We had an unusual alarm to wake us this morning about ten minutes before the actual alarm was to go off – this guy was on our deck…
He flew away before we could hit snooze. Awake, we got ready quickly and started our ride to Oregon. The morning was cool and overcast with some drizzle. We were bundled in our liners and warm gloves so we enjoyed the cool air and were quite comfortable.
We left the small peninsula on which the inn was located and went through beautiful coastal forests occasionally aligning with the coast. 
As we approached the mighty Columbia River, we saw what was probably the last Bald Eagle we’ll see on this trip. The Columbia is huge – almost five miles wide where we crossed. 
Once on the other side of the bridge, we were in Oregon. We made our way to the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park’s Fort Clatsop. This is a replica of the fort in the general area where the Corps of Discovery wintered before returning to the east. The museum was great and brought to life many situations the expedition encountered.
We stopped for lunch in Seaside which to our surprise was a very touristy town. We got back on the road as soon as we finished our meal. We took at loop that traveled through the coastal forest and brought us back to the coast at Tillamook. We decided to stop for an ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese Factory until we saw the line of people out the door. Another time.
We headed east back into the lush coastal forest and then dropped down into the Willamette Valley which is mostly agriculture. 
We made our way into Salem which was a bigger town than we anticipated. When we checked into our hotel, we asked if there was dining within walking distance – other than Denny’s, there was nothing. Not wanting to get back on the bike, we ordered a Lyft and went to a delicious Mexican Restaurant, La Hacienda Real.
Today’s roads we not only scenic, they were really great roads to ride. We traveled a little over 240 miles today. Tomorrow’s ride is a bit longer and we will end in Lakeview, Oregon.
Cathy’s Barn-pic-of-the-day:
Monkeybutt Chronicles 