A common practice in Australia.

Mike

Grandpa Steve is well known as an excellent pool floatie, not even prone to deflating!

Eeeep!

Did you check for caterpillars?!!

You need to bring those kids to Europe Oregon looks way to scary to me
Ciao
Tricia

Well, that’s true; but I hadn’t reckoned on you riding the highways!

Did you check your email? I thought I sent you a pair of routes I mapped out on RidewithGPS, but I don’t find them in my sent mail so maybe I failed the execution. Here are my suggestions. To Corvallis: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30777616; and to Keizer: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30777753.

Overview: to Corvallis, bike west to Peoria Road, then north to its end at highway 34. Cross the highway and follow the bike path to Corvallis.

To Keizer: north out of Corvallis through Crescent Valley, then east to Lewisburg. Cross Highway 99, then bike to the Buena Vist ferry via Pettigrive Road, Corvallis-Independence Highway, Springhill Rd, Buena Vista Road. Cross the willamette on the Buena Vista ferry, which I’m sure the girls will love. Across the River, follow Buena Vista, Sydney and Riverside roads until you intersect your old friend South River Road at the east end of the Independence Bridge.

You know about River Road of course, but you can avoid a good share of it by the side routes I’ve mapped out: first, take Riverside Road (a bit past the 2nd rail underpass, on the right). Then, just past Roberts Store (I think the only provisions after you leave Corvallis), turn left on Homestead Road and bike the bike paths through Minto Brown Park to the Salem waterfront.

Other than River Road, it’s really a nice ride the whole way. We’ve done it many times ourselves.

Yes, we are staying in Corvallis tomorrow night. Next night will be Keizer. Any thoughts you have re routes, gps tracks, or other interesting stuff will be most welcome. Thanks for thinking of us.

Very impressive! 47 miles on day 1. Future long distance cycle tourers!

Thanks Keith, and these young riders are impressively impervious to traffic. Coming along the busy road to Halsey (beside I-5), the shoulder was fairly narrow, with gravel and other dirt, and I was sweating bullets. But the kids, up ahead of me, were chattering - about friends, cartoon plots, or ?? - unfazed by the noise and possible danger We elders have seen too much to be unfazed, I guess.

Thanks Scott! We have just made it to Halsey. Slightly harrowing at times!

I feel extremely impressed by how the kids are doing AND by your nerves with them on those roads. It makes me recall taking our grandchildren for tours at about that age
Keep safe
Tricia

Oh. I misread this and thought you meant to stay in Corvallis. I might still suggest that, instead of Independence, but will clarify by email.

Oh, you’ve figured it out already. That’s just what I was going to suggest. You’ll like Corvallis, I’m sure - a bike friendly college town, a place I’d be happy to live. I’ll send you an email with some specific routing directions before we leave town this AM, and maybe post them on RidewithGPS.

Yes, ideas would be great! Here is where we are at so far: Since we did not have enough days to reach and return from Eugene, our target is only Halsey. That's where we'll go today. But then, rather than just retrace all the steps, we took a place in Corvallis, and then Keizer. (And then Keizer to Newberg - which was quite nice) .Unless we abandon the bookings, these two places are the basis for route planning. But we realize that Halsey to Keizer is going to be too far, strong as the kids have been, and assuming that we backtrack through Salem. So our current idea is to abandon the official track and take Hwy 20 to the Independence Highway to Independence, and then back on route, to Keizer. Any comments, or thoughts outside this box would be most welcome!