Coos Bay Oregon - Riding Around

The day started with Sherm taking me to the Bay Area Athletic Club for a workout in the pool. This may not sound like too much, but with flotation cuffs attached to your legs it is difficult to keep from floating upside down. Add foam dumbells in the water and you can get some good exercise since it is non-stop. The gang of regulars who hang out there are fun, and I enjoyed meeting Ace, George, Bill and all the ladies. Then we got ready to ride.

I’ve ridden great roads including those around North Georgia, North Carolina and West Virginia, not to mention the mountains of the southwest, that have been billed as some of the best motorcycle riding in the world. The roads around Coos Bay are every bit as good.

Pat came out of retirement and climbed on behind Sherm as he set out to show us the area. We went to Shore Acres where we checked out a park on the Pacific that boasts an excellent view and has some beautiful gardens. We then twisted and wound our way over to Bandon for lunch and a stop at the Cranberry Sweets Company where they have plates of samples of their wares. After sampling many things, I bought a pack of cranberry jelly covered in various types of chocolate. We then stopped at a place that has free samples of cheese. If we had these at home, I’d never have to buy food. We then explored some more winding roads and finished with a tour around the bay. We also stopped at an old motorcycle shop that, while closed, displayed the largest collection of antique outboard motors I have ever seen. In the front window I saw a 1954 green Johnson 5 ½ horsepower outboard that was a dead ringer for the one my uncle owned and that I remember using when I was a kid at my grandparents fishing camp on Buckhorn Lake. Talk about old memories.

Returning home, Sherm and Pat’s friend Ronda joined us and we went out to a small restaurant for supper. The special was pork roast and the servings were generous. The server was funny and engaging.

We returned home and Sherm hooked his cameras up to the TV to give a slide show of all the pictures he took on his trip. I admire his eye for both subject and composition as anyone who follows his blog can plainly see. I dozed off in my chair even before the strawberry shortcake was served and again retired for the night before too much longer.