We got up about 6:30 and walked up into the dunes to catch the sunrise. Barefoot was the only way to go but the sand was a bit chilly at that hour of the day.
It was a very clear and mild morning...........not a bit of fog in sight. We could hear the ocean but couldn't quite see it from here.
We were the only ones out and about at this hour.
Wating patiently for the sun to appear.
It was worth the wait.........
.......as the dawn unfolded so gently before us.
We were reluctant to leave but breakfast was calling.
Just a little sand between the toes. Our neighbor in site 2 was having trouble with his camp stove so Doug went over to help him out. He was quite talkative so we didn't get on the road until after 9:00.
Woahink Lake
Economic Recovery Dollars at work.
The paving job was quite fine. The shoulder was so wide in places it felt like a bicycle freeway. The new pavement lasted for about 17 miles.
The dunes formations have created a lot of lakes in this part of the coast.
Doug with the Umpqua River estuary in the background.
This sign is so noticeably in sad shape compared to all the many very nice interpretive signs we have seen so far. Maybe they need a little grant from the Tourism Dept.
The Umpqua River is actually flowing north at this point as it interacts with the dunes which are some of the tallest on the Oregon coast.
This is the Smith River Bridge which seems to be a combination of old and new construction. This is the old part.
And this is the new part. It was quite a nice place to relax. The other guy was way too focused. He must have been hungry.
There was a nice interpretive center just after the bridge that answered all Donna's questions about the geology of the Dunes. We had lunch at a Subway in Reedsport. There was another cyclist there as well. He was from Germany doing this trip solo. At first he thought we must be from Germany too since we have all Ortlieb touring gear........until he heard us talk.
The warmth wasn't just our imagination or acclimation. At Winchester Bay we followed the bike route when it departed from Highway 101. It took us past Windy Cove Park which should have been fair warning. There was a brisk headwind as we followed the Umpqua River towards its rendevous with the ocean.
Oops! We are supposed to be on the road that goes past that lighthouse. We missed a turn. It was quite the nice road but just the wrong one. Notice my new knee sun protectors. They are patterned from the 2XL t-shirt sleeves I used on our cross-country trip though much more colorful. I was finally warm enough to shed the tights.
After a steep little climb we are back on the route. This is now the Coastal Visitors Center in Umpqua Lighthouse State Park.
The mouth of the Umpqua. The bar was looking like a pretty wild place with really big waves.
This historic lighthouse is still in use. It is the same design as Heceta Head Lighthouse.
It was all up from the lighthouse until we rejoined 101, but there was very little traffic. The next section of the highway had a really good shoulder and we made good time.
This war memorial is on the northern arm of Coos Bay (the water body not the town).
"There shall not be Peace until the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power." Latrine wall, Pleiku, Vietnam 1968.
We had passed this guy earlier as he was changing a flat tire on his trailer. He is also from Germany, going solo, and commented on our Ortlieb gear too. We chatted for quite awhile as he had a lot of questions.
This is the McCullough Memorial Bridge, named after the famous designer of all these historic and beautiful Oregon coast bridges. It was built in 1936 and was the longest one on the coast when it was built......5305 feet. What really impressed us was how high it is. It even shows up in the profile on the route map!
The fog is back and we are thinking that a motel sounds nice for the night.
No doubt about where we are on the map!
Donna checked out this unique paint job while Doug was asking for directions to restaurant he thought was here in Coos Bay. Turned out it was in a different town.
We asked some other locals for a dinner recommendation. We ended up at Benotti's Italian Restaurant. It was delicious (lasagna and canneloni) though we felt a little underdressed in our bike clothes. We stayed at the Edgewater Inn for the night and did laundry. The History Channel had a 9/11 special. We haven't owned a TV for years so had only seen still pictures until now of the Twin Towers' collapse and the fearsome speed with which it happened.
52.4 miles for today for a total of 306.4 miles
No comments:
Post a Comment