Pacific City to Newport, OR June 13, 2012

20120612-215150.jpg Day 2/ 55 Miles / $1660 raised.

Today we woke up in Pacfic City and had a nice breakfast at the Grateful Bread. I (after heavy persuasion from the crew) drank coffee. I think that stuff is pretty gross and never drink it, but I drank it this morning with the promise it would help me ride road bikes better.

Funny story, I used to be the head coffee roaster at a store and couldn’t stand the taste of it.

20120612-215227.jpg Thanks to Bicycle Sport Shop for all the butt lube.

20120612-215326.jpg After that we went to check some big rock in the ocean called Haystack Rock. This turned into a photo shoot with me riding my bike around the beach, Seth dipping his gentleman’s area in the terribly cold water and all of us freezing our feet. I consider this a feat of feets since I dipped my toes in the Atlantic ocean just last week.

20120612-215354.jpg Bike ride straight to hell.

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From there we started down the 101 highway towards Lincoln city and Newport. Let me tell you how the pissing rain day ride went from two different perspectives….

Perspective 1: Taj: Oh my god I am so cold… I just want a hot shower and be in bed under covers next to a fire place. There’s rain on my glasses and I can’t see anything. Just keep pedaling and it will be over soon.

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Persective 2: Sandy, Seth and Nick: This is the most amazing ride ever! Everything is so beautiful, let’s stop to take a picture of this, and a picture of that! Let’s go swimming and drink gross coffee and laugh and smile and have a great time.

Of course I’m only joking. I did really find todays ride to be amazing despite some rough spots where I was just plain freezing. I eventually dressed in some of Nick and Seth’s extra gear and that helped too. Tomorrow I’ll have to find some warmer rain clothes…. and hell, I’d take this cold rain over Austin’s 105 degree heat anyday!!

Our route today took us up on to a empty road through a national forest and then on to an amazing one-way road with a huge bike lane that lead us along a cliff over looking the ocean. As we got closer to Newport the guys were super stoked to see that dock thing that drifted over from Japan. They stopped off to try and look at it and I made it back to the hotel to get warm. Tomorrow we head south again without Seth. He is going to ride home to get back to work in Seattle messengering. He’s a beast on a bike and I was lucky to have him pulling me on some of those rides. Sad to loose one of the crew.

20120612-215634.jpg Birthday Boy and I! Happy 40th Sandy Carson.

20120612-215718.jpg Epic views all day in every direction! This has to be the most beautiful place in the world.

20120612-215806.jpg Oh wait, did I say beautiful in every direction??? Ha ha…peeing with lycra is an undignified adventure.