rdmsttrav
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For a couple of weeks I’ve been trying to get away on a trip before the colder/wetter weather sets in, but mental gymnastics(my own) and kids activities kept me home. I wanted to make it to Monument Valley, having never been, with a quick peep at the Grand Canyon on the way to my parents home in Southern California, via Death Valley(inspired by 970Mike’s Death Valley National Park post), having not been there either.
On a Wednesday late afternoon I was able to take off around 5pm. I figured it was better to get some inertia going rather than wait another day.
Three hours later the first night landed me in Boardman, Or. where I found a cheap hotel.
On Thursday, a walk the next morning to a local cafe got me started off right.
(not sure how to correct photo it was right side up in my computer and phone)
I waited for the fog to clear a bit before taking off, I would ride slow enough not to run into someone but really didn’t have enough lighting on the back of the goldwing to alert someone they might be running into me.
I made it to Nampa, Idaho to the Warhawks Air Museum. I stopped here for a rest and to get a hat, as well as looking around. I had been here before, but always enjoy WWII era museums.
I left there and got some lunch on the far side of Boise, and stopped in Twin Falls for the night.
The next morning I checked the weather and the forecast had changed enough for me to alter my trip. I would have time to make it to Monument Valley but not enough time to either head to Grand Canyon or my folks or head home, without hitting snow. So I decided to dodge the storms and head south to Wells, Nv. on 93 and towards Reno on I-80. I would have preferred going down to Ely and across on 50 but time wouldn’t permit that without riding in the dark from Fallon to Reno. I’ve done that before and it was thick with big deer.
I wasn’t disappointed with the change, I had forgotten how much I love riding in the high desert with mountains in the distance. The cruise control saved me several times from tickets, it’s pretty easy to get going to fast on two lane lonely roads.
I almost biffed it in some deep gravel at a vista point where I stopped to get a photo. I misjudged deep deep gravel for packed and it was toads wild ride for a a few short scary seconds. The gravel below while I shook out the willies.
This is the photo I stopped for though.
Stopped for fuel and lunch in Elko. Had some chowder here after finding out there weren’t any gluten free pasties. The chowder was great though,
BJ Bulls Cornish Pasties
On to Reno with a gorgeous sunset before arriving in some gnarly traffic going into the city(Friday night)
Moving along into Reno I stopped at a truck stop to fuel up and find a hotel for the night, a cheap one. To many shady types around the cheaper ones so I settled on a Holiday Inn Express where the desk guy was a motorcycle person and had me park up front where he’d keep an eye on things.
For the morning walk I went down the road to a Honda dealership and looked at Goldwings. The newer ones. I think I have this bike kitted out pretty nicely and just got brand new tires for the trip, but the bike isn’t quite right for me. Maybe to heavy but also I’m not as excited about getting on it and going for a trip as I am with the ST1300. I took one trip to Glacier on the ST and one to Canada on the Goldwing this year. I enjoyed both but the ST fit so much better and was much easier for me to handle. I love the lower seat height on the goldwing. I have a madstad windshield, bar risers, Russell seat, Traxxion suspension, dash cam/blindspot detector and Clearwater lights on the Goldwing making it comfortable, safer, and enjoyable, but it’s just not lighting me up. Thats pretty clear on this trip. I wanted to take the ST but I haven’t finished getting it back together in time for the trip.
I took a Lyft to get some dinner and ended up at an Indian food restaurant. The food was great, the drink not so much so I left it alone after a sip or two. I had a Dosa filled with potatoes and veggies.
I left Reno and stopped for lunch in Susanville,Ca where I had Chicken Mole one of my favorites. The chips and salsa were made in house and were great too.
I had been on part of this hwy before but in the opposite direction. The scenery was wonderful and the traffic very minimal.
After figuring out I wouldn’t beat the rain or nightfall back if I took hwy 36 to the coast from Susanville, I settled on hwy 44 to Redding where I got some fuel and headed up I-5. Stopped in Yreka for a salad at Black Bear Diner and onto Roseburg where I spent the night. It was 79F in Redding and 43F going through the mountains that night.
I awoke to rain Sunday which lasted the rest of the way to home in Milwaukie, Or. I stayed dry and warm the whole time, I had warm and safe waterproof heated gloves and jacket, as well as a heated seat and heated grips.
My cousin sent me videos of the water they had on our family farm and also a graph of what I missed by detouring. They got half of their yearly rainfall within a few days.
YouTube Farm Video
Overall, according to mr google, I went 1639 miles. I was happy to be home and enjoyed a quick trip.
On a Wednesday late afternoon I was able to take off around 5pm. I figured it was better to get some inertia going rather than wait another day.
Three hours later the first night landed me in Boardman, Or. where I found a cheap hotel.
On Thursday, a walk the next morning to a local cafe got me started off right.
(not sure how to correct photo it was right side up in my computer and phone)
I waited for the fog to clear a bit before taking off, I would ride slow enough not to run into someone but really didn’t have enough lighting on the back of the goldwing to alert someone they might be running into me.
I made it to Nampa, Idaho to the Warhawks Air Museum. I stopped here for a rest and to get a hat, as well as looking around. I had been here before, but always enjoy WWII era museums.
I left there and got some lunch on the far side of Boise, and stopped in Twin Falls for the night.
The next morning I checked the weather and the forecast had changed enough for me to alter my trip. I would have time to make it to Monument Valley but not enough time to either head to Grand Canyon or my folks or head home, without hitting snow. So I decided to dodge the storms and head south to Wells, Nv. on 93 and towards Reno on I-80. I would have preferred going down to Ely and across on 50 but time wouldn’t permit that without riding in the dark from Fallon to Reno. I’ve done that before and it was thick with big deer.
I wasn’t disappointed with the change, I had forgotten how much I love riding in the high desert with mountains in the distance. The cruise control saved me several times from tickets, it’s pretty easy to get going to fast on two lane lonely roads.
I almost biffed it in some deep gravel at a vista point where I stopped to get a photo. I misjudged deep deep gravel for packed and it was toads wild ride for a a few short scary seconds. The gravel below while I shook out the willies.
This is the photo I stopped for though.
Stopped for fuel and lunch in Elko. Had some chowder here after finding out there weren’t any gluten free pasties. The chowder was great though,
BJ Bulls Cornish Pasties
On to Reno with a gorgeous sunset before arriving in some gnarly traffic going into the city(Friday night)
Moving along into Reno I stopped at a truck stop to fuel up and find a hotel for the night, a cheap one. To many shady types around the cheaper ones so I settled on a Holiday Inn Express where the desk guy was a motorcycle person and had me park up front where he’d keep an eye on things.
For the morning walk I went down the road to a Honda dealership and looked at Goldwings. The newer ones. I think I have this bike kitted out pretty nicely and just got brand new tires for the trip, but the bike isn’t quite right for me. Maybe to heavy but also I’m not as excited about getting on it and going for a trip as I am with the ST1300. I took one trip to Glacier on the ST and one to Canada on the Goldwing this year. I enjoyed both but the ST fit so much better and was much easier for me to handle. I love the lower seat height on the goldwing. I have a madstad windshield, bar risers, Russell seat, Traxxion suspension, dash cam/blindspot detector and Clearwater lights on the Goldwing making it comfortable, safer, and enjoyable, but it’s just not lighting me up. Thats pretty clear on this trip. I wanted to take the ST but I haven’t finished getting it back together in time for the trip.
I took a Lyft to get some dinner and ended up at an Indian food restaurant. The food was great, the drink not so much so I left it alone after a sip or two. I had a Dosa filled with potatoes and veggies.
I left Reno and stopped for lunch in Susanville,Ca where I had Chicken Mole one of my favorites. The chips and salsa were made in house and were great too.
I had been on part of this hwy before but in the opposite direction. The scenery was wonderful and the traffic very minimal.
After figuring out I wouldn’t beat the rain or nightfall back if I took hwy 36 to the coast from Susanville, I settled on hwy 44 to Redding where I got some fuel and headed up I-5. Stopped in Yreka for a salad at Black Bear Diner and onto Roseburg where I spent the night. It was 79F in Redding and 43F going through the mountains that night.
I awoke to rain Sunday which lasted the rest of the way to home in Milwaukie, Or. I stayed dry and warm the whole time, I had warm and safe waterproof heated gloves and jacket, as well as a heated seat and heated grips.
My cousin sent me videos of the water they had on our family farm and also a graph of what I missed by detouring. They got half of their yearly rainfall within a few days.
YouTube Farm Video
Overall, according to mr google, I went 1639 miles. I was happy to be home and enjoyed a quick trip.
