Astoria to Cannon Beach

Day 1. 31 miles. Goonies never say die.

Here I am, settling in for my first night on the road. It's been an interesting day.

Last night I was sleeping by 8, finally a solid nights sleep. I only woke up once around 10, and that was to shut the tv. Man was I exhausted from all the fun and running around.

This morning, I found my way to the Maritime Museum, the western terminus of the TransAm. My stomach felt like it did on Springer Mountain day, I couldn't eat much and it was doing flips. Anyway, I took off from the museum, and it felt like I was only out for a little day trip. Not sure when the magnitude of this trip will hit me.

Leaving Astoria was a little confusing, and instead of following the official route, I rode the 101 all the way. I was supposed to be on some paralleling roads for a part of that section...oops.

I made my way to Seaside where I was finally able to do my ceremonial wheel dip. Pushing a fully loaded bike on a very long stretch of sand is like trying to run in a pool. Glad I only have to do it once more.

Awesome landmark of the day: the rock formations in the ocean from The Goonies. I could just picture the ship with One-eyed Willie!

The riding was easy, and the weather was relatively good; I suppose overcast is normal for this area. The sunshine on my face for half of the day sure was a welcome treat.

I crapped out at mile 30 today, though I had planned on 50. Exhaustion hit me, and my stomach was angry; I think I ate way too much cheese at lunch. So I took my time drinking tea and making a few calls from Cannon Beach, until I found my way to a lovely campground recommended by the bike shop. The only sucky part is paying to sleep on a patch of grass. I tried hard to find a bbq in town to crash (its Memorial day) but no such luck. Thought I could score a free yard to sleep in, but oddly, nobody was having a party. Oh well.

Day 1: check. No pain, no sore muscles, just tired. Success!

Note to self: off-brand raspberry crumble is a disgrace to backpacking desserts.