Tweet
Last Friday, I decided it was time for a real ride on my bike. I was going to ride down to Kelso, then out to Astoria, then back along the north side of the Columbia River. However, after paying rent and taking care of other errands, I ended up not leaving until 2:00 p.m. I'd knew I'd be hitting heavy rush hour traffic before I got out of Olympia. I decided to stop at the Harley dealer in Tacoma to get some new gloves. I found a nice pair for a reasonable price, then looked around for a Nightster. It turns out they're extremely hot right now. The salesman I was talking to said this is the first time ever that they've cut back on their allocation of Big Twins so they can get more Sportsters. I don't think anyone's going to be getting a Nightster below list price any time soon.
Despite the rush hour traffic, I made good time to my first stop for gas in Chehalis. I rode through Kelso to the Lewis and Clark Bridge.
At the time of it's completion in 1930, it was the longest and tallest cantilever bridge in the world. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, who also designed the Golden Gate Bridge. Surprisingly, there were almost no sidewinds crossing the bridge. The ride west on US30 in Oregon was fun. I made sure to take all the little sideroads that said "Old Highway 30", since those are the fun roads. Old concrete sections of road, patched, repaired and patched again, with a few houses along them, they twist and turn and test the bike's suspension. They aren't conducive to making good time, but they're a lot more fun than the "new" sections of US 30 that just cut straight through the countryside. Once I hit Oregon, a thin layer of clouds moved in off the coast, and it was enough to drop the temperature by 20 degrees. It was after 6:00 p.m. by the time I made it to Astoria. I looked for a good place to grab a burger. As I rode under the Astoria Bridge, I saw a little bar called the "Mary Todd's Workers Bar and Grill." That sounded interesting, so I decided to stop there. The only problem was that it was on the wrong side of the road. I had to ride across the causeway to Warrenton before I could find a place to turn around and go back. If I had started a few hours earlier, I would have included a stop at the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale. Next time.
Mary Todd's Workers Bar and Grill is a small but cozy bar under the bridge. I ordered the Workers Cheeseburger. It's a huge concoction with ham, bacon and an egg. The whole meal set me back $9.00, but it was worth it. The waitress was a big, friendly woman with a laugh like a horse braying and she calls everyone "hon'." It was clear from the regulars that they liked her and her bar. When she brought me my burger, she asked, "Where are ya ridin' from?" "Seattle." "Where ya ridin' to?" "Seattle. I just came here to have a burger and ride across the bridge." I got a good hearty horse laugh from her. I tipped her well.
The picture of the Astoria Bridge is taken from my seat in the bar. The white building across the street is the Suomi Finnish Brotherhood Hall. Scandinavian heritage is everywhere in Astoria. To get on the bridge, you have to ride up a long 360 degree onramp that's nearly a half mile long. It's so the road can gain enough elevation to cross well over the southern side of the Columbia River. The majority of the 4 mile long bridge is over a causeway. Once back in Washington, I turned east. There was one more bridge on my itinerary.
The Grays River covered bridge is the only covered bridge still in use in Washington. I'd seen it once before, but I wanted to get a picture of it. Fortunately, despite the sun now being very low on the horizon and the cloud cover, I got there in time to get a good picture. What you can't see in the picture is an old dog who came running from the farm next to the bridge. He stood in the middle of the road and barked and barked at me. Each bark, he'd creep a little closer and a little closer. He was right up to me by the time I was ready to leave. I think he just wanted me to know this was his bridge.
The rest of the ride back to Kelso was fun with plenty of twists and turns. I was caught between the desire to really attack the road and having to conserve my fuel, since I was getting pretty low. Fortunately, a gas station in Cathlamet solved the fuel worries. Once back in Kelso, the only thing left was to get home. 100 miles of dull, cold freeway riding, punctuated only by a stop for gas in Fife to end my day. My little afternoon on the bike ended up being 400 miles in 9 hours.
I learned a few things on that ride. I need to cut my hair. It's going to take me ages to get all the knots out of my ponytail. My seat is only good for about 45 minutes, and then I start to squirm. I guess 28 year old foam has it's limits. My back can't take that much riding. I was almost entirely wiped out by the time I got home. Just reaching down to pick up my boots almost killed me. I love long fast sweepers. The bike lays over and stays there, and I can really enjoy myself. I also look really cool to the people who are coming in the other direction (at least I think I do, and that's almost the same thing). Bikes are as good as dogs when it comes to conversation starters. Everywhere I stopped, someone would come up to me and ask about the bike. A little fat middle-aged guy at the bar in Astoria told me he used to ride Yamaha motocrossers in the '70s. A guy in Cathlamet said his dad used to ride an XS Eleven. At all the rest stops, there were other bikers taking a break and they were all happy to talk bikes. I think this was probably the first time in a decade or more that this bike saw sustained 80+ mph speeds. The lower handlebars are perfect for those kinds of speeds. This bike is a locomotive in the power department. Strong and utterly relaxed, even at extra-legal speeds. Finally, when I was riding, especially on the long dull stretch home, I was cold and my back was aching and I was just wanting it to be over. But as soon as I got home and off the bike, I couldn't help thinking "Man, that was fun. I can't wait to do it again."
Despite the rush hour traffic, I made good time to my first stop for gas in Chehalis. I rode through Kelso to the Lewis and Clark Bridge.
At the time of it's completion in 1930, it was the longest and tallest cantilever bridge in the world. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, who also designed the Golden Gate Bridge. Surprisingly, there were almost no sidewinds crossing the bridge. The ride west on US30 in Oregon was fun. I made sure to take all the little sideroads that said "Old Highway 30", since those are the fun roads. Old concrete sections of road, patched, repaired and patched again, with a few houses along them, they twist and turn and test the bike's suspension. They aren't conducive to making good time, but they're a lot more fun than the "new" sections of US 30 that just cut straight through the countryside. Once I hit Oregon, a thin layer of clouds moved in off the coast, and it was enough to drop the temperature by 20 degrees. It was after 6:00 p.m. by the time I made it to Astoria. I looked for a good place to grab a burger. As I rode under the Astoria Bridge, I saw a little bar called the "Mary Todd's Workers Bar and Grill." That sounded interesting, so I decided to stop there. The only problem was that it was on the wrong side of the road. I had to ride across the causeway to Warrenton before I could find a place to turn around and go back. If I had started a few hours earlier, I would have included a stop at the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale. Next time.
Mary Todd's Workers Bar and Grill is a small but cozy bar under the bridge. I ordered the Workers Cheeseburger. It's a huge concoction with ham, bacon and an egg. The whole meal set me back $9.00, but it was worth it. The waitress was a big, friendly woman with a laugh like a horse braying and she calls everyone "hon'." It was clear from the regulars that they liked her and her bar. When she brought me my burger, she asked, "Where are ya ridin' from?" "Seattle." "Where ya ridin' to?" "Seattle. I just came here to have a burger and ride across the bridge." I got a good hearty horse laugh from her. I tipped her well.
The picture of the Astoria Bridge is taken from my seat in the bar. The white building across the street is the Suomi Finnish Brotherhood Hall. Scandinavian heritage is everywhere in Astoria. To get on the bridge, you have to ride up a long 360 degree onramp that's nearly a half mile long. It's so the road can gain enough elevation to cross well over the southern side of the Columbia River. The majority of the 4 mile long bridge is over a causeway. Once back in Washington, I turned east. There was one more bridge on my itinerary.
The Grays River covered bridge is the only covered bridge still in use in Washington. I'd seen it once before, but I wanted to get a picture of it. Fortunately, despite the sun now being very low on the horizon and the cloud cover, I got there in time to get a good picture. What you can't see in the picture is an old dog who came running from the farm next to the bridge. He stood in the middle of the road and barked and barked at me. Each bark, he'd creep a little closer and a little closer. He was right up to me by the time I was ready to leave. I think he just wanted me to know this was his bridge.
The rest of the ride back to Kelso was fun with plenty of twists and turns. I was caught between the desire to really attack the road and having to conserve my fuel, since I was getting pretty low. Fortunately, a gas station in Cathlamet solved the fuel worries. Once back in Kelso, the only thing left was to get home. 100 miles of dull, cold freeway riding, punctuated only by a stop for gas in Fife to end my day. My little afternoon on the bike ended up being 400 miles in 9 hours.
I learned a few things on that ride. I need to cut my hair. It's going to take me ages to get all the knots out of my ponytail. My seat is only good for about 45 minutes, and then I start to squirm. I guess 28 year old foam has it's limits. My back can't take that much riding. I was almost entirely wiped out by the time I got home. Just reaching down to pick up my boots almost killed me. I love long fast sweepers. The bike lays over and stays there, and I can really enjoy myself. I also look really cool to the people who are coming in the other direction (at least I think I do, and that's almost the same thing). Bikes are as good as dogs when it comes to conversation starters. Everywhere I stopped, someone would come up to me and ask about the bike. A little fat middle-aged guy at the bar in Astoria told me he used to ride Yamaha motocrossers in the '70s. A guy in Cathlamet said his dad used to ride an XS Eleven. At all the rest stops, there were other bikers taking a break and they were all happy to talk bikes. I think this was probably the first time in a decade or more that this bike saw sustained 80+ mph speeds. The lower handlebars are perfect for those kinds of speeds. This bike is a locomotive in the power department. Strong and utterly relaxed, even at extra-legal speeds. Finally, when I was riding, especially on the long dull stretch home, I was cold and my back was aching and I was just wanting it to be over. But as soon as I got home and off the bike, I couldn't help thinking "Man, that was fun. I can't wait to do it again."
Comment