Day 11 /July 24th

Day 11 July 24th

North Bend (Oregon Dunes) to Cascade Locks, Oregon.

The temperatures were below 50 degrees as I started to make my way North on Highway 101. When I first woke up it was really cold but when hit the road it “warmed up” a tiny bit so I thought I would give it go. It did not take long on the bike to realize that I would need more layers to keep warm. I did over 100 miles when I made the decision to go inland where the temps were 90 to 100.

The coast of Oregon is just plain gorgeous with its rocky cliffs. The Pacific Ocean crashes to shore over the rocks and is something to see. The problem is that when you are riding a motorcycle it is not as easy to observe the surroundings because you need to worry about the road. Much of the road is right on the edge with large cliffs. Small beach towns dot the shore with camps and bed and breakfast type establishments available. During the busy season you need to make reservations or get off the road early before these places fill up.

To those considering running the coastline I would advise you to go from North to South. The reason, most of your turns will be to the right to the scenic overviews as opposed to having to cross traffic when you are going south to North. Just a thought.
The day ended at the potluck dinner of the Oregon Coast Bull Terrier Club. When building my schedule I realized that I would be near Portland during the weekend of their specialty show. Although I did not go to the show I did attend their Saturday night dinner. It was good to see some people that I know. Naomi Waynee, Libby Martin, Bob Myall and the Alexanders were in attendance in addition to the Oregon club members. Thank you for allowing me to attend your event.

Before I went to the dinner I stripped the luggage off of my bike and emptied the saddle bags. Without the Airhawk pad and the weight of the luggage it seemed like I was riding a totally different bike.

Another note… It amazes me how many bikers do not use hand signals when riding. I have found that it is easy for drivers to ignore your turn signal but they do move back when you use hand signals. Time and time again when I use my arms to signal the car in my intended lane will slow down and allow me to safely change lanes.

The other item that you see here and not nearly as much back is east are the HIGH VISIBILITY jackets in orange and safety yellow. I was surprised to see the number of riders, young and old riding all different makes wearing this effective safety device. I wear a Hi-Vis orange jacket that was made by Harley Davidson. I have been told by many on this trip that it is a good looking jacket. When going to San Fran with James and Jennifer I noticed how effective these things actually are. While Jen was riding passenger she wore a Harley Hi-Vis orange vest. While following them I was amazed how easy it was to see Jen and her orange vest. If you do not have one… get one. They may not be as cool as black leather but they work.


See and BE SEEN.

All the best
Chris