Back on Twenty
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Day 26: July 1, 2021 Back on Twenty Comment via blog |
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When I first considered driving the Yellowstone Trail and US-20 in a
single trip, I envisioned dashing between the end points of the two roads
to connect them. That's more or less how it happened on the east end but
the west was a different story. The Oregon coast had made quite an
impression on me during my one and only previous visit to the state. I
really couldn't imagine being so close and ignoring it. Even though the
visits with Dave and Cece were actually arranged just days before they
happened, they had been in the back of my mind for a long time. They kept
the YT to 20 transition from being a boring expressway dash but also kept
me from the coast. I now set out to correct that. The most efficient route
would involve angling southwest from Portland ad reaching the coast a
little North of Lincoln City. That would give me about twenty-five miles
along the coast. Heading more directly west toward Tillamook would be
longer but would give me significantly more time on the coast. I decided
to spend the night in Portland and make the choice in the morning.
I had pretty much decided on the Tillamook route before I went to bed. I left Portland on US-26 with plans to reach the coast on OR-6. Had I stuck with that, I'd not have taken the second and third pictures in this panel. I had recent skimmed over my 2008 journal and a sign just before the OR-6 turn off triggered a memory. In 2008, I had been unable to try a restaurant recommended by Becky Repp of American Road Magazine. It was in the town of Seaside. The sign said I could reach Seaside by staying on US-26. I did. |
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The target restaurant was the original
Pig 'n Pancake.
I drove north just a few miles to reach Seaside where, in an amazing
stroke of luck, I found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant.
Although it was still small, a collection of people waiting for seating
had formed. More luck brought me a seat at the counter. This was luckier
than it might appear as it was only the second day the counter had been
open since the start of the pandemic. My order was quickly taken and
coffee appeared shortly after. Then my luck ran out. They were apparently
much more backed up in the kitchen than in the dining area.
My meal was quite good when it did eventually
arrive, and I refuse to get upset about slowness of this sort; at least
for now. I am aware of how tough it is to return to pre-pandemic
functioning after all the long period of restrictions. Nonetheless, I
would have been a little happier if half that amount of food had arrived
in half that amount of time.
High Life Adventure Park has nothing to do with breakfast other than possibly providing an opportunity to lose it. It's at the south edge of Seaside and caught my eye as I entered town. I paused to take this picture and figure out what it was on the way out. Look closely and you'll see people climbing, etc., in the "rigging". |
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All of these pictures were taken between Seaside and Tillamook of
coastline I would have missed had I taken that turn onto OR-6.
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I did not spend much time in Newport, OR, but I did take a picture of a
sign on the way in and another on the way out. Note that one of these
signs has a mate in Boston that I almost -- but not quite -- reached.
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Old US-20's western end has been chopped up considerably so I made several
failed feints before really getting moving.
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The first photo is from a very nice bit of old alignment that begins about
ten miles from Newport. The sliced through hillside appears shortly after
it returns to the current alignment. A half mile later, turning onto
another old alignment leads to the Chitwood
Bridge and beyond. Even back on the current alignment, the
scenery remains attractive.
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I ended the day in this room in the
Galaxy Motel
in Philomath, OR, which is also home to the
Dirt Road
Brewery.
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