BAC Seattle to San Francisco

July 23 – Bodega Bay to Berkeley

The Julie/Bob team left Bodega Bay a little before 8:00 in overcast skies. Holding to form, Julie attacked the ups and I attacked the downs. Because there were lots of ups and downs, we leapfrogged all morning.

Today’s route was very familiar to me so I didn’t need my cue sheet. It also meant that I felt comfortable making minor route variations. One of those was to the Bovine Bakery in Point Rayes Station where I had a scone and the best coffee on the trip.

We got back on route taking Platform Bridge Road over to Samuel B. Taylor Park and its bicycle route. We rode the entire path including the last unpaved portion. We met Rich at the end where it meets Sir Francis Drake.

When we got to Fairfax, the Indy gruppo who were trying to figure out how to navigate the bicycle route through the little towns on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. I volunteered to lead them. We breezed through Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross, Kentfield, Larkspur and Corta Madera. Here we bypassed the Corta Madera hill and took the traditional GPC route, eliminating traffic.

After coasting down the hill, we got onto the Sausalito bicycle path and rode on to Mike’s Bikes where we stopped for fuel and a nature break. Rich caught us here and we all rode together through Sausalito, up Alexander Drive and over the east side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I am sure that the cyclists who read this blog are familiar with the bicycle rules on the bridge. The west side which is reserved for bicycles on the weekend is closed on the week days. This means that we have to ride on the east side mingling with all of the walkers who are looking at the vistas and not paying attention to anything else. In addition, the people who are riding rental bikes do not have appropriate skills to ride in crowded conditions and are all over the sidewalk. This is a very chaotic and unsafe condition. I found myself yelling to warn people that I was passing. I even had to nudge some pedestrians when they wouldn’t move. Heed this warning: DO NOT RIDE YOUR BICYCLE ACROSS THE BRIDGE ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

We made it without any problems and dropped down to Crissy Fields riding to the bicycle path on the Marina. I left the group here while they went sight-seeing and I hightailed it to BART. I got home around 4:00.

Someone asked me a few weeks ago about my next tour. I told them that I was flying to Seattle and riding my bike home. I did.

Here is a link to today's route.

I showered and got into clean clothes. Then Ann and I drove back to the city to join the group for Happy Hour and our last dinner. We ate at Buca di Beppo, a family-style Italian Italian restaurant. Afterwards, I picked up my luggage, loaded it into the car and drove home to complete a successful tour.

Here are some final statistics taken from my GPS:

16 riding days; 1013 miles; 54, 347 feet altitude gain; 75:41:24 time on the saddle (ouch!).

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

July 22 – Point Arena to Bodega Bay, CA

Cereal and toast in the breakfast room. Started to ride at 8:00. Rode up the hill and turned right on CA 1. Arrived in Bodega Bay 64 miles later a little after 2:00. On the way I stopped at Stewart’s Point Store for coffee and coffee cake and hooked up with Julie. Rode with her until Fort Ross where she turned off to see the fort. Stopped in Jenner to eat my PB&J sandwich. During the day I rode past Sea Ranch and Ellen’s rental house near Goat Rock. The weather was foggy and cool. I put on my rain jacket over my light weight cycling jacket and wore it all day. Traffic is getting heavier as we approach the San Francisco area and the road shoulders are getting narrower. The last two days were difficult because of all the steep rollers and because of all of the miles we have accumulated.

Here is a link to today's route.

We are staying at the Bodega Coast Inn at the south end of Bodega Bay. This is one of the best hotels that we have stayed in. I have no fireplace tonight, but my room is very comfortable.

At Happy Hour, Ron and I were the hosts. This means that we helped Rich and Judy by cutting up the vegetables, arranging all of the snacks and cleaning up afterwards. We were joined by Margie Kirk and Sally McKinney, BAC members and friends from the Bay Area. We were also joined by Bob and Kathy, relatives of Ken Neville.

I joined Margie, Sally, Ben and Rich at the Sandpiper for dinner. I had calamari in a tomato sauce and linguine.

It’s closing in on 9:00. I’m signing off for the night.

Seattle to San Francisco

July 21 – Westport to Point Arena, CA

Things were quiet in the house when I got in last night. Miriam and Marlene were already in bed. I soon followed – into bed in my upstairs room. They were up a little earlier than I was this morning. They wanted to get an early start. I hung around until 7:30 when Judy came by with the trailer so we could load our bags. Judy said that there was a scone and coffee waiting for me at the hotel so I went over there to collect. She joined me after she ordered an omelet. When it came, the waitress mentioned that it had shrimp in it. Judy is allergic to shrimp. Guess who ate the omelet? She got a plain one instead.

I was off on my bicycle at 8:30. The skies were fairly clear but it was cool. It soon got foggy. The fog lasted all day. The above photo shows how foggy it was. I had lots of trouble seeing the surf.

After 30 miles, I stopped at a grocery/deli and had coffee and some home made banana coconut bread. My next stop was at mile 50 when I ate my PB&J sandwich at a vista point. That’s where I took the photo above.

I rolled into The Warf Masters Inn at 2:00. I was ready to stop. It was a tough ride with all of the steep rollers.

Here is a link to today’s route.

Happy Hour was in one of the other riders’ room. It was a tri-level suite with a full kitchen, dining room and living room with a fireplace. My room is a lot smaller, but it has a Jacuzzi and a fireplace.

Most of us had dinner at the Chowder House which is below our hotel. I had some passable fish tacos. At the end of the meal, we toasted George Chambers who is leaving the tour tomorrow with his son Ed.

It is now a little past 8:00. I am going up to the hotel’s lobby to post this blog.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

July 20 – Garberville to Westport, CA

I met Bill at a cafe down the street from our motel at 6:30 when it was supposed to open. Arriving a little after that was the waitress who let us in and said that we could order and eat prior to the 7:00 opening time. We did. I had eggs, hash browns, toast and coffee. I got the 10% senior discount.

I got on the road at 8:00 being the last to leave again. Our route took us on and off US 101 for the first 24 miles. The on part was a bit dicey when the shoulder disappeared. The off part was in redwood forests and very awe inspiring. We had a few rough patches and even one dirt stretch. The temperature was rising and I had to take off my cold weather gear.

We finally said good bye to US 101 after 24 miles and turned onto CA 1. We immediately encountered “the climb” of the tour – Leggett Hill. It turned out to be tamer than expected. Julie and I rode together up to the top. The temperature was pretty warm but we were in a forest whose trees gave us lots of relief from the sun. As we descended, the micro climate changed drastically. It got cold. I stopped to put on my arm warmers. Then I stopped to put on my jacket. Looking ahead, I could see fog. I almost stopped to put on my leg warmers, but it was fortunate that I didn’t because the next climb was steep and very warm.

I reached the coast and stopped at a lookout to eat my PB&J sandwich. I was joined at different times with Ben, Sue, Linda, Julie, Ken and Martha. They all took off while I was finishing my lunch. Because it was foggy and cold, I slipped on my leg warmers for the last 5 miles of the ride. I reached Westport before 1:00.

Here is a link to today's route.

Because Westport has a population of about 25, there isn’t a lodging large enough for our whole group. We are in three different locations. I was lucky enough to get into a large guest house with a great view of the surf across the street. I am sharing the house with Miriam and Marlene. I have an upstairs bedroom while they have two downstairs bedrooms. My bathroom is down the stairs and around the back of the house. It should be interesting visiting it in the middle of the night. As I write this, we are finishing off a load of laundry, one of the benefits of being in a house rather than a hotel. The house does not have an internet connection and Westport has no AT&T service. This makes communications a bit difficult. Dinner tonight is at the town’s hotel which has wifi. I’ll use it to do my internet things including this blog.

Happy Hour was at our house. Dinner was at the hotel – salad, baked breaded chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables and cheese cake.

I am sitting at my dinner table at the hotel finishing the blog. It’s time to sign off.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

July 19 – Ferndale to Garberville, CA

I was sorry to say good bye to the Victorian Inn and Redwood Suites this morning. It was a perfect rest day yesterday. The hospitality at VI was wonderful.

I left around 8:00 after eating granola with yogurt and berries for breakfast. I am going to try that combination at home when I get back. I rode out of town with Julie and Rich. Our little group broke apart after we hit some steep rollers and I found myself riding alone. We were riding past dairy farms and saw lots of contented cows. They talked to Julie.

We got onto US 101 at Scotia. This is a company town developed by the controversial Pacific Lumber Company and was once named Forestville.

After 5 miles, we turned off of US 101 and onto the Avenue of the Giants – one of the major highlights of the tour. We rode 30+ miles on this parkway under a canopy of huge redwood trees. There was very little traffic and the shade of the trees kept the temperature down. We passed through the towns of Redcrest, Myers Flat (home of the drive-through tree) and Phillipsville where I stopped to eat my PB&J sandwich.

I reached Garberville and the Humboldt Redwood Inn shortly after 1:00.

Here is a link to today's route.

We had a Happy Hour. Then some of us went down the street to Cecil’s for dinner. I was happy with a club sandwich, Fritos and an IPA.

It is nearing 8:00. I am going to waste some time before I get ready for bed. I’ll probably read, watch the Tour……

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

July 18, Ferndale Rest Day

Breakfast was part of our room rate. We ate at the Victorian Inn. I had juice, eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee.

Because I have been gone for two weeks, I decided to go to the laundromat and do some clothes washing. I had been hand washing my cycling clothes every day after my ride, but they needed something more thorough. My PJs were getting a bit odiferous too. It became a social scene with about half of our group there. If you are wondering, there is no motel there.

I went back my room and worked on my website. Shortly after noon, I got hungry and went to the Main Street Cafe for lunch. I had the sandwich of the day – turkey and cream cheese on toasted raisin bread. It sounded awful but it was really good. For dessert, I decided on the chocolate orange mousse. It was almost more than I could eat.

Jeff suggested that I visit one of the main attractions in Ferndale – the Kinetic Race Museum. This is a three-day fun race from Arcata to Ferndale using human powered vehicles. It goes on roads, through fields and through water to get here. Here is a slide show of photos that I took in the museum.

Ferndale is an old town whose foundation was built from the dairy business in the lat 19th century up to now. The Dutch settled here first. Later the Portuguese arrived. The town was prosperous and many Victorian buildings were built. A lot of the buildings were constructed with redwood. They have survived several earthquakes. The cows have survived too. This area was where the “contented cows” commercials were filmed. I walked through the town and took lots of photos of the buildings. Here is a link to a slide show of the buildings.

We had a Happy Hour and then dinner. I ate at the Victorian Inn with Julie, Dick, Sue, Linda, Ben and Laura. I had a hamburger with sweet potato fries and a crème brûlée for dessert.

It’s now after 9:00. If my crème brûlée settles soon, I’ll turn in for the night.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

July 17 – Orick to Ferndale, CA

I was up at 6:00. I enjoyed eggs, hash browns, toast and coffee at the motel’s cafe with the Nevilles, Julie and Rich. After fussing around for a while, I put my bags in the trailer and was on the road just before 8:00. I was last.

The weather was cool with light fog as I headed down US 101. Being early Saturday morning, traffic was light. I liked that because the shoulders on  the highway were pretty bad.

The route took us off of US 101 on Patrick Point Drive. It was here that I began another nostalgia trip. About 60 years ago, my family drove along this stretch of highway in an old Buick towing a travel trailer. We stayed overnight at Patrick Point State Park. I remembered that my sister and I loved the park. It was nestled in the redwoods and had good beach access. We had great fun exploring everything. When we left in the morning, the old Buick had some trouble getting up the hill at the highway and dropped the rear end. I don’t know what that means, but I do know that we were towed to Trinidad and spent a few days in the trailer on a bluff overlooking the ocean. My mother hated it because it was so windy.

I rode past the park and stopped in Trinidad. I didn’t find where we sat on the bluff 60 years ago, but I did find a good coffee shop and had a blueberry scone and a cup of coffee. I talked to a couple of locals who told me the best route to take on the way south. Fortunately, it was our planned route. When I left the coffee shop, there was a lineup of cyclists ready to leave on a charity ride. I passed them and the starter warned them not to follow me. He was the same guy that suggested the safe route.

The route took me down Trinidad Scenic Drive which turned to gravel from time to time. Then it was a series of farm roads and bicycle trails all the way into Arcata. I passed Humboldt State College somewhere along the way. Then it was a short stretch on US 101 until the outskirts of Eureka. I wound around Eureka until I came upon the old part of town where I stopped at The Carson Mansion. I met Julie, Rich, Ben and the Nevilles there. This is where I ate my PB&J lunch.

 

 

I stopped at a little bakery down the road to use its facilities and met one of the local Humboldt characters and his antler bicycle. This man has been travelling throughout the country on his bicycle starting in Boston and ending up in Eureka. He said that he is going to Big Sur next.

My next stop was in Fernbridge at a fruit stand where I bought some white nectarines. I finally arrived at the Redwood Suites around 2:30.

Here is a link to today's route.

My room is in an older motel that has been updated. The decor is comfortable with modern oak furniture. Some of our group are staying across the street at the Victorian Inn.

At our Happy Hour, the owner of the two properties gave us a short history lesson of the area. Afterwards, I ate at the Inn’s tavern having Mac and Cheese made with Loleta cheese.

It is closing in on 8:00. I’m starting to shut down for the night. I am planning to get up in the morning a do my laundry right after breakfast. After that, who knows.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

(Note from a previous post when I said that Jeremiah entertained us all night. You should remember that Jeremiah was a Bullfrog).

20100716 – Brookings, OR to Orick, CA

We left Oregon and entered California this morning. The weather was very cool and foggy, especially at 6:00 when I got up. I postponed leaving until 8:00 because of the fog, but it wasn’t lifting so I left anyway.

We rode along US 101 for five miles. Then we got onto side roads that had very little traffic. The major surprise of the day occurred as we approached Crescent City and rode past the Pelican Bay prison. My pace picked up until I was way past it.

The route through Crescent City took us eastward on top of the bluffs looking out at the ocean. There was too much fog to see much of the sea. I noticed several large houses close to the bluffs and couldn’t help thinking about the houses that fell onto the beach in Pacifica. There were a few for-sale signs.

The oatmeal that I had for breakfast was wearing off after 30 miles, so I meandered through town until I could get someone to direct me to a coffee shop. A nice woman pointed me to a bakery. I stopped and ordered a double espresso and an apple fritter. I sat on a bench outside of the bakery and imbibed while checking my email on my iPhone.

Leaving Crescent City, the route put me back on US 101. The refreshments that I had helped push me over a1300-foot climb. The shoulder was very narrow or non-existent on the climb which worried me a lot. I went from fog and cool to sun and hot at altitude. This pattern repeated itself for the rest of the ride.

Approaching Klamath, I pulled of of the road at one of America’s favorite destinations. Paul Bunyan still talks to the tourists at the Trees of Mystery. I met Rich there and we both chuckled at the reactions of the little kids.

 

 

We rode on through Klamath and eventually left US 101 for the Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway. This road took us through an ancient redwood forest for about 9 miles. I stopped a few times to take photos. Traffic was very light and the cars that we saw were driving slowly in order to see the trees. Riding a bicycle through the redwoods is spectacular – something I will never forget. And we have more in a few days.

 

 

At the end of the Parkway and back on US 101, we had to be on the lookout for elk. I was fortunate to see a herd next to the road at a tourist area and a large bull a little farther down the road.

I pulled in at the Palm Motel and Cafe around 2:45.

Here is a link to today's route.

This is an old motel right out of the 50’s. The rooms are OK. They are reasonably clean, have hot and cold running water and free high speed internet. The indoor swimming pool has been drained.

We had our Happy Hour outside on a patio. It was Ben’s birthday. Judy got a cake from the cafe and lit the candles so we could all sing Happy Birthday to him. My cake is sitting next to me. I will have it for late dessert.

I had dinner at the cafe with Ron. I had a salad from the salad bar, a ground beef steak with mashed potatoes smothered in sautéed onions and gravy, and soft ice cream with chocolate sauce.

It looks like it will be an early night for me. It’s closing in on 8:00. Time for reading and sleeping.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100715 – Port Orford to Brookings, OR

I was up early, packed my bags, loaded them into the trailer and backtracked into town to have breakfast at the Paradise Cafe. Eggs, hash browns, bacon, toast and coffee got me ready for the day. George and Ed Chambers joined me. We enjoyed watching the locals – mostly old men. We figured that the cafe would lose money if it offered senior discounts.

I started pedaling at 8:40 with cool temperatures and a nice tail wind. I rode along US 101 for about 15 miles then turned east onto Cedar Valley Road. This gave us a nice bypass to the main highway. The road weaved along a creek in lightly forested land. It eventually left the creek and returned west to the ocean at Gold Beach.

After Gold Beach, I continued on US 101 until I reached Brookings and The Best Western Beachfront Inn. I got in after 2:00.

Here is a link to today's route.

This is a real nice hotel. I have a ground floor room with a small terrace that is 30 feet from the beach. I can see and hear the surf through the window to my terrace. The surf is brilliantly blue.

After Happy Hour, I walked to a restaurant the won the best chowder award in 2009. Unfortunately it was closed. So I turned around and went into a restaurant that the hotel recommended. It was not good.

I am back in my room. It’s approaching 9:00. I’m wrapping it up for the night.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100714 – Lakeside to Port Orford

Jeremiah entertained us last night. The Lakeside Lodge is on the shore of a lake and there are lots of lily pads.

I was up at 6:00 for a 6:30 breakfast at the lodge. I had French toast with blueberries. Afterwards, I packed, loaded my luggage and took off alone at 7:45. It was sunny and cold with a good tail wind.

We have been following the Oregon Coast Bike Route along with Adventure Cycling route maps. There get us off of US 101 as much as possible taking us on less traveled and more scenic roads. Today was no exception. At North Bend at mile 15, we turned west and followed Hungryman Cove which is part of Coos Bay. At Charleston we turned onto three of my favorite road names – Seven Devils Rd, Beaver Hill Rd and Whiskey Run Lane. We went south on these roads through remote forests until mile 41 when we merged onto US 101.

Around mile 46 at a draw bridge we had to wait at the side of the road for one land traffic to clear before we were allowed over the bridge. Then we left US 101 at Bandon turning west the south around the bluffs lining the ocean. It was very windy here cooling me off considerably. I had to put my jacket back on having shed it a few miles back. I stopped at one of the state parks and ate my PB&J sandwich at a picnic tables overlooking the surf.

At mile 51, I merged onto US 101 again and was thankful for the tail wind that pushed me all of the way to Port Orford and the Sea Crest Motel.

Traffic was heavy on US 101 but very light on the other roads. Road surfaces were mostly excellent although we had several short stretches were shoulders were very narrow or disappeared altogether. We went over a few small bridges and a long one-mile bridge with no problems.

Here is a link to today’s route.

Our motel is an old-style one just south of Port Orford. On the surface, my room looks clean. Closer inspection shows cobwebs in the corner, dust on higher surfaces and dead bugs on the ceiling (there is a fly swatter hanging on the wall). The walls have fresh paint but someone forgot to scrape the mistakes off of the window. I have a great view of the ocean and the entrance to the harbor. There are several fishing boats anchored off shore.

Happy Hour ended early. We were all eager to get to the Crazy Norwegian’s Fish and Chips before it closed. Believe it or not, this is a highly rated seafood restaurant right here in Port Orford. There were at least 16 of us that were shuttled the half-mile to the restaurant which looks like a fish shack. The interior is fairly small with a dozen or so tables. I had their specialty – fish and chips. It was lightly battered fresh cod. I abstained from pie and ice cream.

It is closing in on 8:00. I’m going to wind it down for the day and watch the sunset from my room.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100713 – Yachats to Lakeside

We decided to have all of the luggage into the trailer by 8:00. This was because Judy will be our sole driver and she wanted to get to our destinations early enough to get in a ride. So I got up at 6:00, packed all of my things and loaded them into the trailer by 7:00. Then I rode into town to have breakfast at the Green Salmon. This is a small cafe that specializes in coffee, coffee drinks, pastries, etc. They try to be very green. I was surprised that they had some real breakfast items. I had special oatmeal, a huge raspberry almond scone and the best cup of coffee that I have had on the trip. I ate with Dick, Annamaria, Laura, Linda and Sue.

I left breakfast, turned left and rode almost all of the way on US 101. The only diversion came just before Lakeside where I was able to get off of noisy 101 for 2 1/2 miles.

The ride was fairly easy. There were lots of rollers, a couple of climbs and a good tail wind for most of the way. The weather was sunny and cool. I made a few stops along the way including one at a bicycle store in Florence and another at a state park boat launch to eat my PB&J sandwich. I went over several bridges and through one tunnel. The shoulders were wide enough most of the time, but disappeared at other times. Traffic was not too bad and I only had about 1/2 dozen close calls with RVs.

I started my ride at 8:15 and finished at 1:40. I would have finished earlier but I overshot the hotel and had to backtrack.

Here is a link to today’s route.

Ron and I hosted Happy Hour duty this afternoon. We did some slicing and dicing of vegetables and cheese as well as opening wine bottles. Our presentation left a little to be desired, but it worked.

I had dinner in a little restaurant down the street sitting with Judy, Betty and Rich. I had pan fried chicken. It was good and crispy.

It’s nearing 8:30. Our access to the internet is really bad, so this blog will go out tomorrow.

BAC Seattle to San Fraqncisco

20100712 – Yachats

Today was a rest day. I did a little bit of riding though. We are about a mile south of town, so I used my bicycle to get there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I slept until 7:30. I had a late breakfast at Le Roy's Blue Whale – fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, hash browns and coffee. I rode around town which is about 1/4 mile, bought some supplies at the grocery store and went back to my room. I spent the rest of the morning working on my website with my feet up.

Lunch was at Heidi’s where I had one of my all-time favorites - an open-face Dungeness crab sandwich and a black & blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. After lunch I rode around town again trying to discover anything new. Then I went back to my room and worked on the website some more.

Happy Hour was at 5:00. Rich surprised with margaritas. We also had as guests a couple from New Zealand who were riding from Vancouver to San Francisco on fully loaded bicycles. They are doing 100 miles per day. (We are really spoiled).

I had dinner at the Drift Inn Family Pub. I had another of my all-time favorites – fried razor clams. After dinner, I went back to the motel, put on my sandals and strolled along the beach. The tide was way out. I tried to find some good tide pools to take photos of sea life, but I wasn’t successful. There were some beautiful kelp beds on the rocks, though.

It’s closing in on 9:00. I am going to get prepared for the ride tomorrow.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100711 – Lincoln City to Yachats

It was typical chaos when we all converged in the breakfast room this morning at 7:00. The main feature was fresh fruit. I had a bowl of compote and blueberries on my waffle. This is Sunday after all.

Someone turned on the TV to watch today’s stage of The Tour. When I got back to my room I turned it on. It had a ways to go, so I packed up my bags and put them into our trailer. Then I went back to my room to watch the finish. This put me on the road at 8:40.

The weather was cool with some high fog. I dressed warmly with my toe warmers, leg warmers, arm warmers, light undershirt and a light jacket. It was perfect until I got to the only climb of the day. I took off my toe and leg warmers in the middle of the climb. Later, I made a stop in Newport for coffee and a scone. I shed my jacket there. (Note to Jeff: It was too early for beer and a burger at the Rogue Brewery).

The rest of the ride was flat or low rollers with a tail wind. I blew into Yachats at 12:40 and made my way to the Yachats Inn.

Here is a link to today's route.

When I arrived, our rooms were not ready. The desk clerk directed me to the lounge area where I met the Nevilles. We found the large-screen TV and watched the World Cup championship game. When it was over, our rooms were ready.

Our rooms are in the old part of the inn. They are close to the ocean and have views of it. I am sitting next to my sliding glass door watching and listening to the surf.

Phil, one of our riders had to leave the tour today and rush home to Florida because of a family emergency. We hope everything goes well for him. Phil and Judy were taking turns driving our support vehicle. We will find out what will happen for the rest of the tour later.

Speaking of the support vehicle, it belongs to Rich Gallo, our ride leader. He drove his Toyota Highlander towing a special trailer all the way from Brooklyn to Seattle so it could be used on the tour. The trailer is customized with built-in compartments for all of the things that are needed for cycling tours. He has a full range of repair tools as well as lots of parts. Rich is an experienced tour director taking groups across country and other long-range trips for BAC and for Adventure Cycling. Here are photos of his vehicle and trailer. The graphics on the trailer were done by his son, Nick who is a graphics designer.

Happy Hour was at 5:00. We were joined by Rick Hill, a BAC member from Newport, OR. He met some of our group in Newport and led them to Yachats. He talked about some of his tours as a leader and filled us in on places to eat and trails to hike around Yachats.

I walked into town with the Nevilles and had fish tacos at Luna Sea. We ate outside under cool overcast skies. There was a wait to get inside and we were too hungry to waste time standing around.

It’s nearing 9:00 and I am signing off for the night.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100710 – Garibaldi to Lincoln City, OR

I was up at 6:00. The crew wanted to get an early start because of today’s distance. Rich arranged to have the breakfast buffet start at 6:00 because of this. The buffet had scrambled eggs, potatoes, waffles and everything else that Oregon motels have. I was hungry when I got there but I couldn’t eat very much.

I packed up and left the motel at 8:00. There was high fog and the temperature was in the 50s. Being Saturday morning, traffic was very light. We went south to Tillamook and then got off of US 101 onto the Three Capes Scenic Route. This route took us along harbors, bays and capes. It was very scenic except we were not next to the ocean. There were a couple of steep climbs along the way. On the descent of the steepest climb, we came upon sand dunes in the middle of the forest. I stopped to take photos and to eat my PB&J sandwich. Betty and Ben were there having a snack and a rest. Two young men on loaded touring bicycles also stopped. They were from Ireland and were doing a ride from Vancouver, BC, to San Francisco.

We got back onto US 101 just past Pacific City and stayed there until we reached Neskowin. Then we turned onto Slab Creek Road which is also old US 101. It was a 5-mile ascent along a creek and through a beautiful old growth forest. Then it was a 5-mile descent down to Otis where most of us stopped at the world famous Otis Cafe for pie and other things. I had a piece of delicious strawberry rhubarb pie with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. This place was highly recommended by Bill Kiess who had been there before. I sat with Bill along with Ken and Martha Neville. Bill had a BLT along with his strawberry rhubarb pie with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Ken had an apple crisp with chocolate ice cream and a bowl of chowder. He split them with Martha.

Our remaining six miles into Lincoln City was a breeze. There was lots of backed up traffic from the weekend beach goers. We gleefully rode past them and got to The Coho Ocean Front Lodge around 3:15.

Here is a link to today's route.

The lodge is on a bluff above the beach. Our rooms all have windows looking out to the Pacific Ocean. I have my windows open. I can hear the pounding surf, children playing on the beach and fighting kites roaring in the wind.

Happy Hour was at 5:00. As a special treat, Rich bought several pies at the Otis Cafe and served them to us. This time I had the apple crisp with no ice cream. It went well with my syrah.

I wandered alone to dinner at a Thai restaurant . I had pork sa tay and shrimp pad thai. The servings were huge and I couldn’t eat it all. I passed my unfinished sa tay to a table of my fellow riders who came in after I did.

It’s now approaching 8:00. I’m going to lie down and read while I listen to the surf.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100709 – Astoria to Garibaldi

I awoke a little past 6:00 to fog in Astoria. I had oatmeal and coffee cake in the motel’s lobby at 7:00. I rolled near 8:00 dressed in my tights, arm warmers, jacket, toe warmers (I wear sandals) and a light undershirt. No fog would deter me!

After 1 1/2 miles, the fog was gone but it was still cool. So I left my cold weather gear on. I’m glad I did because near Seaside after 20 miles, it got foggy and cold again. I had caught up with the Indy Chicks just before that and they had to stop and put on their warmer outer clothes again. Here is a photo of them arriving in Seaside.

The route to Seaside was beautiful. We bypassed the busy roads getting our of Astoria and rode past farm land and forests. All of the flora was lush, a sharp contrast to parts of our route in Washington where timber companies had clear-cut a lot of the forest.

We finally reached the Pacific Ocean at Seaside where we rode up to the beach and turned south along a promenade. I stopped at a coffee shop for a raspberry scone and some coffee. Then I continued on to Canon Beach on US 101. I didn’t stop there, but it looks like a good place to stay sometime. It is gentrified compared to Seaside’s run down glitz.

After Canon Beach, I was on US 101 all of the way to Garibaldi. Parts of the route had wide shoulders similar to Washington. But other parts had narrow, dirty or no shoulders. It was scary with the trucks moving past me at speed. I was especially nervous in today’s tunnel. It was uphill so I was going pretty slow. It was a relief to get out of it.

I left Astoria a little before 8:00 and arrived at  The Garibaldi House a little after 1:00.

This is a link to today's route.

My room is very comfortable. It and the hotel in general are several steps up from the last two nights. They gave me towels so I could clean and lube my bicycle. They insisted that I use the hot tub to soak my tired muscles. They had popcorn, juice (one was cucumber, mint and ginger) and some snacks (crackers, cheese, salami).

Happy Hour was moved back to 5:00. Everyone seemed to want it earlier. This gives us an opportunity to eat dinner earlier. Speaking of dinner, I ate the Garibaldi Pub and Eatery with Ron. I had a pulled pork sandwich with beans and coleslaw. An IPA went with it.

The sun is out at 7:30 and the temperature is very pleasant. I’m signing off for the night.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100708 – South Bend, WA to Astoria, OR

Because of the heat, I went to bed shirtless last night and slept on top of the covers. At 1:15, I had to get up and close my window. Cold air was blowing in. When I got up at 6:20, the sky was covered with high fog. It looked just like the Bay Area.

Breakfast was at 7:00 at Chen’s. It was part of our room rate and included one pancake, one egg and either coffee or juice. The pancake was plate-size so I ordered it. It filled me up temporarily.

I left a little after 8:00 with my arm warmers under my cycling jacket. I felt slightly chilled but I warmed up soon. The first few miles of the ride were flat. Along some mud flats, I thought that it had started to sprinkle, but I soon realized that I was being hit by no-seeums. I kept my mouth closed on this stretch. This happened later in the ride, too.

After a while I caught up with Ron Guidotti. We rode together for several miles, stopping once at the turn to the Longbeach Peninsula to eat bananas. We encountered some short rollers along the way. On the last roller, I got really hungry and dropped back. I eventually stopped to eat an energy bar. Ron was way ahead of me at this point, so he wasn’t aware that I stopped and he rightly rode on.

Feeling much better, I continued on to Ilwaco where I saw a coffee shop with some bicycle in front. Miriam, Betty and Marlene were inside eating lunch. I got a cup of coffee and joined them with my PB&J sandwich. Rich joined us too.

I rode on to the highlight of the day – the Astoria Megler bridge. The bridge is around four miles long. From the Washington side, it start with a slight uphill and then levels off until about 1/4 mile from Astoria. For cyclists, there is a two-foot shoulder to ride on. If cars are careful, they can pass with 3-4 feet clearance.  Today, there was construction near the beginning which closed one lane for about 100 yards. This was a blessing in disguise because there were several gaps of no traffic. I was nervous when traffic passed me because there was nowhere to go if a car came too close or a wind gust blew me into traffic.The shoulder was fairly clean, so trash was not an obstacle. At the Astoria end, the bridge slopes up at 5-6% angle. This slowed me down a lot and made me cringe when the last block of traffic passed me. I made it to the end and to the Lamplighter Motel safely just before 1:00.

Here is a link to today's route.

After checking in and putting my bags into my room, I rode into town to a bike shop. I wanted to find a large saddle bag to replace my rear rack and mini pannier. I couldn’t find one so I rode around town looking at shops and restaurants. I ran into Annamaria and Linda at the boardwalk (Check out the sign). We rode back to the motel together. By this time, the sun was breaking through the fog.

My room is a typical slightly old motel room. It is clean, has hot water, free wifi and a box of tissues. What else do you need? Oh, a good queen-size bed.

Happy Hour was at 5:30. Afterwards, I went I went to a nearby fish restaurant and had clam chowder, halibut fish and chips and a yummy local IPA. Martha and Ken Neville joined me.

It’s nearing 8:30 and I am ready to sign off.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100706 – Shelton to South Bend

Things were really rocking at the Little Creek Casino last night. There was so much to do that I did not get to bed until 9:00. It promises to be less busy at Chen’s Motel in South Bend tonight.

I was up at 6:20 this morning and had breakfast at 7:00 with Bill Kiess in the Island Grille – scrambled protein and a fried pork product. After packing up, I left the hotel at 8:20. No one was around. Where did everybody go? I must have been the last one to leave.

The first part of the ride seemed to be down hill although there was some climbing at the start. The last part of the ride had several moderate pitches. It became more difficult as the ride progressed because it was heating up. When I finished in South Bend at 12:45, it was over 90.

I made a stop in Montesano for ice coffee at a little coffee shop and later at the side of the road for a PB&J sandwich. (Rich Gallo, our ride director supplies makings for PB&J at Happy Hour).  I did not stop often because I wanted to get to the motel before it got too hot.

I passed several people in our group and got passed right back when I stopped.

Here is a link to today's route.

Chen's Motel and Restaurant is an oddity in the middle of lumber country. It is run by a Chinese family – an elderly couple (grandparents), a younger couple (parents) and a girl (6) and boy (5). My room is average size and a little spartan. but it is clean, has hot water and free internet. (Does this sound like a recurring theme)? The restaurant has both Chinese and American food. After cleaning up, I went to the restaurant for my second lunch. Even though the weather was very hot, I had a huge bowl of noodle soup that had a ton of vegetables, pork, chicken, shrimp, dumplings, etc. I couldn’t eat it all so I have the leftovers in my room refrigerator. The kids were playing an internet game at the counter while I was eating.

I managed to waste away the afternoon on the internet and reading. We had Happy Hour at 5:30 again. All of us were crammed into one of the rooms. We were sweltering because there was no air conditioning and the temperature had risen to the high 90’s. We cut Happy Hour short and bailed out to eat dinner. I joined eleven others at Chens where we enjoyed some decent Chinese food. I had shrimp in lobster sauce. This might be the last of my shell fish for a while.

I am back in my room and it is approaching 8:00. It is still hot with the sun low on the horizon. We are at the end of an inlet from Willapa Harbor. The sun promises to sneak behind a hill to our west pretty soon. We can cool off then and get ready for bed.

I haven’t taken many photos on this part of the trip. This will change soon and I’ll put some onto this blog.

BAC Seattle to San Francisco

20100705 - Seattle

Because it takes so much time out of my traveling days, I am going to try a more condensed version on this tour.

Ann dropped my at OAK. I checked my bag at curbside. It was quick and efficient and my bag was one of the first at baggage claim in Seattle.

Light Rail to the University St Station was easy and cheap ($1.25).  Walked three blocks to 5th and checked in to the Vintage Park Hotel. My room on the top floor is very nice – nice decor, comfortable queen-size bed, flat-screen TV, free internet, etc.

Had a sandwich and cookies at Specialties down the street. Walked over to Pikes Place Market and watched the hoards of people shopping, eating and being tourists. It has expanded a lot since I was there last.

The hotel had wine tasting at 5:00. I sampled and then went to our group’s first Happy Hour. We chatted, ate, drank and introduced ourselves in a round-table.

Dinner was in the hotel’s dining room. Tulio has an Italian theme. My food wasn’t worth the price it asked for - lamb with old string beans and a chocolate pudding cake. The toasted macaroon on the pudding cake turned out to be marshmallow.

When I got back to my room, the hotel left presents – a small bag of chips and two small bottles of water.

I got to bed at 10:00.

Weather was cloudy when I got to Seattle but it cleared in late afternoon.

20100706 – Seattle to Shelton

We woke to clear blue skies. I went down to Specialties and got a quick take-out breakfast which I ate in my room. I got my bags loaded before 8:00 and rode with several others to the ferry terminal. We caught the 8:30 boat to Bremerton. The views of the Olympics, Mt Rainer and the Seattle skyline were exceptional.

We got off of the ferry and rode through Bremerton up some very steep walls. We had to retrace some of our route because of road closures. We got through it, though, and had a very scenic and tranquil ride to Shelton. I stopped with some others in Belfair and bought a sandwich at a market. After that I rode solo all the way to http://www.little-creek-casino.com/.

Here is today’s route.

My room is big and a bit run-down, but it is clean, has hot water and offers free internet, the important things.

I walked through the casino on my way to the convenience store to get some snacks. I had to air out my cloths because of the cigerette smoke. The casino is very large and it was very full. There were a lot of old folks gambling away their pension checks on the slot machines.

Happy Hour was at 5:30. I had dinner with Ron Guidotti. I took the opportunity to have a large mixed shellfish Louis.

It looks like bed time will be early tonight.