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. 

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