September 27: Feeling Like A Falcon
Barreling along the Yaquina Bay Road with the shimmering bay waters just a few feet to my right, bright clear blue skies above, and the sun on my back, I felt like a falcon unfurling its wings and hurtling through the warm afternoon air. Having just had a delightful fresh seafood lunch and great conversation with riding buddy Leo Guzman Fernandez, I reflected on how much I had to be grateful for.
Heading out this morning on 99E we traveled west on country roads filled with the earthy scent of recently tilled soil and freshly harvested hay past tractors throwing up puffed plumes of dirt like clouds of steam on a train engine.
Branching off on highway 34 past Philomath, we down shifted and leaned left and right, bobbing our way in and out of the thick strands of trees lining both sides of the road before turning off on Mary’s Peak Road.
With one eye on the bumpy, pothole-filled road and the other on the blind curves up ahead, we jostled over and swerved around divots in the pavement, at one point becoming airborne while hitting a particularly large depression.
Parked at the summit, we took in the breathtaking valley views, the bright yellow grass in the foreground providing a stark contrast to the blue-tinted mountains in the distance. The white-tipped peaks of Mt Hood, Mt Jefferson, and the Three Sisters beckoned to us in the distance, creating a spectacular tableau below.
Continuing west through more delightfully curvaceous roads we hit the Pacific Coast. Rippling white frothy waves broke on the dark sandy beach beneath the beautiful blue sky, streaked with white ribbons of clouds stretching north and south.
Heading east on SW Bay Boulevard in Newport, we stopped at Local Ocean for two generous servings of “Moqueca De Peixe,” a Brazilian stew made from green curry coconut milk and teaming with fresh rockfish, scallops, wild prawns, and Dungeness crab. The red bell peppers, tomato, onion, and mushroom added spice and depth of flavor, creating a warm and satisfying meal.
Making our way east along the bay and then highway 20 we turned off on Pries Road to head north on 223 through Kings Valley and then along the Willamette River to home. What a great day on the bike!
