Monica A
Junior Member
The hubby and I recently got back from an 8 day-2100+ mile trip on the bikes. Everything went well. Bikes ran great. No idiot cagers to speak of. Spotted several deer (both dead on the side of the road that cagers took out already and some alive on the side of the road that looked at us as we slowed down upon spotting them). We saw Elk too. Luckily they were in a meadow far away from the road. Wouldn't want to hit one of those things on a bike. Yikes LARGE.
View attachment 54036
Anyway, our trip started in Reno, NV we headed to Bend, OR the first day - 420 miles door to door. We stopped at Lava Beds national monument and walked through a lava tube. Want to go back when we have more time. Long day. We learned this day to plan better for meal stops. We left the house at 8am and didn't find a place for lunch until 3:00. Hubbie gets grumpy when he is hungry. Also, learned in Oregon they are required by law to pump gas, but not motorcycles. The petroleum transfer technician (PTT) handed hubby the gas nozzle, he pumped our gas, then the PTT would put it back on the fuel pump. Crisis averted. View attachment 54037
Day 2 we headed to Yakima, WA. I got lots of practice riding in a very strong cross wind (after 70+ miles of it). My Sprint handled the wind beautifully after I got used to it. It was about a 250 mile day with several side trips. Always looking for the twisty bits.View attachment 54041 One side trip was along the Deschutes River View attachment 54039
Day 3 headed to Leavenworth, WA This was only about a 150 mile day with several side trips but we were chasing rain so we decided to stop at this quaint little Bavarian inspired town. Parked the bikes and had Brats and beer for lunch. Stayed for dinner and has some authentic (for USA) schnitzel. If you are ever in this area and want something fun to do, I recommend you visit this town. View attachment 54042 We stayed at a family owned hotel with beautiful views of the mountains. They let us park the bikes right in front of the lobby windows so someone watched them all night:rockon:View attachment 54040
Remember when vacations were all about the kids? Now it's all about the bikes. A guy offered to take our picture, we said no thanks, it's about the bikes. He shook his head and walked off. lol View attachment 54038
Day 4 headed to Ana Cortes ferry terminal (North of Seattle). We rode the ferry through the San Juan Islands to Sidney Harbor, Vancouver Island, BC. It was a gorgeous ferry ride. We had some heavy drizzle going over state route 20 but not bad. The weather rewarded us with warm sunny skies while in Canada. We stayed at the Marriott downtown behind the Empress Hotel. The bellmen had a difficult time trying to get my saddlebags, hubbies top case and duffle bag, jackets and helmets on the luggage cart. So funny. We parked the bikes in the underground parkcade. So fun riding the curvy ramp down.
Day 5 we rode North on the island a bit on the leeward side. Then we took the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles (West of Seattle). The ferry workers told us to tie the bikes with the ropes provided to the side of the ferry. They had huge chalks for us to use too for the tires. View attachment 54043 Luckily, it was smooth crossing and the bikes were OK. Great thing about riding motorcycles onto the ferry is that you get to get on first and off first. We spent the night in Bremerton, WA. We got the last hotel room in that city that night. We were trying to meet up with a co-worker of hubby's for breakfast that lived near there, but it didn't work out. Maybe next time.
Day 6 we rode down the coast (eventually connecting to Highway 101) into Oregon. We rode across the Astoria Bridge. At the Oregon side, it has a steep incline (6-8%- feels like 50%) that we got stopped on halfway up due to construction. I was nervous about starting out on the incline, but the Triumph just smoothly took off like we were on flat ground. Gotta love the torque of a triple. We stayed in Newport, OR in a hotel on the water. Lovely sleeping to the sounds of the ocean waves.
Day 7 we continued down highway 101 to Eureka, CA. View attachment 54044We stayed with my Aunt in Arcata. She took us out to a nice dinner in downtown Arcata. She was very tickled to see us on motorcycles. She said the neighbors would really think she fell off the deep end (since my Uncle passed away a year ago)with motorcycles parked in the driveway. He was a professor at Humboldt State for years and all her neighbors are his colleagues. We had a good laugh about that.
Day 8 we were sorry to be headed for home. We took Highway 299 East to Redding. It was a fun road with lots of sweepers. When we got to the twisty bits I was too tired to push it but hubby wasn't. He had a ball! I was trying to catch up to him on a straight bit (going 90+ mph) when around the corner came a highway patrol. Luckily, he didn't have his radar on. He flashed his headlights at me (I had 2 guys on bikes behind me) and kept going. Was I relieved!!!! We made a record time of going from Redding, CA to Susanville, CA (under 2 hours) usually takes closer to 3. We were anxious to get home to our puppy. Everything was fine at home. The house was still standing and the pets were alive. We had left our 18 year old son in charge.
I can't believe the trip is already over. I am ready to go back again. We are thinking Canadian Rockies next year (Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary). I can't wait! Sorry for the long post. It was an epic ride for us.
View attachment 54036
Anyway, our trip started in Reno, NV we headed to Bend, OR the first day - 420 miles door to door. We stopped at Lava Beds national monument and walked through a lava tube. Want to go back when we have more time. Long day. We learned this day to plan better for meal stops. We left the house at 8am and didn't find a place for lunch until 3:00. Hubbie gets grumpy when he is hungry. Also, learned in Oregon they are required by law to pump gas, but not motorcycles. The petroleum transfer technician (PTT) handed hubby the gas nozzle, he pumped our gas, then the PTT would put it back on the fuel pump. Crisis averted. View attachment 54037
Day 2 we headed to Yakima, WA. I got lots of practice riding in a very strong cross wind (after 70+ miles of it). My Sprint handled the wind beautifully after I got used to it. It was about a 250 mile day with several side trips. Always looking for the twisty bits.View attachment 54041 One side trip was along the Deschutes River View attachment 54039
Day 3 headed to Leavenworth, WA This was only about a 150 mile day with several side trips but we were chasing rain so we decided to stop at this quaint little Bavarian inspired town. Parked the bikes and had Brats and beer for lunch. Stayed for dinner and has some authentic (for USA) schnitzel. If you are ever in this area and want something fun to do, I recommend you visit this town. View attachment 54042 We stayed at a family owned hotel with beautiful views of the mountains. They let us park the bikes right in front of the lobby windows so someone watched them all night:rockon:View attachment 54040
Remember when vacations were all about the kids? Now it's all about the bikes. A guy offered to take our picture, we said no thanks, it's about the bikes. He shook his head and walked off. lol View attachment 54038
Day 4 headed to Ana Cortes ferry terminal (North of Seattle). We rode the ferry through the San Juan Islands to Sidney Harbor, Vancouver Island, BC. It was a gorgeous ferry ride. We had some heavy drizzle going over state route 20 but not bad. The weather rewarded us with warm sunny skies while in Canada. We stayed at the Marriott downtown behind the Empress Hotel. The bellmen had a difficult time trying to get my saddlebags, hubbies top case and duffle bag, jackets and helmets on the luggage cart. So funny. We parked the bikes in the underground parkcade. So fun riding the curvy ramp down.
Day 5 we rode North on the island a bit on the leeward side. Then we took the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles (West of Seattle). The ferry workers told us to tie the bikes with the ropes provided to the side of the ferry. They had huge chalks for us to use too for the tires. View attachment 54043 Luckily, it was smooth crossing and the bikes were OK. Great thing about riding motorcycles onto the ferry is that you get to get on first and off first. We spent the night in Bremerton, WA. We got the last hotel room in that city that night. We were trying to meet up with a co-worker of hubby's for breakfast that lived near there, but it didn't work out. Maybe next time.
Day 6 we rode down the coast (eventually connecting to Highway 101) into Oregon. We rode across the Astoria Bridge. At the Oregon side, it has a steep incline (6-8%- feels like 50%) that we got stopped on halfway up due to construction. I was nervous about starting out on the incline, but the Triumph just smoothly took off like we were on flat ground. Gotta love the torque of a triple. We stayed in Newport, OR in a hotel on the water. Lovely sleeping to the sounds of the ocean waves.
Day 7 we continued down highway 101 to Eureka, CA. View attachment 54044We stayed with my Aunt in Arcata. She took us out to a nice dinner in downtown Arcata. She was very tickled to see us on motorcycles. She said the neighbors would really think she fell off the deep end (since my Uncle passed away a year ago)with motorcycles parked in the driveway. He was a professor at Humboldt State for years and all her neighbors are his colleagues. We had a good laugh about that.
Day 8 we were sorry to be headed for home. We took Highway 299 East to Redding. It was a fun road with lots of sweepers. When we got to the twisty bits I was too tired to push it but hubby wasn't. He had a ball! I was trying to catch up to him on a straight bit (going 90+ mph) when around the corner came a highway patrol. Luckily, he didn't have his radar on. He flashed his headlights at me (I had 2 guys on bikes behind me) and kept going. Was I relieved!!!! We made a record time of going from Redding, CA to Susanville, CA (under 2 hours) usually takes closer to 3. We were anxious to get home to our puppy. Everything was fine at home. The house was still standing and the pets were alive. We had left our 18 year old son in charge.
I can't believe the trip is already over. I am ready to go back again. We are thinking Canadian Rockies next year (Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary). I can't wait! Sorry for the long post. It was an epic ride for us.
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