Crater Lake and Scenic Oregon Coast Tour – Day 2
Day 2 Bandon to Gold Beach
Highlights:
Face Rock Scenic Viewpoint, Oregon Coast, cranberry bogs, Wild Rivers Coast Scenic Bikeway, Cape Blanco Lighthouse, Port Orford, Gold Beach
Route Details:
We leave the Bandon area on day two of the Crater Lake and Oregon Coast Bicycle Tour, cycling south on Beach Loop Road in scenic bliss. Returning to Highway 101, it’s a smooth ride past ranchland and cranberry bogs to Sixes where we join the Wild Rivers Coast Scenic Bikeway for a short detour to visit Cape Blanco. This is the westernmost point in the contiguous United States and location of a tour-worthy historic lighthouse. Climb to the top for an even more dramatic view. The cape is an excellent whale-watching spot in the spring and fall. Back on our bikes, we continue south to the small, artistic, cliffside fishing town of Port Townsend and our lunch stop at a local cafe.* A short side trip down to the “dolly docks” is worth the effort. Watch as boats are lifted in and out of the water by huge cranes and parked on large, custom-made trailers on the dock. Only six of these operations remain in the world. Back on route, a few rollers await us, including a climb around the forested leeward side of Humbug Mountain. The panoramic views and pounding surf are ever present as we reach Gold Beach at the mouth of the Rogue River. We lodge here for the evening at Ireland’s Gold Beach Inn.
* Lunch cost today is not covered by Via Bike Tours, allowing you to choose from a variety of delectable options – from a hot bowl of soup at the organic food market, to fish and chips at the The Crazy Norwegian, to more upscale fare at Redfish.