Eugene, Oregon to McKenzie Bridge, Oregon -- 61 miles

We enjoyed the motel’s continental breakfast and hit the road by 7:45 am. The bike route left Eugene and followed the McKenzie River, increasing gradually in elevation. We were nervous about the climb ahead, but the grade was steady and manageable. Saw newborn colts and incredibly beautiful scenery along the river - enormous trees, well-kept farms, and lush green valleys. An irate truck driver yelled at us to “Get out of the road! You're going to get yourselves killed!” 

We met up with some Adventure Cyclists in Walterville, where we stopped at the post office. Continued the comedy of errors by mailing a package which contained the wrong case for our sunglasses - now, Lorraine has 2 yellow lenses and no tinted sunglass lens. We debated staying in Blue River, but decided to get a jump-start on McKenzie Pass by continuing another 10 miles to the town of McKenzie Bridge, where we camped in the National Forest. The forest was thick and shady, and we could hear the rushing river from our campsite. However, there were no showers here - just one outhouse. A little too primitive! Lorraine cooked a gourmet campstove dinner of cheese quesadillas & salsa, and Spanish rice.