Day #8 Winchester Bay to Bandon

First I have to say that I LOVE reading the comments people have been posting. It makes me so happy to know that people are supporting me so much, and in that way I don't feel alone although I am solo.

Yesterday I had a big hamburger for lunch and something about that protein enticed me to ride another 20 miles past where I was planning to camp last night. So I had a good head start on today, which was a good thing because there were lots of hills! Yeah, what's new? So now I'm in Bandon on the coast staying at a guest house (hostel) and looking forward to doing some laundry tonight after I eat some fish and chips for dinner. I was considering eating Mexican food, but I'm 200 feet from the coast, so that makes no sense. I remember one time I was with Ryan's family in Maine and we were eating at this clam hut. I ordered chicken strips and they were gross. Why was I surprised?

Other good news? Picture time!The sun sets in the West. Here is the first sunset that I saw over the Pacific Ocean in Seaside, OR. Fantastic.This is the Oregon coast, the route that I've been following for the past four days. It is so much more beautiful than even this picture can describe. Well, hellllllloooooo there stranger. Which way are you headed?The view from my tent. Camping out is the best way to see the world! The hiker/biker camp sites in Oregon are fantastic - away from the RVs and noisy people. That's fine for some people, but it's not what I'm looking for.Here is a picture of me after walking my bike across the massive bridge you see in the background. When I arrived on the other side I saw a couple standing outside their mini van and then signaled for me to come over to them. They told me that they had seen me on the road for the past two days and wanted to introduce themselves and find out what I was doing. So I told them and they were excited for me, and super friendly. The man wanted to take a picture of me with his wife so I did, and in turn he took a picture of me. So that's what I look like every day? I never knew!

Anyway, just two more days and I'll be crossing over into California where I will start to meet up with various friends. I can't wait! It will be good to see some familiar faces by then. I love being solo a lot more than I thought that I would, but I love seeing my friends even more.