STATS: Mileage on bike=24.62, Average speed=13.6, Maximum speed =28.5

DAY TWO: Thursday, June 28 (Montesano to Skamokawa, WA): It rained last night and continued to rain all day today. Brenna and David did not continue with us today.This was a hard ride. The "adventure" today was a flat tire on my bike just outside of Raymond, WA.. Repairs on the rode were difficult. When I put in the spare tube....the valve stem broke. Lots of people stopped to offer help. A bicyclist gave me another tube....the valve stem broke again. We (fellow riders helped) patched original tube on a makeshift workbench on top of a guard rail and I rode next 50 mi. with loped-sided tire. I will go as far as Astoria today (another 44 mi.) and get this fixed. Last part of today's ride was a 2 1/2 mi. hill (rather like Mt. Diablo) when we were tired, and then long hill down where the wind created freezing temperature. When we arrived in Skamokawa the early riders had a yurt (a teepee like structure) waiting for us in the RV park.....I was immensely grateful. Tomorrow we go into Oregon and hope we find sun and a laundromat.

STATS: Miles today=85.78, Time today= 7 hr 28 min. riding, total day=12 hrs, Aver. spd=11.5, Max spd=30.5, Total mileage on bike=254.42.

DAY 3: Friday, (Skamokawa, Washington to Cannon Beach, Oregon): We rode to the ferry (in rain) this morning and at 10:30 am crossed the Columbia River to Westport, Oregon. We rode on to Astoria (I'm was still riding on a lopsided tire) where I got a new tire for the bike. Jay also had some repairs done. Jay has a little different setup as he is pulling a small trailer called "Bob" to carry his equipment. (lots of kidding about Jay and Bob). After Astoria the sun came out!!! Windy, but a much more pleasant, easy ride. We have ridden at different speeds today so Ron and I ended at Cannon Beach where we got a motel.....even had a beer or two at Bill's Tavern and enjoyed the evening. We will all meet up tomorrow.

STATS: Miles today=57.88, Time today=5 hr. 46 min., Aver. spd=10.5, Max spd=29.5, Total mileage on bike=312.30.

DAY 4: Saturday, (Cannon Beach to Neskowin, Oregon): Sunshine all day! The skies were clear with a little wind at our backs. The terrain was pretty flat. We rode through Tillamook country (farming land) to Neskowin, a little resort town on the coast. Staying in a motel tonight. Typical food for a day of riding? We had a high carb breakast (pancakes), lunch in a restaurant, dinner was Caesar salad, pizza and ice cream, topped with a beer for the night. In between, pretzels and peanut butter are great snacks with lots of water. Interesting finding: bikes have lots of squeaks after they have been so wet. Therefore, frequent stops for lubrication were needed. We will have hills tomorow.

STATS: Miles today=70.5, Time today=5 hr. 47 min., Aver. spd=12.2, Max spd=32.5, Total mileage on bike=382.87.

Day 5: Sunday, (Neskowin to Yachats, Oregon): We left Neskowin at 8:30 am today with high clouds, temperature in mid 60's as we rode some hilly country. One 750 ft. mountain was 3 miles up, and then 3 miles down. Ron and I have been riding together the last 2 days. We will meet up with Brian and Jay tomorrow in Florence to finish the ride together...the mighty four! Lunch was in Newport today at a little restaurant called "the Court House Cafe." Tonight we are enjoying the luxury of a motel. Now that the squeaks are lessening on the bike we are turning our attention to the bodies on the bikes. Tomorrow (the sixth day of riding) we will do 70 miles and then REST on the seventh day. We should have reached the halfway mark by then. Tomorrow I will tell you about the scenery on this magnificent coastline.

STATS: Miles today=60.24 , Time today=5 hrs. 21 min., Aver. spd=11.2, Max spd=30.5, Total mileage on bike=443.12.

Day 6: Monday, July 2 (Yachats to Charleston, Oregon): We left Yachats this morning in beautiful sunshine with some head wind. The scenery along the Oregon Coast included seeing eagles on the beach and sea lions near Cape Perpetua. There were lots of hills today. Right in the middle of the Florence bridge I had another flat tire. Walked the bike off and the change this time went smoothly. We met up with Brian and Jay and tonight have another "yurt" that includes hot showers and laundromat. Charleston is a small fishing village. Dinner tonight on the wharf at a seafood restaurant. Our plans for tomorrow have changed and the four of us will ride to Gold Beach (almost in California). We are halfway and doing great!

STATS: Miles today= 78.04, Time today=7 hr. 17 min., Aver. spd=10.7, Max. spd=32.0, Total mileage on bike=521.17.

Day 7: Tuesday, July 3 (Charleston to Gold Beach):It was quite foggy when we left Charleston this morning. We climbed a large hill, where at the top there were two dogs to greet us. Ron and Brian were ahead and the whistle Ron wore came to great use as it scared the dogs. By the time Jay and Mark reached the top the dogs were ready for a chase....Jay and Mark won! There were a lot of hills and great views. The area around Bandon Dunes was especially beautiful. Brian's bike is limping as he broke a spoke and has to get to Crescent City for repair. Its a really wobbly tire.

STATS: Miles today=76.69, Time today=6 hr. 59 min., Aver. spd=10.9, Max. spd=10.9, Total mileage on bike= 597.96.

Day 8: Wednesday, July 4 (Gold Beach to Crescent City): Alot more climbing today in mid-70's weather. Followed the Pacific Coast Bike Route when possible (these are smaller roads that are an alternate to 101). We had lunch in Brookings. Crossed into California with a little hoopla at 1:30 pm. Viewed Pelican Bay prison on the route. Tonight we were VERY fortunate to get the last spot in an RV park on the bay....wall to wall RV's and people but room for our four little tents. The Fourth of July in Crescent City was celebrated with 50-60 bonfires on the beach, a small professional fireworks demo, and many, many legal and illegal fireworks up and down the beach that lasted until early morning! Happy Birthday, USA!

STATS: Miles today=56.67, Time today=5 hr. 28 min., Aver. spd=10.3, Max. spd=33.5 (at this point I put the brakes on), Total mileage on bike=654.53.

Day 9: Thursday, July 5 (Crescent City to Eureka): The four of us started out from Crescent City in a litle fog. Not very warm today. Brian has his bike fixed. We were facing a day of alot of hills, one major one was 500 ft. high and 5 miles long. Ron had contracted a touch of the flu during the night so after 14 miles he decided to rest for today. He has a friend in the area, so he will try to catch up with us tomorrow. Everyone else is well and strong. We went through Prairie Creek Redwood State Park which was magnificent. Lunch in Orick. The Klamath River was beautiful and I am taking alot of pictures. Trinidad is a quaint town overlooking the ocean. We followed one "scenic drive" only to fine it had been washed out and we had to walk the bikes about 1000 feet over gravel to get out. Visited McKinleyville and dinner in Arcadia. We are staying in a KOA park 4 miles north of Eureka tonight. There are many cyclists in the camp here. Tomorrow we plan to wait for Ron, perhaps rest a bit. General observation: CA roads not as good as Oregon (less shoulder) and alot of debris and roadkill on the roads. We are having a great time!

STATS: Miles today=76.1, Time today=7 hr. 10 min., Aver. spd=10.6, Max. spd=32.5. Total mileage on bike=731.15.

Day 10: Friday, July 6: (Near Eureka): We spent a day being tourists in this area. Walked alot, rode a little. We needed a rest (those seats get hard!). We found the local pizza place, the ice cream parlor, and sampled several coffee shops. Mostly, we people watched. It is surprising how many bicyclists are on the road. Our bikes are like magnets attracting many to hear our story and tell us theirs. We ended the day in the hot tub at the KOA (our second night there) to sooth our weary bones. Tomorrow we hit the trail again.

STATS: Miles today= 7.11, Time today=54 min., Aver. spd=7.8, Max. spd=19.3, Total mileage on the bike=738.26.

Day 11: Saturday, July 7: (Eureka to Leggett): Morning was quite a flat ride. We had breakfast in Fortuna and then went through the "Avenue of the Giants," very impressive. It rained lightly in the morning and then the sun came out in the afternoon and it was hot. Lunch in Garberville, where we also bought dinner items in anticipation of camping tonight. Afternoon also brought long and fast hills. Today Jay has a cold so he stayed in a motel in Leggett while we camped in the Standish-Hickcox State Recreation Area. We were in contact with Ron, who is feeling better but may not catch up with the group. He is with a friend and may go on home.

STATS: Miles today=95.68, Time today=7 hr. 57 min., Aver. spd=12.0, Max. spd=35.0, Total mileage on the bike=833.94.

Day 12: Sunday, July 6: (Leggett to: Manchester Beach): Encountered a huge hill just outside of Leggett and this became the story of the day. Hill after hill. We climbed, and then we climbed some more. Lunch in Fort Bragg. Jay's wheel needed fixing, so we had a brief rest in Mendocino. There were super strong head winds today that made this the most difficult day of riding that we have had. There was alot of traffic and the road is narrow with no shoulders. Going down hill we took the entire road. After 70 miles we came to the toughest hill we have climbed, but we made it! Tonight we are in Manchester at a KOA with HOT showers and really looking forward to them We are cold!. The scenery was dramatic today but it was almost impossible to spend anytime looking at the coast. Our eyes were glued to the road. We have met many other riders, some doing this ride by themselves. We are happy to have company. Jay's quote: "We suffered and shivered all day." It was the longest day we've had, but gave a definite feeling of accomplishment.

STATS: Miles today=83.00, Time today= 8 hr. 21 min., Aver. spd=9.9, Max. spd=32.5, Total mileage on bike=917.01.

Day 13: Monday, July 9: (Manchester to Bodega Dunes State Park): We are back in our tents tonight after a long, hard day. Highway 1 has a lot of trucks on a weekday. When the trucks pass us we really have to concentrate on staying straight and upright. It was hard to make time today because of a strong head wind. There has been lots of climbing, down the hill and then up another. We had breakfast in Gualala. "Pretty country" according to Jay.There are many private homes being built along the coast and up on the bluffs. Tomorrow is our last day of riding, approximately 65 miles, should be flatter as we go through Tomales Bay, Fairfax and San Rafael to the Golden Gate Bridge. We are planning to ride through San Francisco, take BART to Dublin and then home. Brian will leave Tuesday night on Amtrak for Seattle.

STATS: Miles today=65.59, Time today=6 hr. 54 min., Aver. spd=9.5, Max. spd=31.0, Total mileage on bike=982.60.

Day 14: Tuesday, July 10: (Bodega to Home):Our final day! We left Bodega Bay (where the fishermen were just going out for their day) at 6:30 am. The hairy roads soon changed to country farm roads with rolling hills making the riding much more pleasant. Went by Tomales Bay to Pt. Reyes State Park (breakfast), Olema, St. Francis Blvd. to Fairfield, San Anselmo, Larkspur, Mill Valley on back roads to the Golden Gate Bridge. Arrived at the bridge at 3:30 pm. BIG MILESTONE! Crossing the bridge was another adventure. The winds were fierce, so high that Jay had to walk his bike and trailer rig. In San Francisco we went through Ft. Point, the Presidio, Crissy Fields, Fisherman 's Wharf. When we found we could not take the bikes on BART until after 6:30 pm we visited Ghirardelli Square and an Irish Pub. Then onBART to Dublin and rode to my home in San Ramon. I took Brian to Martinez as he is off to Seattle now. Highlight of the day: Arriving at the Golden Gate Bridge.

I will add some final thoughts and pictures tomorrow.

FINAL STATS: Miles today=78.55, Time today=8 hr. 1 min., Aver. spd=9.7, Max. spd=35.0, Total mileage for the trip=1061.61 miles.

NOTES FROM THE TRIP:

The most difficult part of the trip was from Leggett to Bodega Bay due to hills, high winds (we even pedaled down hill), and truck traffic.

Two incidents on the trip have not been recorded in my log as I did not want to worry anyone at home. The first: one in Newport, Oregon. I was negotiating a turn into a driveway, the tire caught the edge and the bike went one way and I went the other, hitting my shoulder and head pretty hard on the pavement (thank goodness for helmets). Soreness and headache resulted but responded to aspirin.

The second scary moment was also in Oregon when we were going through a tunnel. There was not much room and a large truck got a little too close. My shoulder (same shoulder!) hit the wall, ripping my jersey. It took all my concentration to keep the bike upright and not rebound into the truck. Whew! After that my nickname was "crash."