Short Day

3/29/15

I spent Friday night and Saturday with my good friends from law school Gary and Stephanie in Eugene Oregon. If I had no family ties in Kentucky, I’d move to Eugene in a half-heartbeat. It has a vibe that just feels right, with care for the environment, the future of our species, people on bicycles everywhere, the Saturday Market, a seemingly endless supply of truly astounding bakeries (that alone would be enough for me to move there), microbreweries and pubs, and the University adding the spice of constantly changing young people bringing new ideas and attracting new business to cater to them. I’d like to stay here longer, but I have a long ways to go and a (relatively) short time to get there.

I head out at about 11 on Sunday, after consuming the wonderful breakfast they prepared for me, going south pick up some roads over to the coast. Gary has tipped me to Smith River Road which winds up through some mountains, currently in the process of being logged for timber. It is a wonderfully curvy road, with some broken pavement and would be a fast exciting ride on a two-wheel motorcycle. I must take things quite a bit slower and wrestle this rig around each corner, some of which are 180 degree switchbacks as the road ascends the peaks. It is worth it though for the view from the top out over the pine-forested valleys. One can see at times the dark gray drizzle of asphalt that I’ve just come up, looking like someone with flair had decorated the mountain with a randomly distributed stream of chocolate syrup.

It takes me about 3 hours to make the 38 miles to Reedsport. I follow the coast road, beside the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area, down to Coos Bay, where both the clock and my fatigue catch up with me. I find a room within walking distance of a German restaurant, where I order Tafelspitzen and Pilsner Urquell. Life is most definitely not hard. I like this.

Only 146 miles today….but it felt like much more. It’s not the quantity, it’s the quality.