Motorcycling Washington

Jan 20, 2013

I’ve woken as usual at 6:30, the  sun streaming in my window.  I’m at Summit Inn in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.  I loved the smells of the forest last night driving here.

I’d been caught up in the tail end of rush hour traffic after picking up my Electraglide motorcycle from Trev Dealey.  I’d had an alarm put on the bike, new grips, the fluids changed and brakes fixed. The ABS problem never was solved so I’m going along without that.  

The hand grips are spectacular and the alarm is comforting.  Comes with a fob that will be set off in the room if someone is trying to take the bike outside.  I also got a switchback jacket which breaks down into three parts, with one just netting and armor, one with netting and liner and one with full jacket zippered onto the netting.  I used all three choices driving down last night. At first it was so hot I was thankful of the netting then as it cooled off with night I increased the layers till I was wearing the full jacket and loving the warmth.  

The handle grips with the little tag that allows me to manage speed with my palm rather than by grip is terrific.

I stopped at London Drugs on Broadway to pick up a little audiocable connector. This allowed me to connect my IPOD to the stereo in the Harley. I hadn’t found anything on the radio and was really thankful to have 10th Avenue playing as I headed out of town.  

Just a beautiful drive to the border where there was no line up. I showed the young guy my passport and he waved me on wishing me a good ride.  

Then I was bombing down the I5.  That is such a great riding highway.  I turned off at a Casino gas station just north of Maryville for a fill up and got directions to the 9 south to #2 highway to Spokane.  At Maryville though I headed back to the I5 in hope of finding a  place to stay the night.  At the Best Western Tulalip the delightful girl said she had no vacancy and had been calling around all evening only to find there was no vacancy between Seattle and Bellingham.  I’d found that before on a weekend.  It’s a popular vacation stretch.

Fortified with Starbucks cold americano coffee “two shots” in a can I headed on.  It was pretty exciting doing the freeway through Seattle to finding the I90.  I stopped for gas and had a Macdonald’s burger with fries.  That’s when I was cold and zipped in the rest of the jacket making it cozy warm.

No vacancy at the next three places I checks, other motels with no vacancy signs.  

I almost decided to camp near the summit here feeling really tired.The gravel road turned me off though with a bike I couldn’t pick up if I dumped it.  Back on the freeway I headed up to the Summit where there was a sign for Summitt Inn. There was a great nearly full moon all the way along with bright stars and forest smells all around.

I’d been reading Proof of Heaven, by Alexander, the neurosurgeon who had gram negative meningitis and a near death experience at the Macdonalds on my Iphone Kindle. It’s just so moving.

I was really thankful to find this Inn and now I’m going to shower and get out on the road again. I’ve 250 miles to go to Spokane and would like to get there by the afternoon when the Harley dealership is still open.  

Jan. 20, 2013

I'm exhausted happily in the luxurious Mirabeau Park Hotel and Convention Centre, Spokane Washington. I've been eating great steak brought by room service. My motorcycle is down below the room in the parking lot. It's alarmed. I was at Lone Wolf Harley Davidson Dealer earlier today. It was a 250 mile ride.  I recorded a bit of it on the Hero 3.  I enjoyed a few of the rest stops. At Moses Lake I decided to drive into town. I vaguely thought of having breakfast and found the Alano Club by surprise. A god moment. Good folk. I definitely needed 'soul food'.  

I enjoyed listening to Steve Bell's music. I was even dancing in the seat when I put on Joni Mitchell's song Carrie. Reminded me I'd been near where she wrote that upbeat song in Crete.  
It's really critical that one stays focus motorcycling especially on the long flats.  Still I think. I reflect. Mostly I'm focussed on the road, looking about a bit at the surroundings, watching out for cars passing.  Today I thought about all the girls I'd know. They really were all perfect angels. Life is sacred and definitely the girls are an example of angels on earth. I'm very grateful for my family and friends too.  Lots of great guys in my life too. I've been really blessed.  I'm very thankful. It's hard not to be grateful when life finds you barrelling across Washington on a great sunny hot day on a great motorcycle. 
 I loved the prairies and wheat and corn fields.  Great variety of dry summer territory.  I'm enjoying the ride. Morning the temperature was great but by the afternoon it was really hot.  I was glad to get into Spokane.  250 miles. I left Summit Hotel at 730 am and took an hour off arriving in Spokane at 2 30 pm.  The plan is to do 500 miles in a day. I'm working up to it.  Great terrain.  Great Harley.  Fun summer riding.