The Oregon Coast

Although I’ve been an advrider member for quite awhile, this is my first ride report. I actually took this ride last August, but I never quite got around to writing a report on it.
<o> </o>
A little background: After years of working in the auto parts biz, I decided it was time for me to finish what I had set out to do years earlier, and went back to school. A yearlong Master’s program would dominate 2009 for me, and at the end of the year my wife and I would be relocating to Los Angeles so she could go back to grad school. Given my schedule, the final days of August would be the last opportunity for me to get in a quick motorcycle trip for 2009. Early September would find me entering the classroom as a student teacher, teaching the subjects of Social Studies, Language Arts, and Creative Writing to multiple classes of seventh graders. Sweet lord, help me.
<o> </o>
One trip I had never gotten a chance to do was to ride up the Oregon coast. My simple little trip would take me west from Eugene to Florence on highway 126, then up the 101 all the way to Astoria, and then SE on the 26 towards the Portland area to crash at my folk’s house. The next day I’d take highway 99 back to Eugene, and get ready for the ensuing madness of teaching 12 year olds. Here goes.
<o> </o>
My weapon of choice: 2001 SV650. Sonic Springs, 636 shock, Corbin seat, Suzuki accessory flyscreen, Napoleons. Otherwise stock. <o>
</o>
<o></o>

On highway 126 in Veneta, en route to the coast.
<o> </o>



<o></o><o></o>
Florence has a lot of sand dunes to ride on, and this shop caters to all the dune fanatics that come through. Florence is absolutely packed with “quad haulers” on the weekends. <o>
</o>
<o> </o>
Bliss’ Hot Rod Grill in Florence. I never got a chance to eat there, oh well.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
Finally, the Pacific Ocean. Not the best day for scenery though, as there was lots of fog that day.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
I found a spot to pull off the highway, and was only parked for a minute when another rider showed up and took a few pictures.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
He was nice enough to take a pic of me, sans gloves.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
Ah, the beautiful ocean.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
I stopped at a few touristy attractions along the way. I was able to learn about whales…
<o> </o>


<o>
</o>


… and the “Devil’s Churn”. Do not try to swim in the “Devil’s Churn”.
<o> </o>
<o></o>

<o>
</o>
<!--EndFragment-->

On the 101, in Yachats.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
The Silver Surf motel. One of my favorite cheap motels &#8211; cozy, right on the coast, and pet friendly too. That building with the name painted on it is where the pool and hot tub are located. All those sliding doors open up to the outside - I&#8217;ll bet this was a happenin&#8217; party spot back in the sixties and seventies.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
I spotted this beast off of the 101 and had to go back. I love stuff like this &#8211; how old is it? How did it get there? What&#8217;s the story with it? Will it ever see water again?
<o> </o>

<o></o>
Newport. The first time I ever sang Karaoke was at this place, after many adult beverages. &#8220;Well it&#8217;s a marvelous night for a moondance&#8230;&#8221;
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
There are a handful of neat art deco buildings around.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
I happened across this former kite store / rental place hidden off the highway. The blackberries were so high I could barely see it. What was the story with this place? The asphalt in the parking lot and around the building was all rough and uneven, like an earthquake had totally wrecked the area. It was kinda creepy and secluded there, so I didn&#8217;t hang out long.
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o>
</o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o> </o>
At this point the 101 cuts away from the coast for a bit and heads inland towards Tillamook. Lots of farmland at this point.

<o>
</o><o></o>
In Hebo you&#8217;ll find a fishing pole large enough to catch a modern-day UJM.
<o> </o>

<o></o>

<o></o>

<o></o><o></o>


What&#8217;s this?
<o></o>
<o></o>

<o></o><o></o>

Yes, my favorite spot in Tillamook. The Air Museum!
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
The Tillamook Air Museum is located in a former WWII blimp hangar, and is &#8220;the largest clear span wooden structure in the world&#8221;. It&#8217;s over fifteen stories tall, and an absolute beast to see up close.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
Here&#8217;s my wife standing out of the ragtop of VW while visiting in 2004:
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
There used to be another hangar just like it on site, but it burnt down in 1992. Locals say you could see the smoke for miles around.
<o> </o>
A couple of other riders were there that day as well. There are some really neat planes to see inside, but I didn&#8217;t have any time today, unfortunately. Check it out: www.tillamookair.com
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
The remaining structure of the other hangar&#8230;
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
Lots of neat former military buildings are still on site. This one was actually for rent.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
A trip through Tillamook wouldn&#8217;t be complete without visiting the Tillamook Cheese Factory&#8230;
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o> </o>
&#8230; but since I had already visited it the year before, I decided to keep on going. Sorry, cheese fans.
<o> </o>
Old cars&#8230;
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o> </o>
Garibaldi.
<o> </o>
<o>
</o>
<!--EndFragment-->

I think I started to get tired at this point, so I quit stopping to take pictures. That and I think the 101 just got kind of boring to me. Sorry.
<o> </o>
We soon find ourselves in Astoria, the last coastal town in Oregon on the 101.
<o> </o>
The former jail, made famous in the 1985 movie, the Goonies…


<o></o>

<o></o><o></o>
… is right next to the Flavel house, built in 1885. Captain George Flavel was a Columbia River bar pilot and the area’s first millionaire. As I understand, this building also played a part in the Goonies movie. I’d love to see the view from the room at the very top. A beautiful house, I’m sure it’s not haunted.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
There were a few other sites I wanted to see, but I was tired and was already running behind schedule – I had planned to leave by 8am, but I didn’t get out of town until late morning. I got back on the 101 and headed towards the main site I wanted to see – the Astoria Column.
<o> </o>
Built in 1926, the 125-foot column sits on top of Coxcomb hill, which is 600 feet tall – so there’s quite a view from up top.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
I wouldn’t consider myself to be afraid of heights, but the last time I was here I couldn’t quite convince myself to climb the rounded staircase all the way to the top. Inside the column it’s dark, narrow, and hell, the whole stinkin’ thing might collapse on me while I’m in there. This time, after I had ridden all of this way though – there was no way I was not going to climb it.
<o> </o>
Right foot, left foot, right foot…
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
SV looks pretty small down there. Not a very big bike to begin with anyway…
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
A hell of a view. There’s Washington state across the river.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
After I got back to the bottom, my legs ached like I’d never felt before - the stress and nerves from my little climb up and down the column had totally wrecked me. Time to get a move on, so I hit highway 26 SE towards Portland to my folk’s place.
<o> </o>
<!--EndFragment-->

After a great dinner and a good night’s rest, I made my way back towards Eugene. One final site on the way home though – the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville.
<o> </o>
It’s been there for years, but I had never gotten a chance to go. There was one primary attraction here I wanted to see, the “Spruce Goose”, Howard Hughes’ flying boat.



Built as a transport plane for WWII, it wasn’t completed until years later. It flew one short but successful flight in 1947, and was then placed in climate-controlled storage until Hughes’ death in 1976. It’s over five stories tall, and has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in history.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
I have a fascination with Howard Hughes, the obsessive-compulsive, billionaire-recluse man of mystery. Aviation pioneer, ladies man, powerful businessman, overall kinda weird dude – seems like he was quite a character. I wanted to see his baby, the H-4, up close.


<o></o>
Thing is, the museum wanted $26 to let me in. Not a lot of money really, but grad students don’t typically have much cash to throw around - especially if they only really want to see one particular display. As it were, I was able to simply walk around outside of the museum to see the plane. It wasn’t hard to see.


<o></o>
<o></o><o></o>

Neat museum, I wish I had been able to check it out sooner in its entirety. I didn’t have time today though. Check it out: www.sprucegoose.org
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
Funny thing is, my apartment in Los Angeles is only a few miles away from the former Hughes’ Airport in Culver City – the primary base for Hughes’ aviation operations and where the Spruce Goose was originally built. The monstrous building the Goose was built in is one of the few buildings leftover from Hughes airport, as most of the property is slowly being turned into condos. That’s progress.
<o> </o>
Bikes outside the museum – the sheepskin on the Goldwinger must have been soaked.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
Beautiful boring and rainy 99, north of Corvallis.
<o> </o>

<o></o><o></o>
Finally back in Eugene, 455 miles later. Thanks for reading.


<!--EndFragment-->

Nice. Thanks.

I like the basketball hoop at the air museum.

Good luck with the new career!

doc

Nice writeup. I really like the area. We spent the last 2 summers there riding the dunes on our ATVs and enjoying the surrounding sights. Last year my buddy and I were going to take our road bikes also but he somehow manged to screw that plan up by getting married the day we were going to leave. Man, couldnt getting married wait a couple of weeks or so.

Thanks!

I love riding around Oregon.

I used to live in Lincoln City. I never took the chance to see the Spruce Goose at that museum. However, Ill be doing a PCH trip and that is one of the highest priorities of my trip! Thanks for sharing.

Ive also flown into Tillamook airport to see the museum. The one thing I remember most was the basketball hoop at top. Too funny.

Im not sure if its true or not, but I remember reading somewhere that the highest ever recorded speeding ticket in the US was on the Astoria bridge. (Probably not the highest anymore...) It was an Acura NSX clocked at 175mph or something like that. Ill have to check that...

Thanks everyone, glad you enjoyed it! There is some great riding in Southern California, but reviewing the report makes me miss Oregon too.

Nice, I have never been so like the pix - love the Goonies mention. Fun trip. $26 is still a lot, no worries. Do they let ya sit in the drivers seat?

Sheep skins don't hold water - duck like.

Nice report and pics. I remember the Spruce Goose when it was in Long Beach w/ the Queen Mary. I always wondered where it went. Good luck w/ the 12 yr olds.....your going to need it!!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/funhouse750/EvergreenSpruceGooseMuseum#

Very nice report and photos

Nice ride report, Thanks!

Nice report. I'm trying to remember what that old Catch the Wind was as I used to deliver to the Florence area one a week years ago and would pass it every week. It was one of this knock off tourist traps and I want to say it was a combination of Trees of Mystery and Prehistoric Gardens.......something like Mysterious Trees.....it had walk through paths with oddities and I think a "house of Confusion" after that it was a landscaping supply place.

I love the Oregon Coast. We did a nice tour through there in May of this year.

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NE1TKn5GfLs" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/I3AQ27nDDmI" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J2HHP8ZH9AI" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_YVgftyCHvc" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

Nice ride report, I very much enjoy riding in Oregon, so much spectacular scenery and great roads.

If you should be looking for an awesome dinner while in Astoria, I can highly recommend the "Silver Salmon" in the downtown sector. Best Clam Chowder ever! Excellent food and service!

Cheers

nice report - have done the same ride many times

re: "...the sheepskin on the Goldwinger must have been soaked..."

that's the beauty of sheep skins - shake them out - and they are dry !!!

one of Astoria's many nice eateries is the Rogue House on the pier 39

I ride down to Astoria from Seattle just to have fish n chips and a beer at the Rogue House Brewery. I very much enjoy the atmosphere on the pier... watching the sun go down and a beautiful sunset is a bonus.