FINISHED BIKING THE OREGON COAST: FAREWELL OREGON

This is my farewell tour to Oregon, biking  the coast   I’ve been living in Slovenia for the past 3 years but felt the need to have a formal farewell.  I want to move back to somewhere in the EU, maybe Slovenia. America doesn’t represent my values as much as the EU does.

     No campground existed outside of Bandon not my style but it’s wild camping for me.  Up early and off to Cape Blanco.  I try to show up early at the Hiker/Biker campsites for getting the best spot.  I met a funny couple who was hiking for a couple days along the coast, we laughed till we cried.  They said they wanted to stay and hang out for a couple days, but no.  Low tide was at 7 am and they had to start hiking while the trail was visible.  The next day was the craziest days of campers, ever.  All of them were always smoking pot every time we hung out.  It was time to move on.
I was told by the northbound bike tourers that the southern Oregon coast was pretty terrific, with less traffic, I could hardly wait   I’m not much of a hiker, but  hiked at least 5 miles, holy shit.  The winds constantly blow so remote controlled gliders and parasailing are big, both quiet endeavors.  Cape Blanco seems to average 20 mph, hence the most westerly part of continental America.

BIKE STATIONS, AIR & TOOLS

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

TINY PLASTIC GARBAGE ON BEACH

CAPE BLANCO LIGHTHOUSE

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

REMOTE CONTROLLED GLIDERS

HIKING AT CAPE BLANCO

     The Hughes House is located at Cape Blanco, along the Sixes river.  At first I wasn’t that impressed.  The next day I started thinking about what I had toured.  They used horses to clear the property of stumps, after cutting the tress, for starting a dairy.  Supplies were brought in by ship from San Francisco.  There are photos of ships wrecked along the coast.  They also sent butter to San Francisco by ship.  When the war started, they didn’t have enough labor to milk the cows, so they switched to raising beef.
It’s blueberry, blackberry & huckleberry season along the coast, all my favorites.  I saw Paul at Cape Blanco (the only normal one), but never talked with him.  He is 72 and tours up and down the Oregon coast selling handmade jewelry, then winters in Arizona.  We camped at Humbug campground and had fun hanging out, we both agreed the other campers at Cape Blanco, were different.

WILD BLACKBERRIES

BLUEBERRY OATMEAL

DON THE TRAVELING JEWELER

TRYING TO SURF IN OREGON

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE THIS IN THE NEWSPAPER

HUCKLEBERRY OATMEAL

    I broke a wheel spoke 10 minutes out of Humbug campground and had to undo my rear brake so my wheel would spin.  It was the hardest biking day of the whole tour in Oregon, very hilly.  I couldn’t go too fast down hill, only one brake.  Tail winds rock, 15-17 mph.  I love reading the local paper.  They had an article about what favorite colors say about people, yep.  Slovenia has a huge bee culture and seeing the bee meeting in Brookings gave me hope for the future of the endangered bees.

     I’ve met all kinds of travelers.  I met a guy this morning who biked from Florida 3 months ago.  Crossed the south, HOT!, arrived in Arizona 119 Fahrenheit.  Biked north from San Diego with a daily head wind, with the coast views across the road. If your considering/planning a bike tour, check the weather and wind direction.  That can be the difference between a great trip and torture.  He could have started in Seattle and biked to San Diego, crossed the south and back to Florida, all with pleasant weather and wind conditions.

     I feel so fortunate to have called Oregon my home for 39 years.   I made many friends, ran several successful business’s (& failed ones too!). married-divorced.  I wouldn’t have changed a thing.  My experience being in Europe and Slovenia the past 4 years has shown me how much better things can be.  The human right to affordable health care, accessible education and the concern for history and future generations.  If Oregon is considered an environmental leader, then the rest of America must be a giant landfill.  The half ass effort to recycle in Oregon, is embarrassing.  Slovenia even separates plastic bottle caps because they[re a different kind of plastic.

     I’m going out for breakfast for only the 2nd time during this first month of touring.  Then off to California.  I reserved 3 nights at a hostel in Arcata, a college town.  I always love the energy of college towns.  I’ve biked the California coast 7 times but rode everyday, never staying 2 nights.   I’m excited to see some live music, find a favorite coffee shop and look for fun post cards.
HERE’S SOME POST CARDS & LETTERS, EITHER SENT OR ABOUT TO BE

Hope you enjoy the blog, I’m trying not to Facebook EVERYTHING.
Jeff