Portland for me was the tale of two cities. On one hand there are very trendy and lovely parts of town and then there’s the other parts, with an unmistakable number of homeless people wandering about and living in what looks like shanty towns on the streets. I found the latter part of the city rather sad. I have included two photos of the nicer parts of town.

From Portland we took Highway 26 to Cannon Beach. We caught a bit of rain leaving Portland and I didn’t have my waterproof trousers/pants on so I spent two hours riding with a wet bum. That wasn’t the most pleasant experience, particularly since it was 12 degrees Celsius outside. Brrrr!

We stopped off at the Saddle Mountain State Natural Area before ending the days ride in Cannon Beach. Nicola loves taking photos of the large trees under the low lying clouds and this looked like a good spot for some photos. It also gave me 10 min to warm up in the car which was most welcome. below is what the trees took like.

Cannon Beach is a fantastic beach town with a population of around 1,700. The town caters well for tourism with all the bars, restaurants and little speciality shops. The best feature of course is the 8 mile stretch of perfect beachfront.

The one thing we particularly wanted to see was Haystack Rock. It’s a 270 foot (73m) monolith which is a wildlife sanctuary and accessible from the beach at low tide. As it turned out the hotel that we were staying at is located just behind it. What a perfect view!

I absolutely loved our stay in Cannon Beach. I could happily have spent a few more days there, even though it was overcast. Below are some photos of the beach. There are a lot more on my Facebook page.

The drive along Route 101 within Oregon had been absolutely gorgeous overall, although it has been pretty tough on me as it’s been raining the last two days and I’ve had an upset stomach. It’s not a great combination. Hopefully all will brighten up (literally) when we hit California. I’d be very happy to see some sunshine before I head back to the UK next week. I can’t believe my trip is almost over!

Below are a few photos of the Oregon coastline. I hope you enjoy the view as much as I did.

This place is amazing!

I have been taking the last week at a much slower pace. Firstly, I wanted to be well rested out for my friend Nicola arriving to join me today; and secondly, I have started to become much more conscious that my trip is drawing to an end. I want to savour every second that I have left. I used to think that the best way to do that was to cram as much in as you can but I’ve realised that sometimes it’s best to just slow things down!

My original plan was to travel to Seattle via Yakima, which is inland, but I asked my AirBnB host in Hood River, Jenna, if I should go that way or head towards the coast, and she chose the coast. I thus changed my plan, which worked well as I wanted to see the waterfalls along Historic Highway 30 between Dodson and Corbett (they are west of Hood River).

I think it is safe to say that it would be difficult to find a more amazing 13 mile stretch of road. It includes 5 spectacular waterfalls, with associated hikes, and an amazing lookout point at Vista House over the Columbia River Gorge.

I have included some videos and photos below for your enjoyment. I think they speak for themselves.

The last three days have definitely had their ups and downs. The downs were fortunately more inconvenient than anything else and really put poor Trinity in the firing line.

Firstly, I got stuck behind a truck throwing tar all over Trinity and I (photo evidence below), which cumulatively took nearly 4 hours to clean with the aid of ‘bug and tar remover’. I have no idea how I’m going to get it off my rising jacket though. Then, I woke up this morning to a flat front tire. Hmmm! At this point I was very happy that I had planned for such an eventuality. I had an electronic pump in my pannier. Woohoo!! After a visit to a great little independent bike store, I was back on the road and in a better shape than I was before (they also sorted of my balancing issue).

I was so chuffed when my AirBnB hosts for the last two nights, Kerri and Kai, let me know that I had inspired them, and that they were off to Crater Lake tomorrow and to Yellowstone next week. That made my day!

As I had lost the morning, I headed straight to Hood River, which is a fantastic little city (population 7,400 people) on the Columbia River in northern Oregon. I drove up from Bend via highway 26 which was a beautiful drive, although I encountered rain for the first time in weeks crossing through Mt Hood National Forest. There was also quite a dramatic temperature drop. The temperature was between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius. Brrrr!

It was all worth it though as I love Hood River! It has such a vibrant feel about it; has beautiful houses; you can walk everywhere (downtown anyway): it is clearly very safe as my AirBnB host doesn’t lock her doors; and it is well catered for those who like to dine out and visit independent breweries. I am in heaven! Below is a photo is one of the houses I passed which is quite typical in the area.

The locals also clearly have a good sense of humour (see the photo below). It make me chuckle!

I went to a restaurant called Brian’s Pubhouse for dinner and had he most amazing duck and pear pizza, followed by a panacotta and pistachio desert, which was enjoyed with a brown hemp ale. YUM!

I must be one of few people in the world who comes to the U.S. and loses weight (this was confirmed when I jumped on a scale tonight). I think it’s all this sitting! It’s time to hit the gym when I get home I think.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this park!

This is the second time during my trip that I have been left speechless. The first time was at the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone National Park.

Some things are just so beautiful that there are no words to describe them. All you can do is stare at them in amazement and feel blessed at the privilege to be there in that moment. That is my summary of Crater Lake.

I have included a video and a few photos of the lake. There is quite a lot of detail in the descriptions so have a read through them for more details about the history of the Caldera.

Do yourself the favour and add this park to your bucket list. You will not be sorry! I know I have said this many times but the photos below do not do this place justice. You will never see water more blue and pure than this.

https://instagram.com/p/7EvPbNnXgs/https://instagram.com/p/7EyPxhnXkr/

There are however two people I would like to mention in my blog. The first is Charlie (and fortunately I did take a photo of him), who is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail stretches from Mexico to Canada – a total of 2,650 miles. Charlie has currently completed around 1,900 miles. The thought of what he has achieved blew me away! It was an absolute privilege walking part of his journey with him, no matter how small a portion. Below is a photo of Charlie and I at Crater Lake.

The second person I met today, but sadly did not think to take a photo of, is Peggy. I met Peggy over dinner in a fabulous Thai Restaurant in Bend (Oregon) called Wild Rose. What a lovely lady! I loved hearing about her family and her inspirational son, who was paralysed in a snowboarding accident when he was 18 but has never let that stop him exploring the world. Peggy, if you’re reading this, make sure you visit London one day and I’d be happy to show you around, and enjoy every second with your grandchild!

Some days I am so happy to be alive!