There’s something so enjoyable about being on a street full of bikes and riding amongst other cyclists. It’s quiet, peaceful, and low stress. Everyone rides at their own pace, in their own style. It’s easy to pass and be passed, it’s good exercise, and it’s a lot of fun.
Portland pics are now posted on Flickr.
Had a very interesting first day in San Francisco, will write more tomorrow.
After leaving Portland we headed West to travel the 101 South towards San Francisco. We were leaving Portland on a Saturday, so the roads, beaches and towns were full of vacationers; fellow car travelers, giant RVs, big pickups towing enormous trailers and the odd cyclist in full touring kit who we cheered along each time.
We stopped at various viewpoints to take in the amazing scenery with a longer stop for Ilana to paint before making camp at a state park for the night. The next day we walked through the amazing Oregon Dunes, stopped again for Ilana to paint and then entered California and proceeded to drive through the amazing Redwoods to the Humboldt Redwoods State park where we camped under the cover of trees many hundreds of years old. Monday morning we hiked for about 2.5 hours starting and ending amongst Redwoods that have lived through the Middle Ages, the colonization of North America, earthquakes and many forest fires.
Shortly after hitting the road again we detoured off the 101 to the twisty curvy highway 1. Constant seaside vistas are punctuated by little towns. Hawks constantly circle above the road, and we can’t help but stop periodically to take in the sweeping views.
We stopped to see the sunset and finished with a very curvy night drive in to the city.
Just finished sorting through the first couple days worth of photos. Click through for the set on Flickr.
We arrived in Portland last night and spent a quiet evening relaxing with a walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner. This morning we decided to do a walk through Portland’s Pearl district and through to downtown with stops along the way at a few stores and some local coffee shops.
Portland thus far has proved to be very easy to navigate on foot, and by the evidence around us it appears to live up to its bike friendly reputation as well. The sidewalks are wide and lined with all sorts of interesting shops and eateries. People here have been super friendly and are free with their advice of what to do and see in and around Portland.
While Portland has a very different feel than Vancouver, the laid back West Coast jive is very much in evidence.
Right now I’m enjoying a coffee from Stumptown and then I think we’ll grab a bagel from the Jewish deli next door and see what else the afternoon has in store for us.
We just arrived in Portland. So far we’re planning on staying for 3 nights before we continue down the Oregon coast. The rainforest in the Olympic Peninsula is much like that around the Squamish area. There are lots of signs posted with dates of when areas have been logged and replanted. So far the scenery has been great and the driving easy. Today’s plans for a hike got canceled due to the rain the we drove in and out of through the Olympic Coast. The weather cleared as we approached Oregon, and the last part of the drive was through woods and sunshine right up until we hit Portland traffic (ungh).
We plan a relaxing evening, and we’ll figure out tomorrow’s plans tomorrow. So far bridges, coffee shops, and bike shops are on the list, and I know Ilana is eager to try out Portland’s vegan restaurant offerings.
We just arrived in sunny Port Townsend after a foggy morning on Whidbey Island where we camped last night.
Car camping is a lot easier than bike camping! We made ourselves a gourmet dinner of veggie stew and some Kale on bread, and enjoyed our first night on the road. We were hoping to do some walking/hiking at Deception Pass, but the foggy weather this morning nixed that possibility. Instead we drove to the ferry that took us from Whidbey to Port Townsend, and we’re relaxing for a bit before heading further in to the Olympic Peninsula to find a camp spot for the night.
We’re at a little beach, Ilana is painting, I’m writing, and so far our trip has been very enjoyable once we switched gears from riding to driving.
Well, our plans have changed. Last Thursday Ilana started to experience a re-occurrence of some health issues that she’s been having this summer. She’s doing better now, but this has put an end to our bike tour before it began. Instead, we’ve modified our plans and will be doing a road trip down through Washington, Oregon, and perhaps California as well. We will still be mostly camping and hopefully once Ilana is up to it we will get some hiking in as well.
So, while we are both disappointed that our long anticipated summer bike tour isn’t going to happen this year, we are looking forward to exploring a different part of North America in a different way.
This is what packing for a bike tour looks like. Well, once it’s packed that is. I’ve included an Ilana for scale.
Inside those bags is cooking gear, a tent, 2 sleeping bags, Thermarests, riding gear, street clothes, rain gear, camera, a couple of books, first aid kit, bike tools, and…. um well maybe something else, but it’s packed, and I’ve forgotten it.
I’m trying very hard not to be upset over the gouge I discovered on the paint of my top tube. It looks like someone keyed my bike.
