Put all your clothes into a pile, then get rid of half of them. Then go through the pile again!!!
For a one week trip I would have one pair of jeans on me and one in the bag, that's it. She gets an extra pair because they are half the size. Think layers, only the bottom layer wants to be be fresh and clean everyday, long sleeve shirt over a clean t shirt can be worn more then once, flannel shirt or sweat shirt for the cold days, same thing. As far as it getting really cold, we would put the rain gear on over everything else, does a great job. Packing chaps and things like that really take up a lot of room. I bring my leather and try and wear it as much as possible unless it gets really hot. Then I have a long sleeve white shirt. You can make it all fit, just need to be economical with the space.
PS all toiletries if available should be travel size, pills come out of the store bottle and into little bottle she bought years ago. I also have convinced her that shampoo and soap at the hotel were not made by the devil, she only brings a very small amount as backup.
You are definitely going in the right direction, South. I have done both North and South, and have done it all the way to LA from the ferry at Port Angeles, many times.
That is because the view is ahead and to the right, and all the pull outs are on the right. Out of Portland, head towards the ocean on the north side of the Columbia, that is a way better road than on the south side. And you will get to cross the Astoria Bridge, trust me on that one. Lots to see and do. lighthouses, ocean views at sunset, and if you can, make sure you stop at the Oregon Dunes and rent a dune Buggy, expensive, but the most fun you can have fully clothed. PM me and I will send you a link to a ride report I did on another site last year.
Hey, when we planned our initial trip, we said the same thing, less road crossings and the pull outs are on our side! We did a 2500 mile tour of the southeast on our own motorcycles last year and have the packing planned well for that. This trip, we are shipping our helmets and gear along with a few clothes ahead to the rental shop. they have been very accommodating so far and have had no problem with meeting our needs. the only non guaranteed thins is the luggage rack on top of the tour pack which has made us change up our packing plans slightly. Planning well in advance and getting advice from you all has been very helpful. we are 2.5 months away and counting down!
A really nice hotel to stay in in Cannon Beach, is the Tolovana Inn. It is not inexpensive, but if you get a room with an Ocean view, it is worth every penny. I stayed there last year. There is a Mo's seafood place right next door, if you like their kind of picnic table atmosphere, which I am not fond of. You can run back up into town and there are lots of little places to eat their.
every few weeks I update this and send it to our group via facebook messenger. even the ones who dont read the forum get to see the comments. good stuff!
When you get to Tillamook, of course, do the cheese thing. And the Air Museum if you are an Air Plane fan.
But once you are ready to head south, i would suggest the following detour of of the 101. Head over to Cape Mears. On the map, it shows that you can go right around to Seaside, but last year the road was blocked when i was there. Anyway, once you are up in Seaside, head down towards Cape Lookout Park. There is a wonderful campground there, right on the ocean and I have stayed their overnight and it is one of the best on the Coast anywhere, and a great place to have a picnic. Of course like everywhere else that is Government, there is a fee to enter. When heading south again, make a South on Sandlake road and head towards Pacific City. If you hit it right, there might be a surfing competition like I did last year. Also, there is a great restaurant right on the ocean there, where you can lunch or coffee. That restaurant, if I remember, is the first right once you get down the short hill, and hit town.
There is also a real gem of a road south of Crescent city. When you get to Klamath, and you get just across the bridge on the south end of town, look for a road, it is not very far, that is to the right. I am not sure it is named on the sign, but it is Klamath Cr Rd. Once you are on it head towards Costal Drive. There is a really cool old bridge at this junction. Make a Left, and park. Then walk back to the bridge and there are some placards that tell the story of when it was washed out. Then head down the Coastal road. It is not very far to the end of it and it is paved. Once you get to the end, you will have a choice. You can either turn around, or head back north and do the loop. If the gate is open to the left, DO NOT GO INTO IT!! Trust me on that, I have not been down it, but when I was there a guy came though on a bicycle and he said it was a goat trail. There is another road that peels off to the left and up the hill. That gets you no where, except into a Prison camp. I hear they take great exception to tourists showing up ..... The loop road is dirt. But as long as it is not wet, you should be fine. It is a one way road, so you wont have to worry about opposing traffic, unless you get some dumb Schmuck who doesn't know how to read a sign. I took my BMW GS down it, and I would have had no issue ridding my glide. Again, as long as it has not been raining. The really cool thing about the road, is that it is the original 1890's Wagon trail road that ran up the coast.
This is the North end of the loop, just before it turns back to pavement.
There is also a real gem of a road south of Crescent city. When you get to Klamath, and you get just across the bridge on the south end of town, look for a road, it is not very far, that is to the right. I am not sure it is named on the sign, but it is Klamath Cr Rd. Once you are on it head towards Coastal Drive. There is a really cool old bridge at this junction. Make a Left, and park. Then walk back to the bridge and there are some placards that tell the story of when it was washed out. Then head down the Coastal road. It is not very far to the end of it and it is paved. Once you get to the end, you will have a choice. You can either turn around, or head back north and do the loop. If the gate is open to the left, DO NOT GO INTO IT!! Trust me on that, I have not been down it, but when I was there a guy came though on a bicycle and he said it was a goat trail. There is another road that peels off to the left and up the hill. That gets you no where, except into a Prison camp. I hear they take great exception to tourists showing up ..... The loop road is dirt. But as long as it is not wet, you should be fine. It is a one way road, so you wont have to worry about opposing traffic, unless you get some dumb Schmuck who doesn't know how to read a sign. I took my BMW GS down it, and I would have had no issue ridding my glide. Again, as long as it has not been raining. The really cool thing about the road, is that it is the original 1890's Wagon trail road that ran up the coast.
This is the North end of the loop, just before it turns back to pavement.
This is in my territory, I live in Crescent City and ride to Orick and back 2-3 times a week. The ride through the Park (Newton B. Drury Scenic Pkwy) is very nice, plenty of places to pull over. While I do go into the Park, I run the main stretch of 101 that bypasses it, curvy 6-7% grades with some nice 80 mph sweepers, don't miss out if you like to roll a bit of speed on. Farther south from Orick towards Eureka, are the lagoons, very scenic, watch for Elk, they tend to wander on the highway in herds.
In proper terms, the PCH is US Route 1, the rest is US 101.
Guys this is awesome! We are the other couple riding with this Kruck guy and his wife. After reading all this Im ready to go now! Thanks for all the information.
You will have a ton of fun. And If you know where to look, and know how to find them, there are still places like this on the Oregon Coast. These shot are of the Otter Creek side road, just south of Depot ... I am pretty sure ....
A very cool old bridge from back when it took more time to travel the coast
05-11-2016, 06:24 AM
