California Here I come!!!

Yes, That's the Pacific you see before you!

Lunchtime on my third day out from Creston and I finally arrived at the Pacific coast of Oregon. I had originally reckoned on two days but hey, what’s the rush? I’m already being told that I travel too fast by me pal Alex who is now still in Fairbanks, Alaska. But then being young he has time on his side!

It was a fabulous day’s riding through some of the narrowest and most twisty roads I have yet to ride this side on the “pond”. There were enough bends to satisfy even the most ardent “Wok-Jockey”, peg scraping became the norm as I re-learnt the art of sticking a bike into a bend… I’ve not had much practise of late! LOL . I had found biking heaven, virtually no traffic, scenery to die for (not literally, you understand), and roads that were even better than the Crowstnest Highway of a couple of days ago if that is possible.

I came across this "Ghost Town" along the way. I guess somebody had some time on their hands...

I had turned right shortly after leaving my camp at Marion Forks and whilst I missed the intended cut off the slightly more “main” road didn’t disappoint. It ran through some of Oregons famous Ski areas and as such there were mountains and hills aplenty.I rode through the quaintly named Sweet Home and  Monroe ( I wonder if that were named in honour of Marilyn!) From Monroe to Alsea was fairly straight and flat, but in best traditions it kept the best till last. Even looking at the map I was salivating at the thought of all those bends but the reality even surpassed the imagination on this occasion. Hairpin after hairpin, and yes I do mean proper hairpins, the sort that would bend some of the RVs in the middle in trying to get around them. And then suddenly the road straightened as I ran alongside an ever widening river, the Alsea, and I was there. Stretched out before me, seemingly to infinity, was the Pacific Ocean.

I headed south, along the Pacific Coast highway, a road which certainly on this first section which I rode down to Coos Bay, is way overhyped, but hopefully it will improve as I approach California. However that would have to wait, as at Coos Bay I swung inland once more heading for Crater Lake. As I had enjoyed my mornings ride so much I was still hungry for more, so set up Bitchin’ Betty the Sat Nav for shortest route… Mistake! Guess what, I was back on the gravel once more… The 80 or so miles across to Winston (Churchill?) took me close on four hours rather than the 1 ½ I had reckoned on. Oh well, no worries! I found an RV site on the edge of town and enjoyed(?) my worst nights sleep of the trip as the heavy traffic thundered past my left ear all night long. At 3am I’d had enough and stumbled from the tent to retrieve my earplugs, then sleeping soundly till around 6.45… so a relatively late start today, but at least I’ve had a nice hot shower ( in a restroom not under an tree!) and I’ve got free wifi right to my tent, so it can’t all be bad…

It looks a bit like Pembrey in South Wales...