Your dad only turns 80 once...

[Tor-King]

From what you described The town of Hope sounds like Cicily on that TV show Northern Exposure.

If you can remember back as far as 1982, First Blood (Rambo) was filmed in Hope.

Wow, Cap'n Ron, I am really enjoying reading about your trip.  I am very jealous but am living vicariously through you!

Thanks for investing the time. It has been very much appreciated,

Dean

[Capn Ron]

From what you described The town of Hope sounds like Cicily on that TV show Northern Exposure.

Located that one also on a motorcycle ride one find afternoon while looking for a slice of apple pie and coffee. Always a sucker for good apple pie.....
George

Just love the small towns!  There's a town east of San Diego that's famous for their Apple Pie.  It's called Julian and is up in the mountains...just a perfect destination drive in the Roadster or ride on the FJ...Can take in Palomar Mountain on the way there or back.  At the end of the day, though...it was all about the apple pie!   

Cap'n Ron. . .

[Capn Ron]

Forth Leg, Day 23: Hope, BC to Port Angeles, WA (585 km/364 miles)

I have been riding across Canada for 23 days now...seeing some amazing places, meeting some of the nicest, friendliest people anywhere...taking in the miles and the experiences has been nothing short of wonderful.  Thank you Canada!!!  



Today will be the day I finally reach Vancouver Island!  I would have liked to spend some time getting to know the city of Vancouver, but I had a ferry to catch!  I got to the ferry terminal well before my departure time, but it was packed!!  I queued up and the first ferry was full.  While I was waiting for the next ferry, I got some food...played Frisbee with some other folks waiting...and met two policemen who were also motorcycle riders that lived on the island.  They told me a lot about the terrain and some good rides.  We commiserated about riding in all the rain and parted ways once we got across the Strait of Georgia.

We docked in Nanaimo and my only task was to not hold anyone else up on this busy ferry route.  I got the bike ready well ahead of landing and rode up the street and hung a right.  I pulled off at a gas station to get a grasp of my day and where I might like to ride.  Being an island, I would normally like to ride its entire coastline.  Unfortunately, Vancouver Island doesn't really work that way...There is a main artery going up the east coast and then spurs that go over to the west coast.  Any exploring on my part would be an out-and-back affair.  As much as I wanted to ride out to the west, the weather was coming in again...  This ended up being my ride for the day:



I worked my way along some very picturesque coastal roads all the way up to Courtenay and was considering a run over to Gold River.  Then the rain started.  Okay...I give up.  I hated the thought of leaving the country with the conclusion that Canada=Rain, but maybe I can catch the last ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington.  I pulled a u-turn and headed south with a purpose.  I rode around Victoria looking for the ferry terminal and got there as they were closing the gate!!!  Being on a motorcycle, they let me through and I just made the last ferry out!  

I secured the FJ in the bow the best I could...There were no deck cleats on this ship and just some rope and a wooden wedge to stuff under the bike to keep it stable.  I was a little nervous with this setup, but it did just fine.  Top tip:  If you're touring by motorcycle through Canada, you WILL end up on a ferry eventually...eight of them in my case...bring your own ratchet straps that you're comfortable with.  



Feeling good about the bike below decks, I took a shot as we pulled out of Victoria:



We started making good headway and I was sad to be leaving Canada:



Up ahead of us was Port Angeles, Washington and the mountains in the background are part of Olympic National Park...just beautiful!



The sun was setting as I was about to cross the international border and I talked a couple into taking the last picture of me in Canada!



I can't say enough good things about my time in Canada...but I got a bit emotional returning to the United States...



We pulled into Port Angeles as it was getting dark...I found a hotel in town for the night.  It was an emotional day...nearly 400 miles...two countries...dodging weather...leaving behind all the friends I made in Canada.  You will be missed.  

I've never spent any time in Washington outside of the Seattle airport.  I'm really looking forward to tomorrow!

Cap'n Ron. . .

[CanDman]

Ron....on behalf of all us Canadians I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for such a warm and affectionate display ...of not only your heart ........but the Beauty and Majesty this land holds in all of her children. I am humbled by such an amazing adventure and inspired by your courage and a desire to experience the essence of what the real Canada is all about. I am convinced beyond any measure of doubt, that your great nation was founded and forged by the spirit of adventure and the souls of the brave. I am personally honored to share this great continent with the best brothers and neighbors the world has ever know. God Belss America....God Bless Canada.......  
Can(a)D(a)man         

[Capn Ron]

Cheers my brother to the north...well said!   

Cap'n Ron. . .

[Capn Ron]

Fifth Leg, Day 1: Port Angeles, WA to Aberdeen, WA (208 miles)

So today is my first day back in the states after more than three weeks in Canada.  Things are immediately more familiar...the speed limits are in miles per hour, there is no thinking about exchange rates, my breakfast was under $6 and fuel is delivered in gallons instead of litres! (at about 25% less cost)...nice!

I want to go explore the state of Washington a bit...My first thought is to ride the coast along the Pacific Ocean.  Turns out that Canada doesn't have exclusive rights to rainy weather!  There are storms to the west, so I'm heading inland!  My ride today looked like this:



One of my favorite wineries is in Woodinville, WA...I looked up their address, plugged it into my CoPilot App and off I went!  Of course...between me and a fine glass of wine was another body of water that I had no choice but to cross by ferry!!!  This is becoming a habit!  I arrived at the Kingston to Edmonds ferry terminal just in time to see the ferry pull away, so I had a little time to kill.  I walked around the marina enjoying the sailboats and the peaceful harbor:



Fast forward around forty minutes and I was loaded up on the ferry for my crossing (I promise...this is the LAST ferry on my trip!):



I found my way to the Chateau Ste Michelle winery and was looking forward to a flight of wine to taste!



The grounds are amazing!  Built on an original 1912 Washington estate, the winery's roots date back to the repeal of prohibition.



I quickly sorted out that there was a winery tour about to start, so I jumped in on that...There was a lot of history on Washington's founding winery, information on what grape varietals were grown in different parts of the state, an in-depth look at the process of bottling and a little background on barrels and their influence on the final product:



At the end of the tour, we were given four wines along with a beginner's lesson on what to look for while tasting.  I thought this was very well done as most people feel intimidated on their first visit to a winery.  Don't be shy...belly up...and find something that suits your palate!  I moved on to a full flight of wines and found a few I enjoyed.  The girl pouring my wine keyed into my "daily-drinker" preference for a buttery-oakey Chardonnay (I'm drinking one as I write this! ).  She let me know that they were clearing out 2008 Ethos Chardonnay by the case to make room for the 2011 vintage.  I bought two cases and had them shipped to the house.  As a side note after tasting these at the house, I should have purchased four cases!!!  

I also took time to pick through some of their other varietals:



I bought a few bottles to stuff in the Givi cases for the coming days and got on my way.

The weather was clearing up, so I headed out to the coast.  I ended up in Aberdeen, WA for the night.  Today was a great day of riding...getting to experience a bit of Washington...tasting some amazing wines...and I'm just generally happy to be back on American soil!

The weather report looks great for tomorrow...I should be able to do a coast run!  

Cap'n Ron. . .

[Capn Ron]

Fifth Leg, Day 2: Aberdeen, WA to McMinnville, OR (210 miles)

I woke up this morning in Aberdeen, WA...just 1,100 miles from home.  I could easily knock that out in three days without breaking a sweat and this adventure of a lifetime would quietly come to an end.  While talking to my girl, I found out she was flying out to Utah to visit family in seven days and she'd like me to go with her.  Hmmm...So, let see if I have this correct.  I could rush through the last leg of this trip to get home to Los Angeles...then get on a plane to fly to Utah?



Why don't I just spend some more time on the road and ride the motorcycle to meet her in Utah!!!



So, that's the plan...I now have an entire week to go just 900 miles!!!  Since I now had days to burn, I called my sister in Boise, Idaho and planned a visit with her on the way to Utah...In the meantime, I have more of the coastline to explore!  My ride today looked like this:



I'm working my way down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) in Oregon...



I'm definitely taking my time and taking in all the beauty that is the west coast of the U.S.:



Just gorgeous!  The sun is shining, it's warm and it's a perfect day to be out riding the FJ!!!  I started thinking about something fun to see in Oregon...I know they are highly regarded for their Pinot Noir wines, so some more wine tasting is a possibility...hey, wait a minute...I got thinking that the Howard Hughes-built "Spruce Goose" got moved up here somewhere.  It used to be in Long Beach until around the time my FJ was built, but I missed it.  With a little research, I found that it's in an aeronautical museum in McMinnville, OR...so that's my plan for the day!  I put that town in my navigation app and continued south along the coast.  On my way, I pulled off for some cheese!  



This is the Tillamook cheese plant in...you guessed it...Tillamook, OR.  If you look at that picture above, you'll see the front wheel of a Harley.  He pulled into the parking lot right behind me with his wife on the back.  As she was securing the bike, he saw my touring setup and probably my California license plate.  He said enthusiastically, "Hey there...I see you're a motorcycle touring guy too...we rode here all the way from Arizona...put almost twenty-four hundred miles on this trip so far...How about you??"  I looked at my odometer so I could be accurate and said, "Ummm...Just under fifteen thousand miles so far."  He said, "Oh...I didn't mean how many miles were on your bike, I meant how many miles on this trip you're on?"  I said, "Yeah...I'm nearing fifteen thousand miles this trip."  He just nodded, said, "Oh" with a confused look and walked away...I couldn't tell if he just couldn't process that number or he thought I didn't understand his question.  Either way, I was hungry for some cheese!  



They had entire assembly lines cranking the stuff out and huge vats of cheddar in the making:



These are those Costco-sized blocks of medium cheddar that I always keep on hand...Mmmm...this is making me hungry for a quesadilla!



Having had my fill of good Tillamook cheese (they had a sampling room!!!), I got back on the road.  I followed the coastline south for a while and saw this very cool looking squiggly road due east to McMinnville.  I put it in my navigation app and it routed me WAY around this road.  I even dragged my route in the app to include this road and it tried to work another way around it.  Hmmm...I finally kept dragging my route line enough that it did the calculations and off I went.  The road was amazing!  Perfect pavement through rolling hills, horse farms, then forests, then alongside a river for quite a while...then...it turned to dirt...then to mud...then to loose gravel!  Now I know why the nav was trying to steer me away from it.  I kept plugging on...albeit slowly and eventually got to the other end and some pavement.  I clearly disagreed with the navigation app this time...it was the PERFECT route!

I got to McMinnville by around 5:00pm and the local winery tasting rooms were closing up.  One winery suggested a place in the old downtown section that was open until 8:00pm, so off I went!  I was there for a couple of hours tasting wine.  I knew that the Willamette Valley of Oregon is well known for their Pinot Noirs, and found a winner in this tasting room!



Almost every wine was a Pinot!  When you taste just one varietal from several wine makers...and from several different vineyards, you really get to know that varietal.  If you're looking to get to know your Pinot Noirs, Willamette Valley is a darned good start!

I got a hotel room in town for the night and plan on getting to the aeronautical museum in the morning!  I only did 210 miles today, but I'm not in any sort of hurry...Besides, my day was filled with riding PCH along the coast of Oregon and tasting wine and cheese.  What more do you want out of a day?  

Cap'n Ron. . .

[simi_ed]

--snip-- My day was filled with riding PCH along the coast of Oregon and tasting wine and cheese.  What more do you want out of a day?  

Cap'n Ron. . .

Bastard! 

[FJmonkey]

--snip-- My day was filled with riding PCH along the coast of Oregon and tasting wine and cheese.  What more do you want out of a day?  

Cap'n Ron. . .

Bastard! 

+1   

[FeralRdr]

Fifth Leg, Day 2: Aberdeen, WA to McMinnville, OR (210 miles)

.....

Having had my fill of good Tillamook cheese (they had a sampling room!!!), I got back on the road.  I followed the coastline south for a while and saw this very cool looking squiggly road due east to McMinnville.  I put it in my navigation app and it routed me WAY around this road.  I even dragged my route in the app to include this road and it tried to work another way around it.  Hmmm...I finally kept dragging my route line enough that it did the calculations and off I went.  The road was amazing!  Perfect pavement through rolling hills, horse farms, then forests, then alongside a river for quite a while...then...it turned to dirt...then to mud...then to loose gravel!  Now I know why the nav was trying to steer me away from it.  I kept plugging on...albeit slowly and eventually got to the other end and some pavement.  I clearly disagreed with the navigation app this time...it was the PERFECT route!

Sounds like somebody found Nestucca River Road. 

Just so that you know, there is a paved detour around the gravel section. 

[~JM~]

You are somewhat in my backyard. If you need any tools or garage time, your welcome to stop by. My schedule is real flexible & I'm available most any time. 

I'm about 17 miles east of the 205 & I-84 interchange. My zip is 97060. Just send me a PM & I'll send you my contact info.

Sounds like you are having a great time!

~JM~

[Capn Ron]

Sounds like somebody found Nestucca River Road. 

Yep!  That's the road!!!  I loved it...

Just so that you know, there is a paved detour around the gravel section. 

Ohhh so NOW you tell me!     Actually, I enjoyed the challenge of the road.  Sometimes being forced to slow down makes you take a look around at things you would have surely missed.

Cap'n Ron. . .

[Capn Ron]

Fifth Leg, Day 3: McMinnville, OR to Redmond, OR (156 miles)

My intention today is to get over to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum here in McMinnville.  It was just a few miles from the hotel and I got an early start.  I spent WAY more time at the museum than I intended, but it was THAT good!  My day's ride ended up looking like this:



As a bit of background, I'm a bit of a plane nut.  I attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL where I was surrounded by planes and people who knew about everything there was to know about planes.  By this point in my life, I have been to more aeronautical museums than most sane people and was really just intending to see the "Spruce Goose" and get on to more riding.  There is plenty written about the amazing life of Howard Hughes and even a few movies on the man...What I wanted to see was his famous 800-ton H-4 Hercules flying boat...the "Spruce Goose."



These are shots of its one and only flight over Long Beach Harbor in 1947...just a few miles from where I have my sailboat.



I pictured the museum as a large building and the H-4 with a few other planes to look at...boy was I wrong!!!  This museum was quite an eye-opener.  The property is huge...there were three enormous buildings and the sign actually said something to the effect of "Wings and waves waterpark."  Waterpark???   Huh?  So, I started walking around and saw this:



For the observant aeronautical buff, that's a Boeing 747 on the roof of a building!!!  If you take a closer look:



They have turned it into a giant waterslide!  Whaaaat?? 

I stayed mostly in the main building, where they had the most amazing and often rare planes on display.  A Ford Tri-motor:



Restored to the same state that air passengers would have experienced it back in the late 1920's!!!



They had plenty of polished war-birds:



Modern aircraft like the F-15 and drones:



A Lear Jet on static display:



An extremely rare 1957 Hiller XROE-1 Rotorcycle (one of only 12 ever produced):



And a beautiful example of the much admired Douglas DC-3!!!



What a great plane that is with a nearly 100-foot wingspan!!  Now, if you take a second look at that picture above, you might pick up that it is parked UNDER the wing of the "Spruce Goose"!!!  You almost can't get a grasp of how huge this plane is:





I was able to manage a private tour of the flight deck:



The shear number of controls and crew required to fly such a plane boggles the mind:



This is the pilot's seat:



Where Howard Hughes himself famously flew the plane for one mile about 70 feet above the water of Long Beach Harbor:



I was honored to be able to put my hands on the same eight throttle controls and yoke as the great Mr. Hughes:



I felt like I was a tiny part of aviation history. 

There was a third building that is an Aerospace museum...complete with lunar rovers, entire rockets, Russian launch vehicles and the like.  I spent nearly the entire day there and knew that I left so much more to see.  If you're even remotely interested in flight, the museum is a must see!

I got on the road and ended up in Redmond, OR for the night.  No other reason than it's on my way towards Boise, ID and it was getting dark.  What a great day!!! 

Cap'n Ron. . . 

[Capn Ron]

You are somewhat in my backyard. If you need any tools or garage time, your welcome to stop by. My schedule is real flexible & I'm available most any time. 

I'm about 17 miles east of the 205 & I-84 interchange. My zip is 97060. Just send me a PM & I'll send you my contact info.

Sounds like you are having a great time!

~JM~

Mighty kind of you JM!!   

Next time I'm in the area, I might just take you up on that!

Cap'n Ron. . .

[rktmanfj]

You are somewhat in my backyard. If you need any tools or garage time, your welcome to stop by. My schedule is real flexible & I'm available most any time. 

I'm about 17 miles east of the 205 & I-84 interchange. My zip is 97060. Just send me a PM & I'll send you my contact info.

Sounds like you are having a great time!

~JM~

Back in the heyday of the old Yahoo Group, we had a directory of kind-hearted members who were willing to offer such help.