Day 6: Astoria to Lincoln City/Taft, OR

The morning began with dense fog that made it challenging to wear sunglasses as we rode along the 101 through Warrenton, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Bay City, and Tillamook, known for its cheese production. After Tillamook, we turned onto Route 131 leading to Whiskey Creek Road, which meandered along Hathaway Creek and eventually merged into Cape Lookout Road, taking us to Pacific City, offering a welcome break from the 101 traffic. South of Neskowin, we veered onto Slab Creek Road, an old tree-lined route without bike lanes or shoulders, but significantly less traveled, albeit adding 12 extra miles to our journey. Early on, we encountered a pair of large elk on the roadside.

Seaside, a quaint resort town in northwestern Oregon, boasts a beach famous for its surf breaks and a vintage promenade from the 1920s. Further south, the Tillamook Head National Recreation Trail ascends a wooded cape to Ecola State Park, providing vistas of the historic Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, also known as Terrible Tilly due to the harsh storms and challenges faced by its keepers during its operation from 1881 to 1957. The lighthouse, located off Tillamook Head in Clatsop County, Oregon, was the most expensive one built in the United States at that time. The area teems with wildlife, including eagles in the Necanicum River estuary and migrating gray whales.

During the ride we observed numerous fishing boats in the bay, with one bay so crowded with boats and fishermen that it even had a floating bathroom in its midst.

Returning to the 101 with detours to avoid congestion, we passed through Lincoln City and concluded our journey in the Taft district of the small town. The beaches in Lincoln City, although strewn with sizable logs that enhance its charm and offer shelter to beachgoers, are undeniably beautiful. These logs are washed ashore annually due to high water levels, strong winds, and river flooding.

Cat explored Lincoln City and came across some interesting glass businesses. One of them was a glass blowing studio with a display of their exquisite creations. Adjacent to the studio, visitors could pay to make their own glass artwork with assistance from the artisans. The glass blowers also hide 15 glass balls on the beaches of Lincoln City daily during the summer, inviting people to find them as part of a fun daily activity, akin to an Easter egg hunt. Another establishment, Fusion Glass, resembled stained glass but used a different technique where small glass pieces are attached to a clear glass base to form various shapes and designs, fused together in a kiln to create stunning artworks. Fusion Glass also offered classes similar to painting or pottery sessions. Although Cat couldn't attend a class today, she has identified a teacher in Scottsdale and plans to try her hand at the craft in the near future.

During the ride, a distance of 116.51 miles was covered, including a series of climbs with an elevation gain of 6,647 feet, all completed in a total time of 6 hours and 59 minutes.