We had a long riding day ahead of us, and we wanted to avoid super slabs and highways. We hit the road before 8:30am. It was a bit nippy and we had to get our liners out for the first stretch.
Today's road had a quite a few nice offerings for us. As Roland really seemed to like the twisties he opted for the slow(er) route from Enterprise to Lewiston along OR-3 a.k.a. Rattlesnake Canyon.
We found the Rattlesnake Canyon empty except for a handful of other early two-wheeled birds like us.
And Roland's little Burgy hummed along. No need for a bigger bike he said... well maybe the 650cc Burgman he added after giving it a second thought.
This is where we came from. There is a watering hole at the bottom of the canyon but we had all we needed with us (thanks to Brad and Brandy for those Clif protein bars).
What a contrast to the straight roads we would encounter the rest of the day. We definitely seized every bit of it.
Out of the canyon into the farm lands.
Clarkston, WA and Lewiston, ID at the horizon.
Although this corner was loaded with history we didn't dwell. We had to get some serious distance done today.
Palouse County: Rolling hills and farmland as far as the eye could see.
And yes, it got very warm again, so we stopped frequently to sip on our lukewarm water and to stretch our legs. Shadows were scarce in this part of the country.
In the middle of nowhere, old trucks lined up...
No longer serving any purpose...
... exposed to the ravages of time.
The kind of road that makes you wonder: Are we there yet?
Ah, finally a shady place under trees, which we generously shared with a couple from Alberta who were traveling on two Beemers.
Another change of scenery as we entered Soap Lake.
Traffic was weird in the area. Cagers with limited driving capabilities going well over speed limit and tailgating each other. We tried to stay out of their way as good as we could.
Once mighty after the melting of the glaciers the ice was eventually gone, the water stopped flowing leaving the falls... dry. Hence the name.
Columbia River
We arrived at the hotel at Lake Pateros at 6PM only 3km short of 600km on our trip odometer. Our longest day trip as of today.
The hotel offers safe motorcycle parking in the garage.
And a lake view room.
We were glad to stretch our legs and went for an evening stroll.
We chose the Rivers Restaurant adjacent to the hotel, not expecting much. But we were surprised how nice it was. Roland enjoyed a well deserved Deschutes Black Butte Porter, his favourite North American beer,
which he combined with a huge hamburger.
Meanwhile I had a spinach/artichoke dip in a bread bowl, accompanied by a side salad. It was yummy!
Coming up: The home run.
Sonja - those are awesome photos! I'm with Roland on his choice of beer - love Porter too. The roads look pretty deserted from your photos - heaven for bikers.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the next instalment!
I am sure you would love the taste of this one. Yes, sometimes we also get our share of nice roads. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
DeleteThanks for the pictures of Dry Falls, I haven't been by that way in years.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you had some nice sunny weather for your first day headed home. Such beautiful scenery. And I am glad Roland liked the twisties too. You go Roland!
I am so proud of Roland, he not only did well, he also seems to like it, and is already making plans for upgrading the bikes and even better... for the next trip.
DeleteLooks like roland has been bitten by the motorcycling bug. Good on him I say, but it'll be a big jump up from a scooter to a BMW S1000RR. Just kidding... maybe.
DeleteGreat photos of trip. Looks like everyone had a great time, I sure enjoyed reading it and envied being there.
Yet another lovely day. I love the old truck pictures. We almost moved to Moscow several years back and seeing those green hills reminded me that it was dubbed the pea and lentil capitol of the world. I believe a lot of hops is grown there, too. Whatever they grow, it's a beautiful area. Rattlesnake Canyon looks like a great road.
ReplyDeleteI guess you're better off where you are now. The towns look pretty run down, and seem to have been hit pretty hard by the recession.
DeleteSome nice photos in this bunch. I always enjoy secure moto parking at hotels.
ReplyDeleteIn fact most hotels offered a special spot for the bikes, but this one had a garage... nice.
DeleteThat does look like a very long day. But the scenery is gorgeous in its way. The poor trucks looked ravaged by time and maybe a little vandalism. Poor things. I wouldn't mind giving them a home.
ReplyDeleteA nice 650 Burgman...very good choice.