It's always sunny in Portland. Isn't It?

Sorry for the dust around here, I guess I've been too busy enjoying my downtime. I've been staying in one of the nation's most bike friendly cities - Portland, Oregon. Cycling is much more than a weekend adventure or an expensive hobby it's seen as and used as a viable means of transportation. It's such a change from the Midwest where cyclists are constantly verbally accosted simply for being on the road. Portland is a model city for progress, it seems like everyone is constantly thinking about their impact on the environment and how to live as "green" as possible. NiteRider has several programs in place to cut down on pollution with all of the Fazer series commuter lights being packaged in 100% recycled material. NiteRider also participates in a battery recycling program that keeps old environmentally harmful cells out of landfills. Protecting the environment is everyone's job and it's something we are proud to be a part of.

My cousins Dave and Amy were very gracious hosts and tour guides during my stay in this clean city. They have a beautiful home in a really cool neighborhood in the Northeast part of the city. It's been nice the last few weeks staying with someone I know as opposed the the lonely life of empty hotels. Things from here on out are only going to get crazier for me so I know that this luxury is something that will not last. This weekend I have a race in Spokane, Washington and the following weekend I have to be in Alabama; that's something of a long haul. I spent some time getting dirty helping them with landscaping and gardening which is something I actually enjoy. I could definitely feel all of the shoveling I did the next morning.

On Wednesday my cousin Amy, her dog Lazlo, their roommate Eric, and myself all piled into the car for a trip to the coast. Oregon isn't exactly the beach vacation hot spot that Southern California is, but it is absolutely beautiful. It was surprisingly sunny for my entire stay in Oregon, something I didn't expect at all. After an amazing drive through the Tillamook State Forest we arrived in Pacific Beach, Oregon. The beach is famous for it's large rock outcropping offshore called a haystack. The Oregon coast is littered with them, if you've seen The Goonies you've seen a haystack. There's also a huge sand dune right on the beach that is a leg burning climb, but it's worth the view. Once you're at the top you can see out to sea for an eternity and up and down the coastline for miles. For a landlocked kid from Kansas seeing out over the ocean for that far is a very humbling experience, it really makes you feel small.

Time to cross the Colombia River and head up to Washington. I'll be in Seattle all week visiting bike shops until it's race day in Spokane. I plan on being a total tourist while I'm here in Seattle, Space Needle, EMP, ferry rides, all of that. Stay tuned for updates.






All of the photography on this post was done by my cousin Dave, I wish I could take credit for it.