Day 17 - Port Orford to Brookings - Riding the California Dream

September 26, 2022

Day 17 - Port Orford to Brookings

Move along kids, nothing to see here

Due to lack of cell access the last few nights, I have fallen woefully behind on blogging and decided to simply jump to the current day and then do my best to catch up when I can. Apologies to my readers.

The weather report deceived me this morning, promising more of the same great weather as yesterday. And the skies were clear in the campground. However, as I climbed from the park toward 101, I rolled right into the fog that blanketed the coast all day and made it difficult to see much of anything.

The mist caused some disappointment, because I was looking forward to seeing many of the famous rocks and seascapes for which the Oregon coastline is famous. Plus, I had to stop every couple of miles to wipe the moisture from my glasses so I could see.

But really, when pedaling down the coast, listening to the crashing waves and smelling the salt in the air, it’s hard to remain disappointed for long.

Tomorrow would be a rest day, and we were scheduled to stay at the Brookings Inn. Plus, my partner Rich was meeting me to spend some time together. So I was really happy to see the Welcome to Brookings sign and check into the motel.

I managed to get some laundry done at the nearby laundromat before Rich arrived at around 6:00 pm. We ate dinner at Pacific Sushi and Grill — some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. And it was nice to be warm and dry and full of good food once again.

All in all, it was a great day. Still, I’d like to come back when the sun is out to see this coastline in all its glory.

Here’s a short video encapsulating the ride:

As I left the campground and rode into the mist, the morning light was magical.

The Adventure Cycling van passing me on the highway.

A few miles into the ride, I was chased by a large plastic dinosaur, who, apparently, didn’t like that I had leaned my bike against his leg!

The dinosaur out front at the Prehistoric Gardens.

The ocean waves on sand in a nearly back and white world.

I stopped at a little cafe at the north end of Gold Beach and enjoyed a latte while watching the seagulls and boats on the water.

The pier at Gold Beach with. View of the Rogue River Bridge coming into town.

Occasionally the fog would lift enough to tease with views of the majestic rocks and coastline.

The fog cleared just enough to see some color in the water.

Today's ride: 51 miles (82 km)
Total: 732 miles (1,178 km)

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Rachael AndersonSorry you had so much fog! You definitely should bicycle along the Oregon coast again. We’ve cycled it many times. I love your video!
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2 years ago

Amber StarfireTo Rachael AndersonYes, it was disappointing. I will definately want to cycle this section again.
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2 years ago