On the road- day 1

After months of planning and anticipation, we finally got on the road Thursday morning, heading east from Astoria, Oregon. But before describing our ride, Sandy says Astoria merits more of a mention, and I agree.

Astoria was the first town in the west, founded as a fur trading base at the mouth of the Columbia River by John Jacob Astor in the very early 1800's. In the late 19th century salmon canning became a major industry, and even now there remain several seafood packing plants along the waterfront. We visited Astoria last summer, and enjoy the pretty town. There is a 100-year-old trolley which runs along the riverfront, maintained and run by volunteers. It costs a whole dollar to ride, and makes a fun way to get around town. This year, we again spent time at the excellent Maritime Museum. Lots of good seafood restaurants at Astoria, too.

We were lucky with the weather. Usually cold and rainy at this time of year, our weather has been beautiful the last two days: partly cloudy and cool. Fine riding weather. The route along U. S. 30 went through wooded rolling hills with few towns along the way. The wind was light and behind us, so the riding was easy, with two 700' climbs with 5-7% grade. We felt good except for sore seats from having been off the bike so much for the last few weeks. Sandy called it "lazy bum syndrome." We reached St. Helens and found a comfortable motel right on the route. 69 miles for the day with 3300' of climbing. We ride about 2 mph slower than we would without the gear we're carrying, but the loaded bike handles well.

Wildlife: saw and heard sea lions at Astoria. Later passed one deer.