Astoria to Nehalem Bay SP, OR - 45 miles

The tent was finally dry, and I set off in search of a laundromat. I'm very sore from the day before, but it doesn't seem to hurt my riding at all. Dry tent, freshly showered, clean clothes and a good-as-new bike. A great way to start the day! As we rode away from Astoria, I was struck by how small it seemed. We crossed a drawbridge and rode along Fort Clatsop Road. I made some minor adjustments to my cleats and oiled that pesky clicking pedal again. Onto the Lewis and Clark Road where logging is everywhere. It's sad to see so many trees gone and forests cut to the ground. When I reached Seaside, I rode along the Promenade and enjoyed the ocean views. The end of the Lewis and Clark trail is here, and I look forward to returning in a few months. I amazed the waitress of the "Pig N Pancake" by practically inhaling a huge Denver omelet, 5 pancakes and a quarter of a merrionberry pie with ice-cream. Onto Cannon Beach, a real "must go back and stay for a week" kind of place. Many wonderful memories of playing on the beach and flying kites there as a child came back to me. I stopped at the post office in town to mail a small package home. I'm getting a better sense of what I really need to have and what isn't as important, so I'm cutting the weight down! Incredible views all along the coast here, and I'm soaking in the views along the way. There have been a few hills here, but nothing to compare with what I met in Washington so far! After a four-mile downhill into Manzanita, I set up camp at a hiker-biker site in Nehalem Bay SP. It was a late arrival since I spent so much time stopping along the way today, but I quickly set the tent up in the final rays of the sun. I saw one other touring biker heading the opposite way today, and one bungee cord. Tomorrow morning I plan to explore the sand dunes of the park.

- from Tillamook, OR