Day 1 - West Linn to Lincoln City - Like James Brown Says....

Lincoln City and like like James Brown says.....
......I feel good!!  83 miles, most of it through some pretty hot stuff.  What did it hit in Portland today? 97 degrees?  It was every bit of that in the Willamette Valley.  I've never felt the sensation of melting but that is how I felt at 2pm as I began to climb into the Coastals.  Thank you, Lon for reminding me to put on the sun screen.  Would be a tough night had your email not been echoing in my head.

While I really enjoyed the East Wind at my back for most of the day, when the West Wind from the coast hit me in the face, I was more than willing to give ground to lose degrees.  It is beautiful on the Coast today (see beach photo below).

I made decent time, arriving in Lincoln City at 3:30pm with an average speed of 13.33mph.  Good for me.  Especially, in the heat and loaded down.  Here is the route.  You will have to copy and paste it.

http://www.movescount.com/moves/move34944355

How it started
Like most good days, it started with a great breakfast, this one made by my wife, Lori and youngest daughter, Mia.  Mmmm, mmmm, GOOD!  This sustained me until McMinnville 35 miles away.

BTW - Thanks, Lisa and Gary for the Edible Arrangement

And he's off!

Funny, they never seem that happy upon my return.  Hmmm

Sights along the way.....

A snake along the roadside.  Got to look him up.  I've seen them before.

The valley was beautiful.  The clip does not quite capture it.  Much of the ride was through wine country.  This of some of the grass that they grow in the valley (not the smokeable kind but it does look nice in a lawn).

Tu's Wind.......
.........is the West Wind.  Tu (his name) is a guy who caught up with me about 14 miles out of McMinnville.  He paced me for ten miles into Grande Ronde.  Great guy.  Showed me some nice routes (to avoid narrow bridges).  He was riding today because his seven year old son went to the Coast.  You can tell he loves his kid, and bike riding.  He works the graveyard shift at Spirit Mountain Casino.  He worked me real hard.  I don't think he really paid much attention to the load I had on my bike until he turned off and he said, "gee, how much weight do you have on there?"  A lot, Tu.  A lot.

BTW - The West Wind is Tu's Wind because he rides to Lincoln City on occasion (from his home in Sheridan, OR) and you can count on the West Wind from the Coast to push you back East on the return leg.  Thanks, Tu for showing me the way.  Much appreciated.

Tu

Second Break

My second break was right after Tu left me at the Grande Ronde Super Market.  They were kind enough to let me 

bring my bike in but only through the laundry mat.  It was actually more like the owners of the Super Market let the neighbors

borrow the washing machine once in a while.  At least that is how it looked.  

You see that slop sink?  Coldest water on the planet comes out of that faucet!! OMG it was good and it probably saved me from heat stroke.

I'm here!  Where is the........

....parade.  Jimminy, I ride 83 miles to get to Lincoln City and no parade????!

Um, the parade?  I specifically called ahead!! Oh, well. 

Lincoln City (!!)

The beach

The campsite.  Hmm, forgot to take one of the tent when it was set up.  Oh, well.  It went in right above the handle bars.  

Devil's Lake Campground

What I ended the day with - 1,253.6 miles on the odometer

 Well, that it for today.  Gonna try to hit Florence tomorrow but to do that it will be another 80 mile trip.  I will have a North Wind to help me so I will see how it goes.  Wish me luck!!