20th Day (Monmouth - Eugene)

Today another circle closes. Exactly 15 months ago, I started my tour through California and Oregon, and actually I didn't want to go so far north at that time. But I found Oregon so beautiful that I decided to explore it and only turned south again at Newport, and then drove down the Pacific Highway to San Diego. Today I'm driving back to the coast and continuing along Highway 101 until I surpass the point I reached back then.

This route is also one of the most beautiful coastal roads you can imagine for the second time. The wide sandy beaches, combined with the rugged cliffs, can still be seen in the far north of California, in the south the beaches are better developed with beach volleyball courts and piers, but in my opinion they are much more boring. I also prefer Oregon in terms of temperatures, at the seaside it rarely gets above 25 degrees Celsius, and there is always a fresh breeze, which I love so much.

I stop at numerous points and enjoy the views and the sea, stroll along the beach and sit on a bench in the best possible location. Here you can let go and relax, and sometimes I even open the loading hatch of my pickup and sit on it, drink my water, and feel incredibly happy to be here.

The journey is also a journey into the past, as I remember very clearly this adventure over a year ago, which also lasted 4 weeks and made me incredibly happy and satisfied when I returned home. I drive through Newport and I can still remember the road very well. I stayed in Waldport back then, hardly anyone was on the streets - today the little town is totally crowded. In Yachats, I drive along the beach road, it was raining back then and the beach was empty. Today I can't find a parking space in the town itself and the room rates have tripled.

The speed on Highway 101 is often below 30 mph, many Americans have an RV with them, with a car attached at the back, and they struggle up the single-lane road when it goes uphill. Almost every viewpoint is overcrowded, and even if my pictures often show the opposite - uncrowded beaches - the slow journey is no longer as relaxed as it used to be. I decide to turn my back on the overcrowded dream coast and drive back inland. Today to Eugene, but then deeper into Oregon tomorrow. I still have 9 days and I'm still fit. I spontaneously decide to go for another round, which will eventually lead me back to the airport in Portland. The journey is the destination. It will be exciting.