In Bridgeport (I think), I spot this old girl at the roadside - any guesses for make/model/year?
1964 Mercury Montclair four-door sedan.
Time to travel again...
- Thread starter MikeO
- Start date
1964 Mercury Montclair four-door sedan.
So, after posting today's update, I thought I'd wander outside and see what restaurants there were in the area. Steve, on reception, recommended the Iron Skillet in the casino (natch) that adjoined the hotel - and highly recommended the Pork Chop dinner...
On stepping out of the front door, it was immediately apparent that the smoke had got worse. You could taste and smell woodsmoke, and the sun...
...was a pale orange disk which you could look at without squinting...
Earlier, when I'd been charming Gail into letting me check in early, I'd met AJ, who's a member of Leathernecks Motorcycle Club - active or retired members of the USMC. He said a few of his 'bros' will be joining him later, and to look out for them and say hello. On hearing I was ex-RAF he said he was sorry to hear about the Queen passing away. I thanked him and asked him about the flags at half-mast everywhere. He confirmed this was out of respect for the Queen - I'm rather touched by that...
Anyhow - these must be their bikes in the car park in front of the hotel...
Anyway, I wander over to the Iron Skillet...
...past innumerable gaming machines and through a thick fug of tobacco smoke. In Nevada, smoking indoors is permitted so long as food is not being served in that area...
I say hello to AJ and his 'bros' (and at least one 'sis'), but they are just finishing their meals, so I get a separate table. You can see them, wearing their distinctive 'cuts' up near the counter in this pic...
As suggested by Steve the receptionist, I order the Pork Chop Dinner, which starts with a salad...
...before the main event turns up - two breaded, deep-fried pork chops with a 'smothered' baked potato...
All washed down with lemonade, natch...
Eventually I stopped eating and lumbered over to the desk to pay Paula, the delightful septuagenarian who had served me. I noticed these - probably ought to carry some in the first aid kit...
I stagger back to the hotel, stuffed to the gills, pausing only to check that the Adv is safely in place...
...gave a thumbs up and a grin to Steve, then got into...
...Schindler's Lift, and repaired to my room...
On stepping out of the front door, it was immediately apparent that the smoke had got worse. You could taste and smell woodsmoke, and the sun...
...was a pale orange disk which you could look at without squinting...
Earlier, when I'd been charming Gail into letting me check in early, I'd met AJ, who's a member of Leathernecks Motorcycle Club - active or retired members of the USMC. He said a few of his 'bros' will be joining him later, and to look out for them and say hello. On hearing I was ex-RAF he said he was sorry to hear about the Queen passing away. I thanked him and asked him about the flags at half-mast everywhere. He confirmed this was out of respect for the Queen - I'm rather touched by that...
Anyhow - these must be their bikes in the car park in front of the hotel...
Anyway, I wander over to the Iron Skillet...
...past innumerable gaming machines and through a thick fug of tobacco smoke. In Nevada, smoking indoors is permitted so long as food is not being served in that area...
I say hello to AJ and his 'bros' (and at least one 'sis'), but they are just finishing their meals, so I get a separate table. You can see them, wearing their distinctive 'cuts' up near the counter in this pic...
As suggested by Steve the receptionist, I order the Pork Chop Dinner, which starts with a salad...
...before the main event turns up - two breaded, deep-fried pork chops with a 'smothered' baked potato...
All washed down with lemonade, natch...
Eventually I stopped eating and lumbered over to the desk to pay Paula, the delightful septuagenarian who had served me. I noticed these - probably ought to carry some in the first aid kit...
I stagger back to the hotel, stuffed to the gills, pausing only to check that the Adv is safely in place...
...gave a thumbs up and a grin to Steve, then got into...
...Schindler's Lift, and repaired to my room...
Good stuff.
Did you manage to find out what all the smoke was about?
Did you manage to find out what all the smoke was about?
https://www.iqair.com/usa/nevada/reno
reno and surrounding have been having wildfire problems
https://eu.rgj.com/story/news/2022/...ous-levels-wcsd-classes-canceled/10375711002/
mosquito fires they called it
hope it doesnt spoil your enjoyment too much mike
Filled up with Gas in Klamath Falls in June, en route San Diego to Bend on a Gov't Mule Run, down to Reno, then Vegas after Bend, bush fires around ABQ and Santa Fe, then got charged £2.50 for roving charges in Mexico, never went to Mexico, about a mile and a half away on the Phoenix to San Diego road, cheeky buggers !
Saturday 17th September 2022
I sleep really well - perhaps a bit too well, as I wake at just after 0800. Today is going to be busy, so I quickly shower and dress, then empty the right hand (larger) pannier and make my way downstairs to the Adv. I have asked for a late checkout (noon), so I need to get my skates on...
As I follow Betty's directions to Stead Field (through a labyrinthine set of roadworks), I'm pleased to see the visibility has improved since yesterday evening...
I'm at the airfield in about 20 minutes and I park the Adv in a spare slot in the road, thus saving $20...
I wander up to the entrance, where the eTicket I have on my phone (bought one rainy day in the spring in the UK), is scanned and I am branded with an aeroplane on the inside of my right wrist...
I walk straight up to the flight line, where there are some excellent exhibits.
I should probably note, at this time, that - if you don't have an interest in aircraft (or old cars), you might want to go and have a cup of tea rather than reading on...
Shame this Firefly has the covers on. I'm not sure whose it is. I'm pretty sure the Royal Naval Historical Flight's one was lost in a fatal accident at Duxford 20 or so years ago. Anybody know?
Next to it is this beautiful two-seater Sea Fury...
...and further back, a Harvard (T6) and an Avenger, with its wings folded in its unique way...
...but my heart belongs to this gorgeous Albatross. In another lifetime (as a lottery winner - natch) I could picture flying around the world in one of these...
*sigh*
Moving on...
I get my Pit Pass eTicket scanned and the wristband just fits around my wrist. I walk down into the pit area...
I don't know if this old RV moves during the year, but it has had this same parking space every time I've been here...
Look at that. The clue that it's not a real P51 Mustang is the size of it, compared with the chap stood by the nose. It's a kit-plane, made by ScaleWings and is a 70% scale replica...
There's no mistaking the real thing...
But there are far more than Mustangs here - like this Corsair, looking ungainly with its flaps down. The odd 'bent' wing shape is to allow for the diameter of the massive airscrew it needed...
Used to great effect in the Far East during the mid-century unpleasantness, if you are after a great book to read on Fleet Air Arm Ops with the Corsair, I can thoroughly recommend Carrier Pilot, by Norman Hanson - great read
Next door, another Naval fighter, the Bearcat. Built just at the end of the war, they were actually on carriers heading for Japan when peace broke out...
Like the Sea Fury, the Bearcat represents the peak of piston-engined fighter development - but they were all made immediately obsolete by the dawn of the jet age. Bearcats used to race and win here regularly, but I've not seen one in competition in the few years I have been visiting Reno...
The 'Unlimited' (warbirds) class is getting ready to get airborne for a heat - I like the leather jacket hung on the pitot tube...
I don't have a camera with a long lens with me, so I'm not going to attempt any flying shots. In fact, all pics in this report not taken on my iPhone have been taken on one of my Canon S100s...
I have five of them with me
My cameras get a hard life and do well to last a couple of years (although there has been a hiatus in use during Covid). The method of failure is generally a reluctance for the lens to extend, accompanied by a message about the failure. This can nearly always be cured by opening the battery door and closing it again...
The second type of failure is for the lens to refuse to retract. To all intents and purposes, the camera is then scrap - hence my having a number with me. I do have a chap (in Israel, of all places) that can clean and fix them at a decent price, but I usually send him four or five to make the postage worthwhile...
Sorry - I'm not altogether sure what this is - any ideas? It looks like it started itself as a Lockheed Electra or similar?
EDIT Correctly identified by PapaDontPreach on ADVrider
I guess if I won the lottery today, something like this would probably suit me. I'm such a sucker for amphibians...
This is probably the way to arrive here, isn't it?
They are putting the aircraft away after the biplanes heat. I can't get the image out of my mind that they're parents clearing up their kids' toys...
Plenty still to see, but I'm checking my watch. This is a King Cobra - the engine mounted behind the pilot and the airscrew driven by a prop-shaft between the pilot's legs. Unusually for a WWII fighter, it has a tricycle undercarriage. Apparently, the Soviet Union pilots loved them (according to Chuck Yeager's biography)...
There are more P51s than any other type here...
Although T6 Harvards come a close second...
So, here's something interesting. At first sight it looks like an early (razorback) Mustang - but it has a three-bladed prop...
...but it turns out to be an XP51 restored with an Allison V12 engine...
I've only been here an hour and a half, but I decide to head back to the hotel. I've really screwed up the timing of this trip - normally the Air Races are in the first week of September and I foolishly booked flight dates without checking first.
Unless I want to do the whole distance to Portland in one hop tomorrow, I need to get moving...
I move back up towards the gate...
...past dozens of stalls selling every type of food...
...and these things. They go underwater for a bit and then leap out of it...
...this is a two-seater. They are made by SeaBreacher.. I remember watching their video when they launched it. I'd had enough by the end of the video. Why would you want to do this time and again? Hey-ho - to each his own...
I return to the bike and ride back to the hotel. I tell Gail behind the desk that I'm going to have a spot of breakfast and then be back to check out - it's around 1100...
I wander over to the Iron Skillet, where the charming Leilani, offers me breakfast delights...
I text my mate Adrian in the UK a pic of the menu, saying I was thinking about the Long-Haul Breakfast - what did he think? He was so incensed at having to choose between bacon and sausage - when breakfast should clearly have both, that he was unable to decide.
I decided to order it...
One of the conceits of the Iron Skillet, is that it presents your meals on a skillet. The irony (see what I did there?), is that the skillets are aluminium/aloominum...
With the aid of plenty of coffee (with milk - although it was brought in a glass) - and a glass of lemonade, for hydration purposes, the breakfast, which was delicious, went down quite quickly...
I pay my bill and walk over to the hotel. I'd left the AC on cool whilst eating, so I'm quite comfortable as I load everything into its correct place for the penultimate time. I soon have the trolley loaded, and push it out to the bike...
I've lost the front strap for the Airhawk thing - no matter, it's still quite secure. I get kitted up and motor over to the filling station that is a part of the whole casino/hotel complex and fill up with Super at $5.50 per gallon. I make my way out onto the Freeway at about 1210 and set off towards Klamath Falls, some 280 miles distant...
It is a beautiful day, and I notice that the visibility has improved markedly, even compared with my visit to Stead Field earlier...
There's still some smoke in the air, but the spectators are likely to be able to clearly see everything in the circuit now...
The Adv's happily running along at 70mph (4k in 6th)...
...the temperature is perfect and I'm really enjoying the ride...
I stick on the Interstate for 80 miles or so, then Betty turns me off onto the splendidly named Termo Grasshopper Road...
...which turns out to be my old mate the US395 North...
I enter the small town of Lichfield, and come across a treasure trove of old American metal...
Lots of points to be had here for correct make/model/year...
OK - not so many points for this one
Some unusual stuff, though...
Aaron, the (photo-shy) owner, is happy for me to wander about and snap away...
I wonder how many of these will actually reach a state of at least running-restoration...
I'm not a pick-up truck chap - but I liked this...
Seems like the front and rear glass on some of these might be a problem - or can you get stuff easily?
Pretty sure I know this one.
In fact, unless they have sold them, there are a couple of these on the north exit from Klamath Falls...
Someone has written 'Best One' on the passenger window of this...
There are loads more cars - if I had time, I could happily spend a couple of hours exploring here...
I give my thanks to Aaron and set off once again. The short walk has been as good as a rest, and I feel great as I continue north...
Although there is poor visibility in the direction I'm headed, I'm more concerned about the sudden temperature drop and cloud formation behind me...
Aha!
I start moving into better visibility, and the sun even makes an appearance...
Deer.
They are the reason I don't want to be travelling late this evening. Having hit one in 2006, I'm firmly of the mind that a rifle, not a BMW, is the weapon of choice for hunting them...
The road's great - I almost have it to myself, and the miles fly by...
Over to the west, though, the storm clouds are open for business. There's no need for that, is there?
I stop for fuel near Bieber - 190 miles into the trip and still feeling 100%. The pump has a bit of a brain-fart and asks me for my ZIP code. I wander in to the lady on the till and she says "Type in 90210". I said "Like in the TV show?"; she said "Yep" - and do you know what? It worked...
I set off again, with the rainclouds now behind me, feeling tip-top.
I think one of the reasons the Adv has been behaving so well since Mammoth Lakes, is that I've been riding with a tail wind, or at least a large tail-wind component, which makes life on a bike smoother and quieter (and more economical)...
The miles seem to click down very quickly...
...but the temperature is definitely dropping slowly, as evening draws in...
Pretty soon, I am arriving in Klamath Falls...
...and checking into my huge room (with kitchen and Jacuzzi)...
...and parking for the bike directly outside the window...
I unpack the bike, then wander over to the filling station across the road. I buy a six pack of Modelo - and find their cooler is unserviceable...
I start typing this evening's update with a glass of beer with ice-cubes in it - whilst the other five bottles chill in the fridge.
My last night in an hotel this trip - and a great day...
I sleep really well - perhaps a bit too well, as I wake at just after 0800. Today is going to be busy, so I quickly shower and dress, then empty the right hand (larger) pannier and make my way downstairs to the Adv. I have asked for a late checkout (noon), so I need to get my skates on...
As I follow Betty's directions to Stead Field (through a labyrinthine set of roadworks), I'm pleased to see the visibility has improved since yesterday evening...
I'm at the airfield in about 20 minutes and I park the Adv in a spare slot in the road, thus saving $20...
I wander up to the entrance, where the eTicket I have on my phone (bought one rainy day in the spring in the UK), is scanned and I am branded with an aeroplane on the inside of my right wrist...
I walk straight up to the flight line, where there are some excellent exhibits.
I should probably note, at this time, that - if you don't have an interest in aircraft (or old cars), you might want to go and have a cup of tea rather than reading on...
Shame this Firefly has the covers on. I'm not sure whose it is. I'm pretty sure the Royal Naval Historical Flight's one was lost in a fatal accident at Duxford 20 or so years ago. Anybody know?
Next to it is this beautiful two-seater Sea Fury...
...and further back, a Harvard (T6) and an Avenger, with its wings folded in its unique way...
...but my heart belongs to this gorgeous Albatross. In another lifetime (as a lottery winner - natch) I could picture flying around the world in one of these...
*sigh*
Moving on...
I get my Pit Pass eTicket scanned and the wristband just fits around my wrist. I walk down into the pit area...
I don't know if this old RV moves during the year, but it has had this same parking space every time I've been here...
Look at that. The clue that it's not a real P51 Mustang is the size of it, compared with the chap stood by the nose. It's a kit-plane, made by ScaleWings and is a 70% scale replica...
There's no mistaking the real thing...
But there are far more than Mustangs here - like this Corsair, looking ungainly with its flaps down. The odd 'bent' wing shape is to allow for the diameter of the massive airscrew it needed...
Used to great effect in the Far East during the mid-century unpleasantness, if you are after a great book to read on Fleet Air Arm Ops with the Corsair, I can thoroughly recommend Carrier Pilot, by Norman Hanson - great read
Next door, another Naval fighter, the Bearcat. Built just at the end of the war, they were actually on carriers heading for Japan when peace broke out...
Like the Sea Fury, the Bearcat represents the peak of piston-engined fighter development - but they were all made immediately obsolete by the dawn of the jet age. Bearcats used to race and win here regularly, but I've not seen one in competition in the few years I have been visiting Reno...
The 'Unlimited' (warbirds) class is getting ready to get airborne for a heat - I like the leather jacket hung on the pitot tube...
I don't have a camera with a long lens with me, so I'm not going to attempt any flying shots. In fact, all pics in this report not taken on my iPhone have been taken on one of my Canon S100s...
I have five of them with me
The second type of failure is for the lens to refuse to retract. To all intents and purposes, the camera is then scrap - hence my having a number with me. I do have a chap (in Israel, of all places) that can clean and fix them at a decent price, but I usually send him four or five to make the postage worthwhile...
Sorry - I'm not altogether sure what this is - any ideas? It looks like it started itself as a Lockheed Electra or similar?
EDIT Correctly identified by PapaDontPreach on ADVrider
I guess if I won the lottery today, something like this would probably suit me. I'm such a sucker for amphibians...
This is probably the way to arrive here, isn't it?
They are putting the aircraft away after the biplanes heat. I can't get the image out of my mind that they're parents clearing up their kids' toys...
Plenty still to see, but I'm checking my watch. This is a King Cobra - the engine mounted behind the pilot and the airscrew driven by a prop-shaft between the pilot's legs. Unusually for a WWII fighter, it has a tricycle undercarriage. Apparently, the Soviet Union pilots loved them (according to Chuck Yeager's biography)...
There are more P51s than any other type here...
Although T6 Harvards come a close second...
So, here's something interesting. At first sight it looks like an early (razorback) Mustang - but it has a three-bladed prop...
...but it turns out to be an XP51 restored with an Allison V12 engine...
I've only been here an hour and a half, but I decide to head back to the hotel. I've really screwed up the timing of this trip - normally the Air Races are in the first week of September and I foolishly booked flight dates without checking first.
Unless I want to do the whole distance to Portland in one hop tomorrow, I need to get moving...
I move back up towards the gate...
...past dozens of stalls selling every type of food...
...and these things. They go underwater for a bit and then leap out of it...
...this is a two-seater. They are made by SeaBreacher.. I remember watching their video when they launched it. I'd had enough by the end of the video. Why would you want to do this time and again? Hey-ho - to each his own...
I return to the bike and ride back to the hotel. I tell Gail behind the desk that I'm going to have a spot of breakfast and then be back to check out - it's around 1100...
I wander over to the Iron Skillet, where the charming Leilani, offers me breakfast delights...
I text my mate Adrian in the UK a pic of the menu, saying I was thinking about the Long-Haul Breakfast - what did he think? He was so incensed at having to choose between bacon and sausage - when breakfast should clearly have both, that he was unable to decide.
I decided to order it...
One of the conceits of the Iron Skillet, is that it presents your meals on a skillet. The irony (see what I did there?), is that the skillets are aluminium/aloominum...
With the aid of plenty of coffee (with milk - although it was brought in a glass) - and a glass of lemonade, for hydration purposes, the breakfast, which was delicious, went down quite quickly...
I pay my bill and walk over to the hotel. I'd left the AC on cool whilst eating, so I'm quite comfortable as I load everything into its correct place for the penultimate time. I soon have the trolley loaded, and push it out to the bike...
I've lost the front strap for the Airhawk thing - no matter, it's still quite secure. I get kitted up and motor over to the filling station that is a part of the whole casino/hotel complex and fill up with Super at $5.50 per gallon. I make my way out onto the Freeway at about 1210 and set off towards Klamath Falls, some 280 miles distant...
It is a beautiful day, and I notice that the visibility has improved markedly, even compared with my visit to Stead Field earlier...
There's still some smoke in the air, but the spectators are likely to be able to clearly see everything in the circuit now...
The Adv's happily running along at 70mph (4k in 6th)...
...the temperature is perfect and I'm really enjoying the ride...
I stick on the Interstate for 80 miles or so, then Betty turns me off onto the splendidly named Termo Grasshopper Road...
...which turns out to be my old mate the US395 North...
I enter the small town of Lichfield, and come across a treasure trove of old American metal...
Lots of points to be had here for correct make/model/year...
OK - not so many points for this one
Some unusual stuff, though...
Aaron, the (photo-shy) owner, is happy for me to wander about and snap away...
I wonder how many of these will actually reach a state of at least running-restoration...
I'm not a pick-up truck chap - but I liked this...
Seems like the front and rear glass on some of these might be a problem - or can you get stuff easily?
Pretty sure I know this one.
In fact, unless they have sold them, there are a couple of these on the north exit from Klamath Falls...
Someone has written 'Best One' on the passenger window of this...
There are loads more cars - if I had time, I could happily spend a couple of hours exploring here...
I give my thanks to Aaron and set off once again. The short walk has been as good as a rest, and I feel great as I continue north...
Although there is poor visibility in the direction I'm headed, I'm more concerned about the sudden temperature drop and cloud formation behind me...
Aha!
I start moving into better visibility, and the sun even makes an appearance...
Deer.
They are the reason I don't want to be travelling late this evening. Having hit one in 2006, I'm firmly of the mind that a rifle, not a BMW, is the weapon of choice for hunting them...
The road's great - I almost have it to myself, and the miles fly by...
Over to the west, though, the storm clouds are open for business. There's no need for that, is there?
I stop for fuel near Bieber - 190 miles into the trip and still feeling 100%. The pump has a bit of a brain-fart and asks me for my ZIP code. I wander in to the lady on the till and she says "Type in 90210". I said "Like in the TV show?"; she said "Yep" - and do you know what? It worked...
I set off again, with the rainclouds now behind me, feeling tip-top.
I think one of the reasons the Adv has been behaving so well since Mammoth Lakes, is that I've been riding with a tail wind, or at least a large tail-wind component, which makes life on a bike smoother and quieter (and more economical)...
The miles seem to click down very quickly...
...but the temperature is definitely dropping slowly, as evening draws in...
Pretty soon, I am arriving in Klamath Falls...
...and checking into my huge room (with kitchen and Jacuzzi)...
...and parking for the bike directly outside the window...
I unpack the bike, then wander over to the filling station across the road. I buy a six pack of Modelo - and find their cooler is unserviceable...
I start typing this evening's update with a glass of beer with ice-cubes in it - whilst the other five bottles chill in the fridge.
My last night in an hotel this trip - and a great day...
1952 Plymouth Cranbrook 4 Door Sedan
Quattroformaggio
Registered user
Great photos thank you.
Small correction...
What you called an Airacobra (P-39) is actually the later and larger P-63 Kingcobra.
Small correction...
What you called an Airacobra (P-39) is actually the later and larger P-63 Kingcobra.
Great photos thank you.
Small correction...
What you called an Airacobra (P-39) is actually the later and larger P-63 Kingcobra.
Thanks - I’ll amend it…
Wonder why I am not seeing the photos or spacing for them on my iPad in Cyprus?
Great pics and the 395 north into NorCal is a lovely road and it's great riding area often missed.
My iPad in the UK often fails to display the photos.
I put it down to the age (rather old) of the iPad.
Works fine of the iMac which is what I normally use.
I'm in Crete. If I use the hotel's wifi I get no pictures, if I use my mobile phone as a wifi tethering hotspot I get photos.
But when I'm in the UK there are some club members photos that I can't see on any device on any type of WIFI connection. I just assume God doesn't want me to look at those particular pics..
Sunday 18th September 2022
Overnight rain - bugger!
I check the weather radar - big storm heading in from the south - but I can keep ahead of it if I get my skates on...
More later...
Overnight rain - bugger!
I check the weather radar - big storm heading in from the south - but I can keep ahead of it if I get my skates on...
More later...
I hadn't slept particularly well, despite the vast bed being very comfortable and the effects of six bottles of Modelo. Although my room is at the furthest part of the motel from the street, it is the main road into Klamath Falls. At 0130 some wanker was revving a loud V8 and doing donuts in the street, by the sound of it. They then raced up and down the street a bit, which wasn't conducive to good sleep.
When I do eventually surface, it is to the unpleasant surprise of it having rained overnight. The weather radar shows a large storm in Northern California heading north, hence my decision to get away heading north as soon as possible, to keep ahead of it.
I quickly shower and dress, ram everything into anywhere it will fit (in other words, completely normal packing routine
) and load the bike up. I'm setting off into a dull, cool (55F) morning at 0850 heading north on Oregon 58...
Traffic is pretty dense, and will remain so for the rest of the trip. I've got about 90 miles on the trip meter and 280 miles to run today, so my plan is to make tracks north, then stop somewhere for breakfast and a refuel in about 100 miles or so...
It's actually pretty chilly, and I zip up the vents in my jacket for the first time this trip...
To my left, the clouds over the Cascades Mountains are open for business. I want none of that and keep a weather eye (literally) in the mirror to see if anything is forming behind me. The Adv is once again in its comfort zone of 70mph...
I really like these Airstream trailers - an iconic art-deco design, and still being made...
It's trying to clear up and get warmer, but it's still a dull and cool day...
Blue sky makes an appearance, but I'm not fooled...
A watery sun breaks through behind me...
...and my choice of dark face shield is validated at last...
At just after 1100, I pull over in the small town of Chemult to refuel and have some breakfast. In Oregon, fuel is pumped for you - it's a state law. Motorcyclists are exempt. I put my card into the pump, enter my pin and get the OK, when the pump attendant comes over and says something to me. I can't hear what she's saying (I have earplugs in), and have actually lifted the nozzle when I realise it is green - diesel...
In my defence, UK pumps have green nozzles for petrol and black for diesel - the exact opposite of the USA. The diesel nozzle is oversize anyway, so there would have been another "Eh?"
moment to save me...
I paddle the bike back to the pump behind and fill up with Supreme at $5.39 per gallon.
I see a sign saying EAT over the road, atop a café I vaguely remember being to before, so ride over and park up...
When I walked in, I didn't recognise anything, and had clearly been thinking of somewhere else.
I decide on the "John Brown", as I drink the weak coffee served by the chap who's clearly the owner. He's having a conversation with the only two other patrons - both soldiers in fatigues...
The food was delivered to my table in such an offhand manner, you'd think I'd offended him. It was mediocre at best and, for the first time this trip, I don't leave a tip.
The entire time I was eating, the conversation between the three individuals centred on how good Trump had been for the USA...
I leave the cafe with no regret and head north west, to intercept Interstate 5, the unexciting, but easily ridden, way to Portland from here.
The road has warnings of firefighting affecting traffic for 40 miles or so. To begin with, the only evidence of this is the signs.
The clouds over the cascades are edging towards the road, but the rain does no more than lightly freckle the front of my gloves...
I'm soon through it and into the blue sky on the far side - this will turn out to be the only untoward weather of the day (or - indeed - of the trip
)...
This road is the Cascades Scenic Byway, and in good weather is a gorgeous ride...
I have an hour and a half of one of those (increasingly rare) rides where I am completely 'in the zone'. Speeding - sure - but overtakes are immediately on, due to good visibility (and positioning), and I doubt I could have ridden the mileage any faster...
Goodness knows what the owner of this car is trying to achieve - but I knew it wasn't a genuine police vehicle from half a mile away...
The smoke starts suddenly and I can taste it as I ride onward. This is a beautiful part of the byway, as the road follows the lake's edge, but the scenery is lost in smoke...
One last bridge before the Interstate...
And here we are - Interstate 5 which will take me straight to Portland and my proxy home...
Pretty soon the weather brightens and the sun comes out...
Traffic slows to a crawl for about 15 minutes. All caused, it seems, by people rubber-necking at a minor prang. So naturally I took a picture...
I have noticed these really clear, full colour signs giving estimated times to destinations. The pic, of course, does what the human eye can't, and sees that the LED board is continually flashing all of its information, and so you can only see part of it...
Pretty soon, I'm turning off at the splendidly named Terwilliger Boulevard and heading into South Portland...
I fill up for the final time at the Shell station just down the road from Jorge's house...
...and a few minutes later, ride up Jorge's driveway, to see him and Aster sitting on the step waiting for me - he's been tracking my progress using the Air Tag I have in my passport wallet...
Apologies for the crappy pic...
2247 miles. Great trip.
Jorge helps me get the gear off the bike and inside the house - Aster grudgingly acknowledges my presence...
I sit out on the deck with Jorge for a while and decompress - it has been a long fortnight. Soon it'll be time to unpack and use his laundry, pack stuff away and so on, but for now, it's nice to enjoy the peace and quiet...
When I do eventually surface, it is to the unpleasant surprise of it having rained overnight. The weather radar shows a large storm in Northern California heading north, hence my decision to get away heading north as soon as possible, to keep ahead of it.
I quickly shower and dress, ram everything into anywhere it will fit (in other words, completely normal packing routine
Traffic is pretty dense, and will remain so for the rest of the trip. I've got about 90 miles on the trip meter and 280 miles to run today, so my plan is to make tracks north, then stop somewhere for breakfast and a refuel in about 100 miles or so...
It's actually pretty chilly, and I zip up the vents in my jacket for the first time this trip...
To my left, the clouds over the Cascades Mountains are open for business. I want none of that and keep a weather eye (literally) in the mirror to see if anything is forming behind me. The Adv is once again in its comfort zone of 70mph...
I really like these Airstream trailers - an iconic art-deco design, and still being made...
It's trying to clear up and get warmer, but it's still a dull and cool day...
Blue sky makes an appearance, but I'm not fooled...
A watery sun breaks through behind me...
...and my choice of dark face shield is validated at last...
At just after 1100, I pull over in the small town of Chemult to refuel and have some breakfast. In Oregon, fuel is pumped for you - it's a state law. Motorcyclists are exempt. I put my card into the pump, enter my pin and get the OK, when the pump attendant comes over and says something to me. I can't hear what she's saying (I have earplugs in), and have actually lifted the nozzle when I realise it is green - diesel...
In my defence, UK pumps have green nozzles for petrol and black for diesel - the exact opposite of the USA. The diesel nozzle is oversize anyway, so there would have been another "Eh?"
I paddle the bike back to the pump behind and fill up with Supreme at $5.39 per gallon.
I see a sign saying EAT over the road, atop a café I vaguely remember being to before, so ride over and park up...
When I walked in, I didn't recognise anything, and had clearly been thinking of somewhere else.
I decide on the "John Brown", as I drink the weak coffee served by the chap who's clearly the owner. He's having a conversation with the only two other patrons - both soldiers in fatigues...
The food was delivered to my table in such an offhand manner, you'd think I'd offended him. It was mediocre at best and, for the first time this trip, I don't leave a tip.
The entire time I was eating, the conversation between the three individuals centred on how good Trump had been for the USA...
I leave the cafe with no regret and head north west, to intercept Interstate 5, the unexciting, but easily ridden, way to Portland from here.
The road has warnings of firefighting affecting traffic for 40 miles or so. To begin with, the only evidence of this is the signs.
The clouds over the cascades are edging towards the road, but the rain does no more than lightly freckle the front of my gloves...
I'm soon through it and into the blue sky on the far side - this will turn out to be the only untoward weather of the day (or - indeed - of the trip
This road is the Cascades Scenic Byway, and in good weather is a gorgeous ride...
I have an hour and a half of one of those (increasingly rare
) rides where I am completely 'in the zone'. Speeding - sure - but overtakes are immediately on, due to good visibility (and positioning), and I doubt I could have ridden the mileage any faster...
Goodness knows what the owner of this car is trying to achieve - but I knew it wasn't a genuine police vehicle from half a mile away...
The smoke starts suddenly and I can taste it as I ride onward. This is a beautiful part of the byway, as the road follows the lake's edge, but the scenery is lost in smoke...
One last bridge before the Interstate...
And here we are - Interstate 5 which will take me straight to Portland and my proxy home...
Pretty soon the weather brightens and the sun comes out...
Traffic slows to a crawl for about 15 minutes. All caused, it seems, by people rubber-necking at a minor prang. So naturally I took a picture...
I have noticed these really clear, full colour signs giving estimated times to destinations. The pic, of course, does what the human eye can't, and sees that the LED board is continually flashing all of its information, and so you can only see part of it...
Pretty soon, I'm turning off at the splendidly named Terwilliger Boulevard and heading into South Portland...
I fill up for the final time at the Shell station just down the road from Jorge's house...
...and a few minutes later, ride up Jorge's driveway, to see him and Aster sitting on the step waiting for me - he's been tracking my progress using the Air Tag I have in my passport wallet...
Apologies for the crappy pic...
2247 miles. Great trip.
Jorge helps me get the gear off the bike and inside the house - Aster grudgingly acknowledges my presence...
I sit out on the deck with Jorge for a while and decompress - it has been a long fortnight. Soon it'll be time to unpack and use his laundry, pack stuff away and so on, but for now, it's nice to enjoy the peace and quiet...
Great stuff. That restaurant certainly likes to throw apostrophes about, and why did any mention of eggs get an asterisk?
Excellent Mike .... excellent 
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing
Some great pics as usual.
The BMW Z8 Alpina....wow. (565 made)
Add 000 to that number and that is what it is likely to be worth. Z8 is a lovely looking car, I have been admiring them ever since Pierce drove it in The World Is Not Enough. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times Ive seen one in person.
Similar threads
