Holy Shit! We have made it to the ocean! If Sue could have saw my face as we approached Astoria she would have saw the 'ear to ear' smile much like the cross Canada ride when we arrived at the St.Lawrence River.
After a wonderful stay at the Hotel Cathlamet we were on the road by 8:15 and heading for the ferry...again. We certainly knew our way across Puget Island and our procedures at the ferry. A crossing that only cost $2 per bike ended up costing us $6 dollars a bike. Not bad for 3 ferry rides. While on the ferry a guy rolled down his truck window and asked "didn't I see you guys on the ferry yesterday?" I 'sheepishly said yes and explained why. He said that the Westport Motel was a dive 20 years ago and should have been condemned then. It made our decision yesterday to return to Cathlamet even better.
So welcome to Oregon...again! Our ride today can only be described as 25 kilometers up and 25 kilometers down. The longest climb was just under 5 kilometers but the ride consisted of climbing at 7 kilometers per hour and blasting down the other side at speeds averaging 40 kilometers per hour. We arrived in Astoria by 1:00 pm. and promptly found a small motel for 2 nights...yes 2 nights...our legs, bodies and minds need a day off. We have heard that Astoria has some interesting things to see and things to do. We have already had dinner (in the middle of the afternoon) in a 'brew pub' while sitting over the water watching seals and sea lions swim in front of us.
We are staying in the Lamplighter Motel. It is tucked under the famous Astoria Bridge (a 4 mile bridge infamous for cycling difficulty...we do not have to cross it as we are already in Oregon.). The motel is a little bit 'worn out' but we have stayed in worse! Tomorrow will be a rest day to do some sightseeing and some chores and hopefully re-energize ourselves for our push into Oregon.
Trip Distance = 50.44 km. Time on the Bikes = 3 hours 35 minutes. Average Speed = 14.05 km. Maximum Speed = 45.52 km. Wildlife Sightings = 2 Deer (with racks), Muskrat, Great Blue Herons, Cormorants, Seals, Sea Lions.
View of Columbia River Way Above Astoria.
The Famous Astoria-Megler Bridge.
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