Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Transit: Washington/Orgeon King of the Road, King






Paradise Valley



  Woke to a beautiful yet overcast morning in Paradise Valley WA.  Marc's parents had to leave early so we were on own getting up and going.  Took awhile as we are slower in mornings now.  The days on the road exact a price.  That said, the rewards can be, well, rewarding.  Today was a case in point.
  We have avoided super slab freeways and interstates.  Today we had to use it to get to Highway 20 outside Salem OR.  That was going to be our route to LaPine OR for our next hotel.  Been a luxury to be able to email ahead for a hotel reservation.  Lots of tech on this ride.  GPS, iPhones, iPads, laptops and the like.  Indispensable tools.
  So anyway....we left Marc's folks, stopped for breakfast and headed for the I-5 entrance ramp.  Pretty heavy traffic all morning. Got to a rest area and stopped.  Met some riders with the Patriot Guard on their way to a soldier's funeral.  Sad.  I took the lead for the first time this trip.  Kept grinding out the miles until the signs pointed to Rt. 20.
  Made our transition onto Rt 20.  Two lane blacktop running through a couple small towns.  Stopped for lunch about 3 at a cafe in Sweet Home, OR.  (one of my favorite town names from this ride, Sweet Home, OR and George, WA.)  I had a BLT and had to pay an extra 50 cents for whole wheat toast.
  So off we go and started toward the mountains on Rt. 20, the Santiam Scenic Byway.  Lots of wonderful twisting road up the mountain.  Really have the hang of leaning Beaux way over and scrapping the floorboards.  Michael commented on me learning to ride the Harley like a sport bike.  I just thought I using Beaux's, umm, potential.  So much fun.  Got to the pass and was greeted with the cone shape of a volcano directly ahead.  The Sisters rise up from high desert.  Lots of lava fields and burned out forest.  Surreal landscape.  Never been in this part of Oregon.  Great stuff.  The lava fields gave way to piney woods just like North Carolina.
  Got to LaPine, checked in and went for supper at a good mexican place.  Not usually very hard finding decent food when you are off in back country.  Still plenty of local places to eat.  We've only eaten at a Subway twice.  A new record low.
  Gotta hit the hay, folks.  Only two more days of travel.  Don't wanna stop.  Too busy riding to take many pics.

50cent


Best Western Hotels like us to park out front.

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