October 4: Personal Favorite on the Pacific
Ever since returning from my summer motorcycle trip abroad, I’ve been like a kid in a candy store, ticking off all my cherished Oregon and Washington rides to see as much of the area I love while sunshine, warmer temperatures, and longer days remain. Giddy with happiness, I rode along the coast today from Florence to Lincoln City, one of my personal favorites on the Pacific.
After stocking up on four loaves of bread at the Creswell Bakery, I headed west on Camas Swale Road, winding my way up and over and around a series of delightful curves through thick strands of evergreen trees to Veneta before turning west on highway 126 and following the Siuslaw River into Florence.
Heading north on 101, I could feel temperatures warming as the sun broke through the clouds, blue sky appeared, and the breathtaking expanse of the Pacific Ocean opened before me. In the foreground rose a series of enchanting tan and honey colored sand dunes, flecked with light and dark green sagebrush underneath the remaining white, grey, and warm pink clouds above.
As the highway hugged the shoreline, I could see the dramatic headlands of Cape Perpetua, with jagged dark brown cliffs rising out of the silvery blue sea, frothy, white-tipped waves rolling into the rocky shoreline, and Cape Heceta Lighthouse perched up high.
Pulling over near Yachats, I gazed in amazement at the panoramic ocean view in front of me. Striking dark brown craggy trees were beautifully silhouetted against the light green and blue sea water and the almost white sandy beach littered with rocky pebbles, making me wonder if I was in the tropics.
Continuing north, the road wove like an unspooled ribbon around one promontory after another, providing a series of side views of the tree covered cliffs to my right, the sandy shore to my left, and the vast ocean waters and light blue sky beyond. I leaned into the curves, breathed in the salty sea air, and reveled in the feel of the sun on my back.
Having traveled the entire western and eastern coasts of the US by motorcycle, I’ve come to truly appreciate that this particular stretch of road follows the waterline so closely and provides so many unobstructed water views.
Passing through Newport and Depoe Bay, I turned east at Lincoln City, making my way back home on highway 18 and then 99 West. Saying goodbye to the coast, I rode through bucolic farmlands, admiring orchards lined with nut trees and fields full of neatly planted fall crops. What a great day on the bike!
