14 June: Rest Day in Depoe Bay, OR

Mileage 4850.

The ride along Highwayt 101 has been enjoyable with its changeable views, wooded roads, beach scenes, small towns dotted along its winding path. I noticed that many of the bridges had long, arched spans with unique building like icons at their entrances. Somehow these bridges seemed similar.

Well, they were designed by the same architect, after WWI. Roosevelt felt that the Oregon coast at that time was not defensible in case of an attact from the Pacific Ocean. There was no continuous road to move troops along its coast line. So during the reconstruction of the country after the Great Depression, Roosevelt decided to use public works efforts to build the 'now present' HWY 101. It was first called the "Roosevelt Military Highway"; I'm glad this name has been lost to history.

Conde B. McCullough was the master architect for the Coast Highway. He wanted to combine efficiency, economics, and asthetics in creating these wonderous bridges. His works still stand today. 

Here is a great link that will take you to the history and background of Oregon's landmark bridges
http://www.northwestmagazines.com/oregon_coast_bridges_hwy_101.php

Another Link describing the details of all the bridges:
http://www.oregoncoasttravel.net/