20 miles to Saratoga were slow and tough, but we looked forward to soaking in the hot springs in Saratoga.  We persevered, and rolled into town looking for a cold beer before a hot spring soak. We stopped at the Rustic Bar-cold Fat Tire on tap, friendly locals, and a friendly bartender. The Rustic Bar had a huge diorama behind the bar of two cougars sparring over a deer carcass.  After our refreshments, we rode over to the free, city managed hot spring pool and showers, where we met up with Janet, Jo, and Bob. They had toured the old Wyoming State Penitentiary and museum. In use from 1901 to 1981, they learned the history of the facility as well as some it's more notable residents. 

We enjoyed the hot water at the springs,and then got cleaned up and headed to our camp for the night at the city campground at Saratoga Lake.   $10.00 bought us a nice spot right on the lake. The skies now are clear, and the stargazing is awesome! Tomorrow we will see how the weather forecast looks.  Right now, it's calling for even more wind than today!

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 13 Elko, NV-Rawlins, WY 9/17/17

Sunday September 17. Another long van travel day-540 miles. After leaving camp, we headed east, and stopped to explore Wells, Nevada, where Jo's mom attended high school. Some of the old part of town was destroyed in an earthquake, so we were unable to find the location of her father's cafe, and other places  she remembered.  Back on the highway, the drive was largely uneventful, except for the check engine light coming on in the van.  No messages, so I wasn't too concerned.  After awhile, though, a message came on, stating only 16 starts left due to low DEF.  That didn't make much sense, so we stopped in Salt Lake City and I filled the DEF tank (wasn't low), and scanned the van's computer, and cleared a couple of error messages, including a "dash display fault". There were no drivability issues, so I thought "clear the codes and see if they come back".  So far, after a few hundred miles, no codes, and everything seems fine.  

We stopped for dinner at Little America, WY, and then made it to Rawlins and stopped for the night at the Western Hills Campground.  

On Monday, John and I will get back on our bikes and ride to Saratoga, WY.  We hope the wind won't be too bad.

Day 11 & 12 Brookings to Doe Point, OR to Elko, NV

Kevin 

Friday, September 15, and Saturday September 16.  Travel days.  Friday morning we left Brookings after a stop at Fred Meyer for groceries, a stop at the excellent Bakery by the Sea (thanks, Herbie, for the pro tip),and headed east, first to California, then back to Oregon and Highway 140 towards Klamath Falls. Along the way we found a small bog of carnivorous Darlingtonia plants. We found a great camp for the night at Doe Point CG, where we had a nice chat with another Sprinter owner from Bend, OR.  Before leaving Klamath Falls, we stopped another Fred Meyer for more stuff and fuel. At some point on this road trip, we will get back to our Walmart routine.  

Southeastern Oregon is pretty remote; we saw very few cars along the way.  Soon we entered Nevada and stopped for the obligatory state line picture.  Northern Nevada is even less populated than eastern Oregon, and the 75mph speed limit helps the miles to pass a little easier.  Also, the roads tend to be pretty much straight lines as much as possible.  One section was 15 miles long without even the slightest curve.  

We found a campsite at South Fork State Park south of Elko, and had an excellent dinner of a southwestern style lasagna, cooked in the slow cooker while driving. (Thanks Carol, for the recipe!) Saturday was a 500 mile day, and Sunday will be similar, if we make it to Rawlins that day.  Our plan is to pickup the TransAm route there, and be back on the bikes Monday morning.  Of course, plans are subject to change!

Day 10 Gold Beach 9/14/17

Thursday, September 14. 

Another day off the bike, but a fun one! We drive back up to Gold Beach and Janet, John and I took a 100 mile round trip Jet Boat ride up the Rogue River. We had seen the jet boats on our numerous river trips on the Rogue, usually grumbling about the noise, and trying to surf the jet boat's wake, and we decided to check it out, and booked a trip.  Jo had some work to do, so she and Bob stayed in the van in Gold Beach for the day. On our trip we saw fisherman catching 35+lb Chinook Salmon, bald eagles, turkey vultures, herons, a couple of black bears, and a peregrine falcon. The jetboats have 3 engines, 3 jet pumps and 1200 horsepower. Top speed is about 60mph, and can run in only 6 inches of water. The ride was really fun-I'd do it again!   I have a new found appreciation for the boat driving skills that our pilot has!  After a fun day on the river we drove back to Brookings to the Superfly Distillery for dinner. Awesome food there too! The Superfly and the Fat Irish Pub are owned by the same people, but have completely different menus.  

Tomorrow we are going to begin driving east, probably will hook up on the TransAm ride somewhere in Wyoming.

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J-Nut from Gmail

Day 9 Brookings 913/17

Wednesday September 13.  Zero miles.  

A total day off in Brookings.  A leisurely start to the day, followed by no plans for anything.  We went on a quest for lunch, and found the Fat Irish Pub at Brookings Harbor.  Good food, great friendly service, and a beer tap system that filled the glass from the bottom. We were at first puzzled by the signage admonishing us not to "finger our cup hole", but soon learned what that was all about.  It's a cool system-minimizes excess foam, and ensures a consistent, accurate pour.  And it's fun!  After lunch we hung out at the beach a while, then went back to our camp at Harris Beach State Park, where we found an Adventure Cycling Association group setting up their camp near ours.

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Day 8 Humbug Mountain SP to California State line 9/12/17

Kevin 

September 12. Humbug Mountain State Park to California State Line. 58 miles, 3,314 feet elevation gain, 28 GBE

Another great day on the coast, although slightly cooler, requiring arm and knee warmers. Another day with wind from the north made riding easy and the miles passed easily. We made a quick stop at the Prehistoric Gardens, but did not take the tour.  Someday I'll have to stop and pay for the tour. Because it was such a great day on the coast, we didn't take the Advice enture Cycling route at Ophir, and decided to stay on Hwy 101. Traffic on this part of the coast is generally lighter than up north.  As we neared Gold Beach we diverted to the Old Coast Hwy and rode that the final miles into Gold Beach. We stopped at Double Ds Cafe(always a favorite) for breakfast, which provided fuel for our last significant climb on the coast before the California border.  The climb up Cape Sebastian begins at sea level and tops out at 700 feet, providing out high point for the day, and the long 7% downgrade provided our highest speed so far, at 46 mph.  Fun! More rollers along the way and great scenery and soon we were in Brookings.  Just another 6 miles to border.  Along the way we passed the fire camp for the Chetco Fire-a small city! There even was a t-shirt stand for fire shirts.  We stopped for the obligatory pictures at the California Welcome sign, and ran in to Paul from Saskatchewan, finishing his 12 day solo tour from Vancouver BC.  We had met Paul on Monday at the Langlois store, and had a beer with him at camp on Monday night at Humbug.  Janet and Jo soon arrived with the Sprinter, and we loaded up and drove back to camp at Harris Beach State Park near Brookings.  

We are gonna hang out here a couple of days before heading east to figure out our next destination.  Thursday we are going to take a JetBoat ride up the Rogue River.  It will be fun to see the river from a perspective different than the seat of a kayak!

Day 7 Coos Bay to Humbug 09/11/17

Kevin 

Monday, Sept 11.  Coos Bay to Humbug Mountain State Park. 64 miles, 3,500 feet elevation gained. 28 Garmin Beers Earned 

After an excellent breakfast with Mark and Yunlan of muffins, steak, and scrambled eggs, John and I left under warm, sunny skies and a building north wind.  A short ride to Charleston, and soon we made the left turn on to Seven Devils Road.  Cyclist's lore says that the seven Devils are seven hills that must be climbed on this route.  I think it's somewhat contrived, but it's kinda fun. The usual pavement announcements of each "devil" are pretty much faded, but I'm sure someone will paint them in again sometime soon.  After a fast downhill on Whiskey Run Road, we were back on Hwy 101 on a fast, tailwind assisted run into Bandon.  We stopped at the Bandon Brewing Company for lunch and a beer.  The bathrooms at the Bandon Brewery have floors that are a pavement of pennies.  It looks like they were placed on the ground then secured with a think resin-kinda like heavy duty decoupage.  

We went a couple doors down the block to tour the latest Washed Ashore display.  Unfortunately, the Washed Ashore exhibit hall is closed on Monday, so we couldn't see all their artwork. Washed Ashore is a non-profit that makes art from plastic trash collected on beaches, to build awareness of the problems of plastic pollution in the oceans.  It's definitely a stop worth making when in Bandon. Back on the road, again with a tailwind we rode  along the coast and the miles went quickly, and soon we pulled into the campground at Humbug Mountain for the night.

Kevin Day 4 Oregon Coast 9/10/17

Kevin Day 4 Oregon Coast 9/10/17  Zero Miles, no elevation gain, and no beers earned.  

After finishing the day on Saturday, we decided that with the horrible traffic on the highway and no available campgrounds or motels, we would just load up in the van and drive to Jo's brother's house in Coos Bay and take a day off.  We had a great dinner in Reedsport at the Harbor Light restaurant, and then on to brother Mark's place.  

On Sunday, John and I had a quick beer at Seven Devils Brewery in Coos Bay, and then on to Miller's on the Cove in Charleston to watch the Seahawks game. Janet, Jo, Mark and Yunlan went to Bandon for lobster rolls and seafood.  

Monday we will be back on the road, destination Humbug Mountain State Park.

Catching up 9/9/17

Catching up for the last couple of days on what Jo and I have been up to. Near Astoria, we took a walking tour of Fort Clatsop and Netul landing, learning all about Lewis and Clark.  Camped at Nehalem State Park for the evening. Next day, we stopped for lunch at Pelican Brewery for clam chowder and steamed clams.  Due to the fires, many people fled to the coast for relief from the smoke. So there is lots more traffic and campsites and motels are full/no vacancies.  But Jo and I managed to find a rustic cabin in Pacific City for the nite. Next day headed south in search of lodging. Of course, everywhere we called or went said they were full. So we decided to hang out at South Beach until the guys arrived. We took a short walk to the jetty. Then we all hopped in the car and headed for Jo's brothers house in North Bend. Stopping along the way at the Harbor Lights in Reedsport for an excellent dinner. 

Day 3 Oregon Coast Cape Kiwanda to Newport 9/9/17

Kevin 

Sept 9. Day 3 Oregon Coast Cape Kiwanda to Newport.   57 miles, 2,811 elevation gained.  Garmin Beers EC:23

Another typically cloudy day on the coast, but dry. We quickly rode through "downtown" Pacific City and soon were in Neskowin, where we stopped for our second breakfast at the Cafe on Hawk Creek. The sun was peeking through the clouds, so we sat outside and enjoyed the morning. Neskowin is a busy tourist spot, so there was plenty of entertainment, including a wedding party, complete with t-shirts for everyone in the group proclaiming their role in the wedding, e.g., groom, bride, Maid of honor, etc.  I'm gonna guess that they were well into their Bloody Mary cocktails that morning, and they were loud and appeared to be partying extensively. So much so, the bride to be was standing on a picnic table, loudly proclaiming fornall to hear that she will now be limited to, uhh, One "male genitalia" for the rest of her life.  They seemed to be having a good time.  

I have sampled French Toast all over the country on previous bike tours, and I can say that the French Toast at the Hawk Creek Cafe is among the best in the nation!  Back on the road, we turned off Hwy 101 onto Slab Creek, for a quiet diversion off the noisy highway.  This 10 mile section is a great ride and I highly recommend it to cyclotourists.  We saw 1 car the entire way.  Soon though, we were back on Hwy 101, over the D River(world's shortest river)through Depoe Bay, and the side detour of the Otter Crest Loop. Traffic on the highway was the worst I've ever seen on the coast.  It was like riding on the freeway-a constant stream of cars and exhaust.  Through Lincoln City into Newport and soon we were at the Yaquina Bay Bridge.  A quick ride over the bridge brought out to the day's end Point of South Beach.

9/8/17 Day 2 Oregon Coast Ride

Kevin
Friday, Sept 8.  Day 2, Oregon Coast ride. Nehalem Bay State Park to Pacific City.  62miles, 3,456 elevation gained.  Garmin Beers Earned Calculated: 26. 

Another gray foggy day, not great for pix, as most scenery was obscured by fog and clouds.  We rolled out of camp after giving a Sprinter tour to nearby campers onto roads still wet from last nights thunderstorms. In Garibaldi we stopped for coffee and pastries, then along Nehalem Bay to Tillamook. Road contstruction leading into Tillamook made for some exciting urban adventure riding, but once on the Three Capes Loop traffic vanished.  A quick stop to fix a flat from a chunk of glass on Cape Meares, then a climb over Cape Meares. The road has been closed for years, but I had heard that it's passable for bikes.  A short washed out section, and we were good to go. Past Netarts, we soon were at Cape Lookout, the toughest climb on the coast where  1,000 feet of elevation is gained in about 2 miles.  A quick downhill to Sand Lake and a break at the Sand Lake Market.  We sat on the porch and chatted with the owners and their grandson. As we we leaving, grandpa made a comment about our bright lights and brightly colored clothing.  This was the third time I've had that conversation with him-every time I've stopped here, he has made the same comments.  Another ten miles to Pacific City, where Janet and Jo secured a rustic cabin for us for the night.  John and I stopped at Pelican Brewing for a snack and a beer before heading to camp for the night.

First Day of Riding 9/7/17

Kevin
Thursday, Sept 7. Our First day on the bikes

45 miles, 2441 feet gained   Garmin Beers Earned Calculated, 18. 

After a leisurely morning, we rolled out from Fort Stevens State Park. Skies were gray, but from clouds and fog, not smoke. The first 15 miles were flat and fast, and soon we were in Seaside, where we rode the Promenade along the beach. We stopped for a quick look at a Lewis and Clark campsite, and a re-creation of a Salt Works. Back on US 101, we rode to Cannon Beach, where we stopped for a long 1 1/2 hour lunch break at Bill's Tavern and Brewhouse. Back on the road over Arch Cape, through the first of 3 tunnels, over Cape Falcon down to Manzanita and Nehalem State Park to secure a campsite for the night. Janet, Jo, and Bob were still exploring, so John and I rode back into Manzanita to the San Dune Tavern for a post ride beverage. We got a little rain at night, including some thunderstorms. Hopefully that will help clean the air!

Kevin Day 2

Change of plans means planning a new route in a brewpub. Due to horrible air quality and visibility, we bailed on the first part of our ride through Oregon and Idaho.  We are currently at the Fort George Brewing Company in Astoria, Oregon planning an Oregon Coast ride for a week or so.  At the end of this, we will drive to Wyoming and resume our originally scheduled programming. Thank you for watching!

Day 1 Fall City, WA to Coburg, OR

We're off!  Driving to Coburg today for the start of the ride.

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J-Nut from Gmail

Another adventure has begun.  Drive to Coburg was uneventful except for the traffic and smoke. Portland used to be only 3 hours away but now there always seems to be traffic and it takes 4 to 5 hours.  The smoke is really bad. The sun could barely shine through.

Preparing for our Fall Trip

Preparing for our Fall Trip:
  Part 1 Bike Ride from Coburg, OR to Pueblo, CO
  Part 2 Its anyone guess

Bike Ride from Coburg, OR-Pueblo, Co