Ah yes, hello to all of you who are paying attention. How have you been? I hope everyone had a nice fourth of July weekend. I spent my 4th of July riding from The Dalles, OR to Cascade Locks, OR, it was one of the hottest 4th's that I can remember near 100 degrees in the north central part of Oregon.

Well the last time a had wrote I was in Lewiston, Idaho since then I have traveled about 350 miles. When left Idaho I entered Washington State in Clarkston which is the in very south east corner of the state. This area of Washington is very hot and flat and hot did I say hot. It took four days to get the some 230 miles to go through that miserable area. On what would have been my second to last day going to Washington, I was stopped for lunch in a very small town of Roosevelt, with nothing more than a small Mini Mart. With the lack of eating options was eating chips and salsa, and drinking Gatorade, when I was asked "what are you thinking riding out here is this temperature", at the time of question the thermometer was reading 107. I politely answered I have know idea. I looked up from my delicious dinner and here was this giant of a man and belly to match, with terribly accurate Arkansas accent. With a tone of sarcasms he offered me a ride up the road, and before he could turn around I said " sure how far are you going" he looked at me, expecting me to say no and said " oh um 30 miles" I was all over that like white on rice. As it turns out this Southerner had name of Larry and a wife Stephanie who was also with him so after they got off work 15 minutes later they picked me and my bike up and hoisted it up the flatbed of his truck and headed towards Biggs, Or. Not only did the nice Southerners give me a ride and they also offered me a place to stay for the evening very generous people. The next morning they had to go up the road twenty miles to an auto parts store, so in all I traveled 50 miles with them and it really helped. I was really hoping to get to Portland by the 5th so I could be able to see some friends from Minneapolis who were out here and so with that 50 miles I did by gasoline power it helped me get to see them before they left.

My last stretch to Portland from where I was dropped off in The Dalles, OR I had 85 miles to go. I was really hoping to get there in the one day since that day was the 4th of July, but it was to darn hot and beautiful to work that hard. So I stayed the night in Cascade Locks I watched the fireworks by myself and went to bed. I woke up the next morning and rode the next 45 miles to Portland in 3 hours. I was happy to get to a house of some sort again.

Well I have been out on the road traveling for about 7 weeks now and I will be honest I am getting tired of the whole process of getting up and riding all day by yourself and then hanging out with yourself at night and then repeat the process everyday. So things may change but as it sits now I will probably be done with my trip in the next three weeks or so. I know it's a bummer but that's kinda how it goes.

I will be writing again before you see me so this isn't the end yet, I am going to be riding out to the ocean on Monday and will travel the cost for a little while. I pictures I am posting are of the thermometer and of the truck transport and then one of Multnomah Falls which is about 30 miles outside of Portland.