Pacific North-West Tour Aug 2012

Taking about 2 weeks off I took a 3,000 mile motorbike trip through the Pacific North-West to visit friends, family and to get some much needed helmet time. I did a cave tour in Lava Beds Natl' Monument, visited Shaniko, Ore., fell in love with the town of Hood River, Ore. and the Columbia Gorge, lunch at the Timberline Lodge (where they filmed parts of The Shinning) atop Mt. Hood, Ore. with my good friend Kris , rode through Mt. Rainer Nat'l Park, met my cousin Claire and her hubby Joe and their new rug rat Scarlett (who's actually the quietest baby I've ever met). Began heading home from Mt. Vernon to pass through Olympic Nat'l Park (which gets something like 12 FEET of rain per YEAR), along the coast through places like Ruby Beach, Wash., Fort Clatstop (Lewis & Clark historical Landmark), the Tillamook Naval Air Station, Florence, Ore., Port Orford, Ore., Bandon, Ore., visited the Johnston's in Albaina, Ore., visited Paul and Babe at the Trees of Mystery in Klamath, Calif. Finally, I met up with my buddy David in Eureka who then road the remaining few hundred miles through places like Avenue of the Giants, rode through the Chandelier Drive-Through Tree in Leggett Calif., and survived the 100 degree weather coming through Willis, Calif.

Overall it was a wonderful ride, full of more scenery and green than I had expected. If you don't get off your ass and take a road trip staying completely off the interstate you will be surprised what you will find.