Day 8

We got up, got dressed and packed our stuff to load on the Motors. Jan and I cleaned our Motors and the others came out of hibernation and started to clean their Motors. C.E. and Ken we together and Chuck was with Bruce. We walked over to have breakfast and took our time. During breakfast, we talked about riding toward Redwood National Park in California and then to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Chuck rode his Motor to the office to check out and Ken, C.E. and I followed. Bruce and Jan stayed back by the rooms getting ready to ride. The four of us were waiting...and waiting...and waiting, wondering what was keeping the two from joining us. Chuck walked back and I rode. I thought, why walk when you can ride? When Chuck and I got to the other two, Jan was taking his Motor apart. This is becoming a morning ritual. Jan's Motor didn't want to start. He checked the battery and the wire connecting to it. He noticed some corrosion at the connection and Bruce went to ask a motel employee if someone had a wire brush. The maintenance man arrived with some tools. Jan and the maintenance man were both working on Jan's Motor. Jan checked the connection to one of his battery terminals and found that it was loose. He tightened the connection and the Motor started right up. I told him again that it was time to get a Gold Wing. The Motor was fixed and put back together and we were on our way at 9:22 AM.

Ken led us northbound on US 101. We continued north until Ken turned off of US 101 and into Redwood State Park. Oh, just before we exited US 101, I saw an elk in a field to our left side. I pointed at it and I saw C.E. and Bruce look in that direction. They were ahead of me. Jan and Chuck were behind me and Chuck told me on the CB that he had seen the elk. As we were riding in the State Park, there were many signs indicating that people should not approach the elk. There was a radio station that had a recording on some information on the two herds of elk in the Park. Ken stopped in the Park at 10:27 AM after riding 46 miles. We stopped off the side of the road and took several pictures of the scenery and of us. Oh by the way, I'm sure that you probably guessed that we also made a pit stop. After all, the giant redwoods need to be watered! And believe me, THEY WERE WATERED! We left at 10:40 AM. We were happy and I'm sure that the trees and plant life were happy.

Ken led us to Crescent City, CA. where we stopped for gas at 11:15 AM and after riding 31 miles. Of course, we made a pit stop too! We took a short break and had some snacks and drinks. We left at 11:47 AM. It was getting close to lunch time, however, after the break we weren't hungry.

It was my turn to lead now. As I pulled out of the gas station parking lot, Jan was behind me. There was a Subway right next door to the gas station and I started to pull into the parking lot of the Subway and Jan followed. Jan knew that I was just kidding, but to look at the faces of the other guys was priceless. I didn't pull into the Subway. I continued northbound. We left Crescent City, CA. and changed to US 199 headed for Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. We were finally out of California. It took us a week! After riding for 55 miles, we stopped in Cave Junction, OR. at 12:47 PM. I pulled into a Subway and parked next to the building next door to the Subway. I parked my Motor and Jan followed and parked next to me. I got off of my Motor and was writing information on my notepad when C.E. parked next to Jan. As C.E. was getting off of his Motor when it fell over on its right side, striking Jan's Motor. Jan was already off of his Motor and on the right side standing next to me. As C.E.'s Motor his Jan's, it started to topple Jan's Motor over on to us. Jan caught it and kept it from falling over. C.E. went over to the right side of his Motor and started to pick it up and I went over to the left side of his Motor and helped him. We picked it up and steadied it as C.E. got back on and moved the Motor over to where the others were parked in front of the Subway. There was minor damage to C.E.'s right grip and Jan's left side fairing. We got our Motors settled and went inside and ate lunch.

Just prior to arriving in Crescent City, OR. for lunch, I noticed that my right highway peg was loose. I remembered that prior to leaving for the trip, I was making an adjustment to the peg and didn't tighten it up properly. It got loose. There was an auto repair shop across the street of the Subway and I told the guys that I was going over to see if the nice mechanics would take 30 seconds to tighten up the loose peg. Jan told me that I needed to go with Chuck accompanying me so that he could take pictures of the Gold Wing being repaired. I told Jan that I would welcome Chuck to tag along. Chuck didn't go. I went over, spoke with the two mechanics and one told me that he would tighten the peg for me. As he was tightening up the peg, he stated that it was loose. He also asked if I was traveling with the Harley's parked across the street at the Subway. I told him that I was. He told me that maybe I shouldn't ride too close to the Harley's because they are contagious and make parts from other bikes become loose because of the loud noise and hard vibrations of the Harley's. We all laughed! I liked this mechanic. He had a great sense of humor and was very honest. :) I was done in about 30 seconds. I returned to Subway and told the guys what was said. The Harley riders weren't amused. I laughed again.

We were getting ready to leave when one of the workers of the Subway came out with a bag of six of their chocolate chip cookies and gave them to us as a gift. I took them and passed them out. Ken ate two. One his and the other Jan's. Jan gave Ken a hard time about that the rest of the day. The female worker came out, looked at me and asked me where her cookies were. She kept looking at me for an answer. I had a mouthful of cookie, looked at her, couldn't answer so I opened my mouth and showed her "chewed up cookie." She looked at me, made a face of disgust and walked back inside the Subway without another word. We laughed. That will teach her to ask me something with my mouth full! It was time to leave. We looked at the map and Chuck decided that we needed to stop in Medford, OR. to gas up. It was uncertain as to whether there would be another gas station north of Crater Lake. We left at 1:52 PM.

We continued on US 199. It turned out to be another dream Motorcycle road. It was a mountainous, two lane road with plenty of curves. When we were still on the Department on Motors, we rode our Motors and at times leaned our bikes left and right and "scraped pads." I don't have floorboards on my Motors so when I lean my Motor left and right, I "scrape soles!" When we are finished with our three week ride, I may need new boots! We continued on US 199 and I-5 and after riding for 56 miles, we stopped just shy of Medford, OR. in an outskirt town of Central Point, OR. at 2:53 PM for gas. We were there for a while, and when we are somewhere for a while, we made a pit stop. It's tough to have bladders the size of peas! HA! get it, pit stop/peas...any way, we left at 3:13 PM.

It was Bruce's turn to lead. I showed him the map so that he would know the route that we would be taking. We followed I-5 for two miles and turned on Hwy 62. After riding Hwy 62 for a while, it also turned into a great ride. We rode for 78 miles and at 4:48 PM, we arrived at the Admin Building and Gift Shop for Crater Lake. From Central Point, OR. where we got gas to Crater Lake, the temperature went from 92 degrees to 52 degrees. There was a lot of snow at Crater Lake. Not only was there a lot of snow on the sides of the road, but there was water from melted snow on several spots on the road. We parked our Motors next to a mound of snow which was about 12 to 13 feet high. We took pictures. We saw that the gift shop closed at 4:00 PM. We just missed it! We left at 5:03 PM.

We rode for 5 miles and at 5:11 PM we made it to Crater Lake. The entire area was snow covered except for the roadway. We parked our Motors and walked up a short hill in the snow so that we could stand by the edge and see the lake. WHAT A SPECTACULAR SIGHT!!! As we walked along the edge, our legs would sink into the snow. We played in the snow and tossed snowballs at each other. We took several pictures of each other and of the scenery. There were two young men there with us and I asked one of them to take a group picture of us. He agreed and took two pictures of our group. He asked me if I would take a picture of the two of them. I agreed and took his camera. As they were setting up the shot, I turned away from them and took a picture of myself. They didn't know it. I guess they will see my picture later. They were grateful for me taking their picture. We left Crater Lake at 5:30 PM and headed for La Pine, OR., where we will be spending the night.

Just prior to arriving at the Best Western in La Pine, OR., Chuck was in desperate need for gas for his Motor. We arrived in a little town named, "Crescent" and Chuck pulled into a Chevron gas station. I got on the CB and told him that we only had 35 more miles and he pulled out and continued. We arrived in La Pine, OR. at the Best Western at 7:28 PM and after riding for 114 miles. It was still daylight. We checked into the Motel, took our bags into our rooms, made our phone calls to our wives and left for dinner.

We went to Gordy's Truck Stop and arrived at 8:14 PM and gassed up our Motors. We had traveled 3 miles. We parked our Motors and went inside the restaurant and had dinner. We left at 9:23 PM and returned to the Motel. What a day! We rode for a total of 392 miles and we are now in Oregon. Tomorrow, we hope to travel to northern Oregon and hopefully catch up with a good friend of ours, Louie Martinez. We used to work on our Motor Squad. Louie lives in Dundee, OR. It will be fun! Soooo, until tomorrow...