Grants Pass Oregon
The first day of summer and more awesome riding along the PCH, well, maybe not the Pacific Coast Highway, but Hwy 1…probably the same, but it’s not marked the same all the way along the coast. Here I am sitting at another Applebee’s but this one in Grants Pass, Oregon and I have Tracy and Mindy (Melinda) to look at so it’s a good place to call it a night. Hey check it out, Mindy’s nickname, ‘Mouth’, a number of us have a buddy with the same nickname for the same reason they talk a lot and have a lot of stories, I’ll work on Mindy for her best. Another Motel 6, but rolling in at 9:30, not going to be too picky. The other, this being a retirement community, not a lot of restaurants to choose from for dinner and the bars don’t serve food after 10:00, just might have to start timing things a little better.
Had a great time throwing the bike around today, from curve to curve hittin’em hard and that’s exactly what it feels like, throwing it around when going around a curve and having to flip to the other side for the opposite curve…that’s what’s so much fun about doing it on bike – that’s as long as you get in front of the slow traffic. The thing they have out here for those curvy roads to allow someone like me to pass are turnouts, but not everyone knows how to use them. Almost got caught passing a couple of vehicles in a no pass without a turnout, but couldn’t take the 15mph below posted speed. It was a flat straight that ran for a mile that should’ve been a passing zone, but made one out of it and just in time, as soon as was back in the lane comfortably, a state trooper came over the hill, only thing to worry about then was my speed. That’s why you have to experience twisty curvy roads on a motorcycle cuz although the curve posting might be 20mph, you can hit it at 40 making it twice as much fun. Ok, maybe not the safest thing to be doing, but definitely the most fun snaking around like that. Almost did go over the edge once though and not sure what happened except for hitting something slick in the road. Sometimes when downshifting and just using the engine to slow down the back’ll skid a little, but it’s sometimes planned that way that your ready for it, but this time it was doing the downshifting without the skid, but each time hit the back brake the tire kept skidding that almost didn’t make it around the corner, ran onto the gravel and with less than a two foot shoulder almost over the side down to the bottom of the trees…I swear, was playing it safe in the turns, but don’t know what happened in this particular situation…definitely got the heart pumping a little more.
Got an early start since got up earlier than normal, but that’s the least I could do, help Dennis run an errand for the hospitality him Amy, Justin and Kelly showed me this week, very much appreciated and I was well rested for the ride. It took a while to get my riding ass back, but half way and I was ready to ride all day. A gas stop and probably a good time for lunch and wouldn’t you know it, a place that welcomes my kind, ‘bikers’ that ya gotta stop. Mike greeted me right away since he saw me ride and is a biker himself and we talked about my trip which he made suggestions on destinations I need to make sure I hit along the way…heading that way anyway so any help is very much appreciated. So much for getting home from the west coast by the end of June, but hey, it’s not here yet and remember, all the time in the world. Had a great bbq beef brisket and Erika and Mary made sure I was well taken care of, thanks.
Ok, eventually got to the avenue of the giants which was a must according to Dennis and it’s like a whole other world among the large Redwoods. Very little sunlight and the birds flying below the Redwood canopy that it’s a great ride. Kept heading north and now more helmet problems, yep a strap broke this time that saw a Harley shop so had to check it out, well, found out I missed the Redwood you can drive thru. Thought for sure it was north in the National Redwood forest, but apparently it was where I had come from…ok, not that important that I see, well according those at the Harley shop, not missing anything. Not enjoying these helmet states and they didn’t have a cheap one I could get to get me thru that’ll see how far this one still takes me, so on the way asked a trooper at a gas stop what the penalty was and if I got pulled over and a ticket what would happen if I got pulled over again, since I just got one would they just warn me then? Well, cost is over $300 and it’d cost me for each offense so not something to try. He also said that most states have a helmet law and after what happened with Rothlisburger more might go that way, just what we need, someone who shouldn’t of been riding in the first place taking our freedom away…remember, I’m gonna shoot to have the law changed after this trip to honor the laws a person is from…ok, and then all the states would probably change because of a football player that should’ve just stuck to football. Out of the Redwoods and eventually into the state of Oregon, now this state knows how to welcome you, not only with the sign, but incase you missed that, in the pavement. Tomorrow, Crater Lake and back to the coast. Pictures are here.
Had a great time throwing the bike around today, from curve to curve hittin’em hard and that’s exactly what it feels like, throwing it around when going around a curve and having to flip to the other side for the opposite curve…that’s what’s so much fun about doing it on bike – that’s as long as you get in front of the slow traffic. The thing they have out here for those curvy roads to allow someone like me to pass are turnouts, but not everyone knows how to use them. Almost got caught passing a couple of vehicles in a no pass without a turnout, but couldn’t take the 15mph below posted speed. It was a flat straight that ran for a mile that should’ve been a passing zone, but made one out of it and just in time, as soon as was back in the lane comfortably, a state trooper came over the hill, only thing to worry about then was my speed. That’s why you have to experience twisty curvy roads on a motorcycle cuz although the curve posting might be 20mph, you can hit it at 40 making it twice as much fun. Ok, maybe not the safest thing to be doing, but definitely the most fun snaking around like that. Almost did go over the edge once though and not sure what happened except for hitting something slick in the road. Sometimes when downshifting and just using the engine to slow down the back’ll skid a little, but it’s sometimes planned that way that your ready for it, but this time it was doing the downshifting without the skid, but each time hit the back brake the tire kept skidding that almost didn’t make it around the corner, ran onto the gravel and with less than a two foot shoulder almost over the side down to the bottom of the trees…I swear, was playing it safe in the turns, but don’t know what happened in this particular situation…definitely got the heart pumping a little more.
Got an early start since got up earlier than normal, but that’s the least I could do, help Dennis run an errand for the hospitality him Amy, Justin and Kelly showed me this week, very much appreciated and I was well rested for the ride. It took a while to get my riding ass back, but half way and I was ready to ride all day. A gas stop and probably a good time for lunch and wouldn’t you know it, a place that welcomes my kind, ‘bikers’ that ya gotta stop. Mike greeted me right away since he saw me ride and is a biker himself and we talked about my trip which he made suggestions on destinations I need to make sure I hit along the way…heading that way anyway so any help is very much appreciated. So much for getting home from the west coast by the end of June, but hey, it’s not here yet and remember, all the time in the world. Had a great bbq beef brisket and Erika and Mary made sure I was well taken care of, thanks.
Ok, eventually got to the avenue of the giants which was a must according to Dennis and it’s like a whole other world among the large Redwoods. Very little sunlight and the birds flying below the Redwood canopy that it’s a great ride. Kept heading north and now more helmet problems, yep a strap broke this time that saw a Harley shop so had to check it out, well, found out I missed the Redwood you can drive thru. Thought for sure it was north in the National Redwood forest, but apparently it was where I had come from…ok, not that important that I see, well according those at the Harley shop, not missing anything. Not enjoying these helmet states and they didn’t have a cheap one I could get to get me thru that’ll see how far this one still takes me, so on the way asked a trooper at a gas stop what the penalty was and if I got pulled over and a ticket what would happen if I got pulled over again, since I just got one would they just warn me then? Well, cost is over $300 and it’d cost me for each offense so not something to try. He also said that most states have a helmet law and after what happened with Rothlisburger more might go that way, just what we need, someone who shouldn’t of been riding in the first place taking our freedom away…remember, I’m gonna shoot to have the law changed after this trip to honor the laws a person is from…ok, and then all the states would probably change because of a football player that should’ve just stuck to football. Out of the Redwoods and eventually into the state of Oregon, now this state knows how to welcome you, not only with the sign, but incase you missed that, in the pavement. Tomorrow, Crater Lake and back to the coast. Pictures are here.
posted by Dalej Webb at 2:04 AM
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