Sand, surf and September 11...a day for remembering

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

Unexpected pleasures and a little pain

September 12 - Saturday - The day dawned foggy but warm as we headed out on Hwy 101 along the southern arm of Coos Bay.

Doug is trying to be serious but he's on his bike so you know that it isn't possible.

Even though this isn't the official bike route the road has a good shoulder and this morning there was very little traffic.

The drawbridge over the Coquille River (ko-keel). Oops..the camera got switched to black and white without Donna noticing.

Looking west along the river at Bullard Beach State on the right shore. It was too bad we had only gone 20 miles at this point because this park would have been a really nice place to stay. We took a break there and cruised through the campground anyway.

Just outside of Bandon we started encountering a lot of cars parked along the side of the road (Clue #1) Then we started seeing people on foot (Clue #2). We pulled into this little town and there were people everywhere (Clue #3). The answer - the annual Cranberry Festival whose parade had just finished!

The harbor looked pretty busy as well.

We had lunch at the Wheelhouse (a very delicious crab croissant sandwich) and while we were inside the sun came out.

That is the Coquille River Lighthouse in the distance. It is at the south end of Bullard Beach State Park.

We wandered around the harbor area which is quite pedestrian friendly and festive today.

Imagine a very rich brown color.

The sound of the day. We found the festival and Donna got her color back......

.............just in time for the old car show.

We reluctantly said goodby to this lovely little town and headed out on Beach Loop Road. Just as we got to the top of a steep little pitch, Donna realized that she did not have her handlebar bag.....a pretty significant item. We ZOOMED back to the waterfront where 3 fellow cyclists that we had talked to earlier were getting ready to give chase to deliver the handlebar bag to us. Donna had set it on top of a utility box that was next to her bike while putting on gloves and helmet. A good lesson that ended well.

Another view of the lighthouse and park.

There are a lot of sea stacks in this part of the coast.

Beautiful but not the sort of thing that does well on a bike.

Right around this spot the road reconstruction was not as far as along as yesterday. In fact the asphalt had been ground off and there were all these grooves. We paid for all that smooth pavement with about 4 miles of arm-and-bottom-jolting vibrations.

We stopped for an ice cream break at Langlois. We met a young couple from Nanaimo, BC who arrived by motorcycle. They were headed to San Francisco as well though they will get there a lot faster. They didn't like that grooved pavement any more than we did.

Even though it says blueberries that is really a cranberry bog behind the fence.

One more mile of pain and penance.

The Elk River

We had a pizza dinner at The Hard Rain Cafe in Port Orford, a very pleasant place with good music. Donna got one of their cranberry oatmeal cookies to go and the waiter gave her a second one for free!

While we were at dinner the fog rolled in and the temperature dropped so we opted for a warm, dry motel for the night. There was one just across the street from this park that fit the bill.

After showering, Doug got a phone call that alerted us that our plans may need to change. Afterwards, we walked over to the park and watched the waves building and the fog get thicker.

56.4 miles today for a total of 363 miles