Part X - "Take The Long Way Home"

June 25/14

Another beautiful morning in Wenatchee and we're raring to go. Sadly this is the last leg of the trip and we're on the homestretch but no need for sadness as there is still a lot of miles to cover and some wonderful scenery waiting along the way.

I need coffee and I need some carbs so it's a quick skip up Hwy 97 to the Smittys at the north end of town for a power breakfast, one with enough diesel in it to last the day. Soon we're on the road leaving Wenatchee behind, until the next time, when we'll see what curve ball the town will throw us on arrival.

The route out-of-town follows the Columbia River and is lined with apple orchards already sporting fruit that will soon be ripe for the picking. The day is warm, the air smells clean and fresh and I'm feeling wonderfully at peace. After a while we grab a quick coffee at Chelan Falls, yak with a few locals in the parking lot and we're on back on our way. Fifty miles later the town of Okanogan is our turn-off point. This is the start of Hwy 20 which we'll ride to as far as Sedro Woolley. I'm rather excited about this next leg as I've been wanting to ride Hwy 20 for some time now. I've been on the far western end, the part from Burlington to the south end of Whidby Island many times but the eastern portion, which is the bulk of the highway remains to be checked off my list...until today.

The first part of Highway 20 runs back parallel to Hwy 97 for a couple of miles then quickly turns west, rising up into the brown hills passing a previous fire area when the charred remains of the pines trees stand like blacked ghosts, a reminder of how fragile this environment really is. The road continues to climb and the trees get taller and the forest closes in. You twist and turn up and down like a fiddler's arm until you suddenly break though the trees and the road spits you out into the open high range with the ever present sage brush and scenes of grazing cattle.  Traffic is minimal and going the opposite way so once again we have the road to ourselves. This is wonderful riding and I'm shaking my head as to why I left it so long to get down here and ride this exciting road. I can only assume that the tendency is to bypass something that is in your backyard in favour of the distant road less travelled.

The town or Twisp comes and goes and we're soon pulling into Winthrop where we hit the sidewalk for a while to see the sights. It was the lure of gold that brought the first settlers to the area and like a lot of old towns it has been wiped out by fire on at least one occasion and suffered flood devastation. The architecture is 'Old West' with wooded sidewalks adding to the allure making Winthrop a tourist destination and is busy throught all four seasons.

 

V-Stroms outside the Duck Brand Hotel, Winthrop, WA.

 

Old-timey western architecture. Winthrop, WA

The local Hot-Spot, Winthrop, WA

The view from the balcony of our hotel room.

'Buster Brown' waiting patiently on the street below.

 

 

What's the action in a small place like this you ask? We let me tell you not much, that is until we hit town and then all Hell breaks loose!

 

We're barely off the bikes when there is a car accident no more than fifty feet from where we're parked. Sadly I was making a quick pit stop in the hotel but Lori witnessed enough to see where the blame lay in this heinous crime. An unsuspecting Fed-Ex driver was slowly driving her van along the street when another driver in a Subaru, that's reason enough for fault, t-bones the van in the right front bumper causing the bumper to rub the wheel and prohibit the safe operation of this vehicle. The poor Fed-Ex woman is starting to fret because the guy in the Subaru is trying to blame her. Well being highly trained professional operators, we sympathize with a Sister Driver and can't let this travesty of justice go unheeded so Lori, much to the chagrin of the scowling Subaru guy, offers up her witness information to the grateful Fed-Ex driver who looks relieved. All's well that bends well in car accidents so we continue on our way clumping along the wooden sidewalks in our heavy motorcycle boots.

 

It's a hot day and after stopping for ice cream, a double shot of butterscotch fudge and black cherry for the curious, we're passing by a parked car and there is a dog inside, windows up and barking distressfully. Now Lori is an animal lover and despises animal neglect so in seconds she's in the cantina where the car is parked in front of and calls out to the owner as perhaps they are sitting in the bar while their dog is dying outside. As luck would have it the vile master is in fact sitting inside and Lori shames him into coming out to check on the hapless dog who is extremely happy to be released from the death box it's been roasting in. The owner, however; is not as happy and gives Lori some attitude. He grumbles the dog has only been in the car for "twenty minutes or so". She politely, I might add, informs him that is more than enough time to kill an animal to which he so eloquently replies, "Don't bother me." Brilliant. The dog is freed and that's all that matters so we move on.

 

Now Winthrop is not a big town by any stretch of the imagination and we're soon back at the scene of the accident where the Fed-Ex van is still sitting immobilized waiting for a towtruck. The Fed-Ex driver spots us and comes running up saying the Marshall wants to see Lori. Evidently while we were at the other end of town fighting crime, the Deputy Marshall is phoning Lori's cell, which is turned off, and he's one step short of issuing an APB and launching the biggest manhunt or womanhunt, the town of Winthrop has ever seen! While Lori heads over to the Marshall's Office and takes care of business I do a little browsing in the shops. This is taking some time so I head over to the Marshall's Office and see what's going on and there I find Lori and the Deputy Marshall yakking away like old buddies, talking crime stories. The Deputy is a friendly guy and the Lori likes to chat so the cop and the corrections officer have some common ground. The Deputy is very thankful for Lori's statement and gives her a Winthrop Marshalls shoulder patch, not something they give to the average tourist witness I can tell you!

 

This crime fighting is exhausting work! Time for a deep breath and check into the Duck Brand Inn, one of the oldest business in town dating back to the 1890's. The room is quaint, which is a nice way of saying it's in some disrepair, for instance if you open the window it will fall out. It's our last night on the road so we laugh it off, open up the balcony door and kick back until dinner time.

 

For dinner we stroll back to the cantina, you know, where the dog killer was busy sucking suds earlier in the day, and have a really delicious meal of Pollo a la Diabla. Awesome! Some more strolling, pick up some soda and a BIG beer at the grocery store and head back to the room for some blogging, a little reading and some TV.

 

Standing on the balcony looking out over the now quiet street I say, "Sleep well good people of Winthrop. We're watching over you. No crime will occur on our watch."

 

June 26/16 

Up and at'em. Let's get going! Before leaving Winthrop, Lori stops by the Marshall's office, she may have a thing for guys in uniform; have to keep my eye on that. So taken with the Deputy's gift yesterday, she wants to reciprocate with a gift of one of the CMBC neck coolers, the kind you soak in water and it stays cool throughout the day. Too bad the deputy's not there but the administrative assistant accepts the gift and assures Lori she'll pass it to Deputy Ken who will be most appreciative.

George Lake, Hwy 20, WA

 

Gorge Lake

 

Gorge Lake Lookout

This is our last day so I want to make the most of it, take our time and savour the remaining miles. There is not much to report other than a lunch break in Marblemount where I ask the waitress what people do for action in this little hamlet to which she replies in a somewhat sinister way, "You really don't want to know." Sounds ominous so I leave it to my imagination and we continue on our way West to Sedro Wooley, a fascinating name for a town. We turn north onto Hwy 9 through the farmland and little villages to Sumas, Washington where we have one last fill up on cheaper gas. Hit the Duty-Free and we're through the border in a matter of minutes. Sixteenth Ave to 208th Street and we're home and in the garage by 4:30.

We get off the bikes and this time it's Lori's turn to say, "We did it!"

Steve
Langley, B.C.

 

Part IX – “There Ain’t No Cure”

Burns was the perfect place to spend the night. It provided the opportunity for us to start fresh and experience another fabulous day of riding in Eastern Oregon.

Oregon is fast becoming one of my favourite riding states. The terrain is so varied, from sandy beaches to coastal rain forest, farmland, desert, alpine meadows and wetlands; there is always something new just around the corner. The roads are in good condition, the traffic is not overly heavy, except around the Portland area and you often have the road to yourself.

Now that brings me to something I’ve wanted to discuss for some time and that is the “Bug”. What is the Bug? Well you’ll know it if you have it. The Bug is the road and the beast you feed. You can always tell the people that have the Bug. They seldom speak in destinations but speak in terms of the road. For instance a Bug bitten individual doesn’t say, “Oh, I’m riding to Calgary.” And leave it at that. What you’ll hear is, “I’m going to take Hwy 3 to such and such and then it’s Hwy 6 to 6A then cut south on County Road 40”. To them it’s the road that matters and the destination is merely a stopping off point along the way where the route will change again. I’ve had the Bug since I was a kid and I can’t see it going away.

My motorcycle friends have all been bitten, Pete and Allen both have it, as does Norm and Mike. You can tell by the way they talk about their rides; always the road, rarely the destination. Another friend Don has it really bad, having just come back from a two week ride into Southern California, I never knew where he actually went in terms of towns but he could tell you every highway and side road him and his GS touched.

The Bug is with you for life I’m afraid, it’s not something you can quit and simply walk away from. You can quit smoking, drinking whatever, because in comparison these are mere dalliances that tempt the body and you can overcome them, however; the bug of the road is in your soul and it ain’t never gonna go away. Face it you’re a slave to the movement, the feel, the smell and the sound of the road. A truly infected rider spends their spare time poring over atlases and, hopefully, reading motorcycle blogs. You’ll see these people tracing their fingers along obscure squiggly lines on maps looking for that hidden gem they have yet to ride. This, my friends is true passion. Pure and simple passion for the ride. You may get better, but you’ll never get well!

 

 Hwy 395 Eastern Oregon

Feeling rather passionate we leave Burns behind and continue north along Hwy 395 another Oregon gem of a road. Right outside of town you enter Divine Canyon and the road chicanes into a narrow ravine like snake that twists its way through fairly dense trees that crowd inwards and encroach onto the shoulder of the road. The twisties come fast and you’re in and out of them in seconds. Coming into the next one, gear down, don’t touch the brake, keep the throttle constant and begin accelerating at the apex of the turn, keep twisting bringing the speed up and then get ready to upshift when you come roaring out and enter the next straightaway. Now get ready there’s another turn coming up; you know the routine; repeat as necessary.

 

A little more 395. What an absolute joy!

A quick stretch for coffee and a cinnamon bun in Canyon City and we’re out of there. It’s more rolling and twisting all the way to Pendleton where it’s decision time. We’re fighting the clock a little as we’d like to be home for a few days before going back to...ugh..work. ..ugh.. and we’d like to spend some quality time in the Cascades so we opt for the quick way to Wenatchee where we’ll stay the night and that will give us the time we need for Hwy 20 the next day. Bite the bullet, hop on the Inter-Slab and eat up a few miles. The GPS plots a quickie route to Wenatchee using the ‘slab’ and some county roads. In a blink we’re into Washington passing Kennewick, skirting Richland and shooting off onto WA 240 to 243 through Desert Aire, then I-90 to WA 281 taking us north to Quincy. The entire route has been cutting through orchard after orchard, throw in a fierce cross-head wind and we were eating dust the entire way. It’s eight PM and we’re pulling into Wenatchee, tired, hungry, and sunburnt and feeling fantastic after the effort we made today. It’s all about teamwork and Lori and I are one heck of a team. No matter what the situation is we work well together supporting each other and bringing out the best in each other.

 

Just a tad south of Pendleton Oregon

Wenatchee. Wenatchee. Wenatchee. Every time I’ve been there it’s been a hassle. I usually arrive later in the day, angry at the beating the ever present gale force winds have laid on me, there’s always some event going on and the hotels are full with the restaurants closing early. There’s always something and today was no exception. I’d programed a hotel into the GPS, one where I’d get some loyalty points and of course they’re full as are the rest of the inns in town. The gal at the counter says, she thinks there may be a room or two left downtown at the Coast Hotel. Not wishing to drive willy-nilly all over town looking for a room, I hit the phone and give then a call and Eureka(!) we score a room. We scoot back downtown, check in and head across the street to Bob’s Classic Brass and Brew. Good call on Bob’s where we gorge out on some Caesar Salad, Chicken Alfredo, a pop for me and a couple of frosty Buds for Lori.

Back to the room and we’re done for the day; trashed and ready for the rack. The network service sucks but it doesn’t matter because I’m too tired to blog so it’s lights out. See you in the morning.

Steve
Wenatchee, WA
6/25/14

Part VIII - "Heading North"

No need for the alarm this morning, I'm up and ready to go.

Last night I was experiencing some difficulty with network latency preventing me from uploading any photos so this morning I head over to the lobby where the signal is far better and the coffee and bagels are fresh and plentiful. Just as I thought the photos upload in a snap and I get to publish the last two days' postings.

Lori joins me and we chat with another guy who was seeking better wi-fi performance too. Packing up we chat with another rider, Tim, from Olympia riding a Triumph Explorer which he has seriously decked out in off-road riding equipment, Givi bags, rugged tires, driving lights and the general appearance of a no-nonsense adventure riding machine. A recent trip to Alaska left Tim's bike with the same white splash marks that my friend Allen Stowell got on his V-Strom on a similar tour. Tim's problem went a whole step further with the 'white stuff' penetrating into the suspension and doing major damage. What is is with the Alaska Highway and this white slop? I'm curious if other riders have experienced the same issues. Tim's a nice chatty guy and I'd like to hear more of his Alaskan tour but we all have places to go so we bid safe riding and turn our attention to hitting the road.

First order of business is throttle it on I-80 West to Winnemucca where we stop for fuel and some coffee. This is a good opportunity to give the drive chains a quick lube and clean the windshield and headlights with the foamy glass cleaner I always carry with me. While all this is going on I'm chatting with another rider this time from Missouri. This guy is wrapping up a two week ride to tick off the last two states on his "must ride" list. He was beaming that he had now ridden his Harley Dyna in all of the lower forty-eight states which is quite the accomplishment. Anybody that rides a motorcycle knows how easy it is to strike up conversations with other riders, something you never seem to get with automobiles, however; I suspect the RV owners are like motorcyclists and more forthcoming in matters of conversation amongst themselves.


Bye-bye to I-80 and we turn north onto Hwy 95 with a heading for Burns, Oregon, our destination for the night. Once clear of Winnemucca the road empties out and with a speed limit of 70 mph the dry desert hills are flying past and soon we're at the Nevada-Oregon state line and the hamlet of McDermitt where we pull over for a bite and a can of RockStar. In the parking lot it's chat time again; this time with a fellow from Battle Mountain on a big Harley 'glide. Another friendly guy on his way home from somewhere in Northern Idaho. After a quick visit to the post office we're back on the road gobbling up the miles.

Hwy 78 Oregon

The countryside is still desert-like, dry brown hills, some rocky mesas and lots of scrubby sagebrush. I've previously mentioned how much I like the beauty of desert and today's views are no exception. I have a genuine feeling of comfort in the desert and it will carry me throughout the trip. At Burns Junction we stop at the weigh station which is closed, for a stretch and an apple. Here is where we turn off Hwy 95 and head north-west on Hwy 78 to the town of Burns. This leg of the trip is sixty-four miles long and it is nothing short of wonderful. The road is in excellent condition with wide sweeping curves, long climbs to the hilltops followed by dramatic downhill Giant Slalom runs to the desert floor. Traffic? You gotta be kidding. The road was deserted. About twenty-five miles along a small convoy of maybe five cars goes past, all in a row and we didn't see another vehicle until we were approaching Crane, twenty-four miles from Burns.  As a side note all this open landscape is prone to high winds and although we only experienced the odd turbulent gust the winds can be hazardous so rider beware. If your travels take you to this part of the state I highly recommend you give Hwy 78 due consideration.

There's an apple in here somewhere.....

Hwy 78 Oregon. Too much fun! 

 

Yikes! A quick glance at the fuel gauge and it's telling me I have about 59 miles before I have to start pushing this beast. Not to worry, Burns is only another twenty miles and there's lots of gas stations to choose from when we get there. It's now 4:30 PM, we 're feeling pretty good but decide to call it a day nonetheless. We find a Best Western with a pool and we check in pronto. Hit the pool, do some laundry, steak dinner at the restaurant next door and we're done like dinner.



We'll go through the map and plan some routing for tomorrow as there a few options available to us. Not a hard task at all.

Good night from Lori and Steve

Burns, Oregon

Part VII - "Only The Lonely"

I wake with a start as the alarm starts chirping, disturbing a very deep sleep. Realizing today is a travel day I almost leap out of bed and get the coffee on. Lori's soon stirring and we share a pot of coffee while we pack up.

Today we're going to ride East on Hwy 50, "The Loneliest Highway In America" as far as Austin then turn North and be homeward bound. The route we've planned should take us to the end of the week and be home for the weekend.

We don't waste too much time getting out of Reno motoring on I-80 east as far as Fendley; then it's Hwy 50 to Fallon where we stop for breakfast and top up the fuel tanks. Breakfast at "Jerry's" was excellent. Omelet for me and Eggs Bennie for Lori. A few cups of coffee, we're feeling refreshed and we're off and rolling east into the desert and a lot of nothingness. I love the desert and enjoy every moment I spend in it's vastness, beauty and intrigue. This is Lori's first time riding in this part of the country so I wave her on through to take the lead so she can enjoy all this road has to offer.

Lori ripping along Hwy 50.

The last time on Hwy 50 was with longtime riding buddy Norm Ingram, five years prior. On that trip we were heading westbound and after overnighting in Battle Mountain we were loading up the next morning and Norm discovered his rear tire was separating. Oh-Oh. That's not good news with the closest bike shop being hours away in Reno. Well Reno was our destination so after a bit of discussion we go for it; with Norm riding very diligently it takes up most of the day to go the 250 miles to Reno. Everything worked out in the end and Norm got new tires installed that day. Great service from Reno BMW by the way.

Lori's putting down a good pace and we're zipping along lickety-split. At Middlegate Station we veer off the road to get a photo of the bar for our friend Peter Vardon. Now Pete's been to a few bars in his time but this ramshackle shed is a favourite of his so we stop by and pay homage and take a few photos. While hanging around Middlegate we meet a man and his daughter from Arkansas both riding Harleys. Heading westbound, this was their first time in this part of the country and they were enjoying it immensely. What a great way to spend quality time with your daughter, going on a cross country motorcycle ride together. Another nice feature of Hwy 50 is it is built along an old Pony Express route and the ruins of the old stone station houses are dotted along the roadside.

Middlegate Station, Hwy 50 Nevada

Another hour or so and we're in Austin topping up the tanks again. I remembered a small gem and stone shop from my last visit so we head over and have a nose around. I'm a turquoise fan and I end up getting three stones; one for a ring at home, another to have made into a pendent; I think I might know a gal that would like that and a third stone for I don't know what but it is very pretty and could come in handy in the future.

Hwy 305 Nevada 

Hwy 305 Nevada

At this point we turn North onto Nevada 305, another meandering highway that will take us to Battle Mountain, our oasis for the night. Again, my memory goes back to the last time with Norm Ingram in Battle Mountain; it was a stinking hot day when we checked into a motel, got some cold refreshing beverages, put them on ice and lounged in the pool for the remainder of the afternoon. It was during this quality time we heard sirens coming down the road, closer, louder, closer, louder until they were right outside our motel and now turning into our courtyard! Being curious kind of guys we go for a look and discover our motel is on fire. Not our unit but one in the back corner has thick clouds of smoke billowing out the door and window. The Battle Mountain Fire Department save the day, putting out a careless smoker fire, pronounce all persons safe and the show's over as quick as it began. We're back in the pool picking up where we left off before this noisy interruption.

Back to the present, Lori and I roll into Battle Mountain and yeah, I couldn't resist. I wheel over to the Big Chief Motel and wouldn't you know it there's lots of room and we park 'em for the day. Durning check-in I remark to the woman at the desk how the last time I was here the place caught fire. She cackled, recalling how she was here too, but assured me they hadn't had such an incident since. Hunger drives or in this case walks us the half mile or so down the road to an excellent little Mexican restaurant, "El Aguila Real". A modest family run business, the food was wonderful, excellent service and low, low prices. $26.00 for two including tax and tip.You gotta love that!

We walk back to the motel taking a diversionary route through a residential neighbourhood and have a nosy-parker look at the houses and what the locals are up to. I spend some time bringing the journal up to date, albeit the photos won't upload, network issues, grrrrrr, but I get the posts written and I'll try and upload them in the morning.

Buenos noches mi amigos!

Steve
Battle Mountain, NV
June 22/14

Part VI - "Brews, Blues, BBQs and The Sidewalk Cruise"

Time for a lazy day.

The Wahine and I were feeling a little bushed so we decided to park the bikes for a day and let our feet do the walking. We couldn't have picked a better day for sidewalk surfin' as today was the El Dorado Brew and Blues Festival. How does this work you ask? Simple. You shut down South Virginia Street from 5th Avenue to 2nd Avenue, line both sides of the street with pavilion style tents, invite 50 or so breweries, micro and big brewers alike to show up with truckloads of their finest product offerings, offer up a wide variety of food and then set up two big stages at either end of the street and have Blues Bands play all day and into the evening. Now call the weatherman and order up a hot sunny day and stand back. If you build it they will come and believe me they came...in droves.

Before we get to the Blues Festival let me set the stage for the day. As I previously mentioned we were feeling tired so sleeping in was the first order of the day. Close the drapes to shut out all light and let yourself go. Not so fast. At 9:30 a tremendous thunder of drumming comes crashing through the windows bringing us to full alert. Sleepily peering out the window we are greeted to the sight and sounds of a full-blown parade heading north on Virginia Street. We try to go back to sleep but the parade is loud and we sleepily peek out the window to see what float or marching band was passing by. It's all in good fun so we decide there's too much going on to lay in the sack all morning so it's up and at 'em.

What we find out  on the streets is a sea of people wandering around quaffing beer to the sounds of a pretty hot blues band whipping out Freddy King's "The Stumble". We're feeling a bit hungry so we explore the food tents and settle on some New York style pulled pork on buns with coleslaw and a big dill pickle. Yeah this is breakfast. I don't drink beer and Lori figured it was too early in the day for her so we stick to water and soda.

 

What a deal!

 

Ms Lori-Belle and I are having a fine old time wandering the street listening to some great music and people watching. It's hot and sunny so from time to time we pop into one of the casinos for a restroom break and some air-conditioning. Both offer a welcomed respite.

 

 

Truckee River divides downtown Reno.

 

 

Blues Band performing.

 

Virginia Street in front of the Silver Legacy Hotel.

 

 

More Blues Bands.

 

We talk a walk on Virginia Street, north to Walgreens for some supplies and run the gauntlet of panhandlers working the street. Reno has a seedy side to it lying only a block of two off the main strip. Homeless, drug addicts, ne'er-do-wells, it looks just like Vancouver! On the way back to the hotel we opt for walking a few streets away from all the hub-bub on Virginia Street which proves to be a pleasant choice. This route goes through a residential neighbourhood and we get to see what inner city life in Reno is like. On the way back we are drawn to the 4th Avenue bus loop and give it the critical look-over. This is a big loop which is tied in with the train system and except for the bus parked' on a post outside it looks like any other bus station. While walking by we wonder what it's like to be a transit operator in Reno. Since both Lori and I are bus drivers in the Vancouver area we find fascination in what most people wouldn't give a second glance.

 

 

Fourth Avenue bus loop.



Back to the hotel for a shower, a little correspondence and a nap; afterall this is a 'lazy day'. Dinner beckons and we head down to Johnny Rockets, a 50's style diner located in the hotel. Decked out in the usual chrome, checkerboard linoleum tiles and booths, they offer up the expected diner fare, burgers, fries and shakes. The prices are good, the food is tasty and the staff entertain with dance routines from the era which has now been expanded to include the 60's and 70's. I find myself, munching my burger and singing along with K.C. & The Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight" as the staff hoof it up in a loosely choreographed routine. It was fun, they were enthusiastic and I enjoyed it.

Lori has a hankering for some Karaoke action so we're off on a quest for some singing fun. Personally I don't do Karaoke, but Lori likes it and she's good at it so I'm quite content to sit back and cheer her on. She has been a huge support to me going to tons of ROAD CREW shows so it's nice to have the roles reversed and I can be the fan. After stumbling around the Silver Legacy and the El Dorado looking for the appropriate bar we find that Karaoke is available at the Cal-Neva so off we go. The place is pretty busy but Lori picks her songs and we watch the other participants while we wait for her turn to come around. Like any other Karaoke bar this one has the good, the bad and the ugly. Lori's up and she belts out an excellent rendition of "Seven Spanish Angels" and earns a loud round of cheers from the crowd. It's getting late and the wait is now even longer for a reprise so we head back to the hotel as the morning comes early and there's a fair amount of miles to cover the next day.

Lori on stage at the Cal-Neva

It's one AM so we pack it and call it a day. The road awaits.


Steve
Reno, NV
June 21/14

Part V - "V-Stroms in Virginia City"

Virginia City. Call it what you like, a garish, over the top, tourist trap; a historical landmark, a page right out of history? It's your's to decide but I've always loved this dusty little hamlet clinging to the side of the mountain.

 

Virginia City sprang out out of the rocks in 1859 as a genuine boomtown sitting on the Comstock Lode, the first major silver deposit discovered in the United States. The story goes that the town got its name from a man named James Finney who was nicknamed "Old Virginy". Finney was credited with discovering the Comstock Lode. His real name was James Fennimore, and he had fled his home state of Virginia after killing a man.

 

Virginia City could be considered the "birthplace" of Mark Twain as it was here in February 1863 that writer Samuel Clemens, then a reporter on the local Territorial Enterprise newspaper, first used his famous pen name. The town is peppered with folklore proclaiming it's famous past; The Bucket of Blood Saloon, The Delta Hotel, The Red Dog Saloon, Piper's Opera House are all original buildings each rich in it's own infamy.

  

Main street Virginia City, Nevada.

 

One of the best features of Virginia City is the ride up the mountain to reach this destination. S.R. 341 is a steep climb of switchbacks starting about 20 miles south of Reno. The road claws it's way up to the Geiger Grade Summit. Traffic can be busy and this road is not without it's tragic history. There have been many fatalities on this snake with the lion's share of them being motorcyclists. The road can thrill and lure you into feeling the need for speed, especially in the descent, but the safest way is stick to the speed limit and ride within your ability. We saw a few riders on the up and down and only one was a speed demon looking for a place to donate his organs while the rest of the riders conducted themselves respectively. Technical riding and a barrel full of fun.

 

We spend the afternoon walking the wooden boarded sidewalk, stopping for a burrito lunch along the way. "C" Street, the main drag, is a rambling mixture of saloons, small cafe eateries, gift shops, gem and jewelry stores, the odd museum and junk shops. I'm a sucker for Western clothes so I made the big score with a Scully Rock-A-Billy cowboy shirt with guitars on the front. If you want to see this marvellous garment come on out to the next ROAD CREW show where I'll proudly be sporting this bad-boy.

 

Lori and I also indulged in a little fun at one of those old-timey photo studios where they dress you up in period costumes and you take a shot at going back in time. We picked a pose, picked our costumes, a dancehall gal and a cowboy, boy that was a stretch(!) and they shot a bunch of photos. It was a lot of fun and like I said we were playing tourist.

 

Just Hitched

You can only walk down main street so many times so we saddle up the bikes and enjoy the ride back down the mountain. At the bottom we hop on 580 and it's a quick run, albeit windy one, grab the Mill Street off ramp and we're back at the hotel in no time at all. Feeling hungry we walk over to a BBQ restaurant a half a block away. 'Men Wielding Fire` is a retro looking BBQ cafe with lots of chrome, a bar and an outdoor patio. Lori orders the Lemon Herb Chicken with veggies and garlic mashed potatoes and washes it down with a Bud while I opt for the Combo, ribs, chicken, pulled pork with coleslaw and a BIG Pepsi. Yummy does not do it justice. This fare is lip-smacking good! One event did cast a shadow over the evening as 'Men Wielding Fire` should have been dubbed 'Men Wielding Fists` as halfway through dinner the manager and staff eject a drunk, unruly jerk out the door. Well Mr. Drunk and Stupid doesn't want to go and he's talking smack all the way to the front door as the manager, backed by a few kitchen guys hustles the jerk to the door. Mr. Thick As A Post hollers he's going to call the owner and have everyone fired to which the guy who's 'persuading' him to leave pipes up and informs the fool that he is the owner. Well then it's on. The pushing and shoving escalates and they spill into a small foyer, out of sight to the dining room but the sound effects are straight out of a stage production! Behind the wall there's banging, thumping, hollering and all kinds of ruckus until they get Mr. Idiot out into the street. The dining room patrons all turn their gaze to each other and start laughing. Cheap entertainment for your dining pleasure. Incident aside, check this place out the next time you`re in Reno.

We take a casual walk back to the hotel where I can catch up on the blog while Lori watches some TV. Tomorrow we think we`ll leave the bikes parked and have a walking day around Reno. Virginia Street is blocked off in front of the El Dorado for a Blues Festival tomorrow afternoon and into the evening. Located a few short blocks from our hotel we think we`ll stop by and have a listen.

So the day draws to a close and I`m thinking about turning in. This was our day. We had fun.

Good night.

Steve
Reno, 6-20-14

 

 

 





Part IV - "When My Baby, When My Baby Smiles At Me I Go To Reno"

Another beautiful day!

 We woke to warm sunshine and clear skies here in beautiful downtown Klamath Falls. Finally after weather disturbances for the last week it's so gratifying to be out in this glorious sunshine. Now for some riding!

Today's plan is a lazy ride down to Reno by enjoying the backroad countryside. We've been struggling with what to do for the next few days as this is a ride, a holiday and a honeymoon. Do we hammer it down to Las Vegas, stay two nights, then hammer it home, arrive late on the weekend and go back to work all trashed and burnded out? Plan B is to mosey down to Reno, all backroads of course, set up a base camp for a few days and do day trips in the area. There is a lot to choose from with desert to the east, winding mountain roads, Lake Tahoe, the high chaparral forests in Truckee. Plan B is looking better and better; throw in some pool time and we're in for some relaxing days ahead. Done deal.

First things first is to reconfigure the loads on the bikes. The bikes are new and there isn't much to choose from for hard cases yet. The third party manufacturers do not have much selection and what there is is overpriced and clumsy looking. The solution is to travel light with soft-shell duffle bags, the waterproof kind from MEC, expensive but worth the money. So far they are proving to be suitable but will tend to slide around unless they're cinched down tighter than a rodeo saddle. We play around for a while and come up with method that is going to work just nicely.

The weather is lovely and we dispense with the leather jackets and go for the mesh ones. Oh and don't forget to fill up the camel-backs. Conveniently there's a gas station next to the hotel so we're fueled-up and ready to roll by mid morning. Hwy 39 is on the doorstep so we soon passing through the outskirts of town and into the open farmland.

Today is one of those days when it all comes together. You know the kind I mean; the air is fragrant and soothing on your skin, the bike has a mind of it's own as it follows the curves and rises in perfect harmony with the road, the sun is shining and you're thankful to be alive. Add to that your best pal and soulmate is riding along beside you smiling in the sunshine, both sharing the experience and you have heaven on earth.

 Crossing the Oregon-California state line

 

Lori cruising along Hwy 39

 

Hwy 39 leads to 139 and we continue to ride through the scrubby forests with little pockets of farmland scattered along the way. Lori's in the lead smoothly weaving through the curves and giving the throttle a little extra twist in the straightaways.





 

 

Hwy 139 in NE California.

 





We stop in Adlin for lunch at the general store. They sell everything from soup to nuts as well as a deli sandwich counter. Maybe it was because I was so relaxed but this was one of the best lunches I've had on one of these trips. Nothing fancy; a roast beef sandwich on  whole wheat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and a bit of mustard. A Granny Smith and a bottle of water and I'm good to go. Lori, being part French, goes with the croissant ham and cheese, apple and Clamato juice. Simple enough lunch but it was absolutely delicious.

 

 

Feeling a little sleepy we stop for a stretch on Hwy 139

A highway selfie.



Roadside rest-stop.

 

 



After Adlin we stay on 139 down to Susanville for a quick gas stop before running the last eighty miles down to Reno. The traffic picks up as does the pace of the road. We zip along dry open desert-like terrain with low rocky hills on either side. Before we know it we're on I-80 and crossing the Nevada state line and roaring into Reno. The GPS is a handy little device and takes us right up to the front door of the Siena Resort where we have a reservation for the next three nights. Check-in goes smooth and it's hit the shower before going for dinner and a walk around downtown. Tomorrow's plan is sleep in a little later and take a ride up to Virginia City and play tourist for a while.

 

So my friends, good night!

 

 



Part III "All Gone To Oregon"

Chirp-Chirp! It's 5:30 AM and the damn alarm has no sense of decency. OK. OK. I'm up already.

Shower, dress, do a little cursory packing before heading off to the lobby for breakfast. This one is pretty good fare as 'free' hotel food goes but I am selective, sticking with yogurt, unadulterated eggs and a toasted muffin. The coffee is pretty good and a glass of milk washes it all down. Lori likes to play with the waffle iron so she amuses herself making a waffle with I watch the news on the TV.

Today's plan is get to some sunshine, pronto. It's cool gray and threatening rain here on the outskirts of |Olympia so we load up and get the hell outta Dodge. The freeway is clear heading south although the northbound lanes are jammed up for a considerable distance so last night's decision to be past Olympia for the morning paid off. Since our goal is Nevada we need to make some time up today for losing Monday and spending all day Tuesday getting the seats done. Sadly that means using the Interstate or as I call it the Inter-Slab which we'll take all the way to Eugene then veer south-east from there. We make excellent time, ripping down the 'slab cruising around 80 mph most of the time. Like all my previous V-Stroms this one like to sit in the 70-85 mph range turning about 4500 rpm. That has always been the sweet-spot for these beasts who happily run at that speed and are miserly with their fuel consumption. This year they have shrunk the fuel tank by one litre but have noticeably improved the fuel economy. The only hitch to this is the 2014 requires a minimum 90 octane. so that equates to a more costly fillup. At the end of it I have a cruising range in the 375 to 400 kms.

Rounding a bend, the bridge over the Columbia River quickly appears and we're on the deck and heading into Portland...and the morning traffic. Sigh..there is a pile up close to downtown so we have to suck it up and crawl with the rest of the lemmings til we clear the fender bender and we're off and running again. A quick coffee break just south of the city and we're back to humming along. The traffic is not too bad but now we're in Oregon where the State Troopers have itchy fingers on the radar guns. The general traffic flow cruises around 10-15 mph above the posted limit but we don't take any chances by tempting the County Mounties so we try to maintain 70mph in the posted 65mph zone. Anything less than a posted fifty-five and we follow the letter of the law especially around the towns and construction areas.

We take a couple more breaks one just north of Salem and another in Eugene. It's in Eugene where we leave the I-5 and pick up Hwy 58 which will take us South-East to Hwy 94 and onto Klamath Falls, our destination for the night.

Hwy 58 is a joy to ride. I was on it once years ago but cannot recall much about it. Today's run was excellent! It was sunny, warm with very little traffic and the road curved and twisted like a snake which made for top-notch motorcycle riding. Lori, in the lead, laid down a quick pace with her smooth riding and tight lines.I've been watching her ride for several years now and she never fails to impress me with her handling skills and confident riding style.

A quick coffee break in Oakridge, a little texting with Mr. Dan Roots who helped us out..thanks again Dan, and we're soon merging onto Hwy 97 and heading south. The traffic picks up, especially the trucks but the road is wide and flat with ample double lane stretches and passing lanes. One last stop for a Rock Star Fruit Punch where we come across a couple from Ireland on a Motoguzzi. Touring tourists, they bought the 'guzzi on e-bay, registered it with a friend in Seattle and hit the road for the upcoming summer. Rental bikes and cars were expensive and out of the question so purchasing a used motorcycle made sense. At summer's end they'll sell it for what they can get for it and go home with a bagful of memories which got me to thinking about a similar idea for Europe. Something to mull over researching during the winter months.

Another hour or so and we're rolling into Klamath Falls and check into a hotel for the night. We feeling pretty good and head over to the Sizzler across the parking lot. Not too bad but you can see why it's cheap. Good, fast or cheap. Pick any two.

Tomorrow the plan is a quick run down to Reno, about a four hour ride so we should be there before midday. After that I want to take Lori up to Virginia City for the afternoon have lunch and play tourist for a few hours. All being well we'll overnight somewhere south of Carson City. After that.........

Good night.

Klamath Falls, OR
June 18/14

Part II "Please, Take Your Seats"

No need for the alarm as I was wide awake long before it began it's annoying chirping sound. Get the coffee on and start getting ready for the day, which is to be a  BIG day. When travelling why is every day always a BIG day? I have no idea other than maybe because they are all action packed and jammed into a limited time and distance. Later in the week I'm going to try and plan a "little day", with minimal activity, other than say, lay around a pool, read a book and go out for a walk or two.

We are in Kingston, Washington at Rich's Custom Upholstery ready to get our new seats built. Rich is there early as are a couple of other customers who are getting new seats or modifications to existing seats. The crowd is a variety of riders, Keith, a local on his '09 V-Strom, Theresa with her Harley Street Glide, a guy with a new Motoguzzi and another guy who I forget what he was riding. He was just in for a slight alteration so he was gone pretty quick.

The crew wanders in accompanied by a couple of dogs and we get down to business. First of all Rich questions us on what we dislike in our old seats and what we want in the new ones. 'My seat's too high', 'My seat's too low', 'I'm sitting too far forward' or 'I'm sitting too far back'; the comments ran the gamut.  In our cases, Lori wants her seat lowered, have the seating position moved forward, better padding and reshape the seat pan where it rubbed the inside of her leg. I was nearly the polar opposite as I wanted my seat raised a tad, have more side support under my butt and have more cushioning added.

 

Lori's bike minus the stock seat.

 

 

 Rich at the bench doing some initial trimming.

 

Next one of the guys strips the stock vinyl cover off  and re-installs it on your bike, With the bike on it's centre stand, Rich gets you to sit on the seat and and makes marks on the exposed foam base as you sit up and down, forwards and backwards. This helps determine where to shave, reform and custom fit the new seat using the existing seat pan. 

 

Next it's back to the bench, a little shaving, some shaping, spray on glue and apply a padded blanket like material. This is shaped to the existing seat foam which is built out, expander etc. This shaping and sitting goes on a few more times and then you go for a test ride with just the foam seat with the new padding adhered to it. The idea is to go for a ten to fifteen minute ride and get a feel for where the lumps and bumps are. It is also an opportunity to let the guys know where if you're experiencing and rubbing or pressure points. Upon return they take listen to your feedback, get you to do another sit test and then mark up the seat where the issues are. Off to the bench when more shaping, contouring and shaving occurs as the guys tweak the seat. This is where the true customization takes place. The team is methodical, attentive and do not rush you through the process. It is very personalized and thorough.

 

 Things are starting to shape up.



 

Time for another test ride and this time you really feel the seat with the alterations now very evident. Back to the shop for more feedback and any additional tweaking. Lori had a couple more little modifications but my was good to go. Once you agree to the fit and feel a gel pad is installed right under your butt and that is followed by the covering of a thin foam membrane which is shaped and tightly fitted over the seat.

 

Fitting the foam membrane.

 

Now for the fun part; picking the material for the final cover; colour and type of stitching. My bike is a desert brown colour so I went with a black leather cover and double stitch thread matching the paint. Lori opted for a black leather as well but we upped the ante and had custom red flames added to the sides. Lori has fire walked so the flames are well suited for her machine and sense of style. Kelly designed the custom artwork, cut all the pieces and stitched it together. She did a fantastic job and really hit it out of the park. Well done Kelly!

 

Kelly working her magic.

 

 











One happy customer!

 

 

Here's mine.

 

 

The final product looks and feels great! The seat fits you because it was made to for you to your shape. I wished I had had this done on previous bikes I've owned. If you've been thinking about a custom seat stop thinking and go do it. You'll have no regrets and your poor old backside with thank you up and down. Go give Rich a call. http://www.richscustomseats.com/

 

 

 

Landy, Lori and Rich.

 

 

It has been a long day and we still have some miles to cover. After saying good bye to the crew we saddle up and wiggle delightfully yes into the new seats. Hwy 104 west to 307 and then onto Hwy 3 south. The ride to Shelton is a relaxing run on good surface with very little traffic. It meanders in and out of the trees with the odd glimpse of Puget Sound on your left. Just south of Shelton we hop onto Hwy 101 which shoots us down to connect with I-5. I wanted to get past Olympia and avoid any rush hour traffic the next morning.

 

We're cold and feeling tired so as soon as we're clear of the capitol we skip off at Tumwell Road and hit the Comfort Inn where a hot shower brings the day to a close.

 







Part I "Ladies and Gentlemen. Start your engines!"

Let's get this show on the road! Today was the kick-off for the next motorcycle adventure, however; time, errands and a lot of lallygagging on my part, pretty much killed the 'crack of dawn' bravado of the day before. Try as I might I couldn't rise up, give myself a shake and get going. The last few days, no weeks, have been hectic and demanding.

Truth be know, my friend, and soulmate, Lori, and I got married on June 14th, yup, two days ago, hence the 'honeymoon' bit in the title. I'm sure it wasn't too hard to figure out as we've been joined at the hip for the last six years and everyone figured it was bound to happen one day.

This upcoming adventure will be different as there will be two of us, both on our own machines, with two minds planning the itinerary, routing and activities. Prior to the trip we purchased two new 2014 Suzuki V-Strom 1000s. If you recall in my previous blog, Coast-To Coast: A Motorcycle Odyssey, I rode a 2009 V-Strom across the country all the way to Cape Breton via Knoxville, Tennessee and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The 'strom was the machine for the task as they're reliable, comfortable, carry a sizable payload and deliver power and performance. This is my fourth V-Strom so I guess if they keep making them I'll keep buying them!

Prior to the purchase I didn't really harbour and any thoughts of a new bike this year. My 2009, 'Buddy Black" was still running strong but was starting to develop some new personality traits. Some quirks you can co-exist with while others take time and money, usually lots of both, to troubleshoot and rectify. The old guy had over fifty-thousand kilometres on the clock which is not a lot by today's standards but it is into the advance middle-age bracket. Contrary to this claim is my friend Allen Stowell's 2007 V-Strom which turned the dial at one-hundred-thousand kilometres while he was riding to Alaska so they can go the distance. Anyway I went to the motorcycle show in Abbotsford this February, the first one I've attended in several years and wouldn't you know it they had a selection of 2014 models on display. For this year Suzuki has reworked the engine, boring it out to 1037c.c from the previous 996c.c, completely redesigned the look and feel by shaving off seventy pounds from an already light performing motorcycle. The colour palette was broadened to now include a Desert Khaki as well as the standard black, red and white. After sitting on a few of the demo models I was hooked.

Now rewind back to the previous October and I'm wandering around Holeshot Motorsports, the local Suzuki dealer and I'm yakking with Derek, one of the sales guys. I had  purchased my 09 'strom from them and continued to go there for service. I asked him when the 2014's were rolling in because I'd only ever seen a photo of them on the 'net and really wanted to get a hands-on look. Derek says they'll be in in the new year, around show time and he'll give me a call when they have stock. Fast forward to March of this year, a couple of weeks after the show and I get a call. It's Derek and he says he had a note-to-self to call me when the '14s arrive. The conversation was pretty short and sweet,. He says he has stock. I say what colour. He replies Desert Khaki, or whatever it's called and at this point he has me because that is the colour I wanted after seeing the one at the bike show. I ask him to give me a few moments and I'll call him back. Mulling it over and I remember the bright shiny red model at the show, the available lowered seat option and I call him back. I tell him to get the Khaki one ready but I also wanted a red one with the lowered seat option for Lori. The deal is I want them both delivered at the same time. No problem so it's a done deal. After having had a successful sales career, albeit in a different field, I still appreciate good sales tactics and Derek did his duty by remembering our conversation the previous fall, making a note of my number, then giving me a quick call he moves two new bikes in less than half an hour. I felt good like I was the guy who nailed the deal!

Two brand new V-Stroms ready to roll.

Back to the future, we have the bikes, all the breaking in is done, initial services out of the way and it's honeymoon holiday time. Now we have one last item on the To Do list and that is get fitted with custom seats. I'm finding the factory seats not as comfortable as with previous years and the lowered-seat option is still a tad tall for Lori's legs; she can handle the machine fine as she is an accomplished rider but lets go the extra mile and get a seat custom made for her and one for me too. What the heck. Now the one place to go for custom upholstery work here in the Pacific North-West is Rich's Custom Upholstery in Kingston Washington. Just a quick shot down the I-5 and a short ferry ride across Puget Sound and you're there. This shop is in big demand so a reservation is required. We booked in both bikes a couple of months ago to coincide with this trip. We arrived on the Monday (Rich's day off) and checked into the lovely suite they have at the shop for clients who can arrive the night before and be there when the shop opens at 8:00 AM. What a deal! The place is clean, modern, has a Jacuzzi tub and located in a park like setting with a Mexican restaurant in the little mall next door. How good is that?

We left Langley around 4:15, crossed the border at Aldergrove by 5:00 and were on our way down WA-529 to Bellingham and then hopped on the I-5 to the Linwood exit onto WA-524. We pull up to the ferry terminal at 6:49 and find the next ferry departs at 7:00. We're on without any hitches and the trip costs us fifteen dollars and change for two bikes. You hear that BC Ferries? $7.60 per bike. Unheard of in our neck of the woods. Twenty-five minutes later and we're rolling off the ferry and it's a quick scoot of 2.5 miles to the shop. Though I had self registration instructions and the combination for the key we didn't expect anyone to be there as they are closed Mondays. We find the shop door open and a couple of guys are there and Rich comes forward, introduces himself and says, we've been expecting you. Rich is a friendly, chatty guy who shows us around the suite gives us the scoop on the local eateries and says he'll see us in the morning.

After a yummy dinner at the Mexican restaurant next door it's back to the suite, blog a little and now I'm ready to turn in.

So Day-1 is run and done and it's been a pleasure from the moment we swung our legs over the saddles. Tomorrow it's new seats so stay tuned for the next chapter where we'll watch Rich and his guys work their magic.

Buenos noches mi amigos!

Welcome Back!

Get your motor runnin'.......
Head out on the highway.....


Hello and welcome back! Here we are with another motorcycle adventure story.

This is the second in the 'Motorcycle Odyssey' series. Some of you may recall the story I posted back in 2011, Coast To Coast: A Motorcycle Odyssey where I rode from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Knoxville, Tennessee, up to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, north to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and home.  http://www.steve-buckton.blogspot.ca/  I had so much success and encouragement from this story I decided to do another.

This year I will be rambling my way from Langley, British Columbia down to Southern Nevada and back again. A lot has changed in the three years since the "Coast To Coast" days which you will see as the story unfolds.

Start date is planned for June 15th or 16th so stay tuned for the official launch with the first chapter coming soon.

Once again I invite you to ride along and join me on "Desert Honeymoon: A Motorcycle Odyssey"


Steve Buckton
Langley, B.C.
May 24/14

steviebee16@gmail.com