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| Lighthouse - Yaquina Head |
Today, I woke up to overcast skies which looked like they wanted to rain. I packed up quickly and headed into Lincoln City. I found the Corner Cafe less than a mile up the road. I ordered coffee and waited for Snelling to arrive. It's become customary to take shelter in little cafés in the morning. I have begun to look forward to that time of day. The waitress was kind and the omelette I had was filling. After being given the check, I asked for a garbage bag. The forcast mentioned rain for the foreseeable future. This has weighed heavy on my mind. I figured that I could wear a plastic bag to keep the rain off until we arrived at Brookings. She brought two black bags for me to use. I took them and felt confident. The only downside to this stop was my getting the 70's song "Dream Weaver" stuck in my mind.
We pedaled out of Lincoln City and took on a long stretch of coast. There were multiple viewing areas on Otter Crest Loop, an alternate route to 101. At one point, we stopped to gaze down at the spectacular Devil's Punchbowl and, further south, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. I decided that I wanted to check it out up close. A few miles up the road we took a short detour to the lighthouse. I'm glad we did. There was a gray whale feeding off Yaquina Head. It was in no hurry and came up often to breathe. The lighthouse itself was commanding. It was interesting to read some of the logbook entries from the 1800's. The keeper and his family lived on the premises. One entry described a family party where the keeper and his wife dressed in each other's clothes - wild times at Yaquina Head. I hit the road to Newport with party ideas on my mind.
We stopped at Newport's library to take a break from the harsh sun and do a little reading. Heading down Olive Street, we pulled over at a lemonade stand being run by two elementary-age, sibling entrepreneurs. We brought a couple lukewarm drinks, thanked them and pedaled on down the road.
Powering through mileage, we rolled into Wakonda Beach for a quick drink and a grocery stop at Ray's Food Place. On the way out with our dinner, I was approached by PJ Key, an early twenty-something with a big smile and beard. He was on a three-year backpacking trip of the lower forty-eight. He claimed to have never paid for accommodations due to his "sneak camping" prowess. He was living the dream while packing heat at his side - a Glock 9. He had been traveling down local rivers using a lightweight backpacking raft. I left him thinking "Into the Wild."
Cycling a few more miles we pulled into Beachside State Park, just off highway 101. The hiker-biker site was nice and I ended the day with dinner and a shower.
We cycled just shy of fifty miles today.
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| Interior Setup - Beachside State Park |
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