Winds of Change

As many of you already know, the last 7 weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and change, all beginning with an unlikely meeting online. I won't lie, getting out of my comfort zone and driving to High Level to meet her in person was a little scary. That first coffee date I was as nervous as I've been in a long time, and I've been told that the feeling was mutual. Despite the nervousness the two of us chatted non-stop for around 3 hours, though I'd be hard pressed to recall a single thing that was said. As we parted ways she informed me that she'd like to see me again, a feeling I shared. I do remember feeling happy on the drive home, glad that the two of us had taken the chance to meet in person. Over the next few weeks we managed a few more dates despite busy summer schedules.

A little less than 3 weeks after first meeting, Leona and I were officially dating, the whirlwind continuing. The days after making our relationship official brought many questions to the surface, fear and panic coming in waves at times. I was happy and content being single, having all but decided that I was going to remain that way for the rest of my life. There were many times I was ready to throw in the towel and go back to my comfort zone, but there was something about her that made me want to get to know more about her. After so much time spent alone over the years I wasn't sure how I'd adjust to having a girlfriend, and though it's taken some getting used to, I've enjoyed having someone to share some of my life with. I know that I would survive being single again but the thought of going back doesn't look like a fun prospect. No matter what I've felt at times, she makes me happy and that says a lot.

The schedule has felt busy compared to what I'm used to, but it's been a breath of fresh air in my life. I've met all of her family members now, some of her church family, and some friends. She's met all of my family as well, and they all really like her (which doesn't really surprise me, she's pretty awesome). The thought of meeting her family was a little nerve wracking, but they are great people who have made me feel totally at ease. They are easy going, down to earth, easy to talk with, and fun loving people. If any of her family reads this, know that I've really appreciated how accepting you have been, and spending time with all of you has been fun!

She's smiling on the first bike ride with me, that's a pretty big deal!

Leona and I have been dating for a month now, mostly spending time together on weekends and countless hours on the phone during the week. I feel like a teenager again, looking forward to weekends and spending time with her. She is intelligent, feisty, fun loving, pretty, has a big heart, sincere, and loves Jesus. I don't know how a girl with all those great qualities was single, but I feel blessed that God brought her into my life. Thank you for making me feel special every time we are together Leona, and for awakening parts of me that have been buried for a long, long time. Hopefully you can say the same. I kinda like you, think I'll keep you around for a while longer;-)

IBA SaddleSore 1600K (Sit, Twist, Refuel, Repeat)

After monitoring the weather for the last few days of the work week, I decided Friday that I was going to make my third attempt at the Iron Butt ride. Completing the ride safely was obviously a high priority, and with the daylight hours quickly growing shorter now, it made sense to not put it off any longer. With a start witness secured (thanks for getting up at 4am Dad, it means a lot to me), I made a few preparations and then went to bed at 8pm. I'll have all the food and drinks I need with me on the bike all day, minus maybe a dinner stop if I get hungry for real food. It took awhile to fall asleep, thoughts of the breakdowns lingering, but I finally fell asleep. This means I won't be playing in the La Crete Open golf tournament for the first time in six years, but I would have sucked there anyway I'm sure!

I was out of bed at 3:45am, feeling good and ready to do the ride today. I knew I was ready, and deep down I knew the bike was as well. It was time to prove that both man and machine could complete the challenge. The morning preparations were minimal, and by 4:30am I was on my way to fill up the fuel, get my start receipt, and then ride. Dad was already at the gas pumps when I arrived, witnessing my start time. We did our business, he said a short prayer, and then I was off, official start time of 4:36am.

Start photo

The weather was absolutely frigid this morning, and it was still dark, only a faint sliver of dawn on the horizon. In town it was around +3C but as I rode I saw my air temperature gauge drop down just a hair above 30F. It's safe to say I've never been colder on the bike than this, and I though I dressed too warmly!

Still about a half hour to go before sunrise

As the daylight finally started breaking I saw that I was going to experience a beautiful morning riding. I stopped twice, both short ones, between the La Crete and Red Earth, the second stop one where I needed to get some blood flowing to warm up. After getting gas in Red Earth I was kept riding south, stopping once to empty the bladder and warm up a little, and stopping for gas in Slave Lake. I ate my first food since breakfast here, just a granola bar.

The temperature was very slow in climbing up throughout the morning, and being chilled to the bone probably didn't help either. In Westlock defensive riding helped me avoid a low speed incident, a vehicle making a left turn "didn't see me". Thankfully I saw it coming and was able to carry on. Before I knew it I was in Acheson, the furthest south I'd ride today. The hours and miles had been melting away, and now I'd get around 450km or so of divided highway that should help me get to the 1,000km mark on a good pace.

I should add that the IBA doesn't condone speeding or reckless riding, but rather promotes efficiency when both riding and planning. With that in mind, I rode just a little quicker than the average pace of traffic, never going more than 20km/h over the speed limit. I had vehicles pass me numerous times, proving that I wasn't really speeding that much. Keeping the wheels rolling and the stops short and efficient helped me get through the ride in good time.

The stretch from Acheson to Clairmont was great, and pulling into the pumps in Clairmont I was still just over a 100km/h overall pace. I was surprised by how fast the miles and time were going by, I thought it would be more of a grind today than it was. That included a 20 minute stop in a rest area to eat an apple and a packet of salted peanuts at 1:00pm. I did a small fist pump when I passed the location where my ride ended five weeks ago.

My first decent break at 1pm, first time I took the helmet off

Pulling out of Clairmont at 4pm meant I had lots of time to complete the 570km or so that I had left, and it meant I'd spend minimal time riding in low light conditions. It looked like there was rain coming to the Grande Prairie area, not sure if it did rain there, but minus a few random drops I missed any precipitation there.

Riding into Grimshaw I felt that it was time to take another break. I felt myself zoning out a little too much, so I stopped for a bacon cheeseburger and soft drink. This would be my last food of the day. I never really felt hungry, and certainly didn't want to sit on the bike with a full stomach.

A little south of Manning I passed my sister-in-law Chrissy, who was heading south. Her hand waving out the window put a smile on my face, thanks for that sis! The Mackenzie Highway has some pretty rough stretches north of Grimshaw, and I'd been dreading it a little all day. It wasn't as bad as anticipated, though the bumps of the day were adding up by now. Reckless driving by another motorist again put me in a bad spot just north of Grimshaw, leaving me shaking my head. I was passed on a double solid line, at an intersection, and the driver cut back into my lane with about three feet between my front wheel and her back bumper, after I already was slowing down. Apparently the driver of the SUV didn't have patience to wait, and missed the vehicle turning into the on-coming lane at the intersection. Idiots like that need their license revoked.

Women don't understand that men can think about nothing, but to be in my head the final 400km or so, that's exactly what was in there, nothing. Just riding and looking at scenery, taking in the beauty of God's creation. It may sound boring to some, but it's great therapy:)

I made the final fuel stop in High Level, and then made my way through a fairly long construction zone, before settling in for the final leg home. It was growing dark and colder now, the thought of a warm shower and a bed seemed like a fitting reward for the day. I saw a few deer, well off the road thankfully, but it helped remind me to stay alert the whole way home.

My Dad understands my desire to do things like this ride better than anyone, and being a nerd like me, he got together some family to welcome me home. It may not have looked like it, as I was pretty dazed and tired from a long day, but I appreciated the cheering section welcoming me home. It's a little surreal to sit on the bike for that long, listening to nothing other than wind and the exhaust note, and then be thrust into a group of people! Thanks to Peter & Lenora and family, Alana & Bobby, Issac & Anne, and of course Pops for taking the time out of your schedules.

 Like I said, my dad's a nerd, but it was pretty cool

Turns out the gas pumps at the car wash were out of order, so I had to ride to the UFA cardlock to get my official end receipt. There the printer was out of order at the gas island, but thankfully I was able to get my receipt at the diesel island.

 Official end photo

From my start time of 4:36am until my end time at 10:18pm, I rode 1,686km according to the bike's odometer, 17 hours and 42 minutes would be the official time. I kept a 100km/h pace through the first 1,100km but then dropped to just under a 90km/h pace for the final stretch from Clairmont home (those numbers include all breaks/stops).

It was awesome to finally prove to myself that I could do this ride, and even better to have my motorcycle prove that it was fixed and ready to eat some miles! I was less tired than I thought I'd be, and not as sore, but still it was a long day and I was certainly tired. 

Now I have to get all the paperwork in order and send it in to the Iron Butt Association for their approval of the ride. If approved, I'll get my IBA number and become part of the group of the "World's Toughest Riders". Doing this ride gives me a whole new appreciation of those that do endurance riding, especially the riders that take part every other year in the Iron Butt Rally. Those folks do days like this for 11 consecutive days, with a lot more planning and routing to do as they pick up bonus points!

*Thanks to Jonesee on HDF, hope you don't mind me using the line from your sig in my title, it is so fitting.

Iron Butt Attempts & the Breakdowns

The last month of the riding season has been tiring and stressful, though not in the ways that I had expected. The challenge of completing my first Iron Butt ride was something I've thought about often in the last year, and it was finally going to happen on July 18. I awoke at 3:30am that morning, preparing myself for what was going to be a long day. The goal was to ride 1610km in under 24 hours to complete the SS1600k, a very achievable goal. My dad met me at the gas pumps at around 4:15am, serving as my start witness. The official start time was 4:19am, I hit the road around 4:25am.

It was a warmer than expected morning, the ride going smoothly for the first 250km or so, feeling good as I made the first fuel stop of the day. Leaving Red Earth I noticed my speedometer glitching, the bike running a little rough. I immediately thought back to the last weekend, where my bike died while riding home from High Level on Sunday night. After shutting off the bike, and restarting, it seemed like all systems were once again good to go.

As the morning wore on, I kept riding south, stopping for gas in Slave Lake and a bathroom break in Westlock. I was surprised at the great pace I was setting, well over a 100km/h average by the time I arrived in Acheson for a fuel stop and receipt that proved my route to that point. I had a quick snack after getting gas, and then was back on the road, starting to make my way back north.

Shortly after passing by Sangudo the bike suddenly died once again, causing me to pull over into the shoulder. A few quick checks and failed attempts at starting left me confused. I walked the bike to the crest of the hill I broke down on, and coasted down the hill and onto an exit to get away from the flow of traffic. It didn't take me long to realize that this was not a problem I'd be able to fix on my own. I was on the side of the road for two hours, not a single vehicle stopped (including a lot of bikers) despite me having my tools out and some parts of the bike laying off to the side.

Harley Davidson of Edmonton sent their van out to come pick up the bike, and a little over three hours after breaking down my bike and I arrived at their shop. It was almost two hours later, just after 5:00pm that they had my bike out of the shop. Having decided to pull the plug on the ride by now, I found a hotel. The bike had a slight glitch again on the way to the hotel. I ate dinner, had a shower, and by 8:30pm I was sleeping.

The next day the bike started hard, but never had any problems as I rode the nearly 700km home. I took it out for a 100km ride during the week, no issues, so decided I would again attempt the Iron Butt ride.

My official start time on attempt two was 4:40am. I caught a little light rain about an hour down the road, and suddenly the cruise control cut out, though the bike continued to stay running. It was only a few minutes later that it died, and I coasted to the side of the road. A truck driver stopped to offer any help he could, but thankfully there was just enough cell service to establish some contact with people who could help. The truck driver offered to follow me to assure I wouldn't be stranded, and after breaking down again I got the message that help was on the way.

The rest of the morning was stressful, as I continued to limp towards home, the bike dying every few kilometers, always restarting again. Eventually I met my brother, who had come with a truck and trailer to get me home. Through all of the problems on this day, the odometer turned over the 50,000km mark just a couple weeks after the two year mark.

I made an appointment at HD of Edmonton once again, and a week later I hauled the bike in with the Jeep and a trailer.

This last week the shop did some trouble shooting on the bike, and replaced the ECM (engine control module) after having replaced the voltage regulator and battery the first time around. I'm so glad I purchased the extended warranty when I purchased the bike, all of these problems started two days after my factory warranty expired.

Yesterday I caught a ride to the city with my sister and brother-in-law, eager to get back on the bike and ride it home. The tech that worked on my bike seemed quite confident that the problems were solved now, taking 10 minutes out of his day to talk with me earlier in the week when I called.

The ride home yesterday was awesome, great weather and the bike was running perfectly. I did catch a few short showers, just enough to make me wet and cool me down. It almost seemed as though the bike's performance was better than ever, though that might be due to the fact I hadn't ridden in two weeks. Right now I'm so happy to have it home and working, and looking forward to putting many more miles on it.

2015 Bike Trip Wrap-Up

Once again I'm at home, looking back at another trip, feeling satisfied at being granted the chance to do what I was able to do this year. The good Lord brought me safely through another long ride, which I'm always grateful for, no mechanical breakdowns or accidents. There's always the possibility of an accident no matter how careful one is, especially in some of the high traffic areas. I also can't say enough about how well the bike ran again on this trip, though it was running way too hot until I finally did the stage 1 on the way home. People can say what they want about the Harley's, they've been performing well for me in the last three years.

Reflecting back, if I would have known how things played out, I would have taken a little more time in Arizona and done my routing through California differently. I was expecting to spend at least two days in the Yosemite area, and though I still could have seen the national park, it wouldn't have been the same without the chance to ride the Tioga and Sonora passes. Hindsight is always 20/20 though and weather is unpredictable. All in all, it was an awesome trip, and I guess I'll just have to go back to Arizona and California again sometime. Almost every state I've visited so far has a lot left for me to see, and if I get the chance to see more I'll count myself blessed.

Three years ago today I picked up my Heritage Classic, my first Harley. I figured I'd enjoy riding, though at that time I didn't realize I'd get the chance to experience what I have so far. Just under 70,000km in the saddle so far, 9 provinces visited, 23 states visited, and untold amounts of great riding and scenery up to this point. The life experience I've gained over the trips is immeasurable, the great interactions with the many people irreplaceable. It's cost me some money, but money comes and goes, the memories will be with me forever (hopefully) and it's been worth every penny spent.

Seeing so many people on the road, seeing how hard some have to work just to get by makes me realize how fortunate I am to get the chance to do what I do. It's done wonders for me mentally to get out and see some more of North America, and those that make it the wonderful place it is. Sharing the experience via this blog has been fun, though there are times when it would be fun to share it with friends/family in the moment instead of seeing it alone. I thought maybe someday there would be a lady on the passenger seat to share it with, but they are very elusive;)

Here's a few stats from the trip this year:

10,562km
10 states visited (4 new to me)
$1.16/L average for gas in Canada
$1.09/L average for gas in USA (Canadian dollars)
47.8mpg - 5.9L/100 - 39.8USmpg (exactly the same as last year!)
623.706L of gas used

Gas was much cheaper in Canada this year compared to last year, and still cheaper in the USA as well, even though the dollar is weak right now. Hotel costs were a little more expensive overall, though not even by that much. Some of that was poor planning on my part, I was a little unprepared when setting off this year.

Hopefully I can do a lot more riding this year, though it will mostly be locally I imagine. I'm also looking forward to getting back out on the golf course, trying to make the most of our short but awesome summer. Keep the dirty side down, see you somewhere in the wind!

Updated states visited map (motorcycle only)

2015 - Day 20

100th post! Fitting that the last day of the trip is the 100th entry I've made in this blog.

Woke up early this morning giving myself a chance to wake up before riding over to Gasoline Alley HD to get my bike in the shop. It didn't feel nearly as busy as it usually has when I've been to this shop, and they got my bike in at 8am sharp. After getting the bike checked in I enjoyed breakfast and some more coffee, and then tooled around the shop looking at bikes and talking with the sales guys. They were saying that they were feeling the effects of the lower oil prices, less disposable income equals fewer bikes sold.

I had the hotel room booked for another night, but my bike was out of the shop shortly after 10:30. It was an easy decision to cancel the room and start heading home. The weather was perfect and there was nothing in Red Deer to keep me there another day. By 11:15 I was on the road heading north, again spending much of the time in the hammer lane on the Deuce. With no reason to stop I kept going until I needed gas in Westlock.

The road from Westlock to Red Earth is pretty bad in some spots, really rough after getting used to the smooth roads in the USA. It was also dusty and dirty on the roads, something I'd forgotten about Alberta. I must have had a pound or two of dust in the beard by the time I got home. And the bugs, wow are they in abundance up north. They were hitting me from every direction, I swear a few times they hit me in the back! Needless to say, I hit more bugs today than the entire rest of the trip combined.

After leaving Red Earth the road is really nice, smooth and wide open, perfect for kicking back and cruising. I met Devon at the South Tall Cree access, and the two of us chatted there for around an hour, enjoying the warm evening sun. The final leg home from there went smoothly, pulling into La Crete at a little after 9pm.

The journey came to and end a little before midnight, pulling my bike into the garage where it can rest while I do the same. Everything at the house was in order, and I didn't waste too much time going to bed. This is by far the latest I've gone to bed in the last three weeks and I was tired.

 Same picture I took three weeks ago, much greener now

Made it back safely once again

2015 - Day 19

I had an easy day planned for today, and the cloudless sky and nice temperatures made the day even easier. It was cool outside again, the kind of cool that promises warmth later in the day, a great temperature for morning riding as the briskness in the air is so refreshing. I'm glad I took the route into Alberta that I did as it gave me a chance to enjoy a little of the Rocky Mountains on this vacation yet. Still some of my favorite scenery, right here in the home province.

The roads today were all familiar and the traffic was light so I got to relax a little and just enjoy the scenery whipping by. It's bittersweet knowing that this year's big trip is almost done again, but at the same time I'm looking forward to the summer back at home. Getting out on the golf course should be enjoyable again, as well as getting out on the ATV at least a little.

For the first time since buying the bike I finally got a chance to crack the 400km mark on a tank of gas. I've been close a few times, and would have gotten there before if there had been fuel close by. Today everything came together and it happened. Not that noteworthy, but it's always in the back of my mind when I travel so it was cool to finally do it.

It was around 4pm when I arrived in Red Deer, and after checking in I kicked back to rest a little. I must have dozed off a little because the phone ringing snapped me back into reality. Plans were made, and after cleaning up I was able to go out for dinner with an old friend. Dinner was good, and the conversation flowed easily which is always nice. The longer daylight was really noticeable today as we chatted outside, something I love about our summers up north.

Tomorrow I'll get my bike in the shop to get the 4th new tire put on the bike since I bought it 22 months ago. I've been very lucky to get as much seat time as I've gotten since I bought my first Harley almost three years ago. 70,000km in three years is pretty good considering how short our riding seasons are up here.

2015 - Day 18

Waking up this morning and seeing great weather gave me the itch to get back on the road, though the time with Stan & Jessie felt too short. Breaking up the ride from Pasco to Red Deer probably isn't a bad idea anyway, this way I can relax instead of pushing too hard, I am on vacation after all. Thanks again Stan & Jessie for your amazing hospitality again, great company and good food that make your place feel like home every time I visit.

The route today wasn't new to me as I've been over that a few times now, but it's a nice highway and the weather was great. It felt like no time had passed by the time I rolled into Spokane. I've noticed the Harley shop in the past but never have stopped in. Needing to use a restroom I decided to pull in, take care of business, and take a look around. Biking must be alive and well in the area as well, their showroom had a lot of bikes as well. Every shop I've stopped at this year has been staffed with great people, which makes stopping in enjoyable.

I was back on the road shortly, getting off the interstate and onto highway 95 a little ways into Idaho. I stopped in Bonner's Ferry for a quick, late lunch and then made my way north to the border. Getting back into the homeland was quick and easy, though the border agent could have been a little nicer than she was. Hopefully she's not as curt with Americans crossing over, as that's not a great first impression of Canadians. 

It always feels good crossing back into Canada after being in the USA for a while, getting back into the metric system one is used to growing up here. I do enjoy my time in America though, can't say enough about how well people have treated me down there, I really never have any negative interactions with folks from the USA. That concludes the American part of my trip, 10 states visited, though only 4 were ones I'd never been in, and Colorado was only a very short visit this time. 

Last pic's of the arid landscapes for this trip

Getting back into trees again

Back in Canada, this seemed like a fitting thing to do upon my return

Glad I get a little glimpse of the Rockies yet on this vacation

I usually avoid Super 8 hotels like the plague, but the one in Fernie is always clean and comfortable, not typical of that chain anymore

2015 - Day 17

Woke up a while after Stan had left for work Tuesday morning, and spent the morning being very lazy and getting some relaxation in. It was actually nice to just hang out and not have to do anything for a day. The trips I take are awesome but at the same time they are also tiring, as I'm always on the road and filling my schedule with things to see. I've tried to make sure that I don't try to do too much each day, and though the riding is fun it's also more work than driving in a car.

Jessie and I drank some coffee and ended up having some great conversations throughout the morning as well. Their baby is one of the nicest babies I've ever seen, she never whines or cries it seems, with plenty of smiles for uncle Geno. The dogs also seemed to enjoy the extra attention with me around.

In the afternoon I took a ride out to the Harley shop in Kennewick and spent some time tooling around, looking at bikes, and talking with the sales guys. They have a lot of bikes in the showroom, and it sounds like they move a lot of iron there. After my stop there I headed down to the park on the Columbia River and spent some time walking around getting the blood flowing and enjoying the warm sun. I rode around through the three cities a little after that, and pulled up to the house in Pasco a mere few minutes before Stan arrived home from work.

The three of us relaxed a little before Stan and Jessie prepared an awesome dinner. The food is always first class when I'm there, so good to have some homemade food after all the restaurant food I've had. We sat at the table for a while after eating, talking and laughing, an enjoyable time. Between the dogs and the humans there were a few near heart attacks I'm sure as a picture came crashing off the wall out of nowhere. There was glass everywhere, strange and frighteningly loud.

The rest of the evening was enjoyable as well, more conversation about a variety of topics. Stan and I can always carry on where we left off the last time, and I'm glad we've been able to keep our friendship going over the years, despite the distance.

This is exactly what I'd be looking for once I can afford a second bike

Despite how arid the area is, as long as they can irrigate, the vegetation really grows in this climate

Blue bridge connecting Pasco and Kennewick

2015 - Day 16

So today got off to a bit of a different start than I was kind of planning for as I went to bed last night. I'd been throwing around some different ideas of where I might spend a day or two yet before starting home, but after checking the weather forecast this morning things changed. I'll ride through rain if I need to, but will try to avoid it if I can. The weather man was calling for rain in southwest Washington and northwest Oregon, as well as three days of rain in the Eugene, OR area. One of the things I was thinking of doing was riding to Eugene, and then spending the next day traveling to Crater Lake and back. I won't lie, getting a Harley t-shirt from the town I share a name with would have been cool.

I spoke with the Harley shop in Red Deer about getting a new rear tire on my way home, and have an appointment there now for Friday morning. The tire will be close to done, and this way I'll be good for the rest of the riding season I'm sure. Knowing that I decided to head east, thinking that if Stan and Jessie had time then I'd spend a day or two in the area, and if they didn't then I was in a perfect spot to jump up into BC for a few days.

It was a good choice as I was in the sun shortly, and over the course of the day it warmed up nicely. The ride to Portland on highway 20 was a little annoying today, that road was crazy busy the whole way, a long line of cars to follow. The whole Portland area seemed hopping, and it's a bigger town than I thought it was. Once through the city I was headed east on I-84, a beautiful ride for the first good stretch of it. The scenery gets a little boring after the town of Arlington, but at least the weather was nice.

Coming into the Tri-City area is starting to feel a lot more familiar after a number of visits here now. I spoke with Stan on the phone, and their hospitality was evident once again. Taking me in on short notice is very much appreciated, it's great to spend some time with friends again. It's a busy week for Stan as he's starting a new project at work, so I'll try not to overstay my welcome, but it's become a tradition to stop in here on the way home now:)

We enjoyed a good chat in the evening, and spent over an hour in the hot tub to wind down. I need to get a hot tub, it really relaxes the muscles that have gotten sore over the last two weeks. All in all it was a good day, not many pics though as I was pounding some pavement on the interstate. Interstate riding can be relaxing in some ways, as there's less to watch out for, but it seems more tiring as well. Great highways to have though!

I'll see what happens tomorrow, may end up doing a day ride out to Mount Rainier if the weather is good. 

More rocks

2015 - Day 15

I got off to another relaxing start this morning, knowing that I didn't have a very long ride planned for today, and I had all day to get there. The skies were very overcast and the temps were cool as I hit the road. Not far into Oregon the clouds suddenly disappeared, replaced by glorious sunshine! That was unexpected as my weather app called for overcast skies for most of the day. So much for that app, the sun stayed out for the remainder of the day, which I was very thankful for. As long as the sun is out it neutralizes the cool temperatures, though I still had the thermal undwear on all day. The gauge on my bike hovered right around 60 degrees all day.

The ride up the Oregon coast was fantastic today, amazing views were in abundance all day long. Some of the inland riding seemed a little blah at times, mostly because of the spectacular ocean views that I was on the coast for. It did take me all day to ride from Crescent City to Lincoln City as I stopped many times to take pictures and also just to sit and take it in.

The plan for the coming week is still a little up in the air right now, I've gained a few days by missing out on Yosemite so I'll need to decide what's next. I could possibly be starting the journey home tomorrow or Tuesday, or maybe spend a little time with friends in Washington depending on their schedule. I'm ok with whatever happens, it's been a great trip already with a lot of things seen that I wanted to see.

After checking into the room and a little relaxation, I went down to the beach to watch the sunset. I was down there for almost an hour, a nice end to the evening. I can now tell women I enjoy walks on the beach and sunsets:)