Day One- Bay City, 62.5 miles

After some well wishes from hotel staff and a handshake with dad, I shoved off. I circled Astoria and crossed one of the three long bridges that connect the Astoria peninsula to everywhere else. It took me exactly ten minutes to complete my first screw up. I overshot the access road leading to the bridge roughly three miles from where I started and had to backtrack back on course. I just wanted to get that out of the way early!

descending into Tillamook bay

Once on course things smoothed out and I made my way south. The sun was out and the wind was at my back. The coastal portion of Oregon surprised me with its seemingly endless post card views and cool resort enclaves. Its amazing I ever made it to my destination because I kept stopping to gawk at the shoreline vistas. Along the Way I stopped at Seaside and Cannon Beach Resorts. I could get a rental and stay at either one. There were two halfway legitimate climbs after Cannon Beach that rewarded one with stunning elevated views of the Oregon coastal contours. Once back down along the coast I passed through the small town of Nehalem, which sits along the bay with it's namesake. If you closed your eyes and opened them while standing in Nehalem you would swear it was Bodega Bay. I even had a black crow buzz me from a nearby telephone line!

Cannon Beach

I took my last break in Rockaway Beach where two 50's ish woman found my whole bike set up to be fascinating and I, intriguing! Several photos later and this blog address in their hands, they vowed to follow my progress. Never got their names.

Just outside my destination of Bay City is a town called Garibaldi. I wanted to kill some time before barging in on my hosts so I walked into a Dairy Queen and tried to order a chocolate milkshake. All I wanted was a chocolate milkshake. You can't order a chocolate milkshake in today's Dairy Queen.

It all started when Jodina  greeted me at the counter and asked me what I would like. I said, " a chocolate milkshake please." That is when the following occurred;

Jodina- would you like a small, medium, large or x-large?
Me- large
Jodina- would you like that in a paper cup or a plastic cup?
Me- uh...paper?
J- real chocolate or chocolate flavoring?
M- real
J- regular chocolate or chocolate fudge?
M- just chocolate will be fine
J-Would you like that made as a shake or a smoothie?
M- Shake please
J- Would you like it regular thickness, or extra thick?
M- holy moly...regular
J- OH this is Hailey(enter young energetic cutie pie 18 year old) she will be making your shake.
M- Hi
Hailey- Would you like this milkshake blended with vanilla and chocolate syrup or chocolate ice cream and chocolate syrup?
M- I'm thirsty.......chocolate everything. Are you guys serious?
Hailey- That's how we do it here. Do you want spill over?
M- What?
H- spillover. that's where I make too much and it spills over the top!
M- now laughing........may I have a chocolate milkshake please?

I told Jodina and Hailey how hilarious the whole thing was and that they this little Seinfeld Episode would get mentioned in my blog. They excitedly took the blog address down and gave me their names. Good job ladies!

I made in to Mark and Dee Harguth's home in Bay City and was spoiled rotten with smoked chicken and great red wine. They are an impressive and multi skilled couple with open hearts and great personalities. I slept in a king size bed which was guarded closely by three dogs inside and three turkeys, two ducks and about a dozen chickens outside the slider! Wonderful people.

Mark was the one who alerted me to the weather forecast for the following day. Non stop rain and 25 to 30 MPH winds with gale force warnings along the coast. Swell. I guess we will see what happens.