by Philip

Day’s mileage : 58

Running total : 532

We were ready in record time this morning – seems we are getting used to where everything lives in our panniers! The cottage was a poster child for how AirBnB should be done – many thoughtful touches, every possible thing provided – and Seattle’s best coffee for the morning! 

Leaving the cottage we had a few miles along the estuary, all flat, with eagles and pelicans wheeling above as we approached another long river crossing – this one a mere two miles long after yesterday’s mega bridge. We enjoyed purpose made cycle lanes, and generally wide shoulders on the US101 as we cycled through a large area of out-of-town shops. The vista is wide here, with acres of yellow broom in full flower and lakes covered in water lilies which are beginning to flower. Frequent signs warn us of elk but we haven’t seen one yet. After our first 11 miles we’ve only climbed 200’ and as a result I’ve only used 6% of my battery. We stopped by a tiny coffee shop, drive-thru only, and stopped for our first break of the day, sitting under a tree. 

The next ten miles were more built up, with frequent traffic lights (a rarity up to now). We came into the town of Seaside, imaginatively named, and saw a gorgeous beach off to the right. The town sprawled for about 5 miles with shops lining the highway, including a lot of surf shops as you’d expect near the ocean. One highlight of this stretch has been the mountains on the horizon, silhouetted, and very beautiful. 

We stopped for a sandwich and cookie (yes, we found some!) and then had a two mile hill to climb, with an equal descent into Cannon Beach and our first proper Oregon beach. Cannon beach is a bustling seaside resort complete with fish and chip shops and bucket and spade shops. As we drove through, there were numerous residential streets off Main Street all leading straight to the sea – delightful!

After some hills, we came to a tunnel and two more cyclists (on real bikes) at the entrance – we went through before them and then had a chat once they emerged. They then headed off before us and we were slightly embarrassed to overtake them shortly afterwards. The coastal road is hilly – two miles up (400’) and then the same down … and repeat. Stunning views all along the road – we stopped at several viewpoints. At one, an elderly gent observed our “hats” were cute, and asked to take a picture of us. 

From the heights of the coastal road we headed inland – a long loop to cross a river, going through farming communities with hay cut and drying in the fields. From a bridge we saw a river lined with houses, each with a dock, and with little gourd-shaped bird houses on the supporting posts. A bit further on we stopped for a late lunch, asking a man if it would be ok to sit under his tree. 

After lunch we found our way around a road closure and then rejoined the 101 which was gently undulating alongside the Nehemah river as it wound its way to the sea. We stopped at one point to look out across the mile wide tidal river and its mudflats, seeing a heron and also a raccoon – both enjoying the fruits of the sea. Coming in to Rockaway Beach we stopped at a “Dollar General” store to buy dinner before heading to tonight’s cottage. Unfortunately while they had most of what we wanted they had no fruit or veg so we ended up going to two other supermarkets, but still have no bananas! 

Our cottage is in a very quiet road three blocks from the sea so we’ll be exploring this evening!

Additional notes

Astoria to Rockaway Beach, Clatsop county, OR.

Left at 9.20am. Arrived at 5pm.

Weather: Sunny. A bit warmer.

Landscape: Coast. A two-mile long bridge. Knobbly mountains in the distance. Frog heaven – long ponds with yellow water lilies, we couldn’t hear them because of the traffic noise but we knew they were there. Homes, businesses and retail outlets. Long views of the coastline, slightly misty. Hilly road, wooded on either side. A viewpoint with spectacular view of the coast, and a man there playing a small guitar and panpipes. Farming community and hay fields. The Nehalem river with ramps down to it from each house and a small deck. Extensive mudflats.

Towns: Seaside, with accommodation, surf and other shops. Cannon Beach, with ice cream and fish and chip shops and a big sandy beach. Manzanita. Nehalem. Wheeler. Brighton.

Trails: The Oregon Coast Bike Route, all on roads but some with a proper cycle lane – haven’t had one of those for days.

State roads: The 101 – which was busy.

Breakfast: Porridge and toast.

Lunch spot: On a shady patch of grass in Mohler, beside someone’s house.

Dinner, made by Liz: Cheesy courgette pasta without the courgettes as nowhere sold them, but peppers and mushrooms instead. We ate on the porch and could hear the surf. Raspberries and yogurt. Tea and praline Ritter from Claire and John’s PCH survival kit.

Wildlife: The first pelicans. They have crested puffins along this stretch of coast but we didn’t see them. We heard frogs after watching the sunset, on the way back to the house. A raccoon and heron on the mudflats.

Plants: Hillsides covered with yellow broom. Ferns. Zantedeschia thriving in many gardens, spilling over in fact.

Things we saw: An elk warning but we didn’t see any. A huge skeleton on top of a pharmacy (or maybe it was a cannabis shop) advertising ‘Sweet relief’. Funny and mysterious signs – outside a shop ‘Beer as cold as your ex’s heart’, and another ‘We love you Dani but U R late’. Beside a bridge ‘Riparian mitigation site please do not disturb’. I had to look up riparian (relating to reptiles). Many bird boxes along the river.

People we spoke to or saw: Approaching a tunnel, I saw the two of us up ahead, with our neon yellow jackets and bike helmets – I did a double take! On the far side of the tunnel we had a quick chat with the lady and they’re riding from Astoria to Crescent City, our age, on normal bikes. Impressive! They make a total of six laden cyclists we’ve passed in 11 days of riding and they’re the first we’ve had a conversation with. I was cheery with everyone we met today, offering to take photos at viewpoints and chatting in shops and with neighbours. A friendly group of people on the beach at sunset.

Incidents: A man at a viewpoint said he hadn’t seen such cute hats for years and asked to take our picture – I thought he said such a cute ass and was very frosty to him and shocked Philip agreed to the picture, till he enlightened me after we left. A road closure. Philip started writing the blog over the course of the day, whenever we stopped, as a way of managing it better. This became his method each time it was his turn.

Shopping: in the Dollar Store (which I loved, everything was so cheap) and two more shops to try and get fresh food.

Accommodation: A simple home on a quiet street, five minutes from the beach.

Today’s sound: The pounding sea.

Today’s smell: The farmland smell inland.

Special moments: I was touched to wake up to a message from Barbara Ferris inviting us to give a talk to her group in November because she’s enjoying the blog so much. After cycling away from a stop in a logging road I found my Fitbit had come off and was loose in the leg of my cycle shorts – I was so glad I didn’t lose it! The evening sunshine and delicious dinner on the porch of the little house sitting in Adirondack chairs. Watching the sun set on Rockaway Beach. A lot of mist from the sea spray (maybe the marine layer?).

Positive experience from my journal: Seeing the ocean at the viewpoint and again this evening.

Appreciation from my journal: Reaching 500 miles on the bike (I was obviously pleased and slightly misremembering it as it was yesterday’s appreciation too).

Blog comments from Taffa, my mother and Helen C. My mother: ‘We are delighted to share your experience, beautiful views, and glad to know that after so many miles you are all smiles’. Helen C: ‘Bit worried you couldn’t find any bananas after Graham’s advice to you when we last saw you 😜’. My reply: ‘If only we could remember Graham’s advice about bananas! 🙈’

Social media reply from Lorna Hunter. Email from Christine; ‘Following your trip on your blog is so much fun!  Thank you for sharing with us. You write in a very nice way, and the pictures are marvellous. I have a big screen PC, so I can really enjoy the wonderful shots. Some of your route in Washington was familiar to me; however, the area around Raymond, for example, is not. I’m so relieved that you had good weather. That makes a lot of difference.

I am almost finished reading “The Salt Path”, and I am loving it. Of course, I think of you every time I read it. You too are embarked on an epic journey that strengthens you and gives you a new perspective on life. Being a “people” person, I remember the encounters with random people on the trail more than I do the wildlife. That’s why I was especially interested in your comment about talking to Stephen at the grocery store. You never can tell when you will meet someone interesting or when a random remark may stay with you for the rest of your life’. 

Video: Rockaway beach at sunset (35s).

Mementos: Dollar General Store and Center Market receipts, Rockaway Beach.