Eugene to Florence and Back

Last Updated: August 15, 2006

Introduction

The temptation presented by this route is not only one of the most potentially enriching of any in this web site, but also one of the most potentially disruptive: it tempts you with the rapture of the open road, with the dream of never stopping until you're all the way on the other side of the country. This route consists of the first leg of the classic "TransAmerica Trail," beginning at the alternate starting location of Florence, Oregon and breaking for a sightseeing evening in the cycling haven of Eugene, Oregon.

Navigation and Safety

The Adventure Cycling Association map from Florence to Eugene, and the bicycling map that's available for the city of Eugene itself, are each excellent. As long as you keep track of mileage so you don't end up missing any important turns on the ride from Florence to Eugene, you should be fine.

The main safety considerations are in the ride from Florence to Eugene itself: since essentially none of the roads comprising this route have street lights, you'll want to be sure you have a fully charged headlight if there's even the smallest chance you won't finish the route by nightfall. You should also be equipped to fix a flat tire, and have a working cell phone.

Preparation for Your Trip

You'll need to contact the Adventure Cycling Association well ahead of time to order the first map set for the TransAmerica Trail. That map set will be labelled "Astoria, OR to Eugene, OR," but it also includes a more direct alternate route to Eugene which begins in Florence rather than Astoria (hence avoiding the potentially stressful US-101).

You'll probably also want to make your hotel reservations well ahead of time (particularly during the peak season).

Getting to Florence

There are very few transit options which reach Florence, and none that I know of which do not require disassembling and boxing your bicycle. So, the approach I took was to travel to Eugene from Seattle via the Amtrak Cascades train (which features baggage car bike racks that you can reserve when purchasing your ticket), stay overnight in a Eugene hotel, get up early the next morning and ride from Eugene to Florence, then stay in a Florence hotel that night, getting up early to begin the eastbound trip back to Eugene the next morning. Much of the scenery along this route is beautiful and I did not mind in the slightest doing it twice.

Travel Tips

The address of the Eugene Amtrak Station is 433 Willamette Street.
In Eugene I stayed at the Traveler's Inn (540 E Broadway / 541-342-1109). The staff allowed me to keep my luggage at their hotel in storage on the night I wasn't staying there, which was a big help to me.
If you have any dreams of someday cycling all the way across America, from one ocean to the other, then you might want to make it to the beach while you're in Florence, for example by following the signs to "Harbor Vista." It's apparently traditional to dip one wheel of your bicycle in the ocean, so you can say you truly made it from one ocean to the other once you reach the other side: my advice would be that you remove your front wheel and take it with you to the ocean rather than trying to take your entire bike, so that you don't end up getting sand in your bicycle gears while you trod across the beach. Your bike itself can stay locked up in the parking lot.
In Florence I stayed at the Ocean Breeze Motel (85165 US 101 S / 541-997-2642). The staff was very nice, but admittedly it was a bit of a ride (including one pedestrian bridge crossing) to the start point of the Eugene ride the next morning. There may be more conveniently-located options.
If you have any bicycle trouble that you're unable to resolve on your own while in Florence, try the shop Bicycles 101 (1537 8th Street / 541-997-5717). They do a good job with rush repairs, though if you do need to stop by for morning repairs you'll want to watch the time, and catch them as soon as they open: since the roads into Eugene are mostly unlit, you definitely want to make it there before sunset.
Ideally you should feel self-sufficient for your ride from Florence to Eugene. In emergencies, you may be able to obtain help from either the Oregon State Highway Patrol (currently 1-800-452-7888) or AAA if you're an AAA member (currently 1-800-AAA-HELP).

Enjoying Eugene

You'll definitely want to pick up a copy of the Eugene-Springfield Bicycle Map. It's sufficient to help you find your way around the city, and gives you a good sense of why Eugene is considered one of the best cities for cycling in the entire country (on top of the fact that there are plenty of options for bicycle locking, and that the road surfaces are well-maintained). Most Eugene bicycle shops should carry copies of this map.
If you'd like to spend more than a few days in Eugene, and cycle out to some surrounding areas, then you may also wish to find a copy of the Lane County Bicycle Map, published by Lane County Public Works (541-682-6900). Some of the Eugene bicycle shops will carry copies of this map.
Two good bicycle shops in the Eugene area are Hutch's Bicycle Store (960 Charnelton Street / 541-345-7521) and Paul's Bicycle Way of Life (multiple locations).
The Eugene Critical Mass ride is currently held at 5:30pm on the last Friday of every month, beginning at Charnel Mulligan Park (17th and Charnelton).
A good place for drinks in Eugene is the Steelhead Brewing Co at 199 E 5th Ave. Others may be found around Willamette Street between Broadway and 5th Ave. For post-refreshment entertainment options, pick up a free copy of the Eugene Weekly.
I was surprised by how few laundramats there seemed to be in the Eugene area, given that it's a college town. The closest I found at the time was Holiday Coin Laundramat (381 W 11th Ave / 541-726-1751). Anyway, suffice it to say it's probably best to bring extra clothes rather than depending on being able to do laundry while you're in town.
One of Eugene's big attractions is the Euphoria Chocolate Company, with one location right along the bicycle route that you'll be riding into town from Florence on. Apparently chocolate lovers come from many miles around to visit this store.
If you're in town from late June through mid July, then one must-see event is the Oregon Bach Festival, which always features world-class conductors and performers.
If you're in town during mid July, you might want to take in one day of the famed Oregon Country Fair: free shuttles can take you there from downtown Eugene, but you must purchase your fair tickets in advance (tickets are never sold at the fair itself).