Washington State and Oregon Coast Tour
Day 7, 120 Kms.
One of the other restaurants in Bay City was open in the morning so we opted for a pancake breakfast before heading out. We'd said "so long" to our Swiss friends and were sure that we'd see them again on our travels south.
The weather was still cooperating nicely, and once the morning mists burned off each day, the sun was very pleasant without being too hot. We continued on Highway 101 through Tillamook and passed by the famous cheese factory. Once through the town we turned off Highway 101 and took the "Three Capes Scenic Route" as per the ACA route. This was a very worthwhile detour off the highway and as the name suggests, very scenic even though the road was narrow and winding in places. State Parks abound on the Oregon coast and it seemed as if we were constantly passing one of another. After Neskowin we rejoined Highway 101 and made for Devils Lake State Park in Lincoln City. We stopped for groceries in Lincoln City and met another couple of young fellows that were cycling south too. They told that they were already set up at the park and that there was lots of room. The weather was clouding over a bit and we weren't sure if it was going to rain or not so we hurried to the park and got set up quickly.
Well, it didn't rain, but a fine mist (or was it fog?) came off the ocean and it may as well have been rain. Out came a trusty tarp and we strung it over the picnic table to keep us dry for our repast. The campsite was quite full by the end of the evening with a couple of young ladies (who the guys we met in town seemed very interested in), another couple, the guys we met earlier and another young guy that was hitch-hiking with his surfboard to California! Most of these people, and many others, we would see on future days while riding and camping at other parks. It was like a community travelling south at different speeds!
Day 8, 75 Kms.
After a good night's rest we set out quite early. The mist wasn't as damp in the morning, but we had to put our tents away wet, so we hoped for better weather later in the day and we weren't disappointed.
South of Lincoln City, the coast becomes even more picturesque than before and we were constantly stopping and taking in the breathtaking views. One particularly nice detour was the Otter Crest Loop, which was closed to vehicular traffic for bridge repairs, so very quiet to cycle on. The loop led to Cape Foulweather, where winds can reach 100 mph in the winter time; quite evident by the state of the surrounding foliage. Next we stopped for lunch in Newport and a quick look at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse - fogged in - then over a fair sized bridge before continuing on south past more parks and beaches. We passed Seal Rocks, but the place was jammed with tourists so we didn't stop. Another bridge at Waldport and then we arrived at Wakonda Beach and Beachside State Park for our night's stay. By this time the sun had come out in full force, so we took advantage of our short day and strolled and lounged on the beach.
Just before we made dinner, the two young lady cyclists from the previous night showed up with the two young fellows close behind! Our tents and gear had dried out nicely in the afternoon sun and we found nothing to complain about, except Tim's noisy stove!
Day 9, 65 Kms.
Another short day planned and the sun was shining first thing in the morning. So after a leisurely breakfast, we set out south again on Highway 101 riding past more spectacular scenery along the coast. We passed through Yachats and Searose Beach to Heceta Head, after which we had to negotiate another tunnel. This tunnel also had "cyclist activated" warning lights, which was just as well as it was uphill and slow going through this one.
Quite soon we were in Florence, where we stopped for a while to buy lunch and groceries. Tim and Larry were on the lookout to buy some small containers of white gas for their stoves; all the cans we found were one gallon size, too big to pack around. Where were all the quart cans? They decided that they probably had enough for a while longer and would look in other stores as we travelled farther south. I, on the other hand, needed alcohol for my stove and found a convenient size in the first store I went into! Good ol' Trangia stove, quiet too!
We headed south of Florence across the bridge to Honeyman State Park. A very nice facility with it's own ice cream  shop! This park is just after the beginning of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. After we set up camp, we went for a walk on the dunes and soon realised that the ocean was a long way away from the park, and that sand was murder to walk through up and down those dunes. There were all kinds of ATV's there and large dune buggies for tour groups, while there were also many people content to walk, just as we were.
Back at camp, all through the afternoon, we were joined by more cyclists, who we soon befriended and chatted with. It was fun to hear where they all came from and other tales from their road travels. None of our previous "group" showed up at this site, so we figured that they were in one of the many other available parks. One older chap showed up with hardly any thing on his bike, an old 12 speed at that! He didn't even have a tent or sleeping bag, but slept on a towel and thin pad on the ground; tough old boot! We'd see him a couple more time on the road south and pass him, he pedalled ever so slow and looked as if he was asleep on the bike! Well, each to their own kind of travel; that's the diversity of the touring cyclist!
After dinner, dessert and some brandy and hot chocolate, Tim and Larry went to the amphitheatre to hear all about owls from the park rangers. I elected to stay behind and read for a while before retiring, yawn, yawn.
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