Where’s Kman

Seattle, Wa
Spent the day exploring Seattle today. It is a neat city with lots to see and do. It is very hilly and some of the roads are extremely steep just like San Fransisco. You can see Mt. Ranier about 30 miles to the south of the city if it is clear. I could see it today.

Seattle, Washington
No more bike. It feels strange without it. I took the train to Seattle this morning. It is a lot like Portland, but bigger. More about Seattle tomorrow.

Portland, Oregon
I rode around in the city this morning. There was a light drizzle but it didn’t seem to be stopping anyone else from riding so I thought I would. It was really pretty light and I didn’t get very wet but I did notice most people have installed fenders on their bikes. I went to a bike shop to see about shiopping my bike back to NC and they were very helpful. I just left the bike with the bike shop and they will box it up and send it with UPS. Ab out 120 dollars. Not too bad.

Cape Lookout, Or to Portland, Or
87 miles
15.1 average mph
Hwy 6
Hwy 8
Today I rode back through the Coastal Range Mountains. There was a long gradual climb of 2 to 3 percent for about.34 miles. Very nice! There are lots of bike lanes in Portland and it seems very bike friendly. I will find out more tomorrow.
For all intents and purposes my trip is done. I’ve made it from coast to coast and seen lots of beautiful places and met many interesting people! It’s truely been the trip of a lifetime for me. I want to thank all of you who have posted encouraging comments and everyone else who has followed along with me at home. It has been helpful for me knowing that I’m not alone on this journey.
I will continue to post details and picture for the next couple of days until I get back home which should be Friday.

Salem, Or to Cape Lookout, Or
78 miles
14.3 average mph
Hwy 22
I arrived at the Oregon coast today so I can’t ride any further west but I do have a few days left in my journey. I will ride back inland to Portland and then take the train to Seattle. The Oregon coast is beautiful. It has high waves for surfing and the mountains come right up to the beach. My campground for the night is in some trees right on the beach so I will be able to hear the waves crashing on the shore. Nice.

Detroit, Or to Salem, Or
63 miles
15.7 average mph
Hwy 22
Went to the farmers market/craft fair in Salem, Or which is held ev every week during. When I arrived I discovered the had a ‘bike valet’ service run by one of the local bike shops. You can leave your bike in this little corral area where somebody will. Watch it and you don’t have to worry about it being stolen. It was a free service and I got a claim check when I dropped off my bike (just like leaving a coat). I stopped at this little roadside shop called Roadkill Kafe. The guy was selling homemade jerky(salmon, elk, deer, buffalo, or beef). I bought some salmon jerky. MMM… Now.I’m coffee country. Even the smallest towns have one of those drive through espresso kiosks. Too bad I don’t drink coffee!

Sisters, Or to Detroit, Or
60 miles
15.1 average mph
Hwy 20
Hwy 22
The Cascades are aptly named because there are hundreds of little water falls dripping down into the creeks and rivers. This area gets 80 inches of rain a year so it is much greener, but the air is still really dry.

Prineville, Or to Sisters, Or
71 miles
14.3 average mph
Hwy 26
Hwy 126
Powell Butte Rd
Hwy 20
Stopped in Bend, Oregon today which is a neat, bike friendly, little town. About 70,000 people and 10 bike shops. I had to stop at one to buy one more tire for the rear wheel. That makes 4 so far. The bike shop guy said about half of the people ride road bikes and half ride mountain bikes. This particular shop has a road group ride EVERY day. There is an extinct volcano in the middle of town called Pilot Butte which is a park with a road to the top and hiking trails so I rode up there and there are great views of the snow covered mountains about 20 miles away. (The photos do not do it justice – sorry). Finally a challenging climb – but not very long. 500 ft vertical gain over 3/4 mile which is about a 12 percent incline.

John Day, Or to Prineville, Or
113 miles
15.3 average mph
Hwy 26
OK! New favorite ride! The stretch or road from Dayville, Or to Mitchell, Or is breathtaking. Same deal as the Salmon River Valley in Idaho; road winds along the John Day River cutting the narrow canyons and gorges, gradual incling, hardly any traffic, and surprises around every corner. I hiked into the Blue Basin area in the morning. Incredible! I had no idea this was here. The Basin is part of the John Day National Monument. Here and in other nearby areas, tons of fossils from now extinct animals have been unearthed. Some of them were on display in the Basin and at the visitors center. Quite a bit warmer today. 102 degrees. But it is a dry heat. Ha! Honestly though, it didn’t seem to bad and, of course, for a lot of the day I was at higher elevations where it was a little cooler. I’m just glad it’s not sleeting and hailing any longer.

Unity, Or to John Day, Or
60 miles
14.7 average mph
Hwy 26
It was another good day of riding with ideal conditions; nice roads, beautiful scenery, sparse traffic. I stopped and toured the Kam Wah Chung Company in the town of John Day, Or. This is the only remaining building from the chinatown of 2000 people in John Day during the gold rush period in the late 1800′s. It was a combination store/ doctor’s office/pharmacy/restaurant/bar/hotel until the 1950′s. The building was boarded upb and remained untouched for 30 years with all the contents inside preserved and is now a museum. Camp grounds in Oregon are clean, inexpensive, and very bike friendly with lower rates and special reserved areas for bikers or hikers. Very nice!
To Roger and Angela: enjoyed looking at the stars with you and thanks for the beers.