Tuesday 16th July.

Nehalem Bay State Park to Astoria.  48 miles.

     The Oregon coast is made up of sandy bays with forested cliffs between, so today was not without some climbs. I cycled the 25 miles to the town of Seaside in the early morning, before the traffic got too heavy. There were some great views.
   I then spent a long time in a very relaxing café with wi fi ,drinking coffee and eating  buns. The final cycle to Astoria was on a back road through quiet farming and forest land. I seem to have hit the Lewis and Clark trail again. The expedition took 18 months to travel from Missouri to the Pacific Coast (1805), and they then wintered near the mouth of the Columbia River in a stockade. I cycled past the replica which has been built at the Fort Clatsop National Memorial.
  It was then over the Lewis and Clarke River into Astoria. I passed the normal pre-town spill out: scrap metal merchants, car show rooms ,and fast food outlets, outside one of which were Thane, Bobby and Ruffie's  three bikes. They were waiting for me, so that we could cycle the final two miles of the Trans American route together. I thought that was really nice of them.
    After a photo session by the Maritime monument, Thane and Bobby went to the bike shop to organise the packing of their cycles for transportation back to their home in Michigan. I went and booked into the hostel - which is not a hostel anymore but a hotel and cost me a bit more- but nice to have  my own room. We all met up for a meal at night. I get a day off in Astoria to explore, and then cycle North tomorrow.