Tomorrow we will stay on US 101 into Oregon and follow it along the Oregon coast. The plan for the trip is to ride into Canada at Abbottsford, then north to Prince George where we'll go west to the Cassiar Highway, which we'll follow to the Alcan in Watson Lake. We'll take the Alcan into Alaska at Tok, then up to Fairbanks, down to Anchorage and down the Kenai peninsula to Homer, then back to Anchorage and Glennallen and Tok, the follow the Alcan all the way to Dawson Creek, back to Prince George, then east to McBride and south to Kamloops, cross the border at Nighthawk, then through Washington, Oregon, and home. All subject to change of course, depending on bike maintenance, travel suggestions, discoveries, and whims. (312 miles)
Thursday, July 28: The problem with the Oregon coast is that one is done with the coast long before the coast is done with you. We left the motel parking lot before 8 AM and rode a few miles to US 101 and went north towards Eureka, about 25 miles away. It was 58 degrees and gray and stayed that way until we parked in front of the Black Lightning Motorcycle Cafe in downtown Eureka a half hour later. The Black Lightning is named after the Vincent Black Lightning motorcycle, famous for its power and speed - Richard Thompson has a song called "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" and Rollie Free famously rode one at 150 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1948 (wearing a bathing suit and swim cap), and setting the American motorcycle speed record. John's brother and sister-in-law, who live in Eureka, joined us for breakfast. The cafe has a few motorcycles scattered around, motorcycle pictures and posters, and also sells some motorcycle parts and T-shirts and sweatshirts. (The washroom has a sign that says, "Please Let Us Know If The Bathroom is Gross.)
After breakfast we continued north on 101 through Crescent City, to the Oregon border. The road was mostly four-lane, but became two-lane for 10 or 15 miles before entering Oregon. Just before the border we went by the All Star Liquor Store, the self-proclaimed 8th wonder of the world, with special discounts for seniors and case purchases. US 101 follows the coast and we rode through Brookings and Gold Beach before stopping in Port Orford for lunch at a small restaurant - the crab melt and coffee that I had were very good. There were a few elevation changes and tight sections, but most the road was gentle curves and modest hills with beautiful coastal scenery to enjoy. The road went inland for 25 miles before Coos Bay and then went back along the coast to Reedsport, Florence, Yachats, and Newport, where we are spending the night at a Rodeway Inn. Dinner was General Tso's Chicken at a restaurant that's part of the motel, and it wasn't bad - there was so much left over that I'm saving it for breakfast tomorrow morning.
The weather today was gray and foggy in places, but mostly sunny with temperatures from 58 to about 72. Of course it was windy along the coast, which was to be expected. Traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and there are ample straight sections to pass and even many areas with passing lanes. More annoying were several stops where the road became one lane due to construction - the traffic control was by automated signal light, flag person, or pilot car. Otherwise the road was in good shape and quite enjoyable. However, after 100 miles it all becomes repetitive - another quaint, small town, quilting store, craft store, wood sculpture studio, beaches, sand dunes, rocky outcroppings, all very nice, and there's another 200 miles of this with a little town every 15 miles.
We saw a lot of bicyclists on the road today, all pedaling from north to south. I also noticed quite a few street people in the larger towns - not like San Francisco, but unexpected in this setting. More of the same tomorrow for 140 miles to Washington.
(Friday, July 29) The farther north on the Oregon coast, the more congested it becomes - today we were on the road for 9 hours and covered 250 miles. We left the motel a little after 8 AM and decided to get breakfast on the road, since the leftover Chinese food from the night before didn't have much appeal. Lincoln City was only 25 miles up the road, so we stopped there at the Nelscott Cafe, which didn't open until 9 but we decided to wait. It's an interesting place with good food and is very laid back, so we spent some time there, although it was time well spent talking with the couple at the next table and a guy on a BMW who was on his way home to California from Alaska.
It was after 10:30 when we headed north again on US 101 and joined the stream of cars, trucks, and motor homes. To be fair the traffic moved along fairly to well and we enjoyed the ocean views, the small towns (every 10 miles or so) and the scenery. There were a few sections with hills and curves which were quite enjoyable.
The day began damp and 58 degrees, but later on it was in the mid 60s on the coast and alternately sunny and foggy. US 101 goes inland about 20 miles south of Tillamook and it warmed up a bit. The traffic gradually became heavier as we went north and by Warrenton it was quite heavy. I stopped at a motorcycle shop there to have a mechanic look at my steering head bearings - they were replaced about 2000 miles ago and have always felt just a bit snug. The tech, one of the owners, said that they seemed fine to him and that he wouldn't recommend loosening them any, so I was relieved and glad that we didn't have to spend two hours there getting them adjusted. We exited on US 30 in Astoria in search of gas and food. The man at the table next to ours at breakfast had recommended a place called the Bowpicker, which is an old, wooden boat parked in a lot with a kitchen and walk-up window where beer-battered fish and chips are served. You wait in line, get your meal (fish and chips - that's all, nothing else), pay your $10 cash and maybe find a place at one of two picnic tables near the boat. There were a couple of dozen people waiting, so we decided to stop at another restaurant we'd passed which had indoor seating, air conditioning, and washrooms. Back on US 30 it took 10 minutes or so to go a few blocks to the Astoria bridge, which we rode across Young's Bay and the mouth of the Columbia River and into Washington. We went east on WA 401 (part of the Lewis and Clark Trail) to US 4 and then west to 101 north for 30 miles to Raymond, where we went east on WA 6, which follows the Willapa River. The light traffic on 101 in Washington was a relief after the heavy traffic in Oregon, and there were very few vehicles on WA 6 for the 45 miles to I-5, where we went north to Centralia, and where the temperature was 85. We are spending the night at the King Oscar Motel, and tomorrow morning we'll ride 50 miles to Tacoma to see the old motorcycle show on the grounds of the LeMay Museum. (248 miles)
(Saturday, July 30) Breakfast at the King Oscar wasn't bad as motel breakfasts go, and we were on our way before 8:30 for the 50 mile ride to Tacoma and the LeMay Automobile Museum. We arrived a half hour before official admission, but they were letting people in early. The weather was overcast and chilly but it warmed up as the skies cleared after an hour or so. There was a good selection of bikes, although I remember there being more the last time I went to the show two years ago. Highlights (for me) were a Brough Superior, like the one that T. E. Lawrence rode, a couple of Ducati singles, and a Bultaco Metralla.
Fort Lewis, an Army base, is near McChord AFB near Tacoma and there were several young guys who looked like military. One of them was wearing T-shirt that said:
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.
Except Infantry. Infantry will kill you.
After an hour of wandering around we went inside the museum for an early lunch and to see the BMW 100th Anniversary traveling exhibit. The highlight was probably the humble Isetta 300, a tiny micro-car that BMW made in the 50's when their motorcycles weren't selling well enough to support the company, and the only cars they had were large and expensive.
We did a quick tour of the museum, and another quick tour of the motorcycle show, and left at about 1:30, heading north on I-5. There are no good choices to get through Seattle, but we opted for the slightly less bad choice of I-405 through Bellevue and Redmond rather than I-5 through Seattle. We had 10 miles of very slow going, and then the traffic thinned out with only occasional slowdowns.
We stopped in Mt. Vernon at the Calico Cupboard Cafe and Bakery for a snack, and then back on I-5 to Bellingham, where we followed WS 542 east to WA 9 north to the border crossing at Sumas. There were no lines and we were soon in British Columbia and heading east on CA 1, a superhighway where everyone goes about 10 over the posted limit. We are spending the night in Hope, BC, a vacation town with the Fraser River on one side and tree-covered mountains on the other. (265 miles)
(Sunday, July 31) We had a quick breakfast at Rolly's Restaurant next door to the motel and got on the road wearing our warm sweaters and rain gear. The temperature was 58, the sky was gray and overcast, but it wasn't raining. CA 1 north follows the Fraser River into the mountains, and it's a popular vacation area. It began sprinkling when we were stopped at a rest area just before the Highway 12 turn off to Lillooet and we put on rain gloves and I put a rain cover on the tank bag. The road to Lillooet was rough, hilly, and twisty, but we took it easy due to the occasional shower. In Lillooet we stopped at the Rugged Bean Cafe for an early lunch. They make their own bread and cookies and the sandwiches were very good.
The hills on either side of the Fraser River along Highway 12 were partly covered with low clouds, which might have made interesting pictures except that my camera was buried in the tank bag under a rain cover and I was too lazy to get it out. Plus, there really wasn't anyplace to stop, so this picture of the Rugged Bean is the only one of the day.
Leaving Lillooet we went north on CA 99 which goes from Vancouver to Cache Creek on CA 97. At the cafe we saw several groups of motorcyclists go by, probably riders from the Vancouver area who were out for a nice Sunday ride in the rain. Canadians... 99 is a scenic ride all the way to CA 97 where we went north through Clinton, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, and finally into Quesnel where we are spending the night. CA 97 is a main road, although there was never any real traffic. There are a few curves and hills, but mostly it is just a pleasant ride through farm country past lakes and parks. It is mostly two-lane, although there are many passing lanes on hills, so we made good time. First bear sighting today - a black bear ran across the road about right 50 yards in front of me. The motel is right next to the Fraser River, which we'd been following, more or less, all the way from Hope. (358 miles)
(Monday, August 1 - British Columbia Day!) I'd been looking forward to breakfast at the Granville Coffee Company in Quesnel, but as we discovered last night they are closed today for the holiday, so instead I picked up a coffee at a nearby 7/11 and with a nectarine that got me going before we found breakfast down the road. It was 56 degrees and misty along the river when I got up in the morning, but had warmed to 58 with a little blue sky directly overhead by the time we left. We stopped in Hixon at the 97 Diner for breakfast, which was good. The sign behind the counter says it all, and in fact the coffee was better than most of the restaurant coffee I've had on the trip.
We continued on 97 to Prince George where we headed west on the Yellowhead Highway, CA 16, which we followed for the rest of the day. It goes through a region with many lakes and there are resort and vacation areas all along the way. Except for a few small farms we saw mostly pastures, hay fields, and lots of woods and second (or third) growth forests. There were wetlands around the lakes and I looked for moose, but didn't see any. Except for Smithers, which is a full size town, the small towns we rode through had a couple of gas stations, a restaurant or two, motels, and a few businesses. The scenery is pleasant, the road is in good shape, and there are hills and curves but nothing challenging. There are also plenty of places to pass, so we both enjoyed a day of cruising in comfortable weather, which by late afternoon had warmed up to 75. After Smithers the mountains began to appear in the west, some with a lot of snow still visible.
We are spending the night in New Hazelton, BC, where I've stayed before. We were here early enough that we took a short ride to Hazelton on the Skeena River. There isn't a lot there - a few older buildings, a park on the river, and a stern wheel paddle boat. More interesting was a narrow suspension bridge a few miles outside of town.
There is also a nice viewpoint along the canyon where you can see the river far below and the mountains.
Tomorrow will be a short day to Dease Lake on the Cassiar Highway. (360 miles)
(Tuesday, August 2) It was 58 degrees under a cloudless sky when we left the motel this morning before 8 AM. We stopped 25 miles down the road in Kitwanga where the Yellowhead Highway continues to Prince Rupert and CA 37 - the Cassiar Highway - begins. There's a Petro-Canada gas station/restaurant there that is the only business in town, and the service was as laid back as I remember from four years ago. Heading north on the Cassiar we left the farms and pastures behind us and there was nothing but lakes, rivers, forests, and snow-capped mountains in the distance. The road is in good shape and the speed limit is a reasonable 100 kph (62 mph) so we made good time to Meziadin Junction where 37 continues north and 37A goes to Stewart/Hyder 40 miles away. The Bear Glacier is only about 10 miles down 37A, but we'd seen it before, so we continued without stopping. The last time we were there, four years ago, the restaurant/gas station at the junction had burned down but it has been rebuilt since then. Another 80 miles down the road we stopped at Bell 2, where we had lunch and fueled the bikes. Bell 2 used to be the only place to fuel between Meziadin and Dease Lake, but now there are several small First Nation camps and resorts that advertise fuel. After lunch we began talking with a couple on BMWs that were outfitted for long-distance, adventure touring (big gas tanks, aggressive dirt tires, lots of crash protection). After talking bikes with them for awhile I realized that they were Lisa and Simon Thomas, an English couple whose travels I've been following for the last several years in RoadRunner magazine. They've been on the road for 13 years now, and have no plans to stop. We talked about their bikes and their travels for a good half hour or so, and then they took off and we did too.
You can follow their adventures on their website: www.2ridetheworld.com
The day warmed up slightly to about 70 and the road and the scenery continued to be enjoyable. There was little traffic - the occasional RV, truck, and of course other motorcyclists.
Beyond Kinaskan Lake the road lost the center line and the surface deteriorated with gravel patches, potholes, and gravel shoulders that were the same color as the road surface. We slowed down the better to dodge the potholes, and after climbing and descending a few hills we came to Dease Lake, where we are spending the night. Dease Lake doesn't have much except the motel and a couple of burger restaurants, one food store and a Petro-Canada station, where we saw Lisa and Simon again - they are camping outside of town. All day we saw quite a few motorcyclists on the road, and everyone stops in Dease Lake to refuel.
There's also a sizable First Nation community a few miles away, and a couple of government buildings. (339 miles)
(Wednesday, August 3) There were a few high clouds this morning when I walked out to the bike at 7 AM and it was 48 degrees. We walked over to the food store to pick up a breakfast sandwich, then packed the bikes and it was still 48 degrees, so I wore long underwear and my electric vest under my fleece jacket liner. After a few miles north on the Cassiar out of Dease Lake we hit 25 miles of road construction with gravel covering the hard surface, which is like riding on marbles. Also, the gravel accumulates in long ridges and when the front wheel crosses a ridge it wants to wander, so it was a stressful ride at 40-45 mph until we were out of the construction zone. Not that we saw any signs of actual construction going on except for the gravel.
By the time we arrived at Jade City an hour and a half later it had warmed up to about 58 and it was sunny. The jade mine at nearby Cassiar Mountain produces 80% of the world's jade, most of which goes to China. The store there sells jewelry that is made from the jade mine - some of the items are made onsite, most are made elsewhere. There are carved animals, bowls, necklaces, and just about anything you can think of. There is a Canadian reality show called Jade City that is in its third season.
After an hour of wandering around the store and spending money, we were on our way north. The road is chip seal with a rough surface and no lines. It is in decent shape for that kind of road, and we cruised along at 60-65 mph past lakes, over creeks, and through forests. Dease Lake is on the Continental Divide, and the Cassiar follows the divide for a ways. After another hour we came to the junction of 37 and the Alcan, where we headed north towards Whitehorse. We stopped in Rancheria for lunch at one of the typical Alcan service areas - restaurant, gas, motel, store, minor repairs.
The sky became overcast as we headed north and we soon hit some sprinkles that continued off and on almost to Whitehorse. The temperature dropped from 70 down to 58, but I had on my rain gear and electric vest, so I was quite comfortable. We stopped in Teslin for fuel and I also made a reservation at the Yukon Motel for next Wednesday, when we'll be heading the other direction on the Alcan.
We are staying at the Yukon Inn in Whitehorse, which is a long, rambling building with narrow halls and an attached restaurant. They also have a laundry, and I'm taking advantage of that. Tomorrow - Alaksa! (405 miles)
(Thursday, August 4)
If it seems that I write a lot about the weather and road conditions, it is because those factors are of prime to concern to motorcyclists. It was 51 degrees when John and I walked across the street for a quick breakfast at McDonald's this morning, and we soon loaded the bikes and were on our way, heading west and north on the Alcan. It would stay around 60-65 most of the day, then warmed to 70 by late afternoon. We stopped in Haines Junction after 90 miles for a snack and coffee at the Village Bakery, and I will put that on my list of places to return to.
After Haines the road skirts the eastern edge of Kluane National Park and it was more of the magnificent mountains, forests, wetlands, and rivers, although this late in the summer many of the smaller, snow melt fed rivers and creeks were dry. The construction around Destruction Bay has finally been completed (it was ongoing every other time I've been to Alaska), but about 40 miles north there was road construction for 50 miles - long stretches of gravel, and two long stretches of one-lane with a pilot truck, interspersed with short sections of good road.
At one point we could see a large machine that was ripping up the old chip seal and it looked to me like the hard road surface was just a thin crust. When we were finally out of the construction we came across a bakery and creperie, so we had to stop to celebrate finally being free of the construction. The Black Forest ham quiche I had was very good, as was the coffee.
After that it was just a pleasant ride to Beaver Creek, the last town in the Yukon before the US border. The 70 miles to Tok went quickly, and the road is in good shape except for several short sections of rather thick gravel. We just had dinner at Fast Eddie's Restaurant, which is very good and always crowded. (396 miles)
(Friday, August 5) The rain from the night had stopped by the time we left a little before 8 AM and it was 55 degrees and partly cloudy. It is a straight shot from Tok to Fairbanks with a few hills and curves, low mountains in the distance, woods, rivers and lakes. There was a long (15 miles) section of road construction with a couple of one-way sections controlled by lights, and one section with a pilot truck. The surface was hard packed gravel, so it wasn't much of a challenge, which was fine by us. Along the way a mama moose with two calves (which were six foot tall and probably weighed 300 pounds) crossed the road in front of me. We stopped in Delta Juction for gas and food, but the restaurant where we ate four years ago was gone, so we ate in a grocery store which was combined with a deli and bakery and which seemed to be the main gathering place in town.
There were more habitations along the road the closer we got to Fairbanks, and we soon rode by North Pole, which is a large tourist trap. John split off from me and went to the BMW shop, while I went to Adventure Cycle to get a new rear tire on my bike and an oil and filter change. Dan, the proprietor, said that the front tire looked OK, the steering head bearings were a bit snug, but better that than too loose, and that I needed rear brake pads, which he had in stock. He was done in under two hours, and I met John at another cycle shop, we had a quick lunch, and checked into our motel, a Travelodge, which is one very small step above Motel 6. Tonight we'll have dinner with John and Carol, old friends from VISA, who are in Alaska for a week. (225 miles)
(Saturday, August 6) We've been lucky with the weather so far, but today the Alaska rain caught up with us. It was partly cloudy and 58 degrees when we left Fairbanks, and went south on AK 3, the Parks Highway. The road is two-lane and outside of town it climbs and there are nice views of the valley below. After 60 miles we stopped in Nenana for breakfast at the Roughwoods Inn, restaurant, and brewery. The place is an old, low building (the whole town is old, low buildings), and they were busy with a group of Airstream trailer people, but we were in no hurry.
The sky was becoming increasingly overcast, so we put on our rain gear before we headed south towards Anchorage. The rain started in a few miles, and would continue off and on to Wasilla, forty miles north of Anchorage. There were a couple of areas of road construction with one-lane sections, which held up traffic. The rest of the time the road was in good shape with many passing lanes. We went by Denali, but we couldn't see the mountain, so the scenery was mostly the surrounding forest. The temperature stayed under 60 degrees, so when we stopped at a rest area after one of the construction zones I put on my electric vest, which kept me nice and warm. We stopped for gas and something to eat in Trapper Creek at the Trapper Creek Trading Post, gas station, restaurant, general store, and barber shop (seriously - when I went to use the washroom, there was a guy getting a haircut in a back room). The place was very friendly, and I had a delicious slice of rhubarb pie for dessert.
I decided to take a short excursion to Talkeetna, which seems to be a tourist town. It's a fourteen mile ride to the town, and there are lakes, sightseeing planes, and lodges along the way. The town itself is a lot of old buildings selling souvenirs, arts and crafts, and food. It was raining at the time and I didn't even take a picture. Back on AK 3 we went through Wasilla, which doesn't present a very impressive sight from the highway - perhaps there are better parts of town elsewhere. In Anchorage we are staying downtown at the Aviator Hotel, which is sort of what we've come to expect in Alaska - laid back and functioning well enough to get by. (about 380 miles)
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