Oregon Coast 5-16-11

I left Astoria, Oregon a bit later than I intended this morning.
It looked like it was going to rain the whole day and it was blowing pretty hard. I had to plow into a stiff headwind the whole day and it came close to breaking me a quite a few times.

I went to Angelina's Pizzeria & Cafe for for lunch in the little town of Seaside. It was the first day for the new owner. Her name is Beth and she made great pizza. Her crew was friendly and I took a photo of them. I'm a pizza snob and she made great pizza! She gave me all the ice tea I wanted and let me top off my water bottle with tea.

While in a public restroom in a small town an obviously stoned man pulled out a knife, not a big knife but a knife, and I thought I as going to have to defend myself. I quickly took off my helmet to use as a bludgeon but then he asked me if I wanted to buy the knife for $49.99. I said no and when I came out he told me I had a cool bike. Instead of being a natural born killer I thought he was he was most likely the friendly town drunk. In South America I keep some small bills to give to bandits. I will have to keep a few ones in my pocket on this trip. I don't expect trouble but good to be ready.

The best and worst part of the ride today was the steep passes. I had to push Audry up three very long and steep passes. By early afternoon it was still blowing but clear and very hot for me. The view of the Pacific Ocean and beaches were spectacular.

There was a long tunnel that you have to pass through It was steep and as loud as a jet taking off in the tunnel. It took me about 10 min to get out of the tunnel and I was happy to escape. There is one more along the route that I am no looking forward to.

I met some fellow bikers from St. Louis today. Austin and Emily are spending the next month on their way to Mexico by bike. It was like the rabbit and the turtle race. We talked at the top of the second hill. Then I bombed down the 7% grade hill for miles. The much advertised bike riding shoulder on 101 vanished on the pass and semis were passing us within inches.They caught up to me as I was trudging up the next pass and they vanished from site as they went up the hill and vanished around the mountain top. I didn't think I would ever see them again but caught up to them at a general store. We talked about how fun riding down the pass then said good bye again. After cleaning up at the motel I found a Mexican joint for dinner and Emily and Austin were there. It was good to see them for dinner. We are obviously destined to see each other so we just said see you on the road instead of saying goodbye.

My throat feels raw and I hope I'm not getting sick. I hope it was just breathing the hot dusty road air all day and not a serious cold coming on.

On the Road with Brain and Audry chapter 1

On the drive to Astoria Greg and I stopped in the giant Cabela's in Lacy, Washington where I was able to find a light rain jacket that fit me. We then went to a great diner Greg knew about from his collage days. I had a fantastic breakfast of fried oysers and hash browns and eggs and about a gallon of ice tea.



Using google maps we found a little used dirt road over the pass to the coast of Washington. The road was very narrow but after about 30 miles of alternating forest and bleak clear cuts and drop offs down bottomless cliffs we made it to civilization. I am in a gloomy motel for the night. The advertised wifi does not work so I am in the Burger King across the street to have a ice tea and use internet. Now I am going to crash early and hopefully start my ride early.



I know nothing of Astoria other than the facet the movie "The Goones" was filmed here thanks to Andrew who told me when I was mulling this trip. There is a maritime museum here but I will hit the road before it opens.



I went to a bike shop and got a orange vest to wear so hopefully a texting driver will see me before its too late.

On the Road with Brian and Audry

My constant companion for many of my adventures has been Jack Kerouac’s book, “On The Road.” I had one battle-scarred copy filled with notes and Dr. Pepper stains that went with me on countless flights. I’d read a paragraph and try to derive its deeper meaning like some Talmudic or Biblical Scholar. Then I’d look out the window and see 33,000 feet below the endless expanse of North America, where babies cry, dogs bark and food is fried in old family diners. I’d wonder what it would be like to be in a Hudson, racing coast-to-coast with Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, searching for Dean’s dad he never knew, or discovering the mad, smoky dins of hard-bop Jazz in ‘Frisco. I blame “On The Road” for giving me the constant need to travel.

I’ve done several cross-country trips by land. Hitchhiking to places like Ashtabula, Ohio, or catching a Greyhound Bus from George, Wash., to Missoula, Mont., in the middle of the night. One time I even found myself in Pecos, Texas, where I came under the spell of the loveliest Mexican Siren in a hole-in-the-wall taco stand.

I’ve gotten very used to comfort in my most recent trips. Window seats in first-class flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina, have been oh-so-nice, but for the past several years I have yearned for at least one more hard traveling adventure. Time and money have always gotten in the way. Now I have plenty of time and little money. Those are perfect conditions for an adventure such as this.

I have only told my family and a few friends and advisors about this trip, because I didn’t want to tell everyone and then chicken out at the last second. This way, I could chicken out and I would not have to live down any public humiliation.

I’m in the Columbia Inn in Astoria, Oregon Sunday night. This morning my Bro Greg Skinner gave me and my bike Audrey a ride here from Seattle. I’m going to start my bike trip down the west coast Monday morning.

When I drove past the SODO District of Seattle this morning, I looked back at the gleaming office towers of downtown Seattle, and thought how wonderful it would be to just hang out there and go to baseball games and plays for the next month. Friday night I was at the 5th Ave. Theatre watching “Guys and Dolls” with Marianna. I spent part of Saturday visiting with Jordan. Both are good friends attending the University of Washington. Seattle is one of my favorite places to visit.

After a good nights sleep I will hit the road with Audry, put on my earphones and crank up my iPod and listen to Jackson Browne sing “Running on Empty,” as I pedal south toward the thousands of miles of asphalt and adventure that lay ahead of me.

Browne’s lyrics are worthy of Odysseus, Gilgamesh, Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, Frodo, Capt. Kirk, Zorba, Sal and Dean. And perhaps someday even me.

“I don’t know where I’m running now, I’m just running on
Running on-running empty
Running on-running blind
Running on-running into the sun
But I’m running behind. “

I was in Ireland in the winter of 1983 and met a beautiful girl named Missy with chestnut hair and hands as soft as rose petals from Kalamazoo. I spent a magical month exploring the Emerald Isle with her. I was enchanted with her completely, except for her annoying fixation with Dolly Parton’s song “Coat of Many Colors” which she sang constantly. We said goodbye to each other in the train station one stormy morning in Cherbourg, France, after a ferry ride from Ireland. She went on to Paris, and I went to Omaha Beach and we lost all contact with each other right then and there as the silver train pulled away from the station. I wonder if she will spot me on my lonely trek, recognize me and honk her horn and pull over and we can visit and tell each other our lives story from the past 28 years. It could happen!

Diaconal Ordination

I used to be a newspaper photographer. But now I have the great honor to be the official photographer for St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Diocese of Juneau. On Wednesday-August 11, 2010 I took photos of the Diaconal Ordination of Steven Patrick Gallagher at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church.

Fishing with Tammy

I went fishing last Monday with my friend Tammy Lee Beam. We went to False Point Retriet, Cordwood and Funter Bay and got silver salmon and one halibut. A few of the silvers were quite large. The biggest one had a hook and hootchie from a previous battle with a fisherman in its mouth. I kept the hootchie for good luck. Tammy is a commercial fisherman and I learned a lot from her that day.

My friend Buddy Tabor gave me permission to use his songs for my videos. One of my favorite songs of his is, "Cannery Lights". It was fun to use the song in this video. If our schedules work out I hope to fish a lot more with Tammy.

Hipstamatic

I got a fun new app for my iPhone called Hipstamatic. It makes it look like photos taken on your iPhone were taken with a instamatic with a plastic lens circa 1968, and the negatives were rotting in a musty basement.

I took some photos of my frined Katleen. She is a great waitress working at El Sombrero and despite the fact she was born in 1992 she is a flower child from the 60s.