Tahoe by Harley

I have never taken a road trip quite like this. Ken and his friend Jess have ridden motorcycles all over the U.S. since they were in high school, and every year as adults they rent bikes and go on a road trip. This year they rented Harley Ultra Classics and brought the girls along (that is, me and Rene, Jess's wife, mother of 4!). This motorcycle is really comfortable, has a seat with a backrest for the passenger, a wind faring in front, and a stereo system you can actually hear while riding.



The engine is air-cooled, so it can get rather hot for the driver. I was cool as a cucumber on my perch.

We spent two days traveling down to Tahoe through a range of weather conditions and scenic environments. We usually rode for about 2 hours then stopped for fuel, waters, and meals. We left rainy Seattle on Friday morning and headed east over Snoqualmie Pass to Yakima, were it was warm and dry.


Yakima River

This area is part of the Columbia plateau, a wide flood basalt basin between the Cascades and Rockies, resulting from ten million years of lava flows and subsidence.

Two hours on the motorcycle flies by like a dream. The scenery is beautiful, the ride is exhilarating, and the feeling of being in the world while traveling through it is wonderful.

We left the main highway in Pendleton and headed down scenic 395 South through Pilot Rock and Ukiah.


Countryside south of Pilot Rock


Wind turbines in the Blue Mountains (image borrowed from Wikipedia)

The Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon were awash in the gorgeous glow of a brilliant orange sunset. The rolling hills became cut by canyons, and the winding road took us to the top edges where the views were incredible. A fire in some distant woodland tossed particles and ash high in the sky, making the evening sun appear gloriously orange, red, and enormous.

We were trying to make it to the town of Burns down in Harney Basin (who ever heard of such a name?), but dusk brought out numerous deer and we decided to stay over in the town of John Day, Oregon. Most everything was closed by the time we rolled slowly into town after dark, so we had a dinner of turkey sandwiches at a local bar where forestry firemen smoking cigarettes played pool. Everything seems heightened after being on a motorcycle all day, so the beer was extra-cold, the sandwiches extra-filling, and the beds extra-comfortable. After a night's rest, we're ready to hit the road!


Ken, me, Rene, and Jess