Oregon ride in the works. Need advice.

I think I'll be riding to OR August 13-21 to meet with a bunch of my old bastards friends. We've been meeting every year for the last five or six.
Unsure if my time-off request will be approved, but I need to start planning a route and places to visit, where to stay and where to eat, and this is where I need advice from people who live in the state or from those who have visited.
If I get all of my days off approved, I want to make it a week-long ride including other states as well. I have no issues riding over 400 miles a day or just a couple hundred. Those states include Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.
Thanks for your input.
Jerry

 

Where are these folks you're visiting? Oregon is a pretty big state

 

About ten miles east of Waldport. If I have the time I wouldn't mind coming into Waldport from the north, south or east after Yellowstone NP.

 

I've Stayed at the best western in Twin Fallls Idaho. Great place and they have a swimming pool. Twin Falls is a pretty nice town too.

 

Ten miles East of Walport must be on the Alsea Highway (34) . From the North Get off I-5 at Highway 20 through Corvallis and into Philomath. Exiting Philomath hook a left and that will be a the Alsea Highway, nice ride little traffic.

If you are doing the motel thing and don't need all the farkles, Look for places that are off the main highways and look like they might be the old routes. Usually clean, comfortable and fewer pesos/day.

Any motel on 101 in Oregon that time of year is not going to be cheap. All the burgs along the coast tax the shit out of tourists.

All the usual about leaving stuff on your bike ect..

 

Agree with billy on a place to rest your head. Me and three riding cronies usually do a two night hree day trip through Wa and Or but go second weekend in Sept. By that time all the little fuggers are back in school and traffic light. But back to the motels. We have always found the cheap older grampa operates places clean and comfy for a lot less than the chain places.

That's an ambitious ride for two weeks. Speaking from experience, you will love it.

 

Depending how far north you want to make your swing down towards waldport I can make a few suggestions.

Rt 30 to Clatskanie. 47 south to 202 west. Stop at The Birk in birkenfeld for some awesome food if the weekend. (real popular will riders of all types, Harley doods and sportsbike folks) From there 202 to 103 south. Jump on 26 west for a bit, left on rt 53 south for some awesome tight twisties up and over the coast range. Left on Miami Foley to bypass the extremely slow tourist traffic between Wheeler and Garibaldi. 101 south through Tillamook stop at the cheese factory for some ice cream.

Further south and the road less traveled. 47 south below 26. Do a loop or two clockwise around Hagg Lake and head towards Carlton. Make a right on NW Meadow Lake which turns into Nestucca River/Blaine/National forest ## something blah blah to Beaver. There is a 3 mile gravel section on Nestucca River which isn't bad. There is a paved narrow goat road work around bypass which is fun. Isn't really marked so if you're interested I could probably draw it on google maps. Some folks do like the section of Nestucca river you miss if you take the bypass however

If you find yourself heading south through lincoln city. You could jump on siletz hwy 229 and do a loop to logsden rd etc..

As for a seriously fun ride of epicness heading through the state transitioning from high desert to cascade forest The Fossil Run is hard to beat. Hwy 218 between Fossil and Shaniko is a highlight for the entire state. Definition of canyon carving. How you get to fossil from the east I really have no suggetions, but once you get there 218 to Shaniko. Bakeoven Rd (also known as "however fast your motorcycle can go rd") to Maupin. (get gas in Maupin). *Maupin to Tygh Valley, left onto wamic market rd turns into NF 48. Left on Cedar Burns to Rt 26 west. On 26 for a mile or 2.* If you want to save some time, just take 216 from Maupin to 26 and just ignore the part between the ** Left on NF 42 (Oregon Skyline Rd) a narrow paved goat rd with views of Mt. Hood. To Clackamas River Rd NF 46. There you have two choices, can't go wrong with either. Head northwest towards Estacada, opens up to hi speed sweepers. Or head south towards detroit lake and 22 (which would probably make more sense as it would put you heading more towards Alsea and Waldport)

 

Outstanding CB-1. I just want to explore a bit before or after my destination.

 

At this point, my chances making this ride are very slim thanks to my wife and kids and their great idea of coming with me for this vacation. So, I'll be driving 395 to 89 to Lassen Volcanic NP, Crater Lake and Alsea Hwy to Waldport Or. Any ideas on places to visit I.E. National monuments, historic places, historic sites, scenic drives etc.?
Return trip will be close to the 101 with some scenic drives thrown in, redwoods, avenue of the giants and the like before I make my way to Hayward Ca.?
Thanks.

 

The entire coast from Waldport to the CA border on 101 is scenic except for Coos Bay. Just did the ride from Newport to Brookings. The roadway is generally good and the tourists are not out on the road until late morning usually. By the afternoon they start cloning.. For overnight stays, check out those "old routes" through towns for SSS places. If you are camping the camping spots are sometimes full up.

 

What are those "old routes"? Which towns do you recommend me checking out?

 

Old routes are what used to be main drags. SSS outfits along 101 are more pesos. Some may not be on the specific "old routes" but merely off 101 several blocks.

I don't recommend Coos Bay. There are nice places there but the main route through the city is not so pretty. I have little idea what your interests are. If It's scenery, take your pick of most burgs on the Oregon Coast. For eats, aboot the same as motel hunting. The oceanfront places this time of year are sort of touristy. Brookings will be the last town before crossing into California. Pretty town. One incentive before crossing over is that Oregon has no sales tax.

 

Don't mean to be negative, but Oregon drivers are notoriously bad, particularly in relationship to motorcycles. Fatal motorcycle accidents doubled last year to 19. Another big issue is deer hits, so try to avoid riding near dusk (although that is no guarantee). All that said, it will be hot anywhere east of the Cascades, so focus on the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, and the Coast. Stay away from Portland Metro; traffic sucks there and drivers are clueless. I am 35-year resident of Oregon and have lived all over the state, except for Southern Oregon and the coast.

 

101 is loaded with tourists this time of year trying to beat the inland heat.

This is a detailed report on motorcycle fatal accidents state by state.

http://www.ghsa.org/html/publications/pdf/spotlights/motorcycles_2012.pdf

Two of note here on the coast or nearby were Harley riders (for real). One dude was hauling ass, passed a car on an open stretch and ass ended a pickup making a righhand turn off a main highway that is clear for miles and is a posted 55mph zone. In Newport alone every year several HD's dump in the downtown corridor.

IMO there are almost as many motorcycle riders that are clueless as there are cagers who are the same.

That Portland metro is a zoo.. with all the cages left unlocked..

 

I would also add to avoid any of the east-west coastal routes late afternoon on sundays. Mass exodus of tourists on roads they can't navigate, they tend to start killing each other. http://www.kptv.com/story/26125150/one-person-killed-in-head-on-crash-on-highway-6

 

Done many tours in eastern Oregon. A few must do's: Fossil to Antelope to Shaniko, Dooley mountain road, hwy 207 starts from about 3 miles outside of Spray and goes north to Heppner. There is more, but you cannot leave the state without doing those three. It would be a shame. We stay in Spray, drop our gear and do loops out from there for days. Best riding ever.

 

I think maybe you should wait till January and put snow tires on with chains and wear a Santa Claus suit in Red of course and ask Bad Billy for Directions to the nearest Ski Hill and carry some snow shoes in your saddlebags. I would bet you would be the only VFR on the road then and you could claim your throne.:eagerness: