Astoria!

After an evening and part of the overnight filled with hectic packing, Saturday the adventure began!  Julie and Marci took me to BWI, and gave me a rather appropriate Father’s Day card before I headed toward the gate. If you look closely you'll see the bicycles.

I do not like long flights on Southwest.  Even though I always make sure I get an aisle so I can get up, I feel cramped and somewhat trapped because the planes are always so full and there is nowhere to go.  And it always seems like the person in front of me is always the one who wants to push their seat as far back as it will go.  Today was no exception!

On the five hour nonstop flight to Las Vegas another passenger, a flight attendant and I spent about two hours back at the rear of the Southwest 737 talking hockey and baseball.  Beats sitting cramped up in that seat for hours! 

Play the slots then board your flight!



I brought a bag of quarters to have some fun in the airport slot machines, but egad, the machines don’t accept coins anymore.  Only plastic or bills. Without the rattle of coins into a slot machine, it’s not the same!  So I used the quarters at the airport Pei Wei, and then made the two hour trip to Portland.

I met two other bike tour members at Portland Airport.  We rented a car and arrived in Astoria at about 5:30 p.m.

Unfortunately I don’t have any good pictures of this once great seagoing town at the mouth of the Columbia River (the battery in my camera went), but will get them tomorrow.  Since some people will still be arriving tomorrow morning, the ride to the Ocean is on your own, but there is going to be a huge group going at 10 a.m.  My bike arrived, with two holes punched in the box, but it looks like nothing was damaged.  The mechanic will put the bike together tomorrow morning, hopefully in time for the 10 a.m. ride.

I met a few other people this evening.  Everyone seems really nice.  I’m really happy to be here and ready to start this dream of a lifetime.  And now (since it’s almost midnight back home) its time to call it a day. The first real day starts tomorrow!