Day 14: Salem to Portland

Every once in awhile something comes along that shakes up your notions about something you once held as standard. Such was the case this morning in Salem when my cousin Nicki and I went to the Sassy Onion for breakfast. I ordered the Sassy Blintz french toast, which is two large discs of bread with crispy crust, and sandwiched between is a pile of marionberries. Then the whole thing is topped with more marionberries and a granola-y crumble. Berry-stuffed french toast? Yeah, it was amazing.

After that feast I packed up and hit the road to be able to take full advantage of the sunny day that was finally presented after four days of rainy riding. I also realized part of why the ride yesterday felt so much more difficult towards the end, I had a slow-leaking front tire! I gave it some air, rolled up my sleeves to get some sun, and started the 50+ mile trek to Portland.

The sun was great and I was able to stop on the banks of the Willamette in Wilsonville and snack on a T&S-supplied lunch: coconut macaroons, bread with honey/cheese/bacon bits, and some strawbs I picked up at a fruit stand. One small lesson, strawberries won't last very long bouncing around in a bike bag so don't try to ride too far or you'll end up with some sort of berry compote instead.

The rest of the ride went well and I arrived at Steph's cousin's house where we'll be staying for the weekend. Thanks for the accommodations Pat! I cleaned up and got ready to head back out on the bike just as a lovely little thunder and lightning storm rolled in. I wrestled Pats chickens into their coop for the night, begrudgingly donned my rain gear, and headed to Trader Joes to resupply a few food items. It's been too long since I shopped at TJs, it was amazingly difficult to stick to my required items of oatmeal, dried berries, and jerky.

Thankfully the rain stopped and I booked it into Portland's Waterfront Park where a fair had been set up for their annual Rose Festival. I indulged in some fair grub and watched fireworks launch over the Willamette, a great start to my stay here. A pit-stop at Burnside Brewing Co for an Oatmeal Pale and a Bourbon Stout and I was back to sleeping under a roof for the fifth night in a row. Will I even remember how to camp??

Now I'll just be waiting as patiently as possible for Steph to arrive tomorrow. Patience, patience, patience...