Day 6: Coburg, OR to Rainbow, OR

Miles: 55

Elevation (ft): 1300

Total trip mileage: 225

We woke up early from the best sleep we’ve had so far in the tent and are getting quicker at tearing down our site so that we can get on the road earlier. It’s taken us a few days to find our groove but we are definitely progressing. Knowing that rain is in the forecast for the next few days (and possibly snow on the mountain!!), our plan for the day was to ride 55 miles to Harbick's Country Inn and spend two nights indoors. This allows us to take a much needed zero/rest day with a restaurant and market just across the street.

For most of the day, we were riding along route 126 into the Western Cascades. The road meandered through the foothills and followed the McKenzie River without any major climbs - those will begin Sunday. While riding through rural areas like today's route, you can take in everything around you - the sights, smells, and sounds - in a way that is different than being in a car. It is really serene - until a clown in a rented RV, unable to judge distance, gets too close to you and nearly takes you out.

We only saw one other cyclist today and stopped to chat for a few minutes. He was really loaded down and was on his way to Rainbow Gathering (a 10-day hippie-esque festival in the forest). He asked if we were heading there too and said that if were into playing the bongos and smoking weed, we should definitely check it out. Unfortunately, we are not into either of those things and will continue our journey to the east coast.

We arrived at Harbick's Country Inn, settled in, and got pizza for dinner. We can’t wait to sleep in tomorrow!