We Brake for Ice Cream

Saturday, September 23. Cannon Beach, OR, to Tillamook, OR.

We left the window open all night; we could just barely hear the surf, which was nice. Maybe too nice - we almost overslept, and finally got on the road around 10, after going over to Mo's for breakfast (who knew?). It was warm enough that tights were not necessary, which hasn't been true for many, many days now; and we even shed our jackets soon after the first descent.

As might be expected, todays route was replete with incredible views at the several overlooks along the way. And, as might be expected, getting to those overlooks involves climbing a good bit - and the profile shows some utterly dramatic climbs. Of course, that meant that those climbs were not as bad as they were depicted. True.

We arrived at Hug Point State Park, and had to get a picture in front of the sign there (yes, we were hugging); but we didn't venture down to the parking area. Too steep.

We passed through one more tunnel equipped with a button-activated light warning system, just past Arch Cape. Even with the lights flashing (I presume they were still flashing), cars entered the tunnel at speeds that made me worry. Of course, we made it, but being passed by a semi and then an RV INSIDE A TUNNEL is a harrowing experience.

We are ocean-side of the Coast Range mountains here; the slopes are lush, green, and subject to slides. We came across several places along the roadway that showed evidence of those slides - new asphalt in half-moon shapes abutting the downslope side. It's not hard to imagine that driving on this road would require more attention than usual after heavy rain. Fortunately, it's been dry a day or two now, so we didn't have much to worry about in that respect.

Oh, and we had a TAILWIND all day. And clear skies, too; and it was warm without being just BAKING. We struggled to recall a day so perfect for riding in the direction we were going (we've had days that would otherwise have been perfect but for the heat, the ferocious head- or crosswind, or the rain). We fairly sailed through the towns of Manzanita, Nehalem & Mohler before entering the lush Foley Creek valley. A more direct route to Bay City than 101, and probably safer, by all accounts, the road followed along Foley Creek (a tributary to the Nehalem River) up to a shallow pass before descending the other side along the Miami River. We kept waiting for the awful climb depicted on the profile, but never reached anything so bad.

Bay City has places to eat, and we expected to have lunch there; but we rode through without finding a suitable lunch spot, and before we knew it, we were just 5 miles from Tillamook. So, because we needed a break, we stopped roadside and had a snack on the southern outskirts of Bay City, not quite within sight of Tillamook Bay.

Lunch, we decided, would be at the Blue Heron in Tillamook. It was one place where we could get sandwiches made with Tillamook cheddar and finish with a scoop of Tillamook ice cream. It is also at the Blue Heron that you can can meet Dolly the Llama, and when you have that brush with greatness, you can feed her an apparently yummy mix of oats and stuff. The goats will also clamor for some, but they aren't nearly as enlightened.

After lunch, we stopped for an extra tube for my trailer at a sporting goods store. I have found my trailer tire flat twice in recent weeks but have yet to find a leak; so we picked up a replacement tube for the next time it happens, if it happens, in the next two days.

The Marclair Inn, our stop for the night, is centrally located in downtown Tillamook (I just like saying Tillamook). We were able to take a quick walking tour of about 6 downtown blocks, scoping out a spot for breakfast tomorrow, before heading back for dinner at McClaskey's, the restaurant attached to the motel; it was the best available option from among a surprising number of them.

Tomorrow we will embark on the Three Capes Scenic Route, visiting Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda, before stopping at Pacific City for the night. From there, it will be a 20-mile ride on Monday to the Otis Cafe for lunch, and then a 6-mile, all-smiles ride to the finish. The weather is supposed to hold like it has been, which we could not have even hoped for.

Sure, we could probably make it all the way to Lincoln City tomorrow, but we want to arrive on Monday so my Dad can be there to have lunch with us and help us celebrate reaching the Roads End, both figuratively and literally. Since he will be working late Sunday, we'll wait for Monday when he will be home. Just two days left!