My apologies for being so far behind in keeping you updated and thankfully a good friend has offered to help me out.
I could talk about the downside of the trip, lousy weather, bike issues, hills I had to walk, rocks under my sleeping pad, but those times will fade and the wonderful memories will last forever.
Traveling down the coast is to be taken at a slow pace and to admire the blueness of both the water and the sky.
Learning how to set up camp quickly before dark sets in and not having the tent fall in on you in the middle of the night brings the pride of accomplishing a much needed task. Of course finding a campsite with a small cabin to rent is a boost at the end of the day.
But the most memorable part of the trip is the people you meet and talk to. The couple who gave me a ride to the bike shop when the rain was pouring down. Andrew the owner of A’s Bike Shop in Seaside, Oregon who was able to fix several problems and gave me great advice. Alex, a cyclist from Canada, who helped me with a broken pannier hook alongside the road. The store clerk in Albany who insisted that he would pay for my snacks and the numerous other people I have met and had conversations with. You are all helping to remind me that there are wonderful people in this world.
And about that couple in the picture. That’s Curt and Barbara, a Warmshowers host and hostess who open their home for cyclists to have a place to stay. My words cannot do justice to all the kindness they showed. Thank you. One more note for now, Alex from Canada was there the night before and they already knew a bit about “the old woman and her bicycle” from New Hampshire.
So now it’s time to hop back on that bike and “keep on riding” and to look forward to other wonderful moments.
Feeding Kids 