New Roads, New Places

DAY 1

It's getting harder to find new roads and places I haven't ridden in the Northwest.  I had that problem after I lived in California for 30 years, but being retired, it's happening sooner in the Northwest.  Nevertheless, I came up with a ride plan for Carolyn and I that would get us to some of both (new roads and places).  The original plan was to visit Patrick and see how he is doing.  Remember we stayed over in their area near Boise for a week last winter to help them move into their new house after Patrick broke his feet in an accident.  We heard he is up and walking now, but the timing for a visit didn't work out.  Patrick and his family are in Texas visiting Tracy's mom. 

So, let's just do the new roads and places and have a ride together, just Carolyn and I.  The new road was to be Oregon hwy 245, over in eastern Oregon.  This road is also called the Dooley Mountain road, and also called "Oregon's Dragon" after the famous "Tail of the Dragon" in North Carolina that I rode last year on my Grand Tour. With a nickname like that it just had to be curvy.   But first we had to get there, so we just finished a 307 mile day to John Day. 

It's always nice to have my co-rider with me.  The pace is slower and the level of caution is higher, but that is made up for with chit-chat, getting a chance to check out the scenery, and nights not spent alone.  Here she is ready to ride:

We traveled mostly on hwy 26 from west of Sandy, and passed through Prineville, where we saw this old ivy covered courthouse

Here is sort of what it looks like when riding, from Carolyn's point of view:

It's early summer and the bugs are out in force.  Here I am cleaning my face shield during a break:



One of the very cruious sights we saw along the way was this "shoe tree" that was at least 50 miles from any town:







This tree was tall, too.  It would be very difficult to throw the shoes up to the higher branches.  Maybe they had some kind of man-lift like the utility companies use.  Strange stuff, and not just in Portlandia. 

We took a break and had a drink at Dayville.  This is the place where I finally got gas and got my bike running again last year after my problems on the first day of my Grand Tour.  No problems with the bike now.  The new fuel pump cured the ills.

Tonight we are staying in the John Day Best Western......not where I stayed last year.  Carolyn and I have a deal when we travel.  I buy the gas and food and she buys the lodging.  That way she doesn't have to stay in the kind of dumps I choose.  A win-win for sure.