We took off Tuesday morning in a cool fog, but we were still able to see the ocean as we passed by. We stopped at the Lewis and Clark statue on the beach, as we will be following the Lewis and Clark trail for some time. We headed out of town, and immediately UP our first climb. We were rewarded later with a good downhill. The scenery is beautiful, similar to Colorado only greener. The first part of the day was on less-traveled roads. Then, we were routed onto Highway 30 for the rest of the day. It would have been a lovely ride, except for the heavy traffic and disappearing shoulder. We made it safely 58 miles to Clatskanie, where we camped in the city park, right next to a small river. After checking out the small downtown area, we dined on sandwiches, read for a while, and turned in for the night.
Today we rode from Clatskanie about 55 miles to the outskirts of Portland, on Highway 30 the whole way. Once again, we had a big climb first thing in the morning, followed by a screaming downhill into Rainier. And once again, the traffic was heavy and the shoulder was at times nonexistent. However, past Rainier the road improved, and provided a nice flat to slightly undulating ride. We saw Mt. Saint Helens from a distance, and there were enough trees along the route to provide some shady relief from the 94 degree heat. This evening we are staying with long-time friends (a former co-worker of Mike's from Martin Marietta and his wife).
Together with Marge's daughter and granddaughter, we went on a walking tour of the Nike campus. It is very impressive, beautifully landscaped, with numerous athletic facilities and fields for the employees. It is now dinner time!
This used to be called the Lance Armstrong building.
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