Here I am in California now, likely my last State before Mexico, unless I detour again… The first part was pretty amazing. I had seen the Redwood forest before, but just like the ocean, it is hard to get tired of seeing these massive trees. So from Brookings, I went to Hiouchi to visit the Jedediah Smith Park and then back to the coast where I stayed in yet another church, thanks to a lovely woman named Katie, who has…
There was one thing I was really hoping to see in Oregon: a storm, ideally without getting too cold and wet. I was very lucky. We got a 5 day storm, and I managed to stay dry and warm most of the time. Of course that means I didn’t cover much distance, but I have no regrets. I had one of the most memorable time. This is what this trip is all about anyway. In Bandon, I met a tour…
The wind is howling, the rain is just starting and all of this is supposed to last for a few days. I could be having a miserable day riding in that weather. Instead, I am sitting in a nice café, dry and warm, working on a big piece of pumpkin-cranberry cake and a coffee, looking outside, feeling pretty content (which means “in a state of peaceful happiness”, according to the dictionary, I love it!). I feel very lucky to have…
I finally reached the Pacific Coast! It took me a few days because I wanted to start in Astoria, at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River. After following the Lewis and Clark Trail here and there for weeks, it seemed appropriate to ride along the Columbia River to reach the coast. And that detour was a great excuse to meet a few other Warmshowers hosts. Leaving Portland wasn’t the most interesting ride as there was quite a bit more…
I wanted to see Portland for 2 main reasons, both of them unrelated to ice cream, believe it or not. I wanted to visit Chris (whom I met in Kenya) and meet his family. I wanted to visit the biggest book store in the world. But I knew 24 hours in Portland would be a very short time to explore such an interesting city… Chris picked me up in Bend. The drive was amazing, and I was glad I didn’t…