Oregon Coastal Odyssey

My "hired help"; t-shirt of the day; two views from our campground at Fern Ridge Lake; enjoying the yummy cinnamon rolls at the Sweet Spot Bakery, Monroe Oregon

OK, I wrote this blog once already, posted it, checked it, then my sister called to tell me there were no new blogs.  Darn.  So, here I try again.

We are now into ride day 3 of the Oregon tour, and it's been a great three days of riding.  The tribe gathered at the camp ground on Fern Ridge Lake for their first map meeting of the week.  It's a small group: 24 people: so they will get lots of attention!  Quite a few repeat riders as well as a couple new to the world of touring.  After a dinner of spring green salad w/ fresh strawberries and home made raspberry vinaigrette, broccoli salad (you're welcome Linda!), spiced pork chops, red potatoes, Italian zucchini, and chocolate brownie cake for dessert, the tribe turned in for a good nights sleep. (The cake was supposed to be just brownies, but my dear Zanna whom I am trying to teach to cook lost count of the eggs.  So we got cake.)  Home made will be a little bit of a theme for this ride.  We spent the last couple weeks at home and I canned zucchini relish, apricot jam, (FIVE batches!) raspberry jam &  pickles.  I baked zucchini bread, banana bread and carrot cake. (Zucchini seems to be a theme, too!) Mom made more rum cakes, and supplied us with a coveted jar of chocolate covered ritz crackers filled with peanut butter.  Yummm, if you like chocolate.

Ride day one started on Monday with a rolling path through the Willamette Valley.  Fields of corn, strawberries, blueberries and wheat lined the roads, as did acres of Christmas trees, grapes and nut trees.  The first water stop was in the town on Monroe at the Sweet Spot Bakery.  Most everyone enjoyed the huge cinnamon rolls pictured above.  The day ended in Corvallis at the county fairgrounds.  After the map meeting the tribe enjoyed a dinner of spicy noodle salad, curried chicken, peanut yam tofu, basmati rice, and vanilla ice cream with fresh apricot rhubarb sauce. 

Ride day two found the tribe rolling along a couple of good climbs on roads such as Summit Hwy and West Hills Road. It was a long day, 74 miles.  A personal best for a couple of the riders!  Congrats!  The day ended at Devils Lake State Park in Lincoln City.  Lincoln city is the home of D River, the world's shortest river.  So they say.  We are now on highway 101 where we will be for the next couple days of riding.  There are a lot  of self contained riders on the road!  I love that the State Parks have the hiker biker camps.  You can roll in and are guaranteed a spot to camp for just $6.00.  I fueled the tribe for this ride with fresh blueberry pancakes, the blueberries right out of the field up the street from camp!

Dinner Tuesday night was a favorite of many.  Spinach salad with apples, mandarin oranges & pineapple in a honey mustard dressing, blue cheese & green pea salad, bourbon salmon, steamed rice with sprouted beans, fresh asparagus and strawberry shortcake for dessert.  The strawberries are from the fields in the Skagit Valley in Washington.  They are the yummiest around!  Jack and I headed into town after dinner for an early birthday dinner for him. (NO, I did not eat two dinners!) Had a great Oregon shrimp salad and sat and watched the sun set over the ocean.  We also took the boys to lunch today.  If you are in Lincoln City the best fish and chips has to be at J's Fish & Chip restaurant at the south end of town.  He coats his fish with Panko, so no heavy batter here.  

So we are almost caught up.  Ride day 3 is on Wednesday and I'll report on that later!  Hope this makes the blog.  Rum cakes tonight? or Carrot cake.  Too many decisions.