Forging Along the Oregon Coast

Today I'm riding from Newport to Netarts. It was a day of contrasts, riding past more rugged coasts (such as Otter Point, to the right, another set of rocks carved out by the pounding waves of the Pacific), evergreen lined hills, surfers on the breaking waves, farms with crops and cattle, and horse ranches. Most startling was the contrast of the sand dunes, below, that have encroached into forests, making it look like evergreens had simply sprouted in the middle of a desert.

As the variety of sights demonstrates, it was a long day. While only 70 miles, the headwind and the hills made it seem much longer than that. Frankly, it was too many miles, because the entire focus for the day became making it to the destination by 9pm, rather than just enjoying the adventure. I'm eager to head east to get the winds to my back, and fortunately, I'll be heading that way in just a few days, starting the Lewis and Clark route!