Day 38: Tillamook to Coast and Back, a Wet Welcome to Oregon

August 8, 2015

Tillamook to the Coast at Oceanside and Return

Notes:

1.) You can leave a message for me by clicking on the comment icon towards the bottom of the page (you must be registered with the site, but it's quick and easy to do so). I enjoy getting messages from readers.

2.) Climbing Today: 1,164 ft -- Total So Far; 89,724 ft

3.) Miles Remaining to Canon City: Approximately 1,982

I got up at 4:30 this morning. Of course, that’s only 6:30 central time, so I actually slept late today, but it didn't feel that way since I was up late. Breakfast at the Residence Inn wasn’t until 7:00, so I had time to do a bit on this journal and figure out how to ride the light rail downtown to the bus station. The light rail (it’s called “MAX” in Portland) is really great; even on the weekends it runs every 30 minutes. For $2.50 I bought a ticket for unlimited use for 2 hours, plenty of time to travel anywhere around Portland. Each train car has bike brackets for 2 bikes, and several cyclists boarded at different stops as I worked my way downtown. Portland is one of the bike-friendliest cities in the country, if not THE most friendly place for cyclists.

The Portland Light Rail (MAX) Runs Adjacent to the Residence Inn (background)

Portland is a Bike-Friendly Community. This Lady Boarded MAX and Hung Her Bike on Brackets - each Train Car has 2 Slots for Bikes.

I had to make one transfer to another train line to reach my destination, and it all worked smoothly. By the time I reached the downtown area the train had a lot of riders; people actually use the light rail here. I got off at the Union Station stop and located the bus terminal just ½ block away. I don’t know what it is about bus terminals that seem to attract an undesirable element, but every bus station I have every visited in a major metropolitan area seems to be this way. It wasn’t too bad, but the area around the bus station isn’t someplace you would want to hang out for long. But the inside of the station was nice enough, and I had an hour to kill so I am writing these words to fill the time.

Crossing the Willamette River on the MAX Light Rail

My travel to Tillamook has been very inexpensive. I used airline miles to get a free ticket (well, almost free; I had to pay $5.60 in fees), I used Marriott award points to pay for the Residence Inn last night, my train ride to the bus station cost $2.50, and the bus ride to Tillamook costs $15.00. So I will travel from Tulsa, OK to Tillamook, OR for the grand total of $23.10. However, the cost to ship Harvey and most of my gear via FEDEX was just a bit over $300.00, so I’m not getting off for free. Still, that’s a pretty good deal overall. Jake used his commercial discount to pay for the shipping, so I got a good deal. Here’s a shot of Jake getting Harvey prepped for shipping;

Jake Prepares Harvey for Shipment to Tillamook, Oregon

The bus to Tillamook was painted like a cow, I suppose because Tillamook is known for it's creamery. Approaching Tillamook we climbed into the Coastal Range of mountains. Huge pine trees were abundant, and ferns thickly covered the forest floor. It’s apparent that this area of the state gets plenty of rain. I’ll spend some time tomorrow cycling through similar forests, and crossing back over this range from the other side. As we got close to Tillamook, there were lots of low clouds creating a moody atmosphere.

Approaching Tillamook on the Bus, the Sky is a Bit Ominous

The Tillamook Fair is Happening Now. Riders Whirl Around a Moody Sky.

We reached the bus station just off of busy highway 101 in Tillamook, and I debarked and walked a mere 2 blocks to find my destination for the night at the Mar Clair Inn.

The Mar Clair Inn in Tillamook is my Destination Tonight. Clean Rooms, but Sparse on Amenities. Like Much of Oregon, the Rooms do not Have Air Conditioning, and it is Rarely Needed Here.

Harvey had been here since Wednesday, and I carried the 2 boxes from the storeroom to my room and commenced unpacking. Jake had packed things in quite well, and it took a bit of undoing to get all the cushioning off. I suspended Harvey using some cord I carry for camping, cause that makes it easier for me to work on him.

"Clever" Use of Cord to Suspend Harvey to Make it Easier to Reassemble Him

It was then I discovered the 2 damaged areas wrought by the shipping.

FEDEX Sheared the Hula Doll at Her Legs. Thanks to Modern Medicine, She Will Survive But She Will Always Walk With a Limp Now.

Yikes, they cut the legs off of my hula doll! There was a hole in the side of the box adjacent to where she had been, so something obviously punctured it. Then I noticed the rear fender was bent.

FEDEX Tried to do Some Serious Damage, but Fortunately They Just Dented the Fender. If They Had Warped the Wheel I Would Have Been Delayed at Least 4 Days

The fender is aluminum and can be easily bent back into shape, so fixing it wasn’t too hard. Fortunately, the shipping damage was all cosmetic stuff. Sigh – this makes 2 out of 2 for me on damages when shipping a bike. I’m not sure it’s possible to ship something like a bike in a cardboard box and have it arrive safely, the shippers apparently handle things rather roughly. It took me about 3.5 hours to get the bike together to my satisfaction; others could probably do it in half the time, I guess I'm not that good at it. What I did; reassemble the headset, re-install the rear derailleur, bolt the front disc brake back on, install the handlebars, put both wheels on, inflate the tires using my little road pump (that's a pretty good workout just in itself), re-install the seat post/saddle, and re-install the pedals. When all was finally done I needed to make a quick ride to the coast for the required beach photo, so off I went. There was a light rain, but hey; this is the Oregon coast after all. The sky was a bit moody, and I can't resist such photo opportunities.

Leaving Tillamook and Heading for the Coast, the Weather is Threatening. It Made Good on Those Threats Later and I Rode Back Wet

I rode up a few good-sized hills crossing the last of the Coastal Range, and finally found the coast.

Riding Along the Coast, Three Arch Rocks in the Distance

Famous Landmarks; 3 Big Rocks That are Highly Photographed (Three Arch Rocks)

I played with my new telephoto lens a bit, and shot a Harbor Seal and a Cormorant during takeoff. Much thanks to Winifred Homer-Smith for identifying the wildlife for me in the Guestbook.

A Harbor Seal Frolics Off The Coast - They are Kind of Rare in Oklahoma and I Originally Misidentified It

Cormorant Flight 567, You Are Cleared for Takeoff

Moving on, I felt like I was flying, and I really was making great time, running along about 15-16 mph. My legs were fresh as I hadn’t cycled for a week (all the last-minute prep occupied my spare time), and Harvey was unloaded, so we flew down the road. At Oceanside I pulled off the main road and found my way to the beach to get the glory photo proving I was there.

Leaving Oceanside, the light rain decided to get serious and became a real rain. I donned my wind jacket, but the rain increased in intensity and I got soaked anyway.

The Moody Coast Was Quite Beautiful, and the Clouds Loosed Their Load to Properly Welcome Me

I was happy to get back to the motel and a dry and warm room for the night. Supper consisted of a couple of slices of greasy takeout pizza from a nearby shop. I was tired and only ate one piece, saving one for breakfast. My gear is scattered all over the room, and I have a lot to do to get it all in order and ready for tomorrow. The motel WIFI is too weak for me to log on, so I can’t post this tonight. Later then…

Today's ride: 18 miles (29 km)
Total: 2,315 miles (3,726 km)

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