85.7km out of 1522km so far

We woke up, let the tents dry a bit from the overnight light rain and headed off back to the old part of Bandon for breakfast and internet access to research for our next destination. We managed to find a bakery that had by far the best collection of baked goods I’ve seen on this trip. It reminded me all the good boulangeries in France. We had a generous breakfast and started cycling south.

A second hand bookshop in Bandon

The beach by Bandon is just amazing with a couple of dozen massive rocks sitting right in front of the sandy beach. Apart from the occasional surfers, I still haven’t seen anyone swimming in the ocean, as it’s way too cold to do so. Maybe further down California I will have my chance.

The nearby beach at Bandon. Check how small the people are.

This one is right in front of the beach and it’s for sale if anyone is interested

We caught up with highway 101 again and started heading south. On the way I saw  a place with more creepy animal sculptures, similar to the one I saw yesterday in Bandon and it all made sense. It is an art studio that produces all these. With the help of volunteers, they collect plastic debris from the ocean and create these massive creatures. At a closer look you could see all kind of good that we use and throw out daily. I always knew I am contributing to something valuable by throwing my plastic bottles and flip flops in the sea.

Creepy bird

Raw materials

On the same topic, there is a big creepofoot

We stopped for some food supplies on the way and spent most of the morning cycling non-stop. The route this morning was mostly in-land, via farmlands and a few hills. The weather was equally good all day long, so I was happy to be on the road.

Watch out children, this beast is for sale.

Can’t get any better than this

We got to Port Orford and we stopped for lunch and some internet access in the local Library to check camp sites further down the road. We planed to cover some distance, so tomorrow’s ride won’t be as long. On the way out of the library, Garry met a friend of his that he was cycling with for several days a few weeks ago. She was with another two cyclists, so all of a sudden we became 5 of us. They wanted to stop at the National Park campground just 10 kilometers down the road, but I wanted to cover more distance as it was still early in the day and I know tomorrow there will be many big hills to go over. So after spending 5 days together, we said goodbye and I moved on. I wouldn’t be surprised if I see them further down the road, as we are all heading the same direction. So here I am again, me and my bike, cruising the coast in solitude. Sometimes it’s nice to be with others to share the experience, have company and help each other, but other times it’s nice to be independent and take your own time during the day.

Garry and the fellow cyclists

Ophir was just another 25km south, the wind was on my back and the sun was still shining. The view was amazing and it’s the first time I can see the ocean with such a clear atmosphere. It was also the first time I see the ocean so calm. I just can’t get enough looking at the sea disappearing into the horizon.

More rocks in the ocean

Just before Hambug Mountain where the State Park is

1500km mark!

Some dinosaurs out of nowhere

Back on the coast

The beach right by the campsite

Tonight’s spot

72.2km out of 1436km so far

It has been 3 weeks into this trip now. Images and experiences have been so vivid, that Vancouver and my life there already feel like a distant memory. Despite any doubts I may have had in the beggining, the hills I am climbing every day and the storm I have encountered over the past week, a long and slow trip such as this is the best way for me to transit from one chapter of my life to another.

All this time I had forgotten about the earplugs I was carrying and last night I thought I would try them out. It rained really hard again overnight, but earplugs and the double tent accomondation provided me with a solid sleep up until 9am. The owners of this KOA treated us extremely well and we were happy to stop by for the night. The sun was out when we got up, together with a nice blue sky. Of course the weather changed again as me and Garry were leaving the campground. That was the last act of rain though, as by noon the sky together with the horison to the west had cleared for good from any dark clouds. Yesterday we were worried about crossing the long bridge of North Bend in bad weather, but this morning was so nice that we decided to walk it and enjoy the view of the bay.

The bridge of North Bend, while it was still raining

Alleluia!!! Sun is out.

In the town we stopped for some picnic supplies and continued further south. The suggested bike path took us away from highway 101, to some quieter and more scenic routes over a big forestry hill. By that time the weather reached the perfect conditions, with the temperature around 16-18c degrees, cool enough for a pleasant ride, but with a bright sun to dry and warm clothes, body and mind. I was in such a good mood seeing the blue sky after a grey week, that was feeling I could ride for ever.

Oyster shells

Space cabin

At the summit of the hill we stopped for lunch at a spot where part of the forest was cut down, allowing a clearing with a view to the east. Another cyclist stopped by for a bit. He was part of a small group of three and they were all carrying their surfboards, heading to Sant Diego, surfing at every beach on their way.

Lunch spot

The descent was very pleasant as the wind finally changed direction to our favor, allowing me to cycle at a great speed effortlessly. We crossed another small bridge as we entered Bandon. We were planning to camp further south, but the town was so nice that we decided to call it a day and stay there. Bandon is a fishermen village and it has an old picturesque part by the water with interesting buildings.

Creepy seal

WIP

Bandon’s coastline

After a stroll we headed to an Irish pub for food and a couple of drinks. A bit risky to drink before setting tents, but we knew there was a campground just a couple of miles up north. On the way to the campground, the highway was almost empty and very dark, allowing the sky to shine above us. It’s probably the first time in the trip I get to see such a clear and bright night sky. If it wasn’t that late at night and cold, I would have loved to spend some time outdoors to enjoy the sky. But we need to have an early start tomorrow and by the time we got to the campground, we set tents and went right in.

Irishman in an Irish pub