The Oregon shoreline reminds me a lot of California. It's just as pretty, with large rocks rising out of the coastal waters and miles and miles of sandy dunes tempting us to get off our bikes, which is just what we did:  Hopping off the bikes for a scenic hike The coast of Oregon is well-known for its sand dunes, there are tons of dune-buggy rental places as we ride south along the 101. I've always wanted to get paddle tires for our dirt bikes and go blasting up and down the dunes, it looks like a riot! That, and getting/making some studded tires and riding out onto a frozen lake are two motorcycle items on our bucket list.
 A dog runs out to greet us  And then his owner chats with us for a while We love dogs, we've met so many on this trip. On the beaches of Port Orford, Bernie introduced us to his owners, Jean and Don, and we spent some time talking about our trip and where they are from. They own a cottage about a mile away from the beach and after finding out that we were just wandering around with no place to stay for the night yet, they insisted that we sleep in a proper bed for the evening!  Bernie enjoys long walks on the beach during sunset and being scratched under the chin Even though we've been offered accommodations and meals and plenty more while we're on the road, I always marvel at how generous people are to virtual strangers. We made sure we didn't remains strangers, sharing our travel stories with Jean and Don, and learning a bit about their lives and family. They own an almond (pronounced "Ammin" - like "Jammin'") farm in northern California and they had plenty of stories about their kids riding motorcycles (pronounced Motor-Sickels). Which brought up a good question - why do you pronounce bicycle "bi-sickel" and motorcycle is pronounced differently?  Mickey Mouse painting dreams over Neda's sleeping bag Unfortunately, I am allergic to pet dander as it collects on carpeting, furniture or anything indoors - which is ironic because I'm always the first to pet and play with dogs on our travels. This means that I can't sleep inside the cottage, but Jean and Don put us up in the cabins that their grandkids sleep in when they visit.  In the morning, we had home-made apricots and Ammins, and fresh scones!  Don and Jean and Bernie!  Jean tries out the motor-sickel! We thanked Jean and Don for their generosity and left Oregon in the late morning, our bellies full of homemade food and our hearts filled with the kindness of two "Ammin" farmers from Northern California!
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