Day 9
Reedsport, OR to Gold Beach, OR
Daily Miles - 110.3
Cumulative Miles - 691.2
Average Speed - 11.7 MPH
Max Speed -  32.5 MPH
Ride Time -  9 Hours 22 Minutes
Today got off to a cold and foggy start.  In the low 40s again when I got on the road. I was happy to be starting off the day ahead of my plan.  Today was scheduled to be a long one, but I had the option to do fewer miles because I was ahead.  As you can see, I ended up putting in another 110 miles.  I reached my scheduled stopping point, but was feeling ok so I went on.  The problem was the next reasonable place to stop was 30 miles away.  I went for it.  Thankfully, the good Lord was helping me along with an unbelievable tail wind for the last 20 miles.  I was cruising at close to 20 miles per hour with very little effort.

On my way out of the Oregon Dunes National Park area, I was able to capture a nice photo of a sand dune.  They are large and smooth.  I can understand why all the ATVs are around this area having a lot of fun.



This was a cool shot.  I stopped to check out the memorial and also captured the long bridge in the background that I had to cross over.  There have been quite a few bridges that I have had to cross.  I have been walking over them since the traffic is very tight and walking allows me to get up on the sidewalk.  I cannot ride on the sidewalk because the cross winds would probably blow me right over the railing.
Very cool lighthouse in the town of Bandon.  I had just passed an elderly couple who were out on a bicycle ride when I looked back and saw this lighthouse.  I turned around to take the photo and then talked a little bit with the wife about the beauty of Bandon and how long they have lived there.














Not much to say about these two characters other than you really see some strange things out on the road.  There was a prehistoric museum out in the middle of nowhere.  And there were actually quite a few people visiting.


A couple more pictures of the beautiful coast.  Each time I stop at a viewing point, I am amazed.  Beaches, cliffs, waves, rocks...


This was the last bridge of the day that took me into Gold Beach, Oregon.  At this point, the wind was blowing so hard, I turned around for something and was barely able to ride.  At a rest stop about 50 miles back, I met a man who was having a hot dog at a local store.  He had just dropped his wife off at a local airport and was heading home.  He asked where I was headed and it just so happened to be where he lived - in Gold Beach.  I said I was not sure if I would make it there since it was further than I thought I could make it for the day.  He said that it was definitely worth getting there if I could since he said it is a great little town.  With the tail wind, I was able to do it and the town has lived up to his comments.
Tomorrow will be my last day in Oregon.  I should be entering California sometime in the late morning.

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 4, 2018 at 10:12 PM

    WIND AT YOUR BACK, NICE FOLKS ALONG THE WAY, BEAUTIFUL VISTAS. What a wonderful experience. Making good time. Looking forward to seeing you in California.
    Aunt Betsy

    Gary here: If you blow by Cresent City, you will be coming upon the Red Woods. They are spectacular and beautiful. Enjoy them. Stay safe and remember there is an Angel riding with you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 5, 2018 at 5:22 AM

    Hey Brendon, hoping you made it our of Oregon yesterday. Keep going! Amazing and inspirational.

    Tim Solms

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 5, 2018 at 8:13 AM

    Wind on your back is good, unbelievable tail wind is even better!! Envious of the views but not the ride! Talking to folks along the way seems like a great way to enjoy the journey! Stay safe!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJune 5, 2018 at 12:34 PM

    Brendon

    Roger here - just checking in on you and to tell you how much I have enjoyed your blog and the photographs. You should be sponsored by the local chambers in the towns you are passing thru and sharing with us - makes us want to go - please stay safe and again thanks for sharing - really impressive pace you have managed to date.

    Roger

    ReplyDelete
  5. TetonJune 5, 2018 at 2:04 PM

    Hard to beat your ride, not many roads like the one you are on and the nice folks you are encountering is something you will always remember. Keep on pedaling, "hopefully" with the wind always at your back. Glad the extra effort it took to get to Gold Beach was well worth the time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SEJune 5, 2018 at 4:31 PM

    It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.” — Ernest Hemingway

    Thank you for sharing your lens of the "contours" of Oregon with your words and photos. No doubt your daily sights and sounds are difficult to capture in words. Nevertheless you're doing a wonderful blog/journal. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownJune 5, 2018 at 8:24 PM

    Nice dinos!! Send those pictures up to heaven...Joe would be going insane in love with them! 😁

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 6, 2018 at 11:19 AM

      I thought of Joe when I saw those pics too! Since Mrs. DeWitt shared how much he loved them :)

      Delete

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