Day’s distance – 294 miles
Total trip distance so far – 490 miles
Seaside is about 26 miles south of the Washington border. Gold Beach is about 34 miles north of the California border. So I traveled the length of the Oregon coast minus about 60 miles today.
The weather was similar to yesterday. A heavy overcast mixed with some coastal fog greeted me in the morning with temperatures hovering just below 60. It didn’t warm up until the overcast burned off at about 2pm.
Unlike yesterday, the winds were blustery. Lucky for me they were mostly blowing south and didn’t bother me at all. In fact, at times the air felt uncharacteristically still. That said, at points, it was blowing across the road surface, especially it seems, on the bridges.
Below is the last bridge for the day. That’s Gold Beach in the background, my destination for tonight.
I’ve traveled this route many times in the past. My 2014 Western States Tour, my first extended motorcycle trip followed the coast. Where I will get to Fort Bragg in three days, it took me twice as long then. Six days were spent exploring side roads far more, stopping frequently for photos and even taking videos. On a happy note, I have reservations for dinner at Cucina Verona in Fort Bragg. I ate there on that trip and every time I have been through Fort Bragg since then.
I am finding I want to take a more direct path this time, in comparison. It feels late in the season and I feel noticeably less energy around exploring. I’m not saying I won’t explore in the future, but I’ve planned my schedule in a way this time that prevents too many sidetracks this time.
I’m tired and a bit sore tonight. Tomorrow is about and hour shorter than today and I’m glad for that. Until then!
Steel Horse Journeys 
Sounds like another nice day on the road. The pictures along the coast look very inviting. The bridge into Gold Beach has a nice sequence of arches.
My day started with Gail and I having lunch with Sara in Mountain View. We ate at La Fontaine, a French restaurant on Castro Street that was good but not remarkable. They offer a lot of Italian dishes–hmm? Dinner was with our book club group at Johnston’s Saltbox in San Carlos. Another pretty good restaurant that was not remarkable. For the price these days, I usually want more than just good. Our book this month was Who Is Government: The Untold Story of Public Service. Eight stories tell about eight government workers who have done extraordinary things in their jobs in various departments. I recommend it if the content sounds appealing.
Hope you have another good day on the road as you get to California. And hope you got a good night’s rest.
–Lenbob
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