Day 5: Sunday, April 9

Today was another light day. The MacDonald's invited us for lunch after Sunday morning meeting. Then we said our good-byes and rode about nine miles to Tillamook, where there was a cheese factory. The factory had a museum that we spent a good hour or so exploring. The route continued around Tillamook Bay. After a good climb up a pretty steep hill, we stopped at Cape Meares State Park, where there was a beautiful view of the ocean and a lighthouse. After 35 miles for the day, we stopped for the night at Cape Lookout State Park. While the sun had already set by the time we set up camp, this has to be the best camp so far. My tent is within 5o feet of the ocean, and I am able to fall asleep to the sound of the waves hitting the shore. Since tomorrow we will be heading inland, this is the perfect way to spend our last night on the coast.
This was the view from our camp:

Day 4: Saturday, April 8

All of our waterproof gear was tested today. We woke up to a light rain, and after spending an hour or so at the campground in Seaside hoping the rain would pass, we realized that this was to be expected in Oregon. Thankfully, Shayne bought a new bike jacket in Astoria, so I was able to borrow the other rain jacket that he had. It was a little big for me, but I would have been in big trouble without it.
The route today followed Highway 101 down the beautiful Oregon coast. Despite the rain, the scenery was amazing. Riding in the rain was surprisingly fun (once you were soaked, you couldn't get any wetter!) We rode almost 49 miles to Nel MacDonald's home where Sunday morning meeting was. They were kind enough to let us spend the night with them. When we arrived, they weren't home yet, so we spread out our gear to begin drying and then Shayne and I rode a couple more miles into Bay City. It felt so free to be able to ride without any extra weight.

Day 3: Friday, April 7

Today was a rather leisurely day. This morning we woke up to a delicious breakfast that Dan had prepared. After we said our good-byes, we spent several hours exploring the Maritime Museum (the official start of the TransAmerica Trail.) We also took advantage of the several bike stores in Astoria to pick up some last minute supplies. Then, of course, it was time for lunch. In the afternoon, we rode the 20-plus miles down to Seaside, where we spent the rest of the day enjoying the ocean.

Tonight, we are at a campground just south of Seaside. Despite the light day today, the gel pad has really made a difference. Tomorrow it will be in for a real test as we expect to do close to 70 miles.

Day 2: Thursday, April 6

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 sore. 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...

Day 1: Wednesday, April 5

We woke up early this morning to get started as soon as possible. After eating as much as we could from the continental breakfast at the hotel we started on our journey. The plan is to take two days to ride the 100 or so miles up to Astoria, Oregon where the official TransAmerica Trail starts. Astoria is also where we will meet up with the third member of our party: Greg. Less than half an hour into the trip, as we were passing the end of the runways at the Portland Airport, four fighter jets took off overhead. It was a perfect start to the day (almost like being at a ball game at the conclusion of the national anthem.)

Unfortunately, I also forgot the maps that I had printed out of how to get from Portland to Astoria. We got turned around a little in the city, but it didn't take us very long to figure it out. Crossing the historic St. John's Bridge was really cool, however, the eight inch curbs and narrow lanes of traffic made it an interesting experience.

The weather was beautiful the whole day. However, after almost 60 miles, I was exhausted. We set up camp behind a construction site in Rainier within view of the Columbia River.

Day 0: Tuesday, April 4

This trip got off to an exhausting start. Since my flight to Portland, Oregon flew out in the early morning, I left Flagstaff, Arizona at about 1:30 am on a Greyhound bus headed to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. I met Shayne in Portland and we got a hotel room near the airport. Loading all of the gear unto my bike was a scary experience. It quickly became apparent that I brought too much stuff. I was able to send some items back in the bike case. As I attempted to lift the bike now, I knew that I should have prepared better for this trip of a lifetime. While I had gone for a couple of rides, my bike was less than two months old... and I had never ridden when it was loaded down with all the gear! On top of that, I am still suffering the repercussions of the flu that I just got over. Unfortunately, I left my jacket hanging in my sister's closet. I called her, and she was kind enough to sent it to the Post Office in Walterville, a small town I expected we would be passing through in about a week. We grabbed some dinner at a Chinese restaurant near the hotel. As I lay in bed tonight, it is weird to think that I don't know the next time I will be sleeping with a roof over my head.