We Beetle Down to Eugene, Oregon: Oregon Coast Bike Route Preview

October 8, 2011

This will be the third time that we have headed down the Oregon Coast. Each time we have made the trip in Fall or Winter, and we have loved the misty quiet, with the hoards of tourists that we presume are there in Summer all gone. While British Columbia boasts Long Beach, "long" is relative. On the coast of Oregon and California, long means at least 1300 km of accessible beach!

Just three weeks after returning from our four+ month ride, we are in the ferry lineup back to Port Angeles with the van. Of course, the bikes insisted on coming too.

A reprise of a stock photo to Victoria harbour

The first pastry of our new enterprise comes on the ferry. It gives a solid rock bottom line from which to make comparisons.

Coming out of Port Angeles we arrive at Crescent Lake

This time down there was an added dimension for us, as we kept an eye out for what cycling the route (Highway 101) would be like. We noticed hills immediately west of Port Angeles, and we soon came to Crescent Lake. Here the road is curvy and with no shoulder. A sign warns cyclists that the road is curvy and has no shoulder - thanks!

As we proceeded down the highway we saw that it is quite varied. There are sections that are flat and with good shoulder and there are some really stinky hills, with no shoulder. Plus, there are several long bridges with no shoulder, and tunnels, with no shoulder.

Here in the off season these impediments did not seem too bad, because traffic is sparse in most areas. At other times, though, it could be pretty hairy.

As always, we enjoy visiting the towns, and we hit it lucky at Grayland, which is a cranberry growing centre. We had no previous knowledge that cranberries were grown on this coast at all.

We happened on the Grayland cranberry festival

There are many beautiful scenes along the coast

The bridge across the Columbia to Astoria

Bikes need to take the lane here, though the bridge is long, long

One of the things we did know about was the Tillamook dairy. Tillamook products are sold all over the West, and they are top quality. We especially like the fact that in the U.S. we can count on Tillamook to not have BST.

The Tillamook cheese factory (ice cream too!)

The "banana split" flavour was right on!

A small portion of the production line can be observed from the visitor area. It was fascinating to watch, and we hung around long enough to observe how different people handled the same work station when one left and another came on.

Tillamook is a farmer owned coop, and a short film at the visitor area stressed the pride of the often multigenerational family farms.

The cheese reflects the local land and farms. The boat initially brought the cheese to market.

The coast abounds with state parks and services

The endless beach - extends to and includes California

All too soon we turned East, leaving the coast to head toward Eugene. We promised ourselves to come back, though. We think it would be great to cycle down and then across to Arizona. We'll put that one on the list, for after we get tired of Europe!

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