This was from August 2012 (I think)
I get a note from Jack & Roberta a little while back to come up for their anniversary BBQ. Now Jack's place looks like a darn museum and the grounds are like a well sculpted park. You know park benches, perfect bushes in a row, gazebo, large koi pond, waterfalls, the list goes on an on. I gotta get the wife up there to see this yard of beauty.
The BBQ starts at 2 on Sat (18th) and I'm nursing my dawg and wife who have both had surgeries this past week. The wife gives me a kitchen pass and I'm jazzed. This will be the 2nd longest ride I've had all summer which is about time.
I check the tires as they have been feeling squirrely a little lately and yes the back is down to 29 so I break out the compressor and get to town. Get my side bags down and fill with tools n stuff, put in my extra shoes and the liners of both my jacket and pants, ya never know if it will be raining or a cold front come in while I'm there and the temp was hoovering around 70, so one of those just in case kinda things.
Of course Friday night I got about zippo sleep, dogs barking at stuff, phones ringing, I'm on the couch and lazy boy and could just not get comfy so it started out slow. After getting everyone situated and gotten my passport I was finally ready to head off. (1:30 PM or so) I get out to the freeway and its a stinkin parking lot! WTHeck is goin on??? We slowly make our way north and of course near the stanwood exit the Highway Patrol boys are making sure their lights still flash and were pulling people over like nobodies business. (a known speed trap BTW). Traffic was thick all the way past Bellingham and I wanted to get gas somewhere up there but everytime I was going to take the next exit a bazillion others were doing the same or the exit looked like it would be difficult to zip off and back on so I ended up getting it right at the border where I usually do. Regular was something like 4.03 or 4.13 or summat - way more than it should but that's the way it is.
The actual border crossing into Canada went fairly well, no big deal, the usual questions and of course the angle of the license plate is such that the cameras can't get a shot so the guard tells me to move forward to read it, then keeps talking and of course I can't hear with the motor running and ear plugs but all in all a pretty typical crossing with no big deal.
Now I bring my GPS so I know how fast I'm going as it can show Kph and Mph and my bike speedo (cop unit) only shows in MPH and is dead accurate with the gps. Well I forgot to change the gps and just road with the locals. When I got to Cloverdale I asked a guy in a Jeep where the local pharmacy was, he pointed up ahead so I zipped up and got my special acedomyiphin (sp) and kept on going up to Jacks.
I got lost just once and had to look at the map again but arrived, parked changed in the culdesac and headed on towards the back. Jack was showing off his Honda Gold Wing and BMW 1200 GS but on the inside of the garage was a 2000 Magna in very good shape.
6/09/2013
Got up at O'dark
thirty and met my friend Lloyd (LD rider also and we both work at Boeing
in different areas). We are doing the Wing Washington ride which is
kinda like the dam tour I've done a few years. What the deal is, is
they divide up the state into 5 sections then have some bonus sites on
both the east & west side. The themes for places to see is Haunted
Places, Distillers, Middle Schools, Unusual Museums, & Road Houses.
The last big ride I did was mostly over in the northwest even though I only got 1 museum there. This time we headed over the mountain to the east and north (I don't know who thought up the areas on the WW site but I think they are screwed up).
Anyway, temps were in the upper 40's - low 50's as we left the Denny's parking lot. Overcast looking like rain but NOT so we're happy. Well it must have been time for every cop, sheriff, security punk and their mother as we found that cops were all over the place. Most didn't their radars going but some did. Some had folks pulled over so it was a real crap shoot for making time. Near the top of Stevens Pass the windshield got covered in rainy/mist and the fog was so bad we could barely see the road so we had to slow to a darn near crawl. Of course heading down the canyon towards Leavenworth (a Bavarian themed town) I just had to wick it up and enjoy. There were a few cars/trucks early that morning that were trying to slow us down but I dispatched them quickly. The sun was starting to come out and we stopped for a quick breakfast at McD's.
Next stop was our first location Distillers - It's 5:00 somewhere distillery in Cashmere. Unfortunately the name was changed so we took a shot and kept on to the 2nd location Lake Chealan state park (an East bonus lake). The sun was out in full force and we had some beautiful blue sky. As we came over the mountain I wanted to shoot the lake & mountains and of course when I went around the next curve the darn trees were in the way and I was hosed the rest of the way down (I didn't feel like turning around - gelhead). I tried to take a few shots as I was riding but it was hard to see the camera phone working. (Later I strapped my regular camera to the handlebars so I could grab it and take some shots.).
Next stop was the Bridgeport Middle school (home of the mustangs) and they had Hoof prints for a qtr mile up to the school. Kinda fun out in the middle of know-where-land. Finally we had to back track and get some gas in the small town of Brewster. We both got gas and I noticed an old AF trainer at one of the parks so I went back and read all about it, where it was from, all the bases it trained our kids at, etc. then went back to the gas station where an indian gal was getting $ from Lloyd and telling him all about her teepee business. We also had to get out of some of our liner type clothes as it was getting hot. I think I saw 77 or so and we were starting to roast. (you socal types are probably freezing at those temps).
I kinda rescued him and we were off for our next location up north - Pearrygin lake state park which is just outside of Winthrop (a wild west themed town). This place is a known tourist trap and a healthy nut place and today was no different. There were a bazillion bicyclist out ridding all over the place and many were heading west up highway 20 which has some super steep mountains to climb. We were still quite warm but figured we'd be up in the cool mountains soon so off we went, I don't remember the time but it was around noon or 11 - we were hungry but decided to wait until we got over the mountains to "The Eatery" which was my next location.
Up the pass I wanted to take a few shots of the beauty and I did but the phone only managed to transmit one??? I'll put more up later. At the top of Washington Pass there were "feet" of snow on the sides of the road (temps got down only to 61 on my thermometer) but we were saved by the cooler temps. Ross Lake Dam overlook the wind was really whipping and I was passing cars n trucks like a guy on a mission. No time to wait for them to find a spot to pull over as they weren't doing it anyway.
A ton of motorcyclist and cars were
heading east as we went west. Over the top and heading down the winds
started picking up. By the time we got to the
We drove through the small town of Marblemount ( a typical spot to put canoes & kayaks in for a trip down river) and stopped at "the Eatery" my next photo op and I thought we'd eat there but Lloyd mentioned something about BBQ back in Marblemount and I won't argue about that at all. We initially scoffed at the price ~9 for a sandwich but the thing was huge with over 1/2 pound of brisket meat on it and it's the best we've tasted so 4 thumbs up.
He loves BBQ and has eaten everywhere, this time he said he WOULD BE BACK! I was disappointed I didn't order
another to take home - oh well, next time!
Lloyd had gotten some other locations a few months back and since it was still early I said I was going to hit them and we decided to split at the small town of Rockport (where the canoe & kayak folks take out). We waved at each other as we went our separate ways and I headed towards Baker Lake to get the swift creek campground. My GPS & Streets n trips obviously got the wrong addy as the GPS drove me straight through the town of Concrete to the Baker Lake road. grrrr... probably added another 5-10 miles to the route. I zipped up the road at, well above the limit (maybe 2 or 3 times.... I didn't say that), and after looking high and low decided on the campground. Took my photo and headed back to hwy 20.
My 7th location of the day was the Cascades Job Corps Center (Haunted places) which I could not find on any map, google didn't have an address and after driving all over town, I finally went 2 a gas station ask a guy who lived there, he didn't know, then I found a fireman who said go to fruitdale rd like Lloyds gps initially said (and he said that's not right because it was only 8 miles from our lunch spot not the 40 like it should have been). then up the road, blah, blah, blah... oh well, at least I found the place.
Now head west over to Whidbey Island for the last bonus Deer Lagoon Grange #846. This was about another 60 miles away and the sun was out, Wind was out and blowing me all over the place and I was tired since I had gotten about 3.5 hrs of sleep the night before and I'd already done over 450 miles (whinner).
I headed west and started to dance my way through the slow traffic heading west to Anacortes and the ferry's to the San Juan Islands and got to the turn off to head south. On the way south you pass over the Deception Pass bridge which it way above the water and quite a pretty area. On the island is the Whidbey Naval Air station home of the radar jamming E6 Prowlers that fly around the world working to keep our boys safe. I managed to only see 2 deer on the island (and there are many) as I got my last stop photo and zipped over to the Ferry. They were loading up the ferry as I got there. I paid and the gal said to go over to the HOV lane and wait. Well I stopped and turned the bike off as they loaded more cars on. Finally the workers were radio'ing back and forth and the one man started to count off cars and then haulted the rest. He asked if there was room for a bike and off I went, the last vehicle on the Ferry and I'd be in Mukilteo soon for the last 12 miles home.
A great day, 545 miles and roughly 13 hrs from when I left to when I got home. No tickets, no rain and my new HJC helmet with the integral sun shield is awesome! I wish the sun shield was darker but it sure beats the prescription sun glasses.
I'll get some picts up later,
The last big ride I did was mostly over in the northwest even though I only got 1 museum there. This time we headed over the mountain to the east and north (I don't know who thought up the areas on the WW site but I think they are screwed up).
Anyway, temps were in the upper 40's - low 50's as we left the Denny's parking lot. Overcast looking like rain but NOT so we're happy. Well it must have been time for every cop, sheriff, security punk and their mother as we found that cops were all over the place. Most didn't their radars going but some did. Some had folks pulled over so it was a real crap shoot for making time. Near the top of Stevens Pass the windshield got covered in rainy/mist and the fog was so bad we could barely see the road so we had to slow to a darn near crawl. Of course heading down the canyon towards Leavenworth (a Bavarian themed town) I just had to wick it up and enjoy. There were a few cars/trucks early that morning that were trying to slow us down but I dispatched them quickly. The sun was starting to come out and we stopped for a quick breakfast at McD's.
Next stop was our first location Distillers - It's 5:00 somewhere distillery in Cashmere. Unfortunately the name was changed so we took a shot and kept on to the 2nd location Lake Chealan state park (an East bonus lake). The sun was out in full force and we had some beautiful blue sky. As we came over the mountain I wanted to shoot the lake & mountains and of course when I went around the next curve the darn trees were in the way and I was hosed the rest of the way down (I didn't feel like turning around - gelhead). I tried to take a few shots as I was riding but it was hard to see the camera phone working. (Later I strapped my regular camera to the handlebars so I could grab it and take some shots.).
Next stop was the Bridgeport Middle school (home of the mustangs) and they had Hoof prints for a qtr mile up to the school. Kinda fun out in the middle of know-where-land. Finally we had to back track and get some gas in the small town of Brewster. We both got gas and I noticed an old AF trainer at one of the parks so I went back and read all about it, where it was from, all the bases it trained our kids at, etc. then went back to the gas station where an indian gal was getting $ from Lloyd and telling him all about her teepee business. We also had to get out of some of our liner type clothes as it was getting hot. I think I saw 77 or so and we were starting to roast. (you socal types are probably freezing at those temps).
I kinda rescued him and we were off for our next location up north - Pearrygin lake state park which is just outside of Winthrop (a wild west themed town). This place is a known tourist trap and a healthy nut place and today was no different. There were a bazillion bicyclist out ridding all over the place and many were heading west up highway 20 which has some super steep mountains to climb. We were still quite warm but figured we'd be up in the cool mountains soon so off we went, I don't remember the time but it was around noon or 11 - we were hungry but decided to wait until we got over the mountains to "The Eatery" which was my next location.
Up the pass I wanted to take a few shots of the beauty and I did but the phone only managed to transmit one??? I'll put more up later. At the top of Washington Pass there were "feet" of snow on the sides of the road (temps got down only to 61 on my thermometer) but we were saved by the cooler temps. Ross Lake Dam overlook the wind was really whipping and I was passing cars n trucks like a guy on a mission. No time to wait for them to find a spot to pull over as they weren't doing it anyway.
We drove through the small town of Marblemount ( a typical spot to put canoes & kayaks in for a trip down river) and stopped at "the Eatery" my next photo op and I thought we'd eat there but Lloyd mentioned something about BBQ back in Marblemount and I won't argue about that at all. We initially scoffed at the price ~9 for a sandwich but the thing was huge with over 1/2 pound of brisket meat on it and it's the best we've tasted so 4 thumbs up.
Lloyd had gotten some other locations a few months back and since it was still early I said I was going to hit them and we decided to split at the small town of Rockport (where the canoe & kayak folks take out). We waved at each other as we went our separate ways and I headed towards Baker Lake to get the swift creek campground. My GPS & Streets n trips obviously got the wrong addy as the GPS drove me straight through the town of Concrete to the Baker Lake road. grrrr... probably added another 5-10 miles to the route. I zipped up the road at, well above the limit (maybe 2 or 3 times.... I didn't say that), and after looking high and low decided on the campground. Took my photo and headed back to hwy 20.
My 7th location of the day was the Cascades Job Corps Center (Haunted places) which I could not find on any map, google didn't have an address and after driving all over town, I finally went 2 a gas station ask a guy who lived there, he didn't know, then I found a fireman who said go to fruitdale rd like Lloyds gps initially said (and he said that's not right because it was only 8 miles from our lunch spot not the 40 like it should have been). then up the road, blah, blah, blah... oh well, at least I found the place.
Now head west over to Whidbey Island for the last bonus Deer Lagoon Grange #846. This was about another 60 miles away and the sun was out, Wind was out and blowing me all over the place and I was tired since I had gotten about 3.5 hrs of sleep the night before and I'd already done over 450 miles (whinner).
I headed west and started to dance my way through the slow traffic heading west to Anacortes and the ferry's to the San Juan Islands and got to the turn off to head south. On the way south you pass over the Deception Pass bridge which it way above the water and quite a pretty area. On the island is the Whidbey Naval Air station home of the radar jamming E6 Prowlers that fly around the world working to keep our boys safe. I managed to only see 2 deer on the island (and there are many) as I got my last stop photo and zipped over to the Ferry. They were loading up the ferry as I got there. I paid and the gal said to go over to the HOV lane and wait. Well I stopped and turned the bike off as they loaded more cars on. Finally the workers were radio'ing back and forth and the one man started to count off cars and then haulted the rest. He asked if there was room for a bike and off I went, the last vehicle on the Ferry and I'd be in Mukilteo soon for the last 12 miles home.
A great day, 545 miles and roughly 13 hrs from when I left to when I got home. No tickets, no rain and my new HJC helmet with the integral sun shield is awesome! I wish the sun shield was darker but it sure beats the prescription sun glasses.
I'll get some picts up later,
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