Northwest Motorcycle Rides and Oregon Rural Post Office Visits: Visited Four Post Offices Today: Eddyville, Swisshome, Deadwood & Walton

It was overcast, cool and the roads were wet at 6:30 am so instead of riding the motorcycle we elected for the SUV today. We were on the road before 7am, fueled up in Albany and got Cindy her mandatory coffee drink. We wanted to be at the Eddyville Post Office before it closed at 10am.

We pulled into the Eddyville Post Office parking lot just after 9am and I was able to talk to the part time clerk for a few minutes. She was very friendly but I forgot to get her name. I need to start remembering to get the names of the people I met along the way. ;-)

We talked about the proposed closing of rural Post Offices and how there aren't any stores, restaurants or fuel stations in Eddyville and that the Post Office is an important fixture to the surrounding community.

She told me just a few weeks a young man (early 20's) came in almost in tears because he was lost and unable to figure out how to get where he was going following his GPS. He was glad when he saw the Post Office because he knew he'd be able to get directions there. Now while that might not be an important duty to the US Postal Service back in Washington, it certainly was to this young man.

Cindy was getting set to take a photo of me when a someone coming out of the Post Office saw us and offered to take both our pictures in front of the Eddyville Post Office.

Next we drove into Toledo but first stopped to take a photo at the Toledo sign off Hwy 20.

We had breakfast at a cafe on Main Street. The biscuits, gravy and hash brown's really hit the spot. Our table was by the window overlooking the railroad tracks and baseball field below.

After eating we walked around downtown Toledo and took a few photos:

We followed Yaquina Bay Road on our way to Newport but not before stopping at Oregon Oyster Farms (http://www.oregonoyster.com/) for dozen oysters, which has become a habit anytime we are in the area.

We stopped for couple photos in Newport

Yaquina Bay Bridge - Newport, Oregon

Traveling south on Hwy 101 we saw the Post Office sign in Yachats so we snapped a quick photo.

Once we reach Florence Oregon we turned east on Hwy 126. I spotted this teepee burner at Davidson Industries (closed lumber mill) off Hwy 126 near Mapleton Oregon and had to get a photo. These teepee burners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_burner) were all over the Northwest but are slowly disappearing.

Coming into Mapleton we stopped to get a town sigh photo and found their Post Office nearby.

At the Mapleton public docks and around town we saw the effects the heavy rains two weeks ago had on the area. The Siuslaw River overran it's banks and left mud and debris on the roads and in peoples yards.

At Mapleton we turned off Hwy 126 and headed north on Hwy 36. We found another teepee burner just south of Swisshome Oregon.

The Swisshome Post Office was closed but I left a self-addressed stamped postcard and a note asking they hand cancel it and return to me.

Our next stop was the Deadwood Post Office, which was closed, but I met Leslie who was picking up his mail. Leslie is very active trying to save the rural Post Offices. We had a great talk about rural Post Offices and the effect it will have if they are closed. The locals have been holding rallies and calling politicians in Salem voicing their concerns.

On the lighter side, Leslie said if the Swisshome and Deadwood Post Offices are closed he will be forced to drive all the way to Mapleton to mail Christmas cookies. He's concerned during the longer drive he might end up eating them all before he even gets there.

Leslie and Kevin

I left a self-addressed stamped postcard and a note asking they hand cancel it and return to me.

After getting directions from Leslie on the best way to get to Walton Oregon we were off. Good thing I asked for directions because it turned out the route we planned to take was washed out. We'd already had plenty of washed out roads trying to reach the Agness and Broadbent Post Offices.

We saw a covered bridge over the Siuslaw River and took some photos. The river was in great shape now and may people were fishing on this sunny day.

Wild Cat Bridge (the sigh on the bridge spelled it Wild Cat not Wildcat) between Mapleton & Walton Oregon

We stopped at the Walton Post Office where I slid a self-addressed stamped postcard and a note under the door asking they hand cancel it and return to me.

Update: On March 23, 2012 I was pasing through Walton and stopped in to visit with the Postmaster Gaelen M. Laue.

There is an ad posted on the board outside the Walton Post Office: "I am looking for a free 30+ foot sail boat - No Junk - Nice boat only" Good Luck finding one for free.

We continued east on Hwy 126 to Poodle Road, where we turned north. We enjoy these small country roads as you get to see a wide variety of houses and farms. We connected back to Hwy 36 and then followed Hwy 36 to Hwy 99W to Monroe Oregon.

This bulletin board photo below was taken at the Monroe Post Office. Every Post Office has had a similar board and I have found myself reading them as they give me a quick insight into the community. In Mapleton someone's drift boat washed away in the flood and he's looking for it. In Walton, the Save the Post Office Rally was announced. In Eddyville I saw the local school was holding a flea market.

I now wish I had taken photos of all the bulletin boards I've seen so far at these rural Post Offices. I will be taking photos from this point forward!