Day 8 Jesse E. Honeyman State Park to Bullards Beach State Park, OR

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Seattle to San Francisco

Day 8 Jesse E. Honeyman State Park to
Bullards Beach State Park, OR

Oregon Dunes

I left Honeyman around 8 a.m. Most of today's riding was along the Oregon Dunes. So, I did not get to see the ocean much. A strong north wind began blowing around 10 a.m. and continues to blow as I type this message.

Before, I describe the next event, I want to make it clear that Oregon is a very bicycle friendly state. Most of the drivers here have been courteous.

I was approaching North Bend on Highway 101. I crossed two narrow and crowded bridges over Coos Bay. I had several cars honk at me and one lady hollered "get on the sidewalk". This put me in a bad mood by the time I got to North Bend. I turned West on a 4-lane street with the wind gusting hard to the side of the bike. I was struggling to keep the bike in a straight line and looking for a supermarket, when I heard a loudspeaker behind me say, "Either do the speed limit or get out of my lane". I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a large pickup truck towing a huge boat. I was furious. Who did this jerk think he was telling me to get out of "his lane"? And, what kind of jerk would mount a P/A system on a pickup truck for the purpose of yelling at people. As the truck pulled past, I flipped the bird and glared at the driver. It was at that moment I saw the big gold star on the side of the truck. IT WAS THE LOCAL SHERRIFF'S DEPARTMENT!!!! Oh, shit! Nice going Tom. You just flipped off the cops! Of course they pulled me over.

I apologized profusely for flipping them off and explained how I had been harassed a few minutes before on the bridges. I said that there is no shoulder on the street and politely asked where I am supposed to ride. He told me I had to either do the speed limit or get out of his way. I explained politely that my loaded bike weighs 100 pounds and that it is physically impossible for me to do the speed limit. Furthermore, there is no law that I knew of in Oregon or anywhere else that says you have to do the speed limit. I see no minimum speed signs on this street. Finally, I finished by saying that I'm just trying to get through this town so that I can go back to enjoying my vacation. I'm fighting a strong cross wind and I'm doing the best that I can to keep to the right under the current conditions. The cop asked where I was going and I showed him my map. He lectured me about Seven Devils Road saying there was a lot of traffic including logging trucks. Then they let me go.

I bought my groceries and left that town.

Seven Devils Road was steep and winding. However, traffic was extremely light and there were no logging trucks anywhere. The entire area had been clear-cut. There was no logs left to haul out of there.

I've noticed a lot of things around here named Devil's this and Devil's. Somebody around here had a thing for old Lucifer. Oh well. It beats the Devil out of me.

Bullard Beach

I got into Bullard Beach State Park around 4:30 p.m.

I met an English couple, Phil and Johann, cycling the coast. A short while later, an Australian hiker named Paul showed up.

Paul tripped on one of the lines to my tent fly and put a big rip in it. Jo Ann offered to sew it up while Phil and I walked to the beach to see the sunset.

Sunset at Bullard Beach
Sunset at Bulllard Beach

Paul and I walked 3/4 of a mile across the dunes where we saw the sun slowly sink into the Pacific.

When we got back, Johann had finished with my tent. Bless her heart. The four of us spent time talking. Phil and Johann toured Australia before coming to the USA. I learned quite a bit about Australia.

Finally, I retreated to my tent to write this journal.

Today's mileage is 72.

Continue to Day 9