I was able to find a room at the Bay Motel in Clallam, Wa. (actually Sekiu) on the Olympic Peninsula, despite having been told by a General Store owner that there were no motels further north on the peninsula.
Saturday morning I continued on my way north to Neah Bay which, as it turned out, is on the Makah Tribal Reservation. With the sun shining freshly on the waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca it was a beautiful ride.
Looking east toward Clallam Bay
It was approximately 20 miles to Neah Bay, and by the time I got there I was ready for breakfast. There is a large restaurant on the right as you enter this Indian fishing village so I stopped. While there the young lady filled me in on the road to Cape Flattery, the western most point in the lower 48 accessible by road (technically, the trailhead is accessible by road). Because it is "on the res" a recreation pass is needed. This restaurant, because it is on the res, will add the cost of the pass to your omelet!
It is a well marked, paved road to the beginning of a 1/2 to 3/4 mile trail.
I don't know if the surprise was because I had never heard anyone tell of the beauty of Cape Flattery, but surprised I was, in a huge way. This is not only the western most point but, upon seeing this landscape it jumped to the top five on my list of replies to the question "what has been your favorite place that you've seen?"
Looking north-east
Looking south-west
The Cove
Totoosh Island to the north-west, complete with lighthouse
After admiring for awhile I headed back to the parking lot. The peninsula is home to, not only the res (and a correctional facility), but also the Olympic National Park. The problem is that there is not a road that traverses the west side of the island and no road that crosses the park. So I back tracked on 112 until I hit 113, then crossed to Highway 101, the same Highway 101 that began my journey down the Pacific Coast back in April. That simple fact really drove home the idea that this trip is nearing its end.
I rode all the way off of the peninsula, looking to stop just short of Astoria, Oregon. Astoria is a vacation destination and therefore everything from food to motel/hotel room prices is higher priced. The problem ended up being that Astoria was the site of a large Regatta this weekend, making this the busiest weekend of their entire year.
My search continued from town to town, with each one supplying its full inventory of "no" signs on their "vacancy" signs. I found myself rolling into Astoria dreading the cost I would incur getting a room. If only it was that simple.
There were no rooms, and there would be no rooms for many many miles. I rode south, along the Pacific Coast highway, all the way to Tillamook, making it a 390 mile day, one of the longest of my trip. I had tried to call ahead to see if I could locate an available room but no one was answering the phones. Then my phone battery went dead. I should have stopped and plugged it into my bike's battery charging system but I was racing other vehicles through each town, trying to locate a place for the evening. When even the motels in Tillamook proved fruitless I cashed in my chips. I had eaten hours earlier so a Denny's sign caught my attention.
It was chilly, foggy and dark. I was traveling on a twisty road that occasionally wound along the edge of a road high on rocky cliff sides. There were deer crossing signs everywhere. I didn't see where it was safe to explore gravel roads under these conditions for campground possibilities. Ordinarily I would just sleep in the car but...
That's about where we left it yesterday, but that was far from the end of yesterday.
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