| Author | Message | ||
     Mikej |
You now know where the saying "if you don't like the weather just wait five minutes" came from. As Jerry mentioned above, a ferry boat ride is worth doing. The Kingston ferry is another nice boat ride, long enough to relax, and there's a neat bicycle shop just up the road within walking distance from the ferry dock. I'm not sure how long you're going to be there, reading the above notes/posts you're either leaving Seattle today or next week Monday. Either way keep having a great trip. And when in Oregon, if you like cheese, stop at the Tillamook cheese factory on the Oregon coast. And in case anyone ever says you smell like you've been on the road too long, just stop in at the Sea Lion caves not far from Tillamook.  And one warning, if the weather is nice, be carefull about sitting by a marina on Puget Sound looking out at the San Juan Islands, gives one ideas about retirement. | ||
| Ulywife |
Jim & Rebecca - hope you two had a great time together in Seattle. Can't wait to hear all about your trip when you return. Safe travels to both of you. GO NANCE GO!  | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Cali Folks - Where are the fires? http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=37&post=997167#POST997167  | ||
| Reindog |
Not my intention to highjack this thread but the fire situation is bad in San Diego. We are packed and ready to evacuate but I think we will be OK. Several of my friends are in a zone of mandatory evacutation and have already left. Hopefully, they are drinking by now. It is 10:30 AM and it looks like late afternoon . Since I last posted, things have deteriorated as the air is smoky and ash is falling in the backyard. The sun is blood red and looks eerie. The press conference just said that 250,000 people have been evacuated. The tv just televised a burning house with ammunition going off! All in all, Seattle is looking pretty, pretty good on this morning. | ||
| Ulywife |
Just talked to Jim, he's about 200 miles north of California and has to be at work tomorrow! Rebecca is on a plane heading home to NC. Jim will post tonight when he gets settled in. GO NANCE GO!! | ||
| Mikej |
Wow, didn't give much time for the Seattle moss to grow under his toes. Is he taking the coastline south or roughly following I-5 and planning on hitting the Siskyous? | ||
| Ezblast |
Wow - he still has over 700 miles to go! Its going to be a long day for him! GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Pa47 |
Great stuff Jim. Congratulations on your journey thus far. I've got to hand it to you...you've got guts. But don't be trying to outdo Court's 31 days. That might be guts AND nuts?! In any case, you've certainly got the whole Buell community pulling for you. I know I'm on the edge of my computer waiting for your return trip. Have fun & be safe! P.S. I'm afraid when you get back to Raleigh, your commute to work might seem a little "boring". | ||
| Ram |
Just talked to Jim. He's about 100 miles out of his destination. He's going to have some dinner and ride on into where he'll be staying for the next week. He said it's a lot warmer in Cali. It was cold in Seattle this morning with a wicked whistling wind. | ||
| Dbird29 |
That guy definitely has an iron Butt! | ||
| Diablobrian |
Yeah, Jim is really making the most out of this opportunity to hit the road on his bike. I get a little more jealous every day reading the reports. I wouldn't mind taking some time to chase horizons on my bike. Hopefully the opportunity will present itself to me and I will recognize it for what it is when it comes. | ||
| Jlnance |
I'm in my hotel.  It would have helped if I actually remembered where Mountain View was. | ||
| Denisea |
Talk about a whirlwind of a trip! Good on you Jim. Rest up (while you're back to w*rk) and have a safe journey home next week. | ||
| Ezblast |
Hey Jim - Mountain View is close to me - lol - see you Thursday! GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Ulywife |
Glad you found your hotel! Post updates when you can. | ||
| Jlnance |
I left Seattle at 6:15 am yesterday. I decided to take I-5 all the way, even though Ferris had warned me that it sucked as a road. It turned out to be pretty decent, particularly around the CA/OR border.   Not too shabby huh? I suspect the boring part was what you hit after you get more into CA, but it was dark by then, so I didn't have to suffer through anything. Speaking of CA, it sure was nice to cross the border. I got to turn off the heated gear, take off the facemask, and enjoy the sights and smells of CA. I made decent time down to I-80 and then couldn't decide whether to take 680 or 880. I took 880, and it was the wrong choice. It gets here, but it adds a few miles. Then it didn't exactly go through Mountain View, so I ended up sitting outside a starbucks doing Google maps stuff at 10:30 PM when I would have much preferred to be sleeping. But I did get checked into my hotel and get some good sleep. After 16 hours on the bike I needed it. It stops being fun after about 12. I rode in this morning and my Bosses Boss was getting out of her car as I pulled up.  She was the one who asked my boss if I could have the time off to come out here. During the course of our conversation it came up she didn't ask for the time off for me to get home.  Gary, I'm taking next week off.  (Message edited by jlnance on October 23, 2007) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
what the hell does Ferris know. | ||
| Jlnance |
Ferris just has high standards ;) | ||
| Jlnance |
BTW, Mt. Shasta is breathtaking. Have you ever been up on it? | ||
| Mikej |
Neat stuff. If you'd of had more time you could have swung a west at the rest stop by the Klamath river crossing and headed over to the coast along the winding river road with limited gas stations. Shasta Lake is nice to drive along, the Siskyous can be fun. Glad you didn't hit any early season snow or ice on I-5, and none of the Great Valley fog once you got down the hill into California. You did stop and buy gas in Weed, didn't you? Garry Trudeau would be mad if you didn't.  | ||
| Ulywife |
Gary, I'm taking next week off. Does Gary read BadWeB? If not, he'll figure it out soon enough! what the hell does Ferris know. I'm sure more than he lets on! | ||
| Jlnance |
Is weed the place with the mountain that looks like a volcano sitting by the road? Actually I think it may be a volcano. I did see weed and thought it was a funny name. | ||
| Mikej |
The place with the volcano mountain is probably the town of Mount Shasta and the mountain is probably either Mount Shasta itself or Little Shasta. Weed is north of there, just a little roadside town, exits south and north of town, roads north either follow I-5 or the trucker's route up to Klamath Falls in Oregon if the weather in the Siskyous is bad or snowed in. | ||
| Jlnance |
It's Black Butte:  | ||
| Firemanjim |
Very cool,Jim.You went right by me. I am stuck in Vallejo at the firehouse cuz we sent 5 guys down to the southland fires. But I did have a nice visit with Don Casto as he was passing through headed to Oregon. He timed it perfect and got to jump on the engine and go to a couple of calls with us. He brought his camera so should have some good pics to post. What is your itinerary? | ||
| Jlnance |
I remember going through Vallejo, I was thinking "They have a Buell dealer here." I didn't know I should have been thinking "I could get a ride on a fire truck." I need to firm up my Itinerary. I know that I'm leaving here Saturday morning. I'd like to ride through Death Valley and make it to either Vegas or preferably Flagstaff. I want to see the Grand Canyon. Then I'll head south east through New Mexico and into Texas. I've got friends in Austin, so I'd like to pass through there. | ||
| Jlnance |
I planned the route last night. I should be home on Thursday. I haven't exactly worked out the stops, but thats probably good. I'm not sure how much time I want to spend at the Grand Canyon, and I have a slack day built into that schedule, so if I want to do more than look over the rim, it won't affect the schedule.  I'm going to EZ Blast's tonight to change th e oil. It actually sounds like a sweet deal. He told me I can ride his Blasts while he changes my oil. Ed was a machinist mate in the Navy. I was not. The service will be much better if I let him do it. | ||
| Ezblast |
Also he will be visiting America's second oldest motorcycle club - the SFMC - hope you brings a camera to take pics - EZ | ||
| Buellfighter |
Am enjoying the trip Jlnance, thanks. | ||
| Sportymark |
Don't sell yourself short Jim, you have become quite the mechanic since the time I first met ya....Hell there is a blast torn down in your garage! |
