It had been nearly 20 years since we had gone bike riding! We spent a weekend at Fort Stevens State Park where they offer daily bike rentals for just 10.00. Fort Stevens is surrounded in gorgeous bike trails and we had a WONDERFUL time exploring the park. So much so, that the first thing that I did when I got home was to order myself a darling little seven speed beach cruiser.
Our first trip with the bike was to LL Stub Stewart State Park, one of the newer state parks in Oregon. The park is located in the foothills of the coastal range and is well-known to people who love to bike. It’s situated directly in the middle of a beautiful bike trail that follows old logging railroad tracks.
We had never stayed there before although it is less than an hour from our house. We loved the park! The sites are huge – all RV sites are full hook-up. Many of the sites offer great privacy and shade during the warm summer months. The campsites are gravel, very level and raked by the park staff. The park is just far enough away from the city that there is very little light pollution and the stars shine bright at night! In fact, Omsi offers star-gazing events here during the summer months.
I was so excited to ride my new bike but found out quickly that my cute little beach cruiser is just that – a cute little bike, best suited for very flat ground. Cruisers are big and heavy (albeit comfortable!) and make riding uphill very challenging. Especially for this 50-year-old who was new to biking! Riding downhill though, was great fun!
We spent many wonderful weekends at the park throughout the summer and fall. I did end up buying a more suitable bike for riding trails, but my beach cruiser gets lots of use when we’re beach camping.
Little Greek Cafe with excellent food in Vernonia. The bike trails have helped bring back the economy of these little logging towns.
The bike trails are actually quite easy in most parts since they follow the old railway tracks. The scenery is beautiful and varied – through dense forest in parts – through farmland, around lakes and two cute little logging towns. It’s a great way to spend a weekend!
Our first night there, we were lucky enough to be camped near a neighbor that owned a local winery. They asked to take some photos of our campsite for their Instagram account and left us with a nice bottle of wine. Saw Backstay Wine at a local Trader Joe’s and picked up a few bottles for the summer! Such fun meeting new people when we’re out and about!
The sites here really are beautiful!
The (not so) Small Small Trailer 
Your blog is always one of my favorite reads! Thank you for sharing. Good job.
Tim
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