pixelharmony

Slated for the first 10 days of September, hopefully the weather will be perfect!

We're starting in Seattle, heading down the Oregon coast highway to Reesport, then taking 38 over to Crater Lake, then down to Klamath to hop on an Amtrak back up to Seattle.

This will be a credit card tour over 7 days, so we're traveling light an fast and I'm definitely looking for recommendations for dining along the way. I am already planning on making a pit stop at Otis Cafe by Lincoln City.

Also for Hotel/Motels are there plenty along the way down? Rates good ($40-60/night)?

We're also not going to bring heavy duty locks for our bikes, I don't think it should be an issue depending on where we dine but hopefully the Oregon coast bike route is friendly and aren't overflowing with bike thieves.

Jeff Wills

Otis! My man!

If you stop in Pacific City, the Anchorage Motel is good & cheap, and the one of the owners is a cyclist. If you overnight there, Otis is about 15 miles south- perfect for breakfast.

TheHen

Oh my. Are you sure you want to ride 38 out of Reedsport? It seems like every week there are car/truck wrecks on the stretch between Reedsport and Drain. There is not much shoulder and the motorists tend to overdrive their vision around the blind corners. I have a few truck driving friends who absolutely hate driving that hwy.

I would recommend you take to the north side of the Smith River and head on up Smith River Rd. (This will be the reverse of part of this year's Cycle Oregon ride.) You can get back on Hwy 38 at Drain by taking upper Smith River Rd. at the junction with South Sister Rd. If you take this option, you will have many hours of riding along the Smith river while seeing nary a car. Of course, there are no stores or homes once you get fifteen miles from the coast until you reach Drain, so it's best to be well prepared (adequate H2O or a filter). This area (the O&C lands) is one of the real cycling treasures in Oregon and is not to be missed. It would be a shame if you were so close and took the "wrong" road.

pixelharmony

This is why I asked Thank you so much for this tip. I'm flying in from Chicago and my friends from DC so this is unfamiliar territory, glad you chimed in.

pixelharmony

Any recommended route from Drain to Crater Lake? I just mapped a direct route on Map My Ride. Basically we just want to avoid areas with heavy traffic, no shoulders, and blind spots.

karenashg

You should check out the route that Seattle Randonneurs used for their Seattle-Klamath Falls 1000k brevet last year:

https://permanents.seattlerando.org/2...k-klamath.html

The route does take 38 out of Reedsport briefly, but then turns off onto a back road. In general, the Seattle Rando's are good at finding nice quiet backroads when possible.

My husband did this brevet last year, and was pretty miserable... But he did say that it would be a wonderful ride if done in a reasonable amount of time, like a week, rather than the 3 days he had to complete it. There's some absolutely breathtaking scenery along the way--have fun!

pixelharmony

Thank you for that link, tell your husband that was a very impressive ride in 3 days!! We are taking 7 so hopefully we'll have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. Can you ask him if on the last leg of the trip off the coast route to crater lake had enough restaurants / hotels / gas stations? I'm trying to plan out hydration and nutrition on that last stretch.

karenashg

I'll double check with him, but if I recall correctly, there is very little between Roseburg and Crater Lake. There is a general store and RV campground with Camper Cabins at Umpqua (about 47 miles past Roseburg). Then at Diamond Lake there is the Diamond Lake Resort with lodging and a cafe (about 80 miles past Roseburg). Keep in mind that you are going steadily uphill from Roseburg to Crater Lake, so those won't be fast miles! The route sheet on the link I posted also notes a water spigot at a campground before Umpqua.

Here's a write-up of the route by someone who pre-rode it before last year's brevet: https://greenhornetrandoing.blogspot....pre2-ride.html

Shifty

Near Crater Lake is the Diamond Lake Resort, if you are not staying in the park, this is the place. It's located on highway 138, just a few miles from the north Crater Lake Park entrance. It's not too fancy and has reasonable rates. You can swim, rent boats and generally relax during your tour. https://www.diamondlake.net/

Jeff Wills

Bring mosquito repellant. They'll eat you alive at Diamond Lake.

The last day of Oregon Bike Ride a few years back was from Diamond Lake to Roseburg. My wife and I covered the 32 miles from camp to the first "rest" stop in about an hour without trying hard. Downhill, of course.

mtnbud

I don't much about anything north of Tillamook, but I have been south. Be sure and get a copy of this if you don't have it. Use the recommended bypasses. The Three Capes Scenic Route/Sandlake Road is beautiful. The Otter Crest Loop is gorgeous and bypasses a substantial climb. Slab Creek Road is virtualy devoid of cars and will pop you out right at Otis.

Pacific City's best spots to eat are not along the coastal road. Head to the center of town and turn left. There's a small spot on the left with good breakfasts(Village Coffee Shop), a reputable bakery down the road called The Grateful Bread, and a good bar next to the grocery store called The Oar House. The Izzy's pizza buffet on the north end of Newport has good food and an excellent view overlooking the ocean. Lincoln City has a casino with a passable buffet for the price. Florence has a unique restaurant called Bliss Hot Rod Grill they have good breakfasts and burgers. You can't miss it. Another good place for breakfast in Florence is the Dunes Cafe (it's a little tough to find off Hwy 126).

That road mentioned along the Smith River is fantastic. From Elkton or Drain, you could ride to Sutherlin and turn left on North Bank road just past Wilbur to go directly to Glide, avoiding the noisy traffic between Roseburg and Glide on Hwy 138. There are places to stay in Glide and just past Glide in Ideyld Park. 20 miles further up the road is The Steamboat Inn. It's spendy, but world renowned.

From Crater Lake, I'd head to Fort Klamath and turn right staying away from Hwy 99 and head to Rocky Point. If you had the time, I'd avoid the Hwy into K-Falls from there and backtrack to Lake of the Woods, then take a side route to Keno and then K-Falls.

I've no idea how many miles you want to do a day. Seattle to Klamath Falls in 10 days will limit your options. If you're up some high mileage days, I have another suggested route over the coast range.

I'm real excited for your group! Have a great time!

Shifty

The OP's dates in September should be after the mosquitos have gone elsewhere. In 2007 Cycle Oregon camped on Diamond Lake for two nights about that time, no problems with the little buggers.

Pixel, have you seen this map from the Oregon Highway folks, it shows all the off highway routes. https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEP...e_map.pdf?ga=t

LesterOfPuppets

If you want to minimize your city/suburban riding at the beginning of your trip you can catch local buses from Seattle to Olympia and they're only a couple bucks apiece. Just have to get lucky and get there early so you can snag a bus with two empty bike racks.

You'll have to box your bikes for the train ride back up. The train that takes unboxed "normal" bikes only gets down to Eugene.

pixelharmony

Thank you for all this advice! We're going to have to review again to see the best route possible. I might take the recommendation of taking a bus from Seattle to olympia to shorten the washington ride so we might venture out more in oregon!!

We'll have to figure this out then. Unless there is an LBS in Klamath Falls that some boxes to spare I have no idea how we are going to box our bikes up for the train ride northbound.

Thanks for the heads up.

Shifty

Amtrak sells boxes at stations for bikes, and they are cheap. You might want to call the Amtrak station in K Falls and have them get enough for your travel date. I'm not too sure how much dis-assembly you'll have to do to get the bikes in the box, but I don't think that it is as much as air travel.

From Amtrak website:
Check your bicycle at the station at least an hour before departure.
You may bring your own box or purchase one at the station. Bicycle boxes (new or used) are also usually available for purchase at staffed stations that accept checked baggage for $15/box. Boxes are 69 x 41 x 8.5 inches (175 x 104 x 22 centimeters). Call ahead for details and to make sure that boxes are available. Local bicycle shops also may be able to provide you with boxes. After your trip, you may keep your box and use it again if it is in good condition.
Bicycles usually must be partially disassembled: Loosen and turn the handlebars sideways, and remove the pedals. Both wheels must remain in the forks. Nothing may protrude from the box or make the box bulge. Nothing except the bicycle may be placed in the box.
Bring your own tools. It may be helpful to disassemble and reassemble your bike before your trip to avoid any surprises. Some parts, especially pedals, may be especially difficult to remove.
You may also use a container especially designed for transporting bicycles. Such containers must have handles and must be fully closed and latched, with no portion of the bike exposed.
Attach your name and address to the box.

moleman76

Take a look for the Seattle to Portland route -- Cascade Bicycle Club's big summer event. Mostly lower traffic roads. From Yelm there is a rail-trail (paved) with a branch that heads west to Olympia. Or, from Centralia / Chehalis the road to the coast through Pe Ell is pretty flat for a crossing of the coast range "mountains".

Or, some would suggest, go west across Puget Sound on a ferry from West Seattle / really close to Seatac airport, to Vashon Island, south on Vashon to another ferry to Tacoma -- (you will need to go east a ways to get across the Nisqually River before Olympia) or, just head southwestward, and end up near Hoquiam, Washington to head down the coast. The ride across the Columbia Bridge at Astoria is different.

It is uphill from Roseburg to Diamond Lake; the last 20 miles or so are the most uphill of it. The Lodge / resort there is a good choice of a place to stay.

Do ride the loop around Crater Lake.

pixelharmony

I was just reading this as well from a blog. I will definitely call ahead to make sure they have enough boxes.

pixelharmony

How do you guys deal with locking your bikes when you go eat? Should I bring a heavy duty lock or just a small cable lock will do the trick?

mtnbud

I've found that a small lightweight cable lock is more than enough for the areas you will be travelling. There are places I don't even bother with locking the bikes, but better safe than sorry. For 4 bikes, you might need two cables. I'd use the thinnest cable and lightest lock you have. Don't leave valuables out in plain view and always take your wallet and camera with you.

I found my lock at a lumber discount store. It's main body is made of plastic and about as light as they come.

Andy_K 

I just took a road trip with the family (minivan, unfortunately, not bike) through southern Oregon. The number of bikes on 101 was astounding. Let me say that the difference in visibility between the hi-vis yellow jerseys and ordinary colors cannot be overstated, but this seems to be a well-kept secret judging from how few people on that route had the bright stuff. The number of cyclists on that road keeps drivers on the lookout, but there are a few spots with blind corners, shadows, no shoulder and what not where drivers will appreciate you being more visible.

I stayed at the Money Saver Motel in Newport a couple of years ago, and it was a decent place for the price (around $50).

Apart from the biking experience, I think a truck tour of the Oregon Dunes is well worth the time while you're in the area. We used Spinreel, just south of Reedsport, and had a blast. If you make it as far south as Gold Beach, the jet boat ride up and down the Rogue is good fun too, though it's an all day trip.

Google maps shows a road labeled "Nat for Dev Rd 23" between Gold Beach and Grants Pass that looks interesting, but I don't know anything at all about it. I did notice that there weren't a lot of cyclists on 101 south of Gold Beach until Crescent City, so maybe that's where they went. Further research indicates that this road is also known as "Bear Camp Road" and you can find a report of one person who rode it here: https://ajy.co/blog/personal/cycling-over-bear-camp-road.

BengeBoy 

If you want another way to minimize your city/suburban riding when leaving Seattle, don't head south through Olympia or take the STP route -- just hop on the Bremerton Ferry in downtown Seattle, ride (1 hour) over to Bremerton, and leave from there.

That's the route that a lot of folks use to get out town -- check the Seattle rando route reference higher up in this thread. It actually starts in Bremerton, not Seattle.

kookaburra1701

I'm new to cycling, but I do live in Florence, so here's some recs:

-Sea Lion Caves, if you get there when it's open. It's a little north of Florence, trust me, you'll smell it before you see it. Be careful on the road around here - I work in the ER in town and it seems like every week we get Winnebagos smashing up around there, because the drivers were looking at the view/for the turnoffs/maps/etc instead of the road.

-MO'S IS OVERRATED. There's all sorts of propaganda in the Valley about how great Mo's clam chowder is, but it's really mediocre.

-Really great local spots include: Ichiban Sushi on 25th and 101 (their other food is so-so, but the sushi is great, it will be on your right as you head south) Best Thai Cuisine (on 9th street, just turn right at the 126/101 intersection. The Calamari Pad Thai is my favorite.) Kelly's Cantina is also excellent, and you can sit overlooking the river, but be prepared for a long wait, they don't prep anything, so food takes awhile to cook. (The crabcake stuffed portobellos are worth it.) I've heard the Seafood Station, which will be on the left side of 101 is good, but they seem to operate on the "whenever we feel like it" schedule, so I've never managed to catch them when they're open.

Andy_K 

I ate there on my recent trip and did enjoy it. The staff were rather glum that day, but the food was good (with one exception). My recommendations: Do not try the steak fingers. They sound interesting but no one in our group found them even remotely tasty. Do try the Blue Velvet Burger -- huge and delicious.

pixelharmony

Thank you for this advice, I will need to check out their route to 101.

I have just the thing, I guess I will just make the effort to keep the bikes within my sights.

I will probably buy a couple more hi viz yellow jersey's for the trip and will make sure my friends buy some as well.

pixelharmony

Thanks for the food advice, I'm going to go overboard when eating. I will not be counting my calories on this tour