May 13: Oregon in all its Glory!
I am so darn happy! I can’t decide what was more delightful – getting to ride the Harley for hundreds of miles with chaps and no thermal wear, cruising back country roads with an eagle soaring above me, spending the day with two wonderful friends, or eating mind boggling delicious barbeque.
Leo Guzman Fernandez, Grant Myers, and I took off from Volcano Harley bright and early to avoid the intense heat predicted for our area later in the day. We headed west towards the coast and milder temperatures, making it out of town on highway 30 just in time.
Leo did an amazing job leading us through numerous delightful twisty turns along highway 47 and then 202 as we wound our way west through one tunnel of trees after another. As we passed through the town of Jewell, I couldn’t help but notice all the different glorious colors of green around me – emerald green, pine green, lawn green, moss green, fern green, and sage green highlighted in the flickering branches, waving grasses, flowing waters, and rolling hills surrounding us.
We stopped briefly for gas in Astoria before crossing Youngs Bay and heading south on highway 101 to CB Cannon Beach and CB Smokehouse. I discovered this delightful barbeque place a few weeks ago and have been wanting to try out the food ever since. What a treat! I have to say the highlight of the lunch for me was the dirty fries – hand cut fries topped with smoked pulled pork, house made smokey nacho cheese, smoked red pepper aioli, and house made barbeque sauce. Grant Myers generously treated all of us to this appetizer and we polished every bite of it off. The pulled pork was moist and flavorful and the sauces all completed the meat and fries perfectly.
After lunch we drove another glorious 130 miles along the Oregon coast, taking in one beautiful vista after another – gently rolling swells of water accumulating in the bay, sandy beaches dwarfed by rocky cliffs, evergreen trees providing peek-a-boo glimpses of the Pacific, and bright blue skies full of seagulls looking for lunch. We passed through Tillamook, Hebo, Newport, and Waldport before heading east on highway 34 along the Alsea River. The breeze off the Pacific Ocean kept us cool even with the sun bursting forth in full glory.
The winding, rolling road east along the Alsea River was one of my favorite parts of the day, with ample shade trees keeping us cool, the river meandering alongside us, and an abundance of delightful twists and turns. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride at an amusement park but didn’t have to wait in line to enjoy the fun. Plus, I got to control the speed. Woohoo!
At the intersection of highway 20 we continued east towards Stayton and Scio, enjoying the beautiful Oregon country backroads as we headed north. This was the perfect end to the day with livestock lazily grazing in the fields, tall green grass gently waving back and forth in the evening breeze, and even an eagle soaring above us. What a great day to be on the bike!
