Tillamook to Lincoln City (89km)

… cru­cially, a re­luc­tance by driv­ers to re­al­ize that the world is chang­ing, and cy­clists are not some in­va­sive species akin to pur­ple looses­trife or ze­bra mus­sels, but fel­low com­muters who have ev­ery right to be on the road. (Elizabeth Renzetti, Globe and Mail July 12, 2014)

Cyclists that we have met (and spoken with) on the road: a young couple from Montreal , travelling from Vancouver to San Francisco; a young man towing a surf board and fishing rod, looking for waves from Seattle to Southern California; a rider from Utah who had started in Portland; and today, two young women from Michigan, who had started in Tillamook and were on their way to Los Angeles. We had pie together in the Otis Cafe.

We travelled through the farm land with the cows that give the milk for Tillamook cheese and ice cream. The bike route took us again (occasionally) to the long sandy beaches of the Oregon seashore. Before Lincoln City, the road was a long hot climb (Lois was grumpy) through old growth forest (this made Lois happy), followed by an 8km descent to Otis (nice, except that we were on the old 101 at this point so had to be careful of the potholes – it was the longest descent we have done). The clouds, which move inland over night and usually burn off around noon, persisted. We didn’t see blue skies until Lincoln City.

The Tilamook People together with many others were moved to a reservation at Siletz, that was subsequently greatly reduced in size. The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians encompass all of these people, including those whose traditional territory is now Lincoln City.