Day 1 Astoria, OR to St Helens, OR. 69 miles

Here we are ready to roll! 7:30 AM on Day 1. The bridgethat leads over to the state of Washington is right behind our hotel. The water is the Atlantic Ocean and the head waters of the Columbia River. The weather was cool and dry. Partly sunny and we had a gentle tailwind all day. Perfect! It was 69 degrees when I came into St Helens at 1:30 PM PDT. The luggage truck did not arrive until 3:30 PM, so I went to eat at a cafe next door, where several other riders were re-fueling also.
Standing alone just before I took off down the road. 69 miles today to St Helens. Lots of hill climbing. I averaged 14 mph and I was satisfied with that considering the climbing. Everyone rode single file along the busy route. We stopped at Bradely Park for the first rest stop of the day, at mile 22.
The first rest stop. There they are -- those BANANAS! Yes I ate my share. Banana count stood at 3 for today.
Saw lots of these logging trucks today, passing us on US 30, the highway we stayed on all day. And the sides of the roads were littered with bark that falls from these loads. For more photos go to Flickr on this website.