Washington, Oregon Travel Plans

[awchesley]

I hope to be playing around Washington and Oregon in the latter part of July for about a week. Will be aboard an R1150GSA.

What do I " Don't want to miss" while traveling about this area.
Trying to gather a data base of info on the area. I don't plan in being in any big cities or much interstate after I reach Boise, Idaho from Jennings, La.

From Boise I plan on getting to Central Northern Wash to visit a friend then easing down toward California and then across back to Lousiaina.

Will be traveling alone and light.

Andy Chesley

[kbasa]

If I were you, I'd put Crater Lake and Mt. St. Helens on the list. Crater Lake is beautiful and the area surrounding Mt. St. Helens is still all messed up from the eruption. The Oregon coast is pretty as well.

The Columbia River, which seperates the two states is pretty impressive in a few spots too.

What's left of Mt. St. Helens

[fish]

I agree with Kbasa on Crater Lake



And on Mt. St. Helens:




And add a vote for Mt. Rainier:

[jdiaz]

If you get to Crater Lake and still need to go north, get back to US97 north to OR58 west. Go to the town of Oakridge, and point north on the forest service road up to Cougar Reservoir (FS25?). 30-40 of unbelievable curves await. Then, at the north end where it intersects OR126, go back east thru Mackenzie Pass on 242 to Sisters, and continue north on US97 to north central Washington. The detour is well worth the time.

[kbasa]

Jon,

We took that ride when we were in Redmond. It's absolutely beautiful and amazingly deserted. I think there's only a couple of roads that connect to it the entire 50 or 60 mile distance.

[jdiaz]

The only thing we saw on that road back in 1997 was a bunch of hippies in Microbuses hanging out at the Cougar Reservoir.

[bobo1167]

Perhaps a local can add some quality input too....The guesses below are my dreaming, your mileage may vary.

I'll guess your starting point as Republic, WA., Aug 3, Sunday morn after the wsbmwr rally. You'd go west, to where you can see 100 miles o' mountains. Then figure you tolerance for the most signifigant weather change of your trip or not.

In one 350 mile day from republic you could be camping on the Pacific ocean. It would be 50F degrees that night and likely rainy. Oh, and the begining of Hwy 101, tourists, twistys, trees, and all easy to take in. Don't miss SR112, or the road to Clearwater (you'll actually miss the ocean on that route, but the tourists too).

Or, a different route along the Columbia River (Note: Columbia River shoreline roads = nice motorcycling), more southward. Though the Columbia Basin (southwest Washington state for the most part) offers little in the way of dramatic motorcycling, there is much scenery you'll find nowhere else.

But once into Oregon everything changes, for the better. Just don't choose US 97.

Personally my experiences at Mt St Helens are way better than anything I've ever had at Crater Lake. With a little more disscussion i can offer better bonus routes around either.

My suggested "don't miss" for the entire NW are two: Cross the Columbia river more than four times, it doesn't matter where, just connecting the dots will be satisfying. Second, the Oregon highway from Joseph to Halfway (that's half.com now) easily the most spectacular, longest, least travelled, road in the nation. And just getting there is great fun.

This is fun. Please send questions.

bobo

[kbasa]

bobo,

You have any pictures you can post?

[bobo1167]

Yes, and I'll send the original full size ones if you ask.

[bobo1167]

Oh that's an interesting learning experience. If you lemme have some suggestions about reccomended image size and such, I'll try again.

And since you just asked, that pic is Mt Hood above the Columbia river, this May. I'm standing in the Stonehenge WWI memorial.

[bobo1167]

Maybe I have this figured out now.

This is Mt Hood above and the Columbia River below.

Next should be at the top of Hells Canyon, about midway between Enterprise and Halfway. Only a half bad picture from a cheap camera, considering the close rim of the canyon is about 6 miles away.

Later that day I was at the bottom of Hells Canyon along the Snake River, or at least as far down as you can go now. It's desert down here.

I think the preview reply removed the attached pictures. I'll try anyway.

[kbasa]

Some of this won't apply to you directly, but the pointer to the tool to use and how to resize images should help you. I typically resize them to about 400 pixels across, which seems to fit.

Beautiful shot, by the way. I love the west.

FAQ

[bobo1167]

Andy, sorry you get see my sorry learning experience on your nice question. But I've got more cool pix than I know what to do with and decided I must learn somehow.

trying again

[bobo1167]

Ok Dave, I figured the size thing out. How'd you put the many images in a single mail?

[awchesley]

No problem on the learning to set up pics. Been there and done that.
Just loving the info data I'm gathering and trying to line it up from north to south.
I'm planning on running up to the border in Idaho and running 20 across to visit a friend near that area. Then just zig zag my way down to Northern Calif before streaking back to Louisiana.

Thanks to all responding and love the pics.

Andy
Louisiana