After a wonderful visit with Zachary in Las Vegas, we have made our way across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and down to the Mobile, Alabama area to visit my niece and her family. We just missed tropical storm Lee and the weather is beautiful here: sunny, low humidity and in the 70’s. After our visit with Kelli, we will head north to home.
Day 142: Tuesday, August 30, 2011
We made several stops in California including the Hearst Castle, Solvang, a city founded by Danes in the early 1900s that retains its Danish heritage, and the world famous Andersen’s Restaurant where we had their split pea soup. After spending a few days in San Diego sight-seeing and visiting friends, we drove through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas where we will meet Zach. Bob loves Las Vegas and this is a great place to relax and unwind after supporting me for the last 4 plus months. It is hot, hot, hot here so I got up very early and bicycled about 16 miles before 8 am. It felt good to be back on the bicycle after a two-week hiatus. I was a bit worried about being burned out after bicycling so many miles, but fortunately, I still love it.
 |
| Sunset on San Diego Bay |
 |
| View of the Pacific Ocean from the Hearst Castle |
Day 135: Tuesday August 23, 2011
We have spent the last week making our way down the state of California. For various reasons, including the fact that we are running short on time, I have not bicycled. We visited the Redwood forests with Don and Bronnie, and then parted ways with the hopes of meeting up sometime before we reach home. Vincent had never been to San Francisco, so he and I spent a day visiting all the typical tourist sites. While there, I got to visit another dear friend of mine from my NIH days. Jim is working in San Mateo for a couple of years and volunteers on the Liberty Ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a restored WWII vessel moored at Pier 45 Fisherman’s Wharf in the SF Bay. As always, it was great seeing him. We are in the midst of wine country and our RV is right next to a vineyard. Bob and I walked through the fields and marveled at the beauty of the plants. We visited Hearst Castle, W.R. Hearst’s “little something” to replace camping out in the open at the San Simeon Ranch. The castle is spectacular, but the real story is the achievement of Julia Morgan, the first female architect in California and the creative drive behind the magnificent estate. We had our first In-N-Out burgers which are mighty good for fast food. We still haven’t had a burger as good as the Sunshine General Store in Brookeville, MD-a little hole-in-the wall place that we love and bicycle to often.
Day 128: Tuesday, August 16, 2011
54 miles from Harbor, Oregon to Klamath, California
Just after crossing into California, I noticed a crop with trumpet-shaped flowers that I couldn’t identify. Turns out I was cycling through Smith River which is the Easter Lilly Capital of the world. The day started out sunny, but as I cycled, the fog from the ocean came in and created an eerie, misty, miasma over the shore. Fortunately, the roadway remained pretty clear, but I couldn’t see a thing when looking at the ocean. It reminded me of a scene out of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. We’re going to explore the Redwood Forests tomorrow since I couldn’t see much riding today--the shoulders were too narrow and I had to concentrate on making sure I didn't get hit by a car!
 |
| Easter Lilly fields in Smith River, California |
 |
| A day at the beach in Northern California |
Day 127: Monday, August 15, 2011
32 miles to Bandon, Oregon
I felt like I was back in Kentucky again with lots of short, steep climbing. The Oregon Coast Bike Route moved away from the coast and up to a heavily wooded road. Very nice scenery and little traffic.
 |
| Coos Bay Oregon |
Day 126: Sunday, August 14, 2011
72 miles from Newport, Oregon to Reedsport, Oregon
It’s great to have a tail wind! I wasn’t sure I would bicycle today, but the weather was so spectacular, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I didn’t leave until about 11:30 and still I was able to bicycle 72 miles. Needless to say, it was a stunning ride.
Days 124 and 125: Friday and Saturday, August 12 and 13, 2011
After visiting the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, we drove up to Newport and spent a couple of days there. Newport is a working seaport with fantastic seafood, beautiful beaches, and spectacular views. We met up with Bronnie and Don. Bronnie’s sister, Meg and her husband Rafi, have a house in Agate Beach and they hosted all of us for a fantastic salmon plank dinner in honor of Don’s birthday. Margi, Dan, Judy, John, Bob and I had spent the day bicycling along the Yaquina Bay enjoying the sights, sounds and great fresh air of the area, so of course we were ravenous. Earlier in the day, Bob and I went tide-pooling at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Tide-pooling on the Pacific Coast is quite different than on the Atlantic Coast. We saw sea anemones, starfish and various algae. We got there a little too late to see any purple sea urchin, but still it was a delight for the eyes. After an outstanding week of bicycling with my friends, it was time for them to head back home to reality (I’ll have to do that soon enough). Great friends, great memories and great moments.
Day 123: Thursday, August 11, 2011
54 miles into The Park Motel, Florence, Oregon
We bicycled down a beautiful, windy road along the Siuslaw (pronounced sigh YOU slaw) River. Kudos to the drivers in this area as they are extremely courteous and gave us wide berth on a road with little to no shoulder. Given that we saw dozens of bicyclists in Florence, I am sure they are quite used to looking out for those of us on self-propelled two-wheel vehicles.
As I was setting up the camera to take a photo of us at the Welcome to Florence sign, Steve Green, an avid recumbent tricycle ride and author of Trikeaslyum rode up. He kindly greed to take a photo and while we were speaking to him, we learned he was from Florence. We asked him the best route to the ocean and he offered to take us there. We rode about 4 miles north into very strong headwinds, then west to the ocean at Haceta Beach. I can only say it was a perfect ending to the Transamerica leg of this fabulous journey. Sharing my experience through the blog has been fantastic and having Bob, Margi, Dan, Judy and John with me for the last few days was very special.
Keep reading as I bicycle down the Pacific Coast until it is time for me to head home.
 |
| Steve Greene |
Day 122: Wednesday, August 10, 2011
46 miles to Triangle Lake, Oregon
 |
| Dan and Bob on Fern Ridge Bike Path in Eugene, Oregon |
 |
| Taking a break at Starbucks in Eugene, Oregon |
Day 121: Tuesday, August 9, 2011
We spent the day in charming Coburg, Oregon. After Judy and John arrived, we spent some time plotting our route for tomorrow, then headed off for some great pizza at the Coburg Pizza Company. This small , friendly, family-run business makes great food and rents videos. We will be well fueled for our trip tomorrow.
 |
| John, Judy, Dan, Margi, Cahie and Bob |
Day 120: Monday, August 8, 2011
55 miles into Eugene Premier RV Resort, Eugene, Oregon
We are definitely over the mountains and headed for the coast. Today was the first cloudy day we have had in weeks and the temperatures were only in the 60’s. We rode along the McKenzie River and the area has some beautiful river-front homes. The gardens are stunning and the flowers clearly benefit from the cool, moist weather. Dan and Margi were happy for the cooler weather since they don’t see temperatures much above the 80’s in Fairbanks. We rode by several orchards, but couldn’t identify the crops. The trees were quite large with no sign of fruit. As it turns out, they are hazelnut orchards. I always thought hazelnuts grew on shrubs, but the plants can be cultivated as large trees. I took very few pictures today because the shoulder was very narrow for most of the ride.
Judy and John arrive tomorrow and Dan and Margi asked the rental company if they could upgrade to a larger car. The company has an Excursion in their inventory, but it is unavailable this week because Michelle Obama is using it to visit her brother in Corvalis. Guess I can’t escape the “Washington” corridor.
 |
| Bob, Margi, Dan and Cathie just outside Coburg, Oregon |
Day 119: Sunday, August 7, 2011
54 miles into Holiday Farm RV Resort, McKenzie Bridge, Oregon
We had perfect weather and an incredibly beautiful ride today. It was really delightful having Margi and Dan riding with me and Dan turns out to be a great action photographer. Dan did double duty as he drove their rental car up to the Dee Wright Observatory at the top of the pass, bicycled down to Sisters, then bicycled back up the pass and finished up the ride with me while Margi drove the car to their accommodations in McKenzie Bridge. We had to bicycle up about 2200 feet, then bicycled down 4000 feet. Not a bad tradeoff. We rode through the most awesome lava field on the way up and a beautiful, shady, dense pine forest on the way down.
 |
| Dee Wright Observatory |
 |
| Magi, Cathie and Dan with view of lava and Cascade Mountain in the background |
Day 118: Saturday, August 6, 2011
Dan and Margi flew into Portland today, drove to Eugene to rent a couple of bicycles and showed up at the RV Park around 2:00 or so. Dan spent some time tinkering with the bicycles to make sure they were in tip-top road condition. We had dinner, then took a short ride to make sure the bicycles were ready. We are looking forward to our trip over McKenzie Pass tomorrow.
Day 117: Friday, August 5, 2011
26 miles into Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort, Bend, Oregon
 |
| Getting close to Sisters Mountains |
Day 116: Thursday, August 4, 2011
We visited the Deschutes County Fair in Redmond, Oregon and had a great time. I was a bit disappointed as there were only about 5 needlework entries. There were tons of quilts and beautiful flower arrangements. There was a much more diverse collection of fowl including turkeys and geese. Of course, the food was great although we did manage to stay away from all the fried candy bars and things. We’ll get back to bicycling tomorrow with a short trip to Sisters. My friends Margi and Dan, from Alaska, will meet us there and join us for a week of bicycling. We are then meeting Judy and John, who bicycled with me on the Eastern Shore in Maryland, in Eugene for bicycling to the coast and then up to Newport, Oregon. Don and Bronnie will meet us in Newport. We are really looking forward to seeing our friends.
Day 113, 114 and 115: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, August 1 - 3, 2011
We spent several days at Diamond Lake, Oregon about 3 miles from Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake is a beautiful, stunning and dramatic sight. The water is so spectacularly blue and pristine as you look down on it from the rim that it dazzles the eye. There were lots of bicyclists making the 33-mile ride around the lake. Bob and I elected to make the 13-mile trip around Diamond Lake instead. Not quite as dramatic, but we bicycled on a beautifully maintained paved hiking-biking trail with no cars to deal with and much less climbing.
 |
| Mt. Mazama in Crater Lake National Park |
 |
| Phantom Ship in Crater Lake National Park |
 |
| Bicycle trail around Diamond Lake |
 |
| Mt. Thielsen view from Diamond Lake |
Day 112: Sunday, July 30, 2011
17 miles to Bend, Oregon
Bob and I met Jim and Ellen, two friends bicycling near Bend. We were taking a main road from Redmond to Bend and they invited us to take a more scenic route. We rode over the Deschutes River and through some beautiful country. When we reached their destination, Jim was reluctant to have us continue on the main highway, but Bob didn’t want to take the hillier route. About 4 miles after we left Jim and Ellen, Jim caught up with us on the highway. He kindly offered to load our bicycles up and give us a tour of the city. He said we wouldn’t see much on the route we were traveling. We drove through downtown Bend with tons of cute shops, past Drake Park and then on to the Old Mill District. The Old Mill District is built on land that once housed two of the world’s largest sawmills. It has a vast array of shops, restaurants, galleries, museums and parks. He dropped us off at the RV campground, which he didn't even know existed. After we showered, Bob, Vincent and I went back to the Old Mill District and had a nice seafood lunch at Anthony’s while we watched the leisure activities on the Deschutes River.
 |
| Deschutes River |
Day 111: Saturday, July 29, 2011
30 miles into the ExpoCenter RV Park, Redmond, Oregon
 |
| Ochoco View. We weren't expecting this climb just as we left Prinefville. |
Day 110: Friday, July 29, 2011
37 miles into Crook County RV Park, Prineville, Oregon
Bob dropped me off at mile marker 54 and it only took me 45 minutes to get to the top. I was surprised since I had to rest every mile I was going up. Riding down the other side was fantastic fun. The scenery is beginning to look the way I always imagined Oregon-green and lush. Lake Ochoco is about 23 miles on the western side of the mountain. I watched a flock of pelicans complete a majestic sweep of the end of the lake and then settle gently back into the meadow. It was a splendid sight. I puzzled over the very strange cattle I saw in one pasture and later learned they are water buffalo. I passed a field of unfamiliar plants and a woman I spoke to thought they might be seed carrots. I looked seed carrot plants up on the internet and these don’t look the same. Anyone have an idea as to what they might be?
I also saw my first view of what I think is the Three Sisters volcanic peaks. These are the last mountains we have to cross and we will be taking McKenzie Pass to get through the Three Sisters Wilderness. You’ll have to wait a bit to hear how that goes because we are taking a trip to Crater Lake National Park before we head up to Sisters. |
| Pelican formation |
 |
| Mysterious plant? |
 |
| Three Sisters |
Day 109: Thursday, July 28, 2011
51 miles to mile marker 54 on Route 26, about 4 miles from the top of Ochoco Pass
I bicycled over Keyes Creek Pass today and kept riding until I ran out of water about 4 miles from the top of Ochoco Pass. Bob and I had planned to meet in Mitchell, about 39 miles from Dayville, but the road into the city was closed. So I decided to just keep riding until I saw Bob on the route. I finally stopped and waited when I ran out of water. He came by about 30 minutes later and all was fine. There was a nice breeze as I waited for him which helped to combat the 96 degree temperatures.
 |
| Climbing Ochoco Pass |
Day 108: Wednesday, July 27, 2011
We decided to spend an extra day in Dayville. The campground is tranquil and the weather is beautiful. It also gave us a chance to visit John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. I had never heard of this National Park before, but I am very glad we decided to visit. It is an incredible preservation of life through millions of years. Since the 1860’s exploration and study have yielded amazing results. Each year, hundreds of specimens are added to the collection and the fossil beds have yielded significant findings and so much information is collected that scientists are able to assemble and reconstruct ancient ecosystems. The beds are dispersed across 20,000 square miles of eastern Oregon. Obviously, more than a day would be needed to fully appreciate the area.
Day 107: Tuesday, July 26, 2011
32 miles into Fish House Inn and RV Campground, Dayville, Oregon
Today was a milestone day. Not only did I reach 3000 miles, but Bob let Vincent drive the travel trailer to the RV campground and he bicycled with me. It was a great ride. The weather was beautiful-crisp and cool with just a slight breeze and the route was a slight downhill for most of the time. Now that he is comfortable with Vincent driving and setting up, I hope he will bicycle with me more frequently. He did say, however, that he wasn’t ready to go over any passes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)