Odometer: 57,510

Time: 09:00 am

First we look for a Chrysler Dealership, to perform a software update on our Jeep, that was recommended by another mechanic and should resolve the problem of the hesitations it sometimes has.

Indeed the update has helped and the car is much smoother to drive as we head out to the coast of Oregon. The first town we come across is Tillamook. From there we take the loop around the cape and follow a small and windy road along the coast. The weather could be better though: it is cloudy, windy and at times it even rains, but, well we knew that we could not expect sunshine all the time.

Never the less the coast is beautiful and the further south we get the better the weather. The little towns along the coast are very touristic and hotels, motels and B&Bs seam the road (HWY 101). The Hotels are not fully booked though and a lot of houses and businesses are for sale. It looks like the whole area has been badly hit by the downfall of the economy. There are still tourists but never as many as there used to be. It is a very sad picture. On the other hand there are all the big villas on the cliffs and the very expensive resorts overlooking the bays.

The natural beauty of the coast line is fantastic and impressive and the openness of the Pacific is allowing us to deeply breath the salty air and to relax – a wonderful day!

We stay on HWY 101 all the way to Florence. From there we drive inland again, to Eugene, the second largest city in Oregon, where we arrive at 8:30 pm. We stay there for the night as tomorrow we want to visit the Crater Lake National Park even further east.

Overnight Stay: America’s Best Value Inn, Eugene, OR

Dinner: KFC