How about a hot Umpqua?

Early evening and it is so warm we are sitting outside on the deck of the River Inn in Elkton and the temperature today got up the high 20s C.  An interesting place, not quite what you would expect in a little town along the Umpqua River. We have a jacuzzi tub, unlimited supply of VHS videos, a family of 12 baby mallards living outside below the deck and a blues band practising just next door, and they're pretty good.

Getting here today was probably on the best road yet, slightly winding and mostly flat -- we like flat -- following the Umpqua River. However.......I was more bagged than any other day. As we came into town the temperature read 89'F. Now that is hot. It made us realize how pleasant the coastal breeze was.

We left Reedsport -- another former resource town, once had a paper mill, but now kinda quiet -- by 9:30 today after filling up for the ride. Back at the Harbor Light Restaurant, Norm couldn't resist the boar sausage breakfast. As he said, "How often do you get to eat wild boar?"

I stuck with Red Mill healthy oats. Once out of town there many signs telling you to watch for elk. It was quite exciting to be able to bike right up to a herd grazing. Amazing animals!

And as we biked it got hotter and hotter. We stopped for mango yogurt and a mango milkshake in Wells Creek. Who knew you'd find such goodies along the way? Here is a 1929 bridge built for the bustling community of Scottsburg back then. Probably bustled even earlier -- the town was founded in1850 and had the first newspaper in Oregon. The historic signpost said it was common for pack trains of upwards of 500 horses/mules to head up into the mining camps in the hills around here. Just trees growing around here now, and numerous logging trucks passed us along the highway. And you can see the gorgeous river we got to follow.

We don't usually need a reason to rest our bums but a sign indicated something historical gets Norm's attention. Here he is at Paradise Creek reading a plaque about the many stage coach drivers who carried people and goods down to the coast. You don't find memorials like these anymore, carved out of a solid block of stone.

We biked into Elkton around 2.30 pm. Glad to stop. Found our Inn, bathed and decided to discover Elkton, a town about seven blocks square but quite full of businesses. A drink is what we decided we needed. Now Elkton has one place to stay and we are in it, unless you're driving an RV, and then you get to park a few feet from the river. It has one main street and aside from Arlene's cafe/bar/poolhall, there didn't seem to be much for thristy travellers. But there are wine tasting establishments and so we found ourselves at Brandborg Winery, which has actually been written up in the New York Times. We decided to skip the tastings and went straight for a cool, bottle of wine, Gewürztraminer, some Boursin cheese and crackers and sat outside on the patio enjoying the good life.

Once the bottle and cheese were finished we discovered the river, fast flowing and actually quite pleasant. 

After sun, wine and water we needed a nap. The joys of being retired and on the road by bike. An hour later we woke up refreshed ready to plan tomorrow.