After a good night's sleep on the soft and mossy ground, we woke up to more typical Oregon weather. No rain, but the sky was overcast and everything was covered in dew. Although the road from Rainier to Astoria followed the Columbia River, it definitely wasn't flat. I knew that even though these hills were nothing compared to the mountains that we would be crossing, they were still kicking my butt. Speaking of which, I bought a gel seat pad to aid in that department. It wasn't a permanent solution, but after almost 110 miles over two days in my bike seat, I was s
ore. We made it up to Astoria in the afternoon where we met Greg near the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Greg had been in Astoria for a couple of days and had met a gentleman who lived there named Dan. Dan was an avid biker and was excited to learn about our trip. He invited us to his place for dinner and the night and took us on a tour of Astoria. One of the first places we visited was the Astoria Column. After climbing the 164-step spiral staircase, we were met with an impressive panoramic view:
This evening, we met the rest of Dan's family and enjoyed a meal with them. I am grateful to be able to collapse in a real bed again tonight. Tomorrow will be the first "official" day of our trip...
