Heceta Head Lighthouse, OR

Ev and I were just sitting out on the porch of the B&B having cheese, crackers and a beer. Looking north is the lighthouse (B&B is in the light keepers house), looking out west is the ocean and the rugged Oregon coast. Looking South is the bridge we will cross tomorrow. What a special place. The nearest restaurant is in Florence, about 12 miles away. We did not want to ride to dinner. We called the inn keeper earlier to confirm our reservation. We told her we would pick up some cheese and salami for dinner. She informed us that they have a full guest kitchen that we can use! We are now going to have pasta, asparagus and wine.

Yesterday was a great riding day. There were three major hills to climb. Our bike kinda broke, but just like last year's tour, some of the best days are also the most challenging. Except for those three climbs, the ride was mostly flat. The first climb started just as we passed the entrance to the campground we would have stayed at if we hadn't stayed with Doug in Netarts. At the top we were in the clouds! We passed by Sand Lake. It was a lake of sand! Beautiful. We were cold, so we stopped at the only store. We got coffee and goodies and visited with the owner. She and her husband grew up in the town. We sat on stools right at the register counter and listened to stories about the area.

We stopped for lunch at Neskowin at the only cafe in town. What a treat. A mix of coffee house and pizza joint. The three of us sat at a counter watching the pizzas being made and put into the wood burning oven. We had debated about the afternoon's route. We could stay on 101 or ride the old 101. Both had a serious climb but "real" 101 was shorter. Our waiter weighed in and told us to go the old route. Great choice. It was a five mile climb, but not too bad. There were hardly any cars and we were riding through a rain forrest. Sweet. The downhill was awesome! At one hairpin turn we were able to wave to Doug as he passed by on the lower section.

Our third and last climb also had an alternate route. We rode below the 101 on a one-way street. One way for cars and a bike lane the width of a normal car lane. Sweet again.

Last night's hiker biker site was the best yet. Our new friends Allen, Harold and Al all showed up later. Two more guys came a lot later. They had ridden over 100 miles and were planning the same for today. No side trips. Just ride. Good for them, but not our kind of bike tour.

Today's ride was a mix of rollers and hills. We mostly had the wind to our back. Some times too much wind.

We stopped early at Bike Newport to get our bike looked at. We got there at 9:45. They were suppose to open at 10 but turns out they had a Tour de France party that morning and had been there since 6AM. What a great shop. They had a "touring" lounge upstairs with a shower and laundry facilities. Got a new chain and had the rear disk brake adjusted.

Doug went ahead at Yachats to his campground while we went shopping for dinner. The ride to the B&B was not very fun. Windy, up and down, no shoulder and lots of RV's.

Tomorrow we will meet Doug in Florence and turn inland for the final leg of this amazing journey.