TheByc'sBlog

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My Many Hats

2009-08-16 10:10 PM
Motorcycle Trip Summary

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Well, we did it...

We left home on Friday, August 7, and returned on Saturday, August 15. Eight nights away from home, 3 in hotels (for various reasons), 3 at the homes of family, and 2 in State Parks.

The intent was to spend more nights camping, because if we ever venture farther away, there will not be as many friends/family options out there, but it is difficult to campout in bear country while a) on a motorcycle trip, there in not enough room to carry proper 'bear' necessities, b) time contraints and setting up camp in the dark and c) dealing with Aunt Flo.

We put nearly 1250 miles in total, with only one non-riding day. A day spent in Spokane, with a dear friend, Tammy and her son Nicholas. I don't see her nearly enough, and a lot of time has passed since we had a free day together. Thank you for your generosity, we enjoyed our time with you!

Took a trip to Costco today, and printed pictures. I have no idea how many I have, but they do not fit in the only small album that I can find. Maybe twenty pictures too many. I will bore people at work to death tomorrow, as I have a laminated map, with the route drawn in, including fuel stops, and overnight stays.

Our goal was to not touch a major freeway, unless it was entirely unavoidable. Since we left town as soon as possible after each working a full day, we did use I-5 to go north to our meet up spot. If we could have left earlier in the day, that could have been different. Since every campground in the Columbia Gorge was at full capacity, we crossed over into Oregon to find a hotel, and had to use I-84 for 15 miles, then back to Washington, and had to backtrack along the same portion we had previously been on.

We used State Parks, instead of our usual primitive campsites, as the State Parks have more ammenities, and are usually laid out in a grassy field, making it more comfortable than a rocky bed for weary riding days. At one park, we had only one set of neighbors, until the middle of the night when another set came along.

This is a beautiful state, and has many different terrains. I was born and raised on the east side of the state, where it is predominately dessert. There are many orchards, wheat fields, and the Columbia River runs through. I think I have taken those for granted all of my life, and I have a deeper appreciation for them now. I was told to take a lot of pictures of the Palouse Region, with its rolling hills of wheat. To me, it looked like home, and has been embedded in my mind for so long, I forgot to get off the bike to take those pictures.

We ran across various forms of wildlife. From birds attacking insects and a bit upset we were in their path, to deer, chipmunks, wild turkeys, cows, and small herd of horses all in the road we were riding. If you ever get to choose between horses or cows on the road...choose the cows. They stand there and look at you as if you are an idiot, while the horses are irratic. They charge you, run from you, turn around and change directions at whim, and are a whole lot bigger and faster than a cow. We also saw a bear, sitting on the other side of...get this...Bear Creek...where else? um, yes, at that point, I said, no, let's find a hotel tonight, and let the bear be. Two deer ran out in front of Mike, crossing within 10 feet. From my vantage point, it looked a lot closer.

I wasn't going to write so much tonight, as I am tired, and want to sleep in my own bed. Yes, we arrived home yesterday, but I tell you, there is NOTHING like ones own bed.

I did a bit of grocery shopping today, and I fixed a pretty elaborate dinner. Penne' with a cream sauce and sausages, with garlic green beans. It was nice to be back in my own crappy kitchen. It is good to be home, and no, my butt is not too sore. I have a custom gel seat, and we really did not push ourselves too hard. It was very relaxing, and quite the vacation. I really want to talk my two riding groups into going back to a few of the spots we visited.

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