Day Two is Oregon

The start of day

I wrapped up some work in the morning, reviewed emails (big mistake) and finally got started around 10AM from Campbell, CA which is a suburb of San Jose. The packing in the morning is becoming a routine so it takes only a few minutes to load up the bike. It still takes a few minutes to clean my glasses (3 pairs) and windshield. I then took I-280 up to San Francisco.

"Crossing the Bridge When I Come to It"

The I-280 Interstate abruptly ends into busy streets. It was a one hour ordeal of stop-and-go traffic through town to get to the bridge. The temperatures were cool but pleasant. I got to the vista on the northern side of the bridge and struggled with finding a place to park. I parked my bike next to a couple of others in a "hashed lined" no-parking zone. The security guy said it was okay. It was hazy so the pictures of the city and Alcatraz did not really turn out.

Muir Woods - A no go (bummer)

I had hoped to travel to see this magnificent display of Mother Nature. It took fifteen minutes to just get off of the highway. I had spent enough time in LA traffic on the first day to decide I didn't have the time nor patience to deal with this. I immediately got back on the Interstate ran to the next exit and turned around. I had clear sailing for a while I hit 10 miles construction which was more stop-and-go. I finally stopped after nearly 3 hours of travel and less than 100 miles covered and had lunch. I exchanged texts with our daughter before starting out again. I continued up US-101 without any events.

The Redwood Forests

Even though US-101 is mostly Interstate type of highway, it switches to 4-lane limited access and to 2 lane roads. When you head into these trees on the highway it is similar to entering a tunnel. You get an occasional glimpse of the sun but with sunglasses it is dark. There are these massive trees on both sides of the road. The road has many twists and turns. As cool as the Golden Gate Bridge was, this was awesome. The better part of a hundred miles or so was these forests. I got an enormous amount of experience driving smoothly in turns (a skill I would need later).

From Eureka to Crescent City

When I hit Eureka you could tell we were close to the ocean because the temperature dropped significantly (from around 100 down to 80). I stopped and had dinner there at one of the Denny's as I attempted to rehydrate. The drive to Crescent City is half coastal and the other half Redwoods with lots of twists and turns. As any biker will tell you, this is the type of road that we live for.

Before starting this segment of the drive I applied a "red-neck" sun visor to my helmet which consists of a 1.5 inch wide piece of Painter's Blue Tape. This is the second time on this trip I used it and it works very well. I have to thank my good friend "JD" for the tip. When the sun sets you can just tear it off and put it in a pocket. I still have a problem getting the tape unstuck from my glove as I try to dispose of it.

When I left Eureka, I suited up in my winter gear since the temperature was going to drop to 60 which is cold on a motorcycle going 75 MPH.

Crescent City to Grants Pass, Oregon

The sunset over the Pacific Ocean near Crescent City, CA

Needless to say I hit Crescent City just after sunset. I stopped to clean my glasses, helmet and windshield to that I could see the road during the nighttime portion of the ride. I left the coast and entered into the woods again and it got very dark in a hurry. If I though the trip through the Redwoods earlier today had twisted roads I was in for a surprise. The turns in the dark were initially scary but the California section of the road has reflectors on the center line and shoulder so they were a God-send. Within a few dozen turns, I had become an expert and put my entire focus on the roads. I had 40 miles of no traffic ahead of me. I could occasionally get a glimpse of the canyon and river on my right side so I know that this would be a fantastic ride in the daytime.

Although I was disappointed not to see the scenery I found that it was just me, the road and my iTunes. I don't mean to brag, but it is some of the best riding I have ever done from a skills level.

I finally got to my hotel in Medford, Oregon and settled into bed around midnight. On Saturday, I will drive up through Oregon and all of Washington state. I will spend the night in Blaine which is on the Canadian Border which will be my second corner of the trip. Stay tuned for more details.

Believe it or not, this is my first selfie!!!