After finding that all the campsites in Sisters were full of rodeo folks, I decided to continue on to Bend, another 21 miles of mostly flat (whew!) riding. I stayed at the Tumelo State Park campground which had a sign out front saying "No Vacancy" so I was initially resigned to going around and begging for someone to let me share their campsite. However, a ranger came up to me and said "the hiker/biker campsite is over there and it's empty." It seems most parks out here have this special section which is close to the entrance but does not have room to pull up a car or truck and is only available for folks like me who have no vehicle. Wow! Add this to the list of joys of being a cyclist - special VIP treatment at campgrounds! The next morning I got in touch with Dan Rutherford, the brother of a good friend that I used to work with. Dan and his wife Doreen and daughters Lillian and Julia, live about 20 miles south of Bend and so were too far off my route. However, they happen to be in town on Sunday for church and offered to get together with me for lunch. We wound up having a great time and they showed me around the old mill district with its beautiful park, lazy flowing river and great shops. Dan has travelled all around these parts by motorcycle and so was a great source of information for planning the next phase of my trip. After lunch, I got a tour of downtown Bend and then they helped me find a rather interesting bed & breakfast. I've decided to stay in Bend for a couple of days since my right Achilles tendon has been hurting a bit and I figure a couple of days rest and Advil will help. Turns out the owner grew up in Brooklyn, NY about one mile from me so we hit it off right away! Go figure! Today I'm taking it easy and browsing around town. Tomorrow I should be back on track and heading towards eastern Oregon.Total mileage so far: 323.
Please consider making a small donation to help cancer survivors (sadly, my mom was not one of them):
http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2008/steveonhisbike
3 comments:
Steve, way to go!!! I admire that you are doing this trip - it all sounds fantastic! Please stay safe and I look forward to reading more about your adventures.
Suz
Glad to see you're making good progress and seeing great things. I look forward to checking in frequently. Briley
As you head into the mountains again, here's a little something for you to ponder as you peddle...
I climb the road to Cold Mountain,
The road to Cold Mountain that never ends.
The valleys are long and strewn with stones;
The streams broad and filled with thick grass.
Moss is slippery though no rain has fallen;
Pines sigh but it isn't the wind.
Who can break from the snares of the world
And sit with me among the white clouds?
* "Cold Mountain" by Han Shan
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