Day 60: McKenzie Bridge to Eugene

It was pouring rain this morning and we didn't want to leave our tent! Also, we didn't have too far to go to get to Eugene (and it was all downhill), so we weren't in any rush. We ended up packing up in a drize and riding a mile to a dry gas station for coffee and breakfast.

Lucky for us, we spent enough time there that the local chainsaw art festival had begun by the time we left! We pedaled to the next town over and found numerous artisans at work with an astounding variety of chainsaws. Their work was on display. We decided that carrying one would be a little too challenging, but we checked it out anyway.

I have never seen such an unhappy looking snail

Art in the making

We also stopped to pick blackberries and eat pie, which further delayed our entry into Eugene. As a result of all our dawdling, it was almost dinnertime by the time we got to Eugene. Our hosts (Kurt and Lorna) weren't responding to our text messages, so we decided to try our luck and just show up at their house. When we arrived, Lorna was just heading out the door. Luckily, she had time to get us set up before she had to leave on an errand.

Kurt came home a bit after she returned and we got to spend some time with both of them. We found out that they like square dancing, so we felt like kindred spirits! Then they were kind enough to drop Alice's bike by the shop for shipping and take us out to a fantastic dinner at a local brewpub (awesome burger, awesome beer, awesome dessert, awesome view from the back porch). They even brought Alice to the airport the next morning! It was a really wonderful start and I wish u could have stayed for another day or two to see all that Eugene had to offer.