Day 60: Goonies Never Die!
Tillamook, OR through Cannon Beach to Astoria OR
69.1 Miles | 1:52 Riding Time
It’s Sunday, June 9, 2024, and it’s Day 60 of my cross country motorcycle trip.
Heading north from Tillamook, I was looking for coffee and a local bakery. As I was riding through Rockaway Beach, OR, I saw two BMWs parked in front of the Beach Bakeshop, so I stopped. The other bikers came out as I pulled in. The were a couple from Utah that was out on an 11 day tour. We chatted about all the amazing riding in Utah and their travels over the past week. They were headed down to the Redwoods, so I shared a few highlights, and I hope you two have a safe and beautiful ride home.
I sat outside and enjoyed a good cup of coffee, but the blueberry biscone was great-stop in and have one. Then, on my way north to see all the Goonies filming locations. In Cannon Beach, I walked out to Haystack Rock. The beach was cool, and very foggy, and they allow dogs. So I got my fill of saying hi to the doggos and taking pictures before heading up to a deli for some lunch.
In the middle of the Oregon Rainforest, it was misting all day. As I got close to Astoria, I saw signs for Lewis and Clark National Historic Park, and Fort Clatsop. Not wanting to miss a chance to see a national park, and get my park passport stamped, I detoured a couple miles to the park. It was pretty cool. Fort Clatsop was close to the end of Lewis and Clark’s journey west, and it about 7 miles from the Oregon coast. The party built a small fort on the site, and it was reconstructed several years ago.
On to Astoria, I was too early to check in to The Rose River Inn. So, I went up to the Astoria Column. It’s on a high hill, overlooking the city, the forest, and the Columbia river. The views from the site were amazing. For those who want to go up, it’s 164 steps to the top (I didn’t go all the way up), and the tradition is to buy a small, balsa wood glider from the gift shop and send it flying from the top of the column.
Back down in town, I checked in, and explored the town. The waterfront was nice and there were a bunch of restaurants to choose from. I went to the Fort George Brewery, sampled some of the local beer. I had a salad (I’m supposed to have those every so often) and margarita pizza that was very good, while chatting with a couple from Florida who were touring the area in their Class A RV.
They suggested I visit Cape Disappointment, and said that I wouldn’t be. I’ll go there tomorrow.
