Lincoln City
75.4 km today, 830.6 km total
Started the day late with probably the longest climb of the trip so far, up and over Cape Lookout. Slow going, but a fun descent down the other side.
At the bottom, an unexpected sight: a large area of smooth sand, without much vegetation, other than a few stands of pine trees here and there. That answered my question about the origin of the name of the small town of Sandlake just down the road that I'd seen on the map yesterday. I stopped at a small grocery for a lunch of microwaved burritos, as I was hungry and there didn't seem to be any other options, sitting on the porch, talking to the proprietors.
Sandlake
After eating, I continued on, enjoying a scenic ride, eventually joining back up with 101 for a while, then turning off again to follow a section of the old highway 101.
For a change, it had been overcast and cooler. And for whatever reason, perhaps partially because of the change of weather, my spirits were a bit lower than normal, and I seemed to be dragging.
The old highway went past farms and such for a while, then entered unbroken forest, the road getting more curvy, and the traffic falling off to nearly nothing. I was alone in the scenic forest, slowly ascending. At one point I stopped for about a 10 minute break, and for the first 5 minutes or so, I couldn't hear any sound of civilization, only the birds, the wind, and the rushing water of a nearby creek. Then I heard the distant rumble of a jet flying over, but still not a single car during the entire time.
My spirits improved, realizing I was on another section of very scenic, nearly perfect cycling road, and I started up again, still climbing. Finally I reached the top, and enjoyed a long but quick plummet along the curvy road, having to watch carefully for potholes and cracks as I flew along, since the road hadn't been all that well maintained.
Back on 101, nearing Lincoln City, a sign announced the location of the 45th parrallel, halfway between the North Pole and the equator. Speaking of signs near Lincoln City,
Matt's Bicycle Touring Haiku #2:
A sign: "Rent a Wife."
Then, "Rent a Hubby". Where? Why?
Deposit required?
Both were on "Adopt a Highway" litter control signs, and the "Rent a Wife" sign did specify "cleaning service." But "Rent a Hubby" provided no further indication as to what services a rented hubby might be expected to provide. I was half expecting to see "Rent a Kid" too, but didn't. I was reminded of the Bette Midler sign near L.A., always wondering if I might see her out there picking up litter along the freeway. Unsurprisingly, I never did.
I rode into Lincoln City on the often shoulderless and high traffic section of 101, and followed the signs to Devil's Lake State Park, which was pretty much in the middle of town. A sign announced that the park was closed for a couple of days for repaving, but there were several other people camped there, including the campground host. I talked to him, and he confirmed that the campground was indeed closed, but said he thought I could stay, seeing as how I was on a bicycle and the hiker/biker area wouldn't be part of the repaving. In fact, the area was right next to a residential street near the entrance to the park, and I felt like I was setting up camp in a city park, just a few meters from the road.
I cooked up some dinner, then rode a km or so looking for a grocery or convenience store, finally finding a decent sized grocery, where I bought a beverage and some snacks. There were a few isolated rain drops as I returned to camp, and I expected to see the rain finally begin, but it never did.
Earlier in the day, I'd been considering taking a rest day here in Lincoln City, but given the campground situation combined with the fact I didn't find the rest of the town all that appealing, I decided I'd keep moving. So I went to bed early, planning to be on the road again fairly early the next morning.
Started the day late with probably the longest climb of the trip so far, up and over Cape Lookout. Slow going, but a fun descent down the other side.
At the bottom, an unexpected sight: a large area of smooth sand, without much vegetation, other than a few stands of pine trees here and there. That answered my question about the origin of the name of the small town of Sandlake just down the road that I'd seen on the map yesterday. I stopped at a small grocery for a lunch of microwaved burritos, as I was hungry and there didn't seem to be any other options, sitting on the porch, talking to the proprietors.
Sandlake
After eating, I continued on, enjoying a scenic ride, eventually joining back up with 101 for a while, then turning off again to follow a section of the old highway 101.
For a change, it had been overcast and cooler. And for whatever reason, perhaps partially because of the change of weather, my spirits were a bit lower than normal, and I seemed to be dragging.
The old highway went past farms and such for a while, then entered unbroken forest, the road getting more curvy, and the traffic falling off to nearly nothing. I was alone in the scenic forest, slowly ascending. At one point I stopped for about a 10 minute break, and for the first 5 minutes or so, I couldn't hear any sound of civilization, only the birds, the wind, and the rushing water of a nearby creek. Then I heard the distant rumble of a jet flying over, but still not a single car during the entire time.
My spirits improved, realizing I was on another section of very scenic, nearly perfect cycling road, and I started up again, still climbing. Finally I reached the top, and enjoyed a long but quick plummet along the curvy road, having to watch carefully for potholes and cracks as I flew along, since the road hadn't been all that well maintained.
Back on 101, nearing Lincoln City, a sign announced the location of the 45th parrallel, halfway between the North Pole and the equator. Speaking of signs near Lincoln City,
Matt's Bicycle Touring Haiku #2:
A sign: "Rent a Wife."
Then, "Rent a Hubby". Where? Why?
Deposit required?
Both were on "Adopt a Highway" litter control signs, and the "Rent a Wife" sign did specify "cleaning service." But "Rent a Hubby" provided no further indication as to what services a rented hubby might be expected to provide. I was half expecting to see "Rent a Kid" too, but didn't. I was reminded of the Bette Midler sign near L.A., always wondering if I might see her out there picking up litter along the freeway. Unsurprisingly, I never did.
I rode into Lincoln City on the often shoulderless and high traffic section of 101, and followed the signs to Devil's Lake State Park, which was pretty much in the middle of town. A sign announced that the park was closed for a couple of days for repaving, but there were several other people camped there, including the campground host. I talked to him, and he confirmed that the campground was indeed closed, but said he thought I could stay, seeing as how I was on a bicycle and the hiker/biker area wouldn't be part of the repaving. In fact, the area was right next to a residential street near the entrance to the park, and I felt like I was setting up camp in a city park, just a few meters from the road.
I cooked up some dinner, then rode a km or so looking for a grocery or convenience store, finally finding a decent sized grocery, where I bought a beverage and some snacks. There were a few isolated rain drops as I returned to camp, and I expected to see the rain finally begin, but it never did.
Earlier in the day, I'd been considering taking a rest day here in Lincoln City, but given the campground situation combined with the fact I didn't find the rest of the town all that appealing, I decided I'd keep moving. So I went to bed early, planning to be on the road again fairly early the next morning.
posted by Matt at 13:20
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