Last day of the month post for Hospice

As in the past, I have made my plea for donations to the Wellmont Hospice House on the last day of the month. Since this is primarily a bicycle journal, I have no intention of pleading for funds. Today might (!) be the last one you will hear as my ride is over but I am still hoping to make my goal of $32,000. It is a long way off. However, I never give up hope and think that there are some of you who might have delayed your donation until I was finished or until the journal was finished! My total as of today is $18,545 and I have two checks totaling $120 in my hand to mail.

I am delighted with the support of friends and family who have supported me so well. Thanks to everyone who has supported the Hospice House in honor of my Northwest Loop Ride.

Y'all have a great day, now!!!

Portland, OR to Bristol, TN

Well, I am home, feeling much better and so very happy to be here with my dear Ben. I flew to Atlanta which had the airport closed for a while before I arrived due to thunderstorms. When I arrived the airport was like the Sunday after Thanksgiving. There was not a seat in the place and passengers for dozens of delayed or canceled flights waited in lines to appeal to gate agents for flight status and standby possibilities. I patiently waited when I realized that there were two flights to TRI before my scheduled flight at 11 PM, hoping to fly out earlier. The gate agent actually changed my flight for free and then the wait began, and the gate changes started, and the times changed, and changed again. Finally, I was on the plane and arrived in Bristol at precisely the time I was supposed to arrive without any changes, midnight. Also on the plane were my neighbors, Steve and Alice, returning from a hiking trip in Wales, their friends, another doctor and his family from here, and an oncologist from Abingdon! I think I have never been on a plane back to TRI without knowing someone.

We gave Steve and Alice a ride home and I dropped into bed for the best sleep in 30 days. It will take me some time to get all my thanks yous out but I do so appreciate all the emails and notes regarding my fall. I will be back on the bike in a few days and enjoying it as much as ever and planning the next adventure.

Thanks for tuning in. My blog will be staying up as it is not just a trip blog! I report on some other trips, too, so stay tuned if you wish for other updates. I will certainly have a donation update in the next few days.

Astoria, OR to Portland, OR

Miles: 103.4
Total miles: 1491.6
Climbing:3578’

Well, I can’t say that I had a very restful night. There was not a comfortable position that did not either entail lying on a sore spot or rubbing on an abrasion. The mist and rain out of the window did not make for a very easy decision about whether to ride or not. The helmet issue was already resolved…the glasses cut my head and the helmet was not broken. I would wear the helmet rather than trying to use a borrowed one from someone not riding in the rain. Usually, the rule of thumb is that if a helmet is in any sort of fall, it gets replaced. This one was examined by several people as well as me and my peace of mind relied on using my own fitted, sized helmet. The tour leaders recommended a new helmet but I had neither the bike shop for buying a new one nor the will to wait until it opened.

We started from Astoria a bit after 7 AM as it was dark, misty, and not a great cycling day. I had gotten up early to bandage my thumb and head for the long ride ahead. My elbow seemed to be the sorest thing on me and it was increasingly bruised and ugly! So off Kathy and I started, with Astoria fading in the mist and Portland in our gun sights!

For me the ride was one of endurance more than anything else today as I definitely did not feel my best. Within eight miles, we entered a “no-car” kind of area where only support vehicles for the Hood to Coast Relay Run could drive! That was great for us...no traffic to worry about in the same direction as we were riding. The relay consisted of teams of 12 who began the run on Mt. Hood the day before and were to run 197 miles in 4-8 mile blocks, depending on the terrain, to Seaside, OR. We had seen the preparations yesterday! For the next 40, yes FORTY, miles, we passed runners on the road going the opposite direction, over 12,000 of them. Their support cars were on the other side of the road, humorously decorated with all kinds of signs, stuffed animals, blow up mannequins, and other hilarious items, all to support their teams. We passed tent cities, feed zones, water trucks, and port-a-pots, which we used, too! We and our support vehicles were the only ones allowed on the roads going toward Portland.

Several people asked if we were having a relay! I wished! Others asked why we EVER scheduled a ride on the same day as the relay, but they did not realize it was the last of a 30 day ride of 1500 miles!! Some of the runners wished us well as we climbed steep hills, and they were running down, and we encouraged them as we were riding down and they were running up! We were all enjoying our own sort of misery (or fun?) in the mist and intermittent rain. What a day! But, all the activity kept us interested, (and my mind off my various aches of the day!) and definitely very alert, as runners approached the relay points. They had to take off a bracelet and pass it to the next runner on the team. We had to pass through these points numerous times during the day. There was very little to see in the rain but the forests were lush and green! I took very few pictures all day as the effort to stop and get the camera out of the dry bag was more than I could do.

We finally met up with our first SAG stop at mile 21 at the top of a big climb and she had cookies made by Linda as a surprise for us. Amazingly, the organizers of the race allowed our van and trailer on the road as about the only vehicles on the road! Kathie and I caught up with them at mile 40 where I ate a peanut butter sandwich and refilled my water bottles. I was doing ok and Kathie was staying close by. It was possibly my last opportunity to SAG into Portland in the van but I chose to ride.

The runners kept us on our toes but the downhills were hard for me as the roads were wet and I could not shift into my big ring due to thumb issues. Coasting down the wet roads worked out fine. There were way more hills than I expected, though!

Later on, the sun began to creep out a little bit, and then we had some more showers. I looked for rainbows as I sign that I would be able to finish but none appeared. However, this bicycle made me realize that I could finish! I don't know why, but I just figured it was a sign!!!

The Golden Bike

It was a very mixed day of rain, mist, and a bit of sun. There were 17 miles of busy road riding before the final five miles into Portland with multiple turns and cues!

The most welcome sign of my life, with 5 miles to go!

Anne and Kathie, my ride partner arriving in Portland

Kathie and I rode into town with Barb S. and when we arrived at the Marriott, Ken, Kathie’s husband was there, and Barb’s family (with three granddaughters) was waiting. Our bikes were a mess with mud so we cleaned them up and I rode to the bike shop for shipping. Ken drove several of us back to the hotel where I got everything packed up!

The banquet was delightful, but always a bittersweet moment for us all. There was a wonderful meal followed by the riders telling something about themselves that no one knew, and then any other comment. The overwhelming thoughts were that it was the best group any of us had ridden with! I wholeheartedly agreed and thanked all those who took care of me after my fall! After the meal, we went back to the room, where I was with Barb S, the last woman I had not roomed with during the trip. We both agreed that the group could not have been more supportive of each other and more friendly. I fell into bed, awaiting the early wake up call for the WomanTours shuttle to the airport.

Astoria, to Portland

Miles: 103.4
Total miles for trip: 1491.6
Climbing for today: 3578'
Total climbing for trip: 63,843

Well, I did it. I rode the century. Never mind that I could not shift into my big chain ring all day because of my left thumb, and never mind that my thumb was a real pain (literally and figuratively) and that it rained and misted for half the day. I made the 100 miles (plus the 3 to the bike shop to get my bike packed and shipped) Kathie was great and rode with me all day. It took me 7 hours and 41 minutes of ride time. I sure was glad to get there.

Our banquet was last night and I am now at the Portland Airport trying to finish this before I board. If not, I will try to post pictures when I get to Atlanta tonight where I have a three hour layover.

Thanks for all your support and comments. Thanks for all your donations. I will give a report later regarding my totals.

Manzanita, OR to Astoria, OR

I took a fall today, after I had arrived in Astoria, riding on a bike path and fell on some wet trolley tracks that crossed the bike path. I am ok but may not be able to ride tomorrow. I will reserve judgement until the morning. Remember that helmets are good things to have on your head when you fall!

Sorry that I have no narrative today, but I just can't get it up. It may be a day or two as we have a 100 mile ride into Portland tomorrow. I will be shipping my bike if I get there by 6 and then have a banquet tomorrow night. I will be flying home to see my wonderful husband on Sunday!

THanks for all the wonderful comments and donations. I hope to have an update by tomorrow afternoon.

Again, I am fine, just a bit bruised up. My precious Tifosi sunglasses are broken beyond repair! I wore them faithfully for 2 1/2 years! Oh well, I can replace them!

Manzanita to Astoria, OR

Miles: 47.0
Total Miles: 1388.2
Climbing: 2960’

Today started out fairly nicely and the sun actually peeked through enough to get a nice beach shot.

Early morning, only sun of the day, from Manzanita Beach

The only sun we saw today!

Our route took us out onto the treacherous 101 where we had an early morning climb out of Manzanita, but some beautiful views. The climb was up the western shoulder of Neahkahnie Mt, 1661 feet high. It was one of the highest points on the Oregon Coast.

View of Manzanita from Highway 101

Later, we passed through a tunnel where cyclists push a button to activate flashing lights so that motorists know that there are cyclists in the tunnel. I also had the flashing lights on my bike and on my helmet. Fortunately we had no traffic come in behind us.

We entered Cannon Beach, named for the ship “Shark” which was captained by Lt. Howison, USN. It was shipwrecked in 1846 and the cannon washed ashore, thus the name of the town. This was a very touristy, quaint little town, but we enjoyed seeing the Haystack Rock. It was 235’ above the low tide line and was the 3rd largest coastal monolith in the world. It was quite impressive on this misty morning. Many birds make their homes on this rock, including two kinds of cormorants, murres, guillemots, oyster catchers, and puffins.

Haystack Rock

We wove our way slowly through the to a glass shop which just HAPPENED to have a quilt shop next door which just opened! Several of us went into each place. I must say that it was one of the nicest shops I have ever been in, with lots of samples, patterns and books. The fabrics were bright and arranged so well. It was a delightful place to visit as well as having friendly women working there. I guess that is true for most quilt shops I have visited in my life! Of course, they were very interested in our ride and warned us of the Hood to Coast Relay which we will ride through tomorrow! That should be interesting!

Back on to 101, we headed to Seaside OR which was a very popular ocean destination. It was absolutely hopping with activity.

Bright flowers on a dreary day in Seaside, OR

I was delighted to get off 101 and onto a bike path to go the length of the town. The homes were lovely and the bike path separated the homes from the dunes and beach which were a long walk from the path.

Bike path in Seaside

The flowers were gorgeous everywhere we looked. In the middle of town was a statue to Lewis and Clark who had their winter camp nearby. There was also a monument to their Saltworks operation in Seaside. The men worked around the clock for nearly two months during the winter of 1805 to turn 1400 gallons of sea water into 4 bushels of salt for the return trip to the Missouri River where they had supplies cached. They also used it to season meat that was spoiling before they could eat it during the long winter at Fort Clatsop, their western location prior to their return East.

Lewis and Clark Expedition, Saltworks operation

Lewis and Clark Statue in Seaside

That statue was the end of a WT bike trip, the Lewis and Clark ACA bike route, a few years ago and several of the women who rode that trip were on this one. Funny that they said, "oh we should take a picture of this because we will never be here again!" ...and here they were, back at this same place!

At that location, a huge tent city was being erected, as well as bands' platforms, food stalls, massage tents, and the finish line for the Hood to Sea Relay race, to finish tomorrow at this location.

Poster for the Hood to Coast Relay which starts tomorrow

Finish line for the Relay

It was a ZOO in town and it was just starting to mist so we rode on after a nice stop at a little bakery for a snack. The ride was nice, on rolling hills and with much less traffic for a while. We made a stop at Fort Clatsop, the camp where Lewis and Clark lived in 1805-1806 during the winter. The visitor’s center was very nice and we watched two twenty minute movies, hoping the rain, which had begun in earnest, would decrease so that we could enjoy the fort itself. Since that did not happen, Kathie and I decided to ride on in to Astoria, about 9 more miles. We suited up in rain gear for the last bit of riding.

Those nine miles were tough with mist and rain and a bridge where we had to press a button to warn motorists of bicycles on the bridge (same thing as the earlier tunnel). The roads were busy but we had a good shoulder/bike lane. The last two miles were very difficult in the rain and traffic and we were very glad to see the Holiday Inn on the river!

After checking in, the rain stopped and I decided that the bike path right outside our window would be a great way to go to downtown Astoria to see the sights, so I ate my trusty PB&J in the room and started out for a ride to downtown. Kathie decided to take a shower and relax, later taking the trolley to town. I should have done that, too. The trolley crossed the same bridge as the bike path and you had to look for it before crossing the bridge, which I did. I knew the wooden bridge was wet and slippery so I did not even clip into my pedals. At the end of the bridge, I had to cross one of the tracks onto the paved bike path. It was then that my rear wheel went out from under me and I found myself on the ground. There was a young boy right there asking if I was ok, and I was, mostly. I did not get knocked out, but hit my head (helmet on) and my cycling glasses broke and that was what cut my head. I bruised my hip and elbow but was otherwise ok, until I looked at my left thumb! How it got injured I will never know but I lost part of the nail right out of the middle of it. My head had a large knot on it!

So, I walked my bike back to the hotel, which was about 100 yards away and got ice from the cooler in our van. I went back to the room, and was immediately taken care of by my wonderful roommate, Vickie V. who called one of the nurses in the group to come take a look and see if I needed an ER trip! No way I was going to the ER!! They would say I hit my head and needed all kinds of tests. Besides, I knew that the date was 1968 and the president was George Washington! So, with no clean margins to stitch up on my head, Mary, another nurse in the group went to the drug store to get some first aid I could have with me for the rest of the trip. WT had lots of supplies but not wanting to clean out their box, Mary fixed me right up. Thanks to all those angels of the day, especially Mary and Karen, a former hospice nurse!! My thumb seemed to be the biggest issue for me. But, I am fine and god-willing, will ride tomorrow.

So, I never got to see any of Astoria, much to my chagrin! I guess I will have to do a Transamerica ride sometime in the future, because that is where the route starts!

Bridge from Astoria, OR to Washington State, right outside my hotel window

The nasty tracks which reached out and grabbed my bike today

Rest Day, Manzanita

Miles 3.1
Total 1341.1

It has been a great, lazy rest day. It was very foggy and did not clear off until about 3:30 PM and we walked through the small town shopping and I updated the blog. That takes alot of time!

Dressed up warm for the very cool morning off

Nancy B thinks WT should have this pup as a mascot

After lunch and when it was starting to get sunny, Ramsey and I took a nice long walk on the beach.

This water is FREEZING!

Next I cleaned my bike and super glued the holes in my tires. The are so beat up from the rides, especially on 101! I also adjusted the brakes and the wheel appears to be a bit out of true. Nothing I can do about that myself! I took a test ride down to the end of the town, about one mile and checked to see if all was well. It was then that I saw a coyote crossing the road. I have been very lucky seeing wildlife.

The day was nice and I am going for a final walk on the beach! Good night.


Another gorgeous sunset at Manzanita, probably my last on the West coast for a long time

Neskowin, OR to Manzanita, OR

Miles: 73.5
Total Miles: 1338.1
Climbing today: 3226’ (who says the coast is flat?)

The day was positively gorgeous and I took full advantage of the ride despite the steep climbs and rough roads. Proposal Rock was stunning this morning, with no fog or mist to shield it from us. I loved waking up and looking right out onto the beach, which was so much calmer this morning than last night. The tide was very low and I was sorely tempted to climb up the rock but we had a long ride ahead with lots of hills.

Proposal Rock taken early this morning before the ride

We followed the 3 Capes Scenic Route and the Oregon Coast Bike Route. Staying off of Route 101 was a primary objective today but sometimes there was no other route. It was full of traffic, debris filled shoulders and narrow bridges. Our route took us through Pacific City, with its huge Haystack Rock, (not to be confused with the one farther up the coast in Cannon City!) which is one of the two largest monoliths on the Pacific Coast of the USA. There was also a huge sand dune which people were climbing but not I!

Haystack Rock

Cape Kiwanda with the huge dunes

The Pacific City Dory Fleet is well known for being able to launch in the lee of Cape Kiwanda, the large dune in the picture, using oars until well into the surf, when they use small motors to get into the ocean. Many are the sons and grandsons of dory fishermen from the 20th century. When ocean conditions permit, the dories launch off the beach and into the Pacific Surf. They fish for salmon, Dungeness crab, and tuna. In the past 100+ years, only 6 men and women have lost their lives, an amazing safety record.

As we made our way north, we passed several dune filled forests which were quite a bit inland from the ocean, as we pedaled on and away from the coast toward Sandlakes.

Dunes in the forest

Oregon Coastline

After this town we climbed up and up, a nearly 2 mile 10-12% climb and then down into Netarts. (although the map meeting led us to believe it would be lower grades!) About 2 miles after the top of the climb, where we had no view, we came out to stunningly beautiful views of the coast.

Kathy and I opted to ride into Oceanside, a small town with stunning views. Several generations of the Rosenberg family donated land in this area to forever allow anyone access to the beach. There was a tunnel through Maxwell point and it was dug by the Rosenbergs in 1926. Kathy and I enjoyed the some of the miles of blackberries we passed today while in Oceanside. They were much sweeter and less seedy than those I have eaten in Bristol.

Kathy eating blackberries

Oceanside, OR

Our next stop was at the Cape Meares lighthouse, a one half mile each way, 12% grade round down to the lighthouse. But, we might not be here again so we ventured in and what a great stop it was. The birds were amazing, though too far away to identify. Many people were out watching with scopes, however. We were told that we should look for sea lions, and though we did not see any, Ramsey did, through a scope. There were numerous kinds of birds which nested in the walls of the rocks along the coast in the unique coastal area. It is also a prime whale watching location in December and January.

Viewpoint from Cape Meares

It was such a gorgeous day, we ate our lunch there and then walked to the lighthouse, another .2 mile down hill! The lighthouse was shortest one in Oregon at 38’ but it was 217’ above the ocean. The eight-sided, one ton, Fresnel lens was ground by hand in 1887 in Paris and shipped by boat to Oregon. It was lifted up to the present location by workers using a hand operated crane. It was first “lit” in 1890 and its beam was visible to ships 21miles away. The light was finally decommissioned in 1963. Kathy and I finally tore ourselves away as we still had nearly 40 more miles to ride for the day. The road out of Cape Meares certainly got my heart rate up but not nearly so much as the road down the hill after that side trip. It was terrible, with pot holes, rotten pavement, and no shoulders. I was never happier to get off a road!

Anne at the Lighthouse

Kathie through the lens

The hills have been a challenge for Barb M and her recumbent bike

Our next stop was at the Tillamook Cheese visitor’s center. This was definitely a tourist attraction so we stopped in for the best (and cheapest) ice cream cone I have had in a long time. A local couple told me to definitely try the Tillamook Mudslide flavor. It was chocolate ice cream, with chocolate chunks, and chocolate ripples through it! Sinful, but delicious. I deserved it for the calories expended during the ride! A tour of the cheese packaging plant was fascinating. I have always loved the mechanical side of things (genetics, I guess…I come from a family of engineers and creative people). Since I went to the Hershey chocolate factory in 1964, I have been fascinated by the production lines for things, though I have not seen many! I loved this place despite the tourist air of it all! There is more than 1.7 million pounds of milk arriving at the plant every day and 167,000 pounds of cheese is made there daily!

We had to ride on 101 through this part of the day and it was terrible. I missed the Tillamook Quilt and Textile place almost next door and am sick over that. The road was so terrible that I barely saw anything through that area. The shoulders were full of rocks, glass and debris and were sometimes very narrow. Fortunately, we were able to get onto Miami River Rd, a lovely and flat road avoiding all of 101 for over 12 miles. We felt very far from the Ocean at that time and were definitely worried about another climb over the Coastal Mountains back to the ocean. That did not happen, as we turned onto Hwy. 53 and then onto 101 for only a few miles until the junction for Manzanita.

Nehalem River

We were definitely happy to see the end of the ride today. More traffic and bad roads made for a tough day although the sights along the way were spectacular. We saw many loaded tourists today, with some looking like they might be going for a few days. Our motel is right on the ocean and the beach is beautiful. We had to walk dozens of yards to the water last night at low tide, since the beach was so flat. Tomorrow is a rest day with nothing to do but walk. I did my laundry in Neskowin!

Karina will leave in the morning before the last two days of riding. She is a professor at a technical college in Boston as has to leave to start her school year teaching on Monday. We will all be sorry to see her go.

Looking north from our hotel

Artichoke in bloom in Manzanita

Coastline north of our motel

Barb S and Kathie on the beach in Manzanita at sunset

The trip is rapidly coming to a finish. We are all stronger and more fit than a month ago. It has been a wonderful group, both in terms of skill and abilities, but also in terms of friendliness and compatibility. I have so enjoyed the camaraderie of like minded women. More and more I realize the bond that we have and now can boast friends all over the country. I certainly hope to visit the ones on the route when Ben and I ride the Northern Tier.

Corvallis, OR to Neskowin, OR

Miles: 81.6
Total Miles: 1264.6
Climbing today: 3100’

Today was the first day where we had clouds and misty weather when we left the hotel. I did not wear my raingear but wore my bright yellow wind jacket. I got wet but was too lazy to dig out the rain gear. Our ride on 99W left much to be desired. The shoulder was narrow and there was lots of traffic. That turned out to be the story of the day…traffic, shoulders with glass and gravel, and, oh, did I say traffic? Remember that we were very close to the ocean and it was, after all, high summer season. Some of the roads had very rough pavement, sink holes, and other hazards! The nicest part of the day was 11 miles on Old Route 101. However, we had some long climbs on that road and at the end of an 80 mile day, it was tough riding. The forest was lush and green, with moss on the trees and many wildflowers which were finished blooming.

Lush forests

I saw what another rider also thought was a bobcat dead on the road. It was too big to be a house cat and was colored like a bobcat. There were also the usual deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and skunks, but no snakes today. I also saw my first porcupine road kill.

There was a wonderful field of sunflowers in the misty weather that cheered up my day. I did have a good day after two kind of slow days! That was good as an 81 mile day would have been tough otherwise.

A bright spot in a dreary morning

This was a day of seeing fully loaded cyclists! All were going the opposite direction from us so I could not talk to any of them with the traffic volume. There were about 6 in one group, then a couple, then two guys who spoke a greeting in German and wore no helmets, and then another couple. Today was also a day of wineries. Grapes are grown all over this area and there were wine tasting locations frequently. The fruit continues to be in abundance with blueberries in U-Pick fields common along the route. The wild blackberries are everywhere and delicious and very sweet.

One of many vineyards today

We entered the town of Neskowin which was very small. Our accommodations, right on the beach, were in condominiums. The beach was very close and fairly warm and sunny by the time we arrived, mid to late afternoon. The water was very cold, very, very cold! Right in front of our housing was a rock called Proposal Rock. Apparently, it was named that because it is a romantic place for proposing. Today, there was a rip roaring tide around the back of the rock and I can’t imagine going across it to get to the rock. Six weeks ago, a man was planning to propose to his girlfriend and she was swept away by a rogue wave as they tried to cross to the rock in low tide and it swept her away. I was talking to Ben on the phone as I watched the rock from the beach and it was really scary the way the water came rushing around behind the rock as the tide neared the high for the day and the waves crashed on the front of the rock.

Proposal Rock

Beach in front of our motel

The beach was beautiful and we look forward to a day off after a 70+ mile ride tomorrow. We will be in Manzanita, OR in a beach front motel. Our route is supposed to be gorgeous, but with lots of climbing. The ACA maps show a very tough day ahead. Today had 3100’ of climbing and lots of rollers as we crossed the Coastal Mountains. The coast has lots of rolling hills, too, so I am sure we will have more of the same tomorrow but with better views.

Our dinner tonight was cornbread and chili with salad and brownies for dessert. The gulls were sitting on the roof overlooking our chairs set up in our usual circle for dinner. They were obviously eyeing the food. As soon as everyone went through the buffet line, a gull flew down to the top of the trailer near the food tables and was interested in being a part of our buffet. One of our riders quickly chased it off! I wish I had a picture! It was quite hilarious.

Vickie, Denise, and Linda...sous chef, guide, and chef

Jackie Marchand, President of WomanTours and Pat

Valerie in her sparkly purple hat

Eugene, OR to Corvallis, OR

Miles: 45.8
Total Miles: 1183
Climbing: 153’ (the trend continues)
Elevation here: 235’

The ride did not start until 8:30 today, giving us time to sleep in, eat breakfast in the hotel and have a leisurely departure. We said our goodbyes to Rebecca and had a Southern Tier reunion photo! Sorry not to see you, Barbara, and to thank you again for the wonderful after dinner walk and talk through the park. We are headed north today, and tomorrow, will be on the coast. The time has flown by! We have some big mileage days ahead of us now and will be enjoying a totally different landscape than previously.

The Southern Tier '07 Crew

The ride was very flat and with some headwinds. There were many sheep farms, sod farms, and orchards today. Lots of peaches, pears, blueberries, pumpkins, and hazelnut trees were awaiting harvesting. I saw several dust devils including one that had a spout fifty or more feet high, a veritable baby tornado!

Dust devil which had about a 50' high "spout"

There was a Mennonite school on our route so I am guessing that some of these huge farms and farm markets along side of the road were run by them.

Today's flat roads with the Coastal mountains in the distance

They make alot of hay here

Loved this sign

Hazelnut groves

After the second SAG stop today, I hooked up with Judy and Barbara S. for a pace line in the wind. Soon, Denise, our guide joined us and we were in Corvallis in no time! I checked in at the hotel and our rooms were ready even though it was only 11:30. I put my luggage in the room along with my roommate’s (Hille from the ST ’07) and got on the bike to explore the town. I rode out to the Willamette River, which we crossed getting here, and down the wonderful bike path to Avery Park where there was a beautiful rose garden. It was not as big as the one in Portland, but the flowers were every bit as colorful.

One of the beautiful roses I saw in the garden at Avery Park

After that, I rode through the campus of Oregon State University and visited several old buildings in town, including the Old Courthouse which still had the original wooden toilets, including wooden tanks!

After a shower and washing the bike clothes, I roamed the streets, window shopping, and occasionally talking to locals. I went into a little place for a cookie and the lady immediately asked me if I was with the bike group! (I guess it is the “WomanTours look”…short hair, lean, and wearing some kind of bike shirt!) There had only been one other woman from our group in that little shop! I definitely got a kick out of that. There were so many bike shops here that it was amazing. One guy told me there were seven! It is a designated "Bicycle Friendly City" and there were bike lanes, bike racks, and every kind of bike imaginable. The traffic lights even changed when a bicycle was in the bike lane. They are ranked 9th in the nation for the proportion of people who cycle to work. The university had dozens of racks in front of every building.

A few other facts about Corvallis, gleaned from in-motel literature:

...one of the highest per capita computer users in the country
...the highest library use per capita in the USA
...highest education level per capita in the USA
...birthplace of inkjet printing technology by Hewlett Packard (largest HP campus is here)
...Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling was an OSU graduate
...the inventor of the computer mouse graduated from OSU
...greenest city in the nation with “many people making small contributions making a big difference”

Corvallis was a city begun in 1845 with the purchase of land from the local Indians. With the Willamette River in the city, it quickly became a trade center when the steamboats were common. However, it became even more of a center for produce in 1870 when the railroad arrived. The Willamette Valley, as we saw today, was a big produce and timber producing area.

Tomorrow, our ride will take us to the Oregon Coast. Initially, we will be on 99W to Monmouth, and Rickreall, then on 22 to Buell, then 18 through Valley Junction, Grand Ronde, Boyer, and then Old 101 for the last few miles into Neskowin, our destination for tomorrow night.