The Bumblebee and the Vespa 2014

I think it's time for me to redefine what this new blog is about. In the past I've posted individual blogs for motorcycle/motor scooter rides to places like Alaska, Nova Scotia, Key West, Mexico, Canada, New York, etc. That's all well and good but it seems nowadays I'm dividing my rides into shorter ones comprised of two or more weeks each on different bikes. The total time and mileage is about the same, it's just split into multiple rides with a break somewhere in the middle.

The summer of 2014 serves as a good example of that wherein I rode south to Tombstone, AZ on my '92 BMW R100GS Bumblebee/Ural sidecar rig, (phew!) then returned home for a few days and set out again on my '07 Vespa 250ie motor scooter to visit Canada. That summer has gone and the seasons have changed as will the reports, some will be about shorter rides, some will be about maintenance, and maybe on occasion I'll post a photo or two just for interest. I may even introduce other bikes, a few of which are lurking under cover in the barn...

Navigating this blog is easy, just scroll down the list of posts by date to whatever interests you, click on it and you're in. Photos can be viewed in larger format by clicking on them.

Finally, if you'd care to post comments please do so, I'd love to hear from you. CLICK ON "NO COMMENTS" TO ENTER YOUR REMARKS. That seems really silly but that's how it works. The entry window is located at the bottom of each screen. Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoy your stay.

LL

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Jul 05 - Day 03 2015 Tour - Kenniwick, WA


I managed to get on the road early today in spite of sleeping in. Sally made a great breakfast while I loaded up my gear & filled my cooler with ice left over from the party. I decided to head east along the Columbia Gorge as it's so beautiful, especially this time of the year. I followed I-84 around the east side of Portland until I reached the Corbit exit, then headed uphill on the old historic route to see the Vista House overlooking the Gorge.

Along the way I stopped to check out the view from Chanticleer Point, an attraction that was new to me.



The view was spectacular

I continued along the old highway and arrived at the Vista House in short order. It was also devoid of visitors, no doubt due to the early hour. What a treat it was having the place all to myself.

Tourists & photographers love the Vista House for obvious reasons. The view of the Columbia Gorge overwhelms
Sunny Sunday morning but a bit early for tourists
That's the Gorge way down there. Beautiful isn't it?
 Moving on I stopped for a brief look at Latourell Falls. There were actually tourists beginning to arrive. Time for me to move on I thought.


Back on I-84 I continued east past Hood River & The Dalles stopping for gas & then a lunch break at Boardman. It was starting to heat up but my choice of riding gear was working well, the leather jacket worn with the zipper partially open allowed enough air flow to evaporate my sweat causing a cooling effect. Nice.
Hot out & getting hotter
Lunch at The Sunrise Cafe I tried one of their Mushroom & Swiss burgers. It was delicious but I think they left out the 'rooms. Nice people though, and good service.

Arriving in Kenniwick I decided I'd had my quota for riding in high temps for the day; time to hole up in my favorite low-cost digs, Motel 6.

Our home away from home
That's it for today, time to go see if I can score something to eat, then grab some shut-eye. Not many miles today - 235 - but a nice ride just the same. 

LL

Posted by at

1 comment:

  1. LindaJuly 5, 2015 at 10:18 PM

    Beautiful shots of the Columbia River. Such a gorgeous place! Glad you're staying cool and taking it easy. xox

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comments & feedback [unless you're with the spelling police]

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)