Day 2 of the road trip took in fog, searching for sun on Highway 101, some spectacular scenery and a long time in the saddle.
I wanted to give Aberdeen a second chance. I really did want to. However, when I was fueling up, a guy at the gas station remarked that I should get out of Aberdeen quickly as it was always foggy there. So, unfortunately Aberdeen didn’t get it’s second chance and I hit the road, heading for Newport.
My first detour of the road trip came very early on day 2. Through some dubious map reading I ended up on highway 105 rather than 101. It took me on a long dogleg to Raymond. Having said that I got to see Grays Harbour and Grayland Beach. Litt;le wonder I referred to Aberdeen as, well, grey. Having said that, the detour did throw up some great photo ops and I took full advantage. Everybody loves Raymond, and I was no exception as Raymond was bathed in warm sunshine, I hoped that the fog was a thing of the past.
Unfortunately the fog would haunt me all day and all the way to Newport. The bridge crossing the Columbia river should have been spectacular. It wasn’t. It was fog bound. The Astoria-Megler bridge is some 6.5Km in length and is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. The one ‘wow’ moment was when through the fog I could see the bridge suddenly rising high above the water allowing for shipping traffic to pass underneath.
I’d penciled in stops at Seaside and Cannon Beach, both meant to be smashing resorts. Once again the fog ensured that these coastal jewels were only granted drive through status.
With only a brief refueling stop for bike and self, I ploughed on. The tone of the day was definitely fog with pockets of brilliant sunshine. Around the Garibaldi area (I wish I knew exactly where) I pulled over at a vantage point and the view was truly stunning. I was above the cloud line and the beach below was partially hidden in that pesky fog.
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My first real break of the day was at Tillamook. Rather than visit the cheese factory (well recommended by others) I had already decided to check out the Aircraft Museum. Having spent a number of years in the RAF, although never based at a flying station,
I do have an interest in old aircraft. My Airfix days are long gone, but I’m still impressed by the design and invention of 1940’s planes like the Lightning and Mustang.
After a satisfying stroll around the collection, many of which still fly, it was time to complete day 2 of the road trip and head for Newport.
I have to admit that the weather put a dampener on the ride today. Temperature only hovered around 59-60F (15-16C) and the same is forecast for day 3. Time to plan on the go. I have no specific end destination for day 3, so I’ll just see what happens.
One thing that will happen for day 3 is that the liners will go back in to my bike gear. My learning for the day has been err on caution. Every time I thought about stopping to put liners in, I hit a patch of sun so continued, only to disappear back in to mist within a few miles. Although I didn’t freeze, I was certainly chilly at times and that’s not a good thing to be when riding.
So, road trip day 2 was spent chasing the sun and never really finding it. Tomorrow is another day. The adventure continues.
