The name of this tour was very appropriate - everywhere we went there was the reminder of the overland expedition of 1804-1806 which helped link the west with the eastern states. The other lasting memory is of the superb hospitality of Michael and Melissa Goldberg: snack bars when we registered, the sumptuous first-day lunch at their home overlooking the Pacific, their making of sandwiches to everyone's special order, their arrangement of excellent bargain rate accommodation at Long Beach and along the beach at Seaside which included a bonfire on the beach after sundown, their transporting our luggage from Long Beach to Seaside and back, and their preparation of the final get-together feast. Wow!
Oh yes, there was cycling too. Each morning Michael arrived to guide us on the interesting roads near the mouth of the Columbia River, both on the Washington side and across to the Oregon side. The 46 riders were a noticeable part of the traffic scene.
Day 1 was a ride to the north along Willapa Bay via the villages of Nahcotta, with its photogenic old church and former railway station, and Oysterville where these tasty molluscs are still harvested, processed and sold. At the wildlife refuge we walked through the bay-side forest trail and along the calm shore. After lunch we visited the unique Jack's store in Ocean Park where one can buy almost anything from food, hardware, clothing and sundry other stuff, then we wound our way back to the hotel via the Discovery Trail, a paved bike path winding through the grass covered sand dunes along the shore of the Pacific.
Day 2 was a short and hilly exploration of the Cape Disappointment area, with its two lighthouses and the Lewis and Clark interpretive centre which was a nice place to escape the morning showers. The port and fishing town of Ilwaco was interesting with its pleasant bay-side picnic area for lunch and galleries to visit.
Day 3 included the much discussed cycling of the over seven km long bridge across the Columbia River. It turned out that new lanes had been painted on the bridge since we last cycled that way, giving the cyclist a wider lane to use. All those who cycled reached the other side safely. We then visited Fort Clatsop memorial where Lewis and Clark had wintered over 1805-06. From there to Seaside there was two choices: the flat route along the coast highway or the more direct but hilly route on (of course) Lewis and Clark Road, which many of us took. It turned out the rain was only in the hills. That evening we had the cheery fire on the beach in front of our hotel.
Day 4 was scheduled to take us south to Manzanita but only a few made it that far. Others cycled to Cannon Beach and explored this seaside town and parks on this particularly scenic part of the Oregon Coast.
Day 5 saw us returning north with a visit to historic Astoria where there is the unique Astoria Tower overlooking the city. It is covered with a spiral mosaic of panels depicting the history of the area. The 360 degree view from the top was worth the climb. Then it was down the hill to browse around the city and relax near the Sunday market before braving the bridge over the Columbia again and returning to Long Beach
Day 6 was a loop along the side of Willapa Bay and through the quiet and picturesque hills to the east via Naselle although some of us did an abbreviated version with a smaller loop. That afternoon we were treated to a sumptuous windup reception and dinner.
Thank you so much Melissa and Michael for all that work and the terrific organization; we'll all remember this tour for a long time.
- Dan McGuire and June Gallagher