DAY 7--Washington wine

Continued on in Washington with lots of long ups and downs, along some bluffs. Saw many wind turbines up top. Still very hot, near 100 degrees in the afternoon. I don't know if this is technically a desert, but we did see a camel at one farm.

We ran into another tour, 27 women riding a loop out of Portland. They were also headed for Walla Walla, so we saw quite a bit of them throughout the day.

We stopped at one of the many wineries along the route, this one housed in a historic school building. We originally intended to cool off and get water, but ended up tasting and purchasing some wine--thanks Jean!

Stayed in Walla Walla with a Warm Showers host.

DAY 5--Up & at 'em

Got up at 5:30 to get an early start. We drove back to where we left off the day before. Had a few big sweeping hills, nothing major. No towns along the way. Lots of dry, dusty scenery, a few orchards. We made it to Roosevelt Park campground by 11:00am. The campground is right next to the Columbia River, so we went wading a bit. Had a substantial lunch at the mini-mart. They have a guest book, which we signed, and noticed most other signers were also cyclists on their way through. Not too surprising as this is the only place to stop for water and other necessities for many miles. We had plenty of time to relax and read in the shade of a large plane tree at our campsite. There were a number of Hispanic families camped there also, so we went to sleep to the sound of Mariachi music.

DAY 6--Washington Desert

Another early start. The last several days have been very hazy, especially in the morning, making the sun glow red. We figure some of this is due to the wildfires burning in Oregon and Washington.

Had many long ups and downs through desert spotted with vineyards and orchards. Saw pelicans flying along the river. Stopped in Paterson (the only town on the route) in hopes of refilling our water bottles, but found no gas station, and not much of anything else. However, there was a fire station, so we rang their doorbell and were greeted by a friendly young man who invited us in. Ate our peanut butter sandwiches as we chatted with him about the area-- the crops (all irrigated straight from the river), the fire season, the scenery.
Caught a great bike path that took us back across the river to Oregon-- this time on a wide concrete path with concrete walls! No panic. We stopped at the Oregon Fish Viewing room, where there are 4 large windows with water rushing by, and where the number and varieties of fish passing the dam are automatically determined.
Camped in Umatilla, again right on the Columbia River. Went for a swim to cool off (even though the bottom was very rocky).
Oh, yes, the heat rash has arrived.

DAY 4--HOT HOT HOT

We said goodbye to Marge this morning. Aside from the unnerving traffic, her ankle was bothering her and it seemed apparent that doing more of the same would more likely make it worse instead of better. Happy trails to you, Marge!

We set off  climbing up a winding hilly road that led to a magnificent bike trail--built like a road but no cars allowed. We had awesome views over the Columbia River Gorge, followed by a thrilling downhill ride. The road was originally constructed to take advantage of the scenery, with no grade greater than 5%, and with few restrictions on cost. It was well worth it!

We crossed over to the Washington side on a bridge that was narrow with no shoulder and a small walkway with a 10" drop to the road, and what looked like not much of a railing. I (Paula) came that close to a panic attack for fear of falling into traffic or into the river, then walked the second half of the bridge. Once in Washington there was NO shade and the heat set in. At one point we jumped a fence into an orchard and stretched out on the damp, shady ground to cool off. The towns were few and far between. We finally stopped at a house and asked if they would be so kind as to provide us with water and ice. They very generously invited us in and we stayed about 2 hours. This gave us time to cool off and to think more clearly, coming to the conclusion that, with 10 miles to go, we should not get back out on the road. We had Steve pick us up. On the way to the campground, we stopped at the Mary Hill Art Museum. The concrete building this is housed in was created to be a home for Sam Hill and his wife, but she refused to move here from Minnesota.

After a quick team meeting, we decided that, since the forecast was similar for the next several days, we would take 3 days to ride to Walla Walla instead of 2, allowing for shorter, earlier days.

We have wifi!

We are finally at a campground with wifi so here come the updates.

DAY 3
We picked up a lovely bike trail on the north side of Portland,right by the river, and headed out. We passed the airport about the time Marge's husband's flight was landing so we waved.We rode by a community of houses IN the river--not exactly houseboats, but floating houses.
Eventually we got onto the historic scenic highway 30--lots of winding roads and hills, beautiful trees and waterfalls, views of the Washington and Oregon bluffs and the Columbia River.

Toward the end of the day we were getting hot and tired. We stopped to rest in a shady area and discovered we were right next to a massive wild blackberry patch. They were delicious! Had some poor directions and ended up calling the park ranger to tell us how to get to the campground. We had to travel 5 miles on the interstate which was a bit harrowing,but we made it safely. Steve had been busy reserving our campsites and keeping the cooler stocked with food. He also takes in some of the historic points of interest, particularly if they involve railroads.