Arrival

Arrival

Our travel to Portland went well.  The time to wind down watching the scenery pass was a welcome transition from the hectic preparations over the last week.  It provided a needed segue to a total different way of thinking about time and the journey that lies ahead.

Our train arrived in Portland slightly ahead of the 10:10 AM scheduled time.  Steve and Karen Gill, were waiting at the station upon our arrival.  While Joe, and cycling companion, Phil LeFaive retrieved our bikes and other gear, I headed off with Steve and Karen to pick up our transport vehicle from an area Ford Dealership.  Upon arrival back at Portland Union Station, I was introduced to Robert Miller, another cycling companion who had arrived the day before.  He would be sharing the ride to Seaside.

Our first significant glitch struck when Phil discovered that one of his boxes of equipment had not made it to Portland.  After checking with baggage claim, and being assured that the box would probably be arriving the next day, we loaded up what we had.  Phil’s missing box however contained a number of necessary items ie pedals, and a hitch for the bicycle trailer on which he is transporting his gear. This necessitated a brief foray to find a cycling shop that would have what was needed.  Portland isn’t rated as one of the top cycling cities for some arbitrary reason.  A wealth of bike shops contributes significantly.  Within a hour the necessary parts were located and  we headed west toward Seaside.

In Seaside, we checked into the Royale Motel, just a few blocks off the beach.  The accommodations were clean and utilitarian, and provided the necessary space to unpack and reassemble the bikes.  We shared lunch with Steve and Karen, before they headed back to Portland to return our rental vehicle.  I want to thank Steve and Karen for taking the time to help our group make this last leg to the starting point for our larger journey.   I know it was out of there way and it took time that could have easily been spent in other ways.  Yet they were gracious and patient hosts as we scrambled for bicycle parts and provided a wonderful welcome for us to the Portland area. Their time and efforts were greatly appreciated.

Unpacking and assembly of the bikes took a couple hours.  We re-organized our equipment, and actually discovered some redundant items that we decided to ship back.  Later in the afternoon we had the pleasure of meeting Louis Hernandez, our riding companion from New York City.  Over a late dinner we all had the opportunity to get to know each other better.  I can honestly say, I was not disappointed.  There seems to be, at least at this early stage, a commonality, in  humor and philosophy with our approach to tackling this adventure.

The weather was cool and pleasant in Seaside, but predictions for our Monday start were not nearly as bright and sunny.  With rain predicted, we decided to move up the traditional dunking of the tires and took advantage of the beautiful evening on the Pacific Coast.

We met briefly to decide a target destination for Monday.  Three other riders including Molly Fernholz and Natasha Reidel  will be meeting up with us as we pass thru Astoria,  David O’Neil will be joining us within a couple days of his arrival in Portland on Wednesday the 6th. We will gather at our hotel, and are aiming for an 8:30 – 9:00 start time in the morning.