April 28: Smorgasbord of Delights

What a stunning day! Today’s ride to Astoria and south to Tillamook and then home was filled with a smorgasbord of delights – perfect weather, great scenery, tons of curves, and wonderful friends, not to mention a delicious lunch. After weeks of rain and a to-do list that never seemed to end, I was especially grateful to be able to take a personal day off from work to enjoy the day with my favorite riding partners. Read more of the details here.

Mike Webb, Leo Guzman Fernandez, Gene Lord, Grant Myers, and I left Volcano Harley at 9:00 this morning and headed west on highway 26 and north on highway 47 towards Vernonia. The riding conditions from Vernonia north and west along the Nehalem River to Mist and Jewell could not have been more perfect. The temperatures were in the mid 70’s, the sky was clear and blue, and the tree-covered road twisted and turned through the tunnel of foliage as we made our way towards the ocean.

In Astoria we enjoyed some home-made seafood chowder and delicious Painted Hills burgers along with great conversation at the Fort George Brewery and Public House. After lunch, we headed across Young’s Bay on highway 101 south towards Seaside. There is never a bad time to see the Pacific Ocean with its sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and choppy waves. But riding south today with the sun on my back, the blue sky above, and a clear views of the Pacific for miles to the west literally took my breath away. As we passed the Garibaldi coastline, we were able to see the deep blue green of Tillamook Bay in the foreground and the vast expanse of the ocean beyond. What a treat!

At Tillamook Grant and I headed east on highway 6 and followed the Wilson River to Portland. What an amazing day!