We left Jackson Hole early on Wed morning and drove through Teton pass, way up there.....the van was laboring is some low gear at 45 mph about 10 miles up, then we came upon a single cyclist, a woman, white hair and wrinkles, had to be in her 70's if not older. Now I have no excuses not to make it up the mountains. This pass was the steepest yet with fully 10% grades over miles, then same going back down. I timed how long I did not have to touch the accelerator, about 7 miles worth! After the mountains we just rolled through foothills up and down and around and enjoyed the occasional prong horn sighting and sage covered plains with the " Sisters" cascade mountains as a backdrop after awhile. When we would drive through the mountain passes, we would be following a route through tall pine forest rounding hollows and up through passes , then down on valley floors covered with wildflowers, blooming purple sage and occasional cattle grazing along the hills. We stopped in Burns , Oregon for the night, small town and only town along a long , long road through this part of Oregon. Not too very hungry that night so we stayed in and ate sandwiches from the cooler......nice clean room at an America suites.
Next day we are on the road through the mountains and plains to Reedsport Oregon, we arrive early around 2pm after much of the same scenic drive. The drive down through the cascade mountains was like a roller coaster of black licorice winding through a corridor of green pine that are so large that their branches from each side of the road meet in places and create tunnels much like hiking trails through old growth forest. Watching for deer and elk, but saw none.
Reedsport was a seedy little coast town. Our economy motel was not cheep but had no air conditioning, build around the 60's, and had signs in the shower to remember to open the window when showering or the smoke alarms will go off. Old electric code, the light switch was in the shower ! We survived with an ok meal at a family style restraunt that night and did the continental breakfast of coffee and breakfast bars in the morning. We drove all Friday up the Oregon Coast stopping along the way on scenic turnouts with barking seals on rocks and lighthouses on outcroppings of granite over the crashing pacific surf. Went through the giant sand dunes along various parks along the drive. Stopped in Depoe for a great soup and sandwich lunch at this fishing port where we watched from the restaurant crabbing boats coming in off the Pacific with their morning catch. On to Seaside Oregon and we get in around 3p. The hotel is a problem, there are no ground level rooms as promised, they have us on the third floor in a Suite , not what was booked, so after some vociferous discussion with the manager, she lets us off the cancellation fee and we find a great room at the local motel 6 for half the rate. Plus,,,,,the original hotel charged $ 15 per day extra for internet service, free at the motel six. One of the other riders is also staying there and we find a great steak house next door and have the special which is best meal we have had for many a day. We eat at the bar as the place is full and are greatly entertained by the barmaids nonstop rhetoric on all subjects.....a quaint soap opera between workers and patrons. Tomorrow we start the ride, we did go for a pre ride meeting at the other hotel to meet all the riders and wives and plan out our first day, and departure route and time. Hope the weather holds, it's been raining most of the last three days on and off and pretty cool sometimes.
Jim Suz and Beau
