The summer touring season is upon us. Hooray! Inquiries and reservations have been coming in for a few weeks now. If you’ve been sitting on the fence over busting out of your rut and seeing a bit of Oregon from your saddle, as they say, there’s no better time than the present.

And don’t let a busy job or other commitments stand in your way. As I’ve said many times, little rides can be just as fulfilling and refreshing. Last month a group from Seattle drove down for a three day weekend. They stayed at a hostel here in the city Thursday night, caught breakfast at Marathon’s morning happy hour Friday, then rode from Hillsboro to Tillamook to Newport. I picked them up in Newport and returned them to Hillsboro where they had parked their vehicle. (Drew, Jessica, and Katrina if you read this, thanks for the yummy breakfast!) They had a wonderful time, no less because it was a relatively spontaneous trip that allowed them to break outside their normal routine and do something totally new for a few days.

Of course epic rides are cool too. In fact, next week I’ll be shuttling a trans-am rider to Astoria for the start of his summer of cycling. Wish him luck.