SEA TO SHINING SEA: A tree worthy of song

DAY 6 - Barefootin' Across America - Broke camp at the fairgrounds this morning at about 7:30.  Nice place.  Quiet.  Pedaled on a bicycle trail paralleling 99W for about seven miles.  Eased into Monmouth.  Booked a room at the Courtesy Inn.  Clean.  Nice table for writing.  Rest day.  Laundry today.

This is home to Western Oregon University - mascot The Wolves. We're told 6,500 students but it doesn't seem like that many.  Maybe they all went home for the weekend

Monmouth has met Tree City USA standards for 11 years.  It shows.  Beautiful trees here.  Rehoboth has Tree City designation as well. Towns that care about their trees are good towns.

A great big Sequoia giganta towers over the most historic looking building on campus - Campbell Building.  A graduating class planted the tree in about 1887.  Now it's up there around 100 feet.  They must light it for the holidays.  One article I read said it's the largest holiday tree on any college campus in US.  (National Geographic fact-checkers told me to never trust a superlative. Just telling you what I read.)

We've logged 177 miles so far. Tomorrow we'll break 200.  Headed south toward Corvallis, then toward Eugene and Bend.  Miles to go before we sleep. We'll try to get an early start.  Tomorrow's supposed to be sunny and maybe wind at our backs.

Keep on the sunny side.  Here are some more photos for you.  Thanks for looking. Vaya con dios.