DownThe101

After the best night of sleep in two weeks, I was reluctant to get out of bed. Instead, I brought my laptop in with me and started working on what would eventually become a blog post. I was finally drawn out of my warm nest by the smell of coffee. In the kitchen, my hosts had put together a large breakfast that even included homemade bread. They hadn't advertised an included breakfast so I was pleasantly surprised. I joined another guest at the kitchen table and talked with the hosts while stuffing myself and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. Eventually I had to extract myself from the conversation as I had too much to do before checkout time. I worked on laundry, cleaned up my camera lenses, organized the car, and planned the rest of the ... read more

After a nice night of sleep, I got up and drank coffee while watching two birds play in the bushes near my tent, I tried to focus on them and not think about the great unknown that lay in front of me. I had spent several weeks before my trip looking through tourist guides and internet forums, cataloging potential places to stay and things to see, starting with the northern-most section and working south. I had planned through Honeyman Park, and then simply run out of time. The entirety of my plan for the rest of Oregon was "head south". Before I did that though, I needed to head north. Rather than head for the next town, I backtracked to Florence under a misting rain. The first task of the day, as with so many mornings ... read more

The first town I hit was Lincoln City, and I soured on it quickly. The traffic, likely fed by the nearby casino, was terrible. After being spoiled by several days of quiet, scenic back roads, I just wanted to escape this busy stretch of 101. Lincoln City went on the list of "towns to explore on the trip back" list. Eventually I made it through the city and the lovely coast scenery returned. I made a couple of unplanned stops for pictures, and then arrived in Depoe Bay around lunch time. This town fit my mood much better. The west side of the street was all parking, making it easy to stop for pictures and a meal, which was populated by little restaurants and touristy stores. After the rich meals I had eaten over the last ... read more

It was a short drive to Tillamook. It was early enough in the day that I avoided the crowds heading to the coast from the city. The search for breakfast was harder than expected as the first several restaurants along the main drag were closed for the day or even the week. Apparently the main tourist season hadn't fully begun yet. One of my goals for this trip was to stick to small, local restaurants when eating out. In desperation I pulled up to the IHOP. After a hot breakfast and way too much coffee, I headed to Fred Meyers for supplies and to make some calls. I had a feeling I wouldn't have cell coverage at the campsite, which would turn out to be true for much of the coast. After finding space in my ... read more