Day 10 Jackson State Park to Longview, Washington: Safe Haven

May 10, 2011

The 'Jackson Highway' turned out to be our ticket almost all the way to Longview. This road is quiet, usually has a wide shoulder, and has only 'reasonable' hills. We found out that our camping spot for last night plus the road were named for an early pioneer, and we got to see her house.

The Lewis and Clark Park is a fairly small patch of land in the Cowlitz Prairie area of the Cowlitz River valley. At Toledo, a bridge crosses the river, and signs offer interesting historical background.

Now we know why our highway is called the Jackson Highway

Lewis and Clark Park has old growth forest

The terrific Jackson Highway was originally basically the Oregon Trail!

Parks, history, reasonable roads, these are the stuff of an enjoyable tour.

The Cowlitz River, with riparian protection zone

Dodie and another of her less favoured hills

We looked for a weak woman to pose with this, but today none could be found!

Oops, forgot to mention food. That was supplied by Gee Cee's truck stop where the Jackson crosses I-5. This is a real truck stop, with showers and with telephones at each table, plus giant breakfasts.

The truckers' cafe at Toledo off the I-5

Truckers' breakfast. We ride the "big rigs" too!

Truck stop menu (do you think we are obsessed with food??)

The bikes commune with the other big rigs at the truck stop in Toledo.

Not too far down the road was Castle Rock, from which we used our Canadian cell phone to phone Art in Longview. You could almost feel Virgin Mobile counting the mega roaming fees they would collect on the call. Art set out from Longview and we continued down the Westside Highway. We met in the middle somewhere and Art guided us (over a quite treacherous road - not the one he would have chosen) to safe haven at his and Mary's lovely home.

Good use for a BoB= look carefully inside the green tote

Steve and Dodie still alive (and still together) after 500 km

Our first 500 km, plus the Garmin for a change correctly indicating the turn onto Art's street

True to their word Art and Mary helped us fix up the bikes, the tent, and ourselves, with tires, brake pads, Loctite, seam sealer, food, showers, and more. What kind people!

Now, at 10:15 and way past our bedtime we are sitting up playing with our netbooks. However we will soon be asleep knowing all is well.

Seductive computers keep us up past our bedtime

Seductive also to sit and chat until late

Today's ride: 56 km (35 miles)
Total: 591 km (367 miles)

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