Day 4 – Beaver to Salem, OR

Miles – 76

Ave Riding Speed – 13 mph

Hours Start to Finish – 12.5

Weather – Mostly Sunny 66

All in all, our maiden night of camping went pretty well. Sleeping bags were warm, sleeping pads were comfortable and we were 67 paces away from the bathroom for anyone needing to visit it during the night. I was up at 6:00am and getting organized while Kim got a few more minutes of sleep. We were both on task by 6:30am with our bags packed, gear loaded and hit the road for what began as a day’s ride of 36 miles to our next camping destination, Rose Lodge, by 7:30am.

Our first task during the ride was to find something to eat. We didn’t see anything in Sandlake, 5 miles down the road, so we rode the additional 8 miles to Pacific City, where we had planned to visit the local candy store that had a connection to a friend from church whose sister just opened it. In our minds we believed Pacific City to be much bigger than it actually was. We rode through town thinking there will be more just ahead, around the corner. Well, there wasn’t! So, we continued on for additional 14 miles to Neskowin. We learned from a gentleman named Binh, we met at a roadside coastal scenic view, who also took the picture above, that Neskowin is the home of the Ghost Forest. Binh and his family were headed to see the Ghost Forest in Neskowin, as this would be one of the lowest tides of the season for viewing the remnants of a forest believed to be over 2,000 years old.

We rode into the beach community and headed for the beach to check out the excitement. We never did see it as we were back on task to get something to eat. As we were walking our bikes back to the center of the village a lady coming from town noticed us and said we shouldn’t leave our bike in town and we are welcome to leave them at her place just up the street. We took her up on her offer and that was the beginning of our adjusted our day! Karen was more than hospital and asked us if we needed anything and made us feel so welcome at her home. Kim and I left our bikes and gear with Karen and we walked to the deli and got a bite to eat and took in the hustle and bustle of the locals and local tourists.  

Upon returning to Karen’s, she again asked us if we needed anything at all. We each shared our stories and learned that Kim and her were flight attendants. We then proceeded to review our remaining route for the day with Karen and she advised us not to get back on Hwy 101 because it was too dangerous and she was not comfortable with it. With that we adjusted our route. Karen volunteered to drive us, or gear and bikes back the six miles we covered earlier so we’d take her advice and ride the 24-mile route to Grand Ronde and cross our fingers for a place to stay. The generosity of Karen made our day and I expect it will make the highlight reel!

The route to Grand Ronde was a steady and gradual climb. When we arrived in Grand there, we learned that our wishful thinking of finding a place to stay was just that, wishful. Now as we were now 44 miles into the day with no place to stay, camp or motel, within any distance we could ride in the remaining daylight. Kim called her cousin Leslie, whom we were hoping to see as we passed by Salem, OR, and said we’re in a pickle and asked if she knew anyone locally that we could bum a night on their floor. Instead, Leslie and her husband Seth invited us to spend the night at there place, in Salem, 30 more miles down the road. Our only other choice for the night looked to be throwing up our tent on the side of the road or in a field. So, we graciously accepted and hightailed it for Salem. It actually gave us the boost we needed to keep going and do the additional 30 miles

There are basically no amenities between Grande Ronde and Salem and we were tired and thirsty as our water ran dry. We had pulled over during this last 30 miles pull for a quick break, as we were climbing a steep hill, which happened to be at driveway looking straight down at someone’s house.  Kim said she was going to go ask if they would fill two of her bottles.  The homeowner was very accommodating and we were very thankful. We arrived at Leslie and Seth’s at 8pm, tired, thirsty, smelly and hungry. Our hosts were gracious and checked all of our needy boxes. Plus, it was super fun to see them. It was a good day, and we rode 76 miles.