From the North Oregon Coast

I eat too many turkey meals.  I should find a backup eatery but Subway is good and fast and... well, fresh.

Wednesday morning I headed for the coast to work for three days.  I used our place at the beach for two nights as a base for working from Newport to Astoria.


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This was lunch in Newport on Wednesday.  The ride through the mountains in the morning was mostly wet but at the coast the weather was nice.  It was in the low 60's (F) with the usual onshore breeze of good fresh air.

The weather for the three days was suppose to be mostly dry.  There was only a 30% chance of showers on Wednesday morning.  I debated on whether to take a regular duffel bag or my Helen 2Wheels waterproof bag.  Amber reminded me that this is Oregon and it can rain at any time. I didn't really need a reminder. I ended up getting the 30% on 100% of me so I was glad I had Helen's bag.  I've had this large roll top sack for over a year and it has served me well.  It's surprising how much one can pack in it when items are rolled into tube shape.

When I first started using it I was a little nervous about leaving it on the bike when I'm inside on a sales visit but so far it's been fine.  I don't put anything too valuable in it and I generally park in areas which are not too public.

Below are some road trip photos.

A beach chapel that has weathered many storms.

Twin Rocks (Rockaway Beach) as high clouds approach. 

This one is titled, "Waiting for Sunset".

It's nice to stop and explore in these small coastal towns.  I stopped here Thursday afternoon to get something to drink.

Friday morning the clammers were out during low tide in Tillamook Bay. Homemade clam chowder sounds good.

I have many photos of this lake.  On a clear morning when it's calm I can't help but stop and click a few shots.  It's a serene view that's quite different than the hustle and bustle of downtown Portland only 90 miles away.  What would life be like without the push and pull of a BlackBerry and computer? 

The trip was a little over 400 miles.  It was a pleasure to be on the bike.  For a while now I've been experimenting with riding at higher rpm.  On the way back to Portland through the mountain range I stayed in 4th gear most of the time.  The speed limit is 55 mph with nice sweeping curves. The bike handled better at the higher rpm with easier ability to roll on and off the throttle and less shifting.   

I hope you get some higher rpm this weekend!

God's speed.