1998 Tour de Coast II

Wed. April 15, Florence
...I met Pete at Eugene Airport at 10:20. Timing perfect. Plane at apron as I walked up to viewing window.

...12:25 underway--all 3 of us, car mileage 452 (mileage now includes distance over and back to Eugene +/- 125 miles).
...Note: passed Hwy marker 200 at 464 car mileage at 12:50 p.m.

Elbow Lake

...1:35 Elbow Lake arrival of Pete & Karen
...Elbow Lake, pre-determined rest stop and snack stop. Don't remember at this writing if we had peanut butter and huckleberry jam, but I feel certain we did.

...2:05 off to Reedsport. Note: bike map appears to be in error. We need to go to Salmon Harbor for bike route to Windy Cove and Umpqua lighthouse. This is also known as Winchester Bay.

...3:10 at Salmon Harbor, Windy Cove and on toward Umpqua Lighthouse. Pointed out sites of years' past for fishing and camping.
...3:40 left lighthouse, car mileage 486, a rest stop, more pictures, too.

Coos Bay Bridge P.S. Your dad was an oarsman in a boat we rowed under this bridge approx. 1941

...4:30 Coos Bay bridge, car mileage 504 Karen and Pete arrived 5:00, making very good time, weather excellent; hardly any wind in my car-related observation--not quite so for the bicyclists, they said.
...5:30 Pony Village Motel; what a contrast in facilities from those of Tillamook and Newport--room.
Had dinner at the motel, a very relaxing atmosphere with very good food, too. Did some car exploring around N. Bend and Coos Bay. Karen even spotted a Dairy Queen. Bought treats!

Thurs., April 16, '98 North Bend, OR

...7:10 Jack up and showered; Pete and Karen finally up. 8:30 shoved off for Charleston; car mileage 516. Beautiful weather, but cold.
...9:15, Charleston, car mileage 524; underway again at 9:30. Noted the general store in Charleston. also, noted the steep grade out of Charleston and onto the Seven Devils Road.

summit, Seven Devils Road

Seven Devils Road looking westward to Pacific

...9:55 car mileage 528, apparent summit of grade which started at Charleston. 10:40 car mileage 534; 10:45, car mileage 536 at junction of Seven Devils Rd. and W. Beaver Hill. We now seem to be at the summit of Seven Devils Rd with excellent overlook of ocean in the distance; approx. now at 6 miles on to returning to Hwy 101.

...11:05 Back at Hwy 101, Bandon three miles away, car mileage 542, Coos Bay 19 miles North of us via 101.

Still resting at Bullards Beach. That shaded face is "me". Pete has the doubting frown.

...11:30 Bullards Beach and lunch in the park, overlooking Coquille River. As Pete and Karen left for Bandon, I drove on through Bullards Beach Park for (2 miles distance) pictures of the lighthouse and beach. (Note I was quite impressed with how much driftwood had been thrown onto the road by the storms--see pictures).

On to Bandon via Riverside Drive, car mileage 551. Toured through old Bandon, that part of the town spared by the devastating foreset fires of the 1930's that destroyed so much including the rest of Bandon. As we toured the edge of Bandon residential area overlooking the ocean, we enjoyed great weather and great ocean views.

Game Park, Langlois

...1:30 Langlois, 14 mi. So. of Bandon car mileage 570. I mosied (sp.?) around the three or so little stores while waiting for Pete and Karen who arrived at 2:00. This is where the bike route rejoins Hwy 101. We then headed for Cape Blanco Junction and arrived at 2:25, car mileage 579. Points of interest were the lighthouse, the Hughes house and the cemetery, to which we would return after checking into our motel at Port Orford. The weather continues great, just about perfect! p.s. but somewhat windy. which is noticeable more to bikers than to me in the car.

...3:25 Pete and Karen arrived at Port Orford and we checked into the Sea Crest Motel, a smaller, clean and neat place to stay. 

Sea Crest forever

Karen was quite impressed especially with the ocean view. Car mileage is now 584; we are five miles So. of Cape Blanco. After checking in we headed back to view the area which is a bit of a ditance off the highway, maybe 2 miles.




 ...Note: Pete's chain pops off from time to time. Karen took over and made the necessary adjustment.
...Note again: Cape Blanco was quite interesting, especially to Pete--it is full of Irish history. Irish settlers apparently liked the area and settled here. The Hughes family (Irish?!) built a mansion of a house for that era, near the lighthouse. Also nearby was established the family cemetery, which is still maintained neatly and has seven graves. The markers were quite unique, too.

Cliff at Cape Blanco, furthest point west on this seacoast

A well documented trip

Note again: we had hopes of a unique sunset, either from the motel or the bluff at the Cape, but we missed the full benefit of it. We then returned into town (Port Orford) and enjoyed an impressive spaghetti dinner, and atmosphere and service at the Spaghetti West Restaurant. 





Friday, April 17, '98
Up at 7:10 to a beautiful morning: no wind, no clouds. Pete and Karen went out to get coffee as none available in the room. No one in the office, no coffee noted but an ice machine was inside. almost forgot--car mileage now 612.
...8:30 shoved off for aniticpated next stop at Humbug Mtn, but maybe Ophir for sure about 18 miles away.

backside of Humbug Mountain

...9:15 at Humbug, so. side for pit stop at m.p. 309 (that's 309 miles from the Astoria bridge) car 620.
Note: Pete's chain O.K. Apparently mile post 300 was near Pt. Blanco.
...10:25 Karen and Pete at Ophir. Reported Pete "had to fix a flat!" Note: Ophir has a rest area; my car mileage was 633; we made this a snack stop and a tire change. At 11:05 underway.
...12:00 Gold Beach, car mileage 647 and another flat. My notes don't identify whose flat. Underway again at 12:25, to meet at Cape Sebastian.
...1:30 arrived at Cape Sebastian. Note: I had missed the turnoff to Cape Sebastian and doubled back. Karen and Pete had just arrived.

view from Cape Sebastian

...we made our lunchbreak at Cape Sebastian, another beautiful viewpoint.
...1:55 headed on for Harris Beach.

view from the Thomas Creek Bridge

...at car mileage 675 I arrived at the very interesting Thomas Creek bridge, 345' high and the same height above the ocean-level.
...3:15 arrived at Harris Beach, car mileage 699, just south of "Welcome to Brookings", truly a welcome sign where the road sign says Gold beach 27 miles. 
...3:40 Pete and Karen arrived at Harris Beach. I could read in their faces the anticipation of "we are almost there." Car mileage 704.
...3:55 I arrived at Oregon-Cal line car mileage 707.
...4:35 Pete & Karen arrived:
AT THE STATE LINE DESTINATION ACCOMPLISHED
Note: Karen had a flat in Brookings

5:00 p.m. Bikes loaded and headed home to Florence--168 miles.

6:45 Port Orford--dinner stop at Grumpy's.

Dinner at Grumpy's

10:30 Florence--ready for shouting

p.s. some more mileage notes
Astoria-Florence 185 miles (not including detours)

Florence-state line 168 miles

Total map mileage 353 miles

p.s. Many heartfelt thanks from a very proud Dad and father-in-law who greatly appreciates the opportunity to be included and to enjoy to the utmost the togetherness it gave.