Illini 4000

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July 24 In Search of Gold Beach(es)

Today was a glorious day, and a continuation of our journey south along the pacific coast. We left the piers and fishing vessels of Bandon at 8 this morning. The fog had rolled in, and we could barely see the other side of the bay. Paper cutout fish fluttered above the walkway overlooking the sea, and school children's impressions of bunny rabbits lined the railings. It is the year of the rabbit after all! We traveled along the coast for a majority of the day and the perpetual fog evoked an aura of adventure and mystery. Jagged rocks jut forth from the sea and coastline mountains characterized our travels. We had a lunch stop at Port Orford and many riders indulged in seafood. After Port Orford, our route left US-101 and traveled along a windy road between a range of mountains. As we reached the mouth of the Rouge river, we crossed over a long bridge and entered the town of Gold Beach. We stayed at First Baptist Chruch and were treated to Dairy Queen by the Topol family. It was delicious! Many riders went to sleep early tonight to catch up on much needed sleep.