CCMA - Day 16

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When we looked outside in the morning we saw clouds and a little drizzle, very disappointing after so many days of perfect weather.



Because the internet connection at the Rodeway Inn was so terrible, I wasn’t able to find a room in our next stop, Seattle. Nor was I able to post a blog. I figured that when I got to Seattle, I could find a wifi hotspot to book a room.



Bill was having trouble with his starter, it sounded like there was someone inside the motor beating it with a sledge hammer. He called a Harley dealer near where we were staying and they told him that this is a problem Harley knows about and that they have changed the part in newer models. They also told him that it is not covered by the warranty because the part is being replaced with a newer part and not the original. Bill asked if he could have the original part installed and they said they didn’t have any.



He called a Harley dealer across the river in Oregon and made an appointment. Rick needed to get his oil changed, so he and Bill rode south to Oregon and I rode north toward Seattle.



Besides being cloudy and drizzly, it was cold. I used my winter gloves for the first time on this trip.



On the way to Seattle I stopped at Mt. Saint Helens, because I was told that it was an awesome sight. The clouds obscured the mountain so there was nothing to see and the visitor center charged $5, which didn’t seem worth it to me.



On the way to the parking lot I met an Australian who was motorcycling from Los Angles to Seattle via Yosemite. He told me that I should ride across Australia, and I told him that I might make that my next journey.



As I was riding up rt. 5 toward Seattle, I came upon the exit for Mt. Rainier. It was cloudy, so I was certain that there would be nothing to see. As it was only 120 miles out of the way, I figured I would ride to the visitor’s center to get another National Park stamp.



I stopped in Ashford, just outside the park, for gas. The clerk asked how was the riding, and I responded by pointing out that it is cloudy and I couldn’t see any of the mountains. He told me that it was sunny in paradise. I assume he was religious and was telling me that it is sunny in heaven.



I continued into the park and encountered a typical Pacific Northwest forest. Rick had told me that he wanted to see this kind of forest while we were here, so I tried to call him when I got to the visitors center to tell him to come to Mt. Rainier on his way to Seattle. Unfortunately there was no cell service.



The visitor’s center is located about 10 miles into the park. While there, I discovered that there was another visitor center 41 miles away in a place called Paradise. Go figure. I decided to ride there and had one of the best rides of this trip. It was, in fact, sunny on the other side of the mountain and the view was spectacular. I took over 100 pictures.



I know there are those who think I am crazy because I am trying to get 50 national park stamps in 25 different states, but if I didn’t turn off the highway to get the stamp, I would never have seen this beautiful park. Ever.



While I was riding through the park (up the mountain) I was worried that Bill and Rick were sitting somewhere in Seattle, waiting for me. I figured they would be seriously angry. I was also concerned about getting a place to stay. So I tried to hurry, but you can only drive so fast (10 mph) on a mountain road with lots of pictures that have to be taken.



When I finally got out of the park and found cell service I called Rick and found out that they were still in Portland at the Harley dealer. It turns out that Bill’s bike was seriously broke – it took 7 ½ hours and $1,060 to repair. Fortunately for Bill all but $151 was covered by warranty.



I have to be honest, when I heard about the repairs that were necessary, I burst out laughing. You can never go on a trip with a Harley without having to stop for repairs. As a matter of fact, the Harley dealer had a jukebox with an out of order sign on it.



As it was getting late, we decided to get a room near Portland so Rick and Bill wouldn’t have to ride to Seattle in rush hour traffic. I had to ride over 100 miles to get to Portland, bringing my total miles for the day to over 400.



Today we are going to ride to Seattle. Bill and Rick are going to go via Mt. Rainier while I will go straight to Seattle to sightsee.

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Comments

[Nancy W]

Washington Blog the best yet
This was a great entry! I laughed out loud at the "Paradise" reference. I have friends who live in Seattle and they know about the cloudy vs. sunny side of the mountains. Live and learn, right? Re: Australia. If you were to "bike" (no motors!), I bet you could get our friend Ray to do that with you. Keep 'em coming, David. It's great reading.