Glenn and I started out on our motorcycle trip on May 22, 2010; originally we were going to be gone 2 1/2 to 3 weeks; it ended up a four week trip. Our intent was to camp 2 to 3 nights and then stay at a hotel the next day. Ended up only camping 2 days because of the rain! Following is a day-by-day account of our West Coast Tour:
Day 1 - 277 miles
Thousand Oaks to Big Sur
Great riding except windy from Santa Barbara to Big Sur. Passed Elephant Seal Beach at San Simeon. Camped at Fernwood Campground.
Day 2 - 399 miles
Big Sur to Ft. Bragg, CA
Highway 101 and Highway 1 - today was so windy I wanted to stop riding; Bodega Bay was especially windy. We saw deer and wild turkeys today. Camped at Pomo Campground.
Glenn and I at the Golden Gate Bridge.
Day 3 - 258 miles
Ft. Bragg, CA to Weaverville, CA
Highway 1 and 101 to 36 east to 3 north to 299 west
Redwood trees in Northern California; drove through the Chandelier Tree in Leggett, CA - so cool! Climbed to 4000 feet - still snow in places. It was a cold ride today. Saw deer and turkey vultures. Stayed the night in Weaverville at the Red Hill Cabins.
Day 4 - 231 miles
Weaverville, CA to Gold Beach, OR
Highway 299 to Highway 101
We were going to stay in Crescent City at Redwood Campground, but it was raining and we decided to go to Gold Beach in Oregon and stayed at the Sand Dollar Inn - cheap winter rates and it was really a nice place!
When we left Weaverville, we rode along the Trinity River and about an hour into the ride, we saw a bald eagle flying along the river! It was so beautiful to see and it was something Glenn was hoping he would see at some point of the trip. I wish I was able to take a picture.
Day 5 - 166 miles
Gold Beach to Shady Cove, OR
We had to backtrack to Crescent City to take Highway 199 to Grants Pass - the road we were going to take out of Gold Beach possibly had snow and/or ice because of the rain and cold. Today was a very beautiful ride. We arrived at Patricia's around 11:30am. Glenn's brother, Morgan, will be flying in around 8:00pm. The plan is to scatter their Dad's ashes tomorrow, which would have been his birthday.
Days 6-8
Shady Cove, OR
Scattered Pop's ashes into the Rogue River on May 27th.
Emily, Erika, Glenn, Patricia, Morgan, Tim, and Kie.
Bar-b-q at Tim and Kie's - Patricia, Morgan, Glenn and Kie.
Day 9 - 203 miles
Shady Cove, OR to Florence, OR
Highway 227 to the 5 to the 42 to the 101 (making our way back to the coast to continue North).
Very nice ride today - cloudy but did not start raining until around 3:3opm.
Florence was a really cute town. Ate dinner at the Waterfront Depot - great food and wine. We really liked J Scott wine, a Syrah. It's an Oregon wine; we also tried Bogle Petit Syrah, California wine.
Day 10 - 261 miles
Florence, OR to Willapa, WA
Highway 101
Rained on and off all day, but it was a beautiful ride; everything is so green and lush.
Day 11 - 285 miles
Willapa, WA to Port Angeles, WA
Highway 101 to the 113 to the 112 back to the 101
We rode around the outskirts of Olympic National Park; went to Cape Flattery which is the most Northwest point on the Peninsula and hiked the Cape Trail - beautiful! We saw another bald eagle - it was sitting on a rock overlooking the Straight of Juan de Fuca - awesome! Saw some deer today as well.
Day 12 - 292 miles
Port Angeles, WA to Marblemount, WA via Canada
We took the 101 to Port Townsend and caught the ferry to Keystone on Whidby Island; it was a 30 minute ride; took the 20 East to Interstate 5 - crossed into Canada for two reasons: one was to get my passport stamped, and two was to go to the Vancouver Harley Davidson. Didn't get my passport stamped - they said they don't do that any more because it takes too much time and there are so many people crossing daily:( We did make it to the HD dealer, but it rained the entire time we were in Canada. Crossed back over to the good old USA and stayed the night in Marblemount, WA. Beautiful place and wouldn't mind going back one of these days. The hotel we stayed in was at a big curve with an old bridge leading off in another another direction; we walked to the bridge that night and saw ANOTHER bald eagle flying along the Skagit River. Wow!
Day 13 - 291 miles
Marblemount, WA to Davenport, WA
Highway 20 to the 153 to the 2 east.
Believe it or not - we saw a bald eagle this morning before leaving Marblemount. We walked back to the bridge for one more look and there was the same, or another eagle gliding along the river. Crazy! Today was a gorgeous ride through the Cascade Mountains. Snow at 5277 feet; an then farmland all along Highway 2. Awesome day! Watched the Laker/Celtic game at the bowling ally across from our hotel.
Day 14 - 401 miles
Davenport, WA to Nampa, ID
395 to the 84
We changed our route drastically today. Originally we were going to ride to Yellowstone National Park; we kept checking the weather channel and all we see is rain in the direction we want to go; so we decided we've had enough rain to last us a while and headed south hopefully to find some sun and warmth!
Left Davenport in the rain and it rained all through Washington and Oregon; almost out of Oregon and into Idaho when we got caught in a hail storm! Boy was that crazy! We pulled under a bridge overpass until it cleared. Stayed the night in Nampa at a Super 8 Motel.
Day 15 - 406 miles
Nampa, ID to Park City, UT
We are staying at Michele's apartment.
Day 16
Me, Glenn and Michele went to the Great Salt Lake - it's HOT and SUNNY!!!
Day 17 - 561 miles!
Park City, UT to Aurora, CO
Highway 40 to the 64 to the 139 to the 70
Finally we got to ride without our jackets and 5 layers of clothes! Beautiful day through the canyons and mountains.
We are at Glenn's brother's - Glenn wanted to surprise Nate.
Day 18
In Aurora for another day - played putt putt with Nate and Morgan; bar-b-q that night - yum!
(Can't believe I forgot to take pictures while we were there - I think I was still recouping from the 561 miles it took to get there!)
Day 19 - 286 miles
Aurora, CO to Craig, CO
225 to the 25 north to the 34 to the 40 west
We rode through Rocky Mountain National Park - finally saw an elk and moose, and a herd of deer! However, there was major road construction inside the park - dirt and gravel roads, and some were muddy - very nerve wracking. Weather was nice though.
Day 20 - 269 miles
Craig, CO to Park City, UT
Highway 40
We are back at Michele's for a few days.
Days 21-23 - Park City, UT
This is Paxie and Michele; Michele worked for Paxie's mom and dad.
Day 24 - 380 miles
Park City, UT to St. George, UT
Highway 40 to the 189 to the 89 to the 15
The coolest thing happened today on highway 89 - we were in the middle of a cattle drive! And then 2 miles down the road in the middle of a sheep herd drive! So cool - I was laughing the whole time and waving to the cowboys! Unfortunately I couldn't get to my camera to take pictures, but it was a hoot!
Also went through Zion National Park. Beautiful!
Day 25 - 135 miles
St. George, UT to Las Vegas, NV
Highway 15
Went to the Harley dealer where we bought my bike to find out if they knew where the company was located that painted my bike; I've got a couple of dings to repair:( But they did not know - located a website but it showed no phone number or address . . .
Decided that we will finally go to Hoover Dam - we've said we would go every time we are in Las Vegas but never have. I'm glad we went - it was very cool. I rode on the back with Glenn there because it was very windy. Rode into Lake Mead and then to the Dam.
Day 26
Hoover Dam
Day 27 - 309 miles
Las Vegas, NV to Thousand Oaks, CA
Highway 15 to Pearblossom Hwy to the 14 to the 5 to the 118
HOME! Tyler did a good job of keeping the house together!
Total Miles on Margie's bike: 5,353
Total Miles on Glenn's bike: a little over 5,500
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