Day 10 - Beachside State Park to Honeyman State Park - June 25, 2014

Lighthouse and Fog - Heceta Head

I woke up around 8:30 AM and checked the weather report. Rain was on the agenda for the day. I hustled my gear together and pedaled six miles down 101 to Yachats. The Alder Restaurant called my name. I entered and waited for Snelling to arrive. We had a good breakfast and talked about the mileage for the day. We backtracked to the library. I answered a little work email then moved on down the coast.

The stretch out of Yachats was peppered with state parks and lookout points. A light mist kept us cool. We stopped for a quick lunch break just south of Heceta Head. The lighthouse on the head was lightly shrouded in fog. Below, sealions basked on the rocks. The Oregon coastline couldn't possibly be taken in on one bicycle trip. There are many spots I would like to return to.

South of Heceta Head, the shoulder was rather inadequate. Luckily, drivers were, for the most part, courteous. I was happy to hit the base of the hill and experience a flat, large shoulder. The misty dampness had, by this time, changed to rain. We cycled to the northern outskirts of Florence. I spotted the 37th Street Laundry. We had clothes to wash and a desire to get out of the rain. We hunkered down in the laundromat for ninety minutes. Other bicycle tourists had the same idea. At one point, there were five of us using laundry as an excuse to get out of the rain. One bearded man was from Australia. He had started in Vancouver and was planning on heading all the way to San Diego.

After I finished folding my clean clothes, I took out my garbage bag and cut holes for my head and arms. The fit was great. If I find extra time, I have enough plastic left for sleeves. I will need a little duct tape. The garbage bag really helped keep the rain off for the rest of the day. We stopped at Burgers and Brew in old town Florence for a bite before biking the final six miles to Honeyman State Park.

The hiker-biker site at Honeyman was well marked. I was surprised to see six tents already set up. Cyclists were hunkered down for the evening at eight o'clock. Only one small group was stirring. I found a little spot by myself, set up my tarp and hit the showers. Looking at the weather forecast, we may have a tough time drying out until Saturday. That's okay. The weather, up to this point, has been extremely good.

Today, we bicycled thirty-five miles.

Rain Solution - Florence, Oregon