September 30: Sun-Kissed Ride Along the Pacfic Coast

What a glorious sun – kissed day of riding on the coast! After days of rain and what appeared to be the end of summer sun, today’s ride under bright blue skies from Cannon Beach to Tillamook was a gift from heaven above. Add in some mouthwatering, award—winning tacos on the way home and it turned out to be a perfect day.

Heading west on highway 26 towards Seaside this morning, I reveled in the beauty of the flat brown and green fields and farmlands on both sides of the road. I hadn’t headed west of town since coming back from Europe and was delighted to see tractors in the fields, crops swaying in the breeze, and livestock grazing on grass.

Heading up over the pass through the Tillamook State Forest I swooped and glided around one glorious curve after another, breathing in the fresh mountain air and leaning into the curves. The roads going to and from the coast are some of my favorites in the state, as they are curvy enough to be fun but wide enough to handle higher speeds.

At the coast I turned south on highway 101, taking in one breath taking view after another of white sandy beaches, foamy blue waves breaking on the shore, driftwood piled up on the beach, and seagulls soaring above the water. With the beautiful temperatures, people were in a celebratory mood, basking in the sun, taking pictures, and waving to each other from cars, bikes, and even a small scenic coast railway.

After stopping several times to take in the views, I passed the stunning blue waters of Garibaldi Bay before heading a little inland to Tillamook and the route home along highway 6 west. This part of the ride was the most exhilarating as there was little traffic and most of the time, I could go at my own speed with no one in front of me.

I had planned today’s route to accommodate a late lunch at my favorite taco place – La Panchanga Mexican Food, a food cart in Aloha run by the family of a good friend of mine. The Barbaqueso Tacos offered there are the kind that I can salivate over for days. When I learned last night that they had been awarded 12th place in the country for tacos by Yelp, I knew there was no way I could resist eating there today.

Each bite of the tacos provides an explosion of flavor and texture, with the slow cooked marinated beef dripping with juices, the creamy mozzarella cheese oozing out the sides, and the specially flavored, pan-fried crispy corn tortillas adding a little bit of crunch. The dinner plate comes with four tacos, grilled onions, and a cup of delicious beef broth, just perfect for dipping the tacos in. After finishing every bit of the tacos and drinking the rest of the broth, I was ready to ride home with a smile on my face. What a great day!