Two miracles, really. First, ♫(sing along with me) "The Su-un came ou-ut, and dried up the Land-y, Land-y".
Awoke to clear skies and the vrroom-vrroom of my inner cyclist wanting to get going. We had already decided to skip one of our destinations due to the big rain delay, and I had a bee in my bonnet that I'd really like to get to Devil's Lake in Lincoln. Our map indicated it was 40-some miles, but I figured I'd been resting....Now I know that if Bob had suggested this destination (after our agreement of 20-30 miles a day) I would have balked. Somehow this was MY idea, so I was all for it. Seemed like a good idea at the time!
After perusing our 3 maps, all with different opinions, we decided it was time to get off the highway and try a scenic, even if a bit longer, route. "Old Scenic Hwy 101" turned out to be all of that and more. For 10 miles, we wound through amazing, virgin (temperate) rain forest, with HUGE trees dripping with lichen. The setting for all those tales of fairies, hobbits and more!
I was mesmerized. We pedaled past small farms, homes, and a wonderful-looking school. We stopped to take pictures and enjoy the quiet. Only a few cars passed us in over 10 miles of riding. Toward the end of this beautiful route, we ascended a very big hill. I had really resolved myself with doing the best I could. When the time came, I just got off my bike and pushed. When I looked back, my thought was: "I pedaled up THAT?!?!" This is a refrain that is becoming very familiar! And, come to find out we were very near the top, too. Bob discovered his "walking" gear on his bike; he could pedal at the same pace I could walk. We shared the experience of the beautiful scenery; miles of this:
Over the top, and off we went back on the Highway, with all the traffic. But I had experienced the quintessential Oregon Coast ride, and I focused on that. Aware of all the support, from all dimensions, I pedaled on!
The second miracle: 51 miles; 5 hours 15 minutes actual pedaling time. The longest ride ever for Elaina! Even with an "empty" bike, my longest day before that was 37 miles. I felt elated, starving, and glad to be a physical being! Our campground was dubbed an "urban" campground in the guidebooks. The hiker-biker site, right inside the entrance, was just across the street from residential homes! But looking in the other direction, it seemed to be on the edge of the wilderness! This was my first experience in a "hiker-biker" site at at campground, and it reminded me of a hostel. Everyone doing what we were doing...cycling the Oregon Coast! Now I understand why people like these sites so much!
After we settled in, we went off to explore the "urban" offerings...It was a new experience to walk a block and be on a busy, commercial street with Pizza places, stores and plenty of traffic.
Looking forward to exploring Devil's Lake itself and the beach in the morning!
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