- WELCOME!
- new!!! A HAPPY CAMPER
- A CHRISTMAS STORY (sort of)
- TOY RUN!
- FALL HAS ARRIVED...
- THE LAST WARM SUNNY DAY
- A LAZY SUMMER AFTERNOON
- PHOTO GALLERY
- PHOTO GALLERY 2
- BY THE NUMBERS
- STRANGE DAYS
- TALES FROM THE ROAD...
- JUST MY OPINION...
- PICS PICS PICS
- POLITICALLY INCORRECT, BUT I DON'T CARE
- ON THE ROAD AGAIN
- IMPORTANT NEWS!!! (well, to me anyway...)
- SUNDAY DRIVE
- TIME FOR LUNCH!
- THUNDER ROAD
- TWO MOUNTAINS, ONE WEEKEND
- TWO STATES, TWO COUNTRIES
- STURGIS (2006)
- HOW ABOUT A PARTY?
- HAPPY NEW YEAR
- NEITHER SNOW OR WIND NOR HAIL...YEAH, RIGHT!
- I'M GONNA BITCH
- A RUN UP THE PASS
- WHEREVER I MAY ROAM
- YOU WENT HOW FAR FOR A HOT DOG???
- THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT
- CANADA EH
- CANADA PART 2 EH
- RAMBLIN' ON MY MIND
- I HAVE AN IRON BUTT
- VICTORIA B.C.
- LOOKING FOR THE SUN
- FOG CITY
- LUNCH RIDE
- DAY TRIPPIN'
- TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME
Not all my rides are daylong, 400-mile escapades.
A quick ride for a few hours or a long trip home is enough to get my fix, clear my head, or just be outside. I live about 30 miles from work, so my daily commute alone racks up 60+ miles…but sometimes; you just need more wind in your face.
One of the all-time great riding areas is the Hood Canal. Lots of side roads and beautiful scenery all around.
HOOD CANAL
I took off one night after work about six, and since it was one of those great spring nights with temps in the mid-70s, I was in no hurry to race home. I headed south out of Olympia on I-5 to exit 104, which put me on Highway 101. Rolled easily past West Olympia and took the cutoff toward Shelton (still on 101). An easy scoot up the highway to the Shelton/Highway 3 exit, and cruised through Shelton, finally turning to follow the canal north. As I said, the scenery through here is amazing (one of my favorite rides is this route at sunrise), and the road takes you lazily around some twists and turns, through the small towns of Grapeview and Allyn. As I rode into Allyn, I had my choice of keeping on highway 3 and riding into Belfair, or turning onto Highway 302 and riding the Key Peninsula. Since the route through Belfair empties onto Highway 16, and it’s pretty much freeway all the way to Tacoma, I took 302.
Following the waterline, nice easy turns, a few tight ones, and very little traffic made for a relaxing evening ride, and I found myself crossing the bridge into Purdy, then hanging a right and rolling out to Highway 16. Across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and making my way to River Road toward Puyallup, I realized it was nearing 8 pm, and I was hungry! Stopped in at the Riverside Pub in Sumner for a burger and brew. The Riverside is a great place, lots of bike parking out front, and some of the best burgers and pub food around. And I only took 90 miles to get home!
ORTING/EATONVILLE/YELM
We did this one as a Sunday afternoon lunch ride: headed out from Puyallup and down the Orting Highway (Highway 162) into, of all places, Orting. Do not be a hurry to ride into Orting…this is a two-lane road and nobody EVER seems to do the speed limit. Orting is a nice little town that has grown by leaps and bounds in the past 10 years, but the road in and out of it has not been widened to keep up with the growth. A slow, but quick ride through town and a right onto Orville Road, which winds past farms and along the river to Kapowsin Lake, and out to Highway 161 (Meridian Ave.). We turned right on Meridian and rode south to the Eatonville Cutoff Road, took a left and rode northwest until we came to the intersection with Highway 7. Straight across the highway and straight for about 10 miles or so put us into McKenna, a little bump in the road at the southern tip of Pierce County. The best thing about McKenna is Stewart’s Meats, a family-run smokehouse and meat market with the best meats around…be sure to stop if you make it through McKenna!
Continuing into Yelm, we rode down the main drag (Yelm Ave) to the far west end of town, and stopped at Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant for lunch. The clouds had broken up and the sun finally made an appearance, so with the temperature climbing nicely, we opted to sit outside on the patio and eat. Returning home, we rode back through McKenna, but stayed on Highway 507, past the small (and I mean small) town of Roy and into Spanaway. A left turn onto Highway 7 took us up into Parkland and Tacoma, then back home. Overall, about a 95-mile ride, which, with a leisurely stop for lunch, took about 4 hours or so.
BLACK DIAMOND
I really like this ride, because there is very little traffic to deal with on most of the ride, plus there is a great biker bar about half way to stop at if it’s a hot day.
Heading out of Bonney Lake, I usually ride the “back way” into Buckley—instead of going out Highway 410 and dealing with traffic, I take the Old Sumner-Buckley Highway, which goes right into the heart of Buckley, but without a lot of traffic, and some amazing views of Mt. Rainier. At the junction with Highway 410, a left turn takes me into Enumclaw and on the way out of town (headed toward Chinook Pass), another left turn onto 264th Street (which becomes Veazie-Cumberland Road a short distance away) and I ride past farms and Nolte State Park. As I mentioned earlier, if it’s a hot day, I’ll stop at the City Hall Saloon in Cumberland. Great place to pull up and hang for a bit…huge outdoor seating area, with 2 outside bars for those crowded days. Thursday nights in the summer are always packed, and usually with live music.
Leaving the City Hall, a turn to the right and I end up at the intersection with Retreat-Kanaskat Road and a left turn takes me up to the Kent-Kangley Road. There are two ways to go at this junction: left puts me on the Maple Valley-Black Diamond Road (SR 169) and takes me through Black Diamond and back into Enumclaw. Going straight will continue until I reach Highway 18 north of Auburn. A right turn, which I have not yet taken, would lead me up into the Hobart area and toward Tiger Mountain, also intersecting with Highway 18.
Depending on which route I decide, I can be out for two hours or four. In addition, there are dozens of back roads, parks, and side trips to see, so an all-day outing is possible.
This is just one of the reasons I love riding in the Northwest. For all my bitching about the weather and traffic, I believe I live in one of the best areas in the country for riding!
A quick ride for a few hours or a long trip home is enough to get my fix, clear my head, or just be outside. I live about 30 miles from work, so my daily commute alone racks up 60+ miles…but sometimes; you just need more wind in your face.
One of the all-time great riding areas is the Hood Canal. Lots of side roads and beautiful scenery all around.
HOOD CANAL
I took off one night after work about six, and since it was one of those great spring nights with temps in the mid-70s, I was in no hurry to race home. I headed south out of Olympia on I-5 to exit 104, which put me on Highway 101. Rolled easily past West Olympia and took the cutoff toward Shelton (still on 101). An easy scoot up the highway to the Shelton/Highway 3 exit, and cruised through Shelton, finally turning to follow the canal north. As I said, the scenery through here is amazing (one of my favorite rides is this route at sunrise), and the road takes you lazily around some twists and turns, through the small towns of Grapeview and Allyn. As I rode into Allyn, I had my choice of keeping on highway 3 and riding into Belfair, or turning onto Highway 302 and riding the Key Peninsula. Since the route through Belfair empties onto Highway 16, and it’s pretty much freeway all the way to Tacoma, I took 302.
Following the waterline, nice easy turns, a few tight ones, and very little traffic made for a relaxing evening ride, and I found myself crossing the bridge into Purdy, then hanging a right and rolling out to Highway 16. Across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and making my way to River Road toward Puyallup, I realized it was nearing 8 pm, and I was hungry! Stopped in at the Riverside Pub in Sumner for a burger and brew. The Riverside is a great place, lots of bike parking out front, and some of the best burgers and pub food around. And I only took 90 miles to get home!
ORTING/EATONVILLE/YELM
We did this one as a Sunday afternoon lunch ride: headed out from Puyallup and down the Orting Highway (Highway 162) into, of all places, Orting. Do not be a hurry to ride into Orting…this is a two-lane road and nobody EVER seems to do the speed limit. Orting is a nice little town that has grown by leaps and bounds in the past 10 years, but the road in and out of it has not been widened to keep up with the growth. A slow, but quick ride through town and a right onto Orville Road, which winds past farms and along the river to Kapowsin Lake, and out to Highway 161 (Meridian Ave.). We turned right on Meridian and rode south to the Eatonville Cutoff Road, took a left and rode northwest until we came to the intersection with Highway 7. Straight across the highway and straight for about 10 miles or so put us into McKenna, a little bump in the road at the southern tip of Pierce County. The best thing about McKenna is Stewart’s Meats, a family-run smokehouse and meat market with the best meats around…be sure to stop if you make it through McKenna!
Continuing into Yelm, we rode down the main drag (Yelm Ave) to the far west end of town, and stopped at Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant for lunch. The clouds had broken up and the sun finally made an appearance, so with the temperature climbing nicely, we opted to sit outside on the patio and eat. Returning home, we rode back through McKenna, but stayed on Highway 507, past the small (and I mean small) town of Roy and into Spanaway. A left turn onto Highway 7 took us up into Parkland and Tacoma, then back home. Overall, about a 95-mile ride, which, with a leisurely stop for lunch, took about 4 hours or so.
BLACK DIAMOND
I really like this ride, because there is very little traffic to deal with on most of the ride, plus there is a great biker bar about half way to stop at if it’s a hot day.
Heading out of Bonney Lake, I usually ride the “back way” into Buckley—instead of going out Highway 410 and dealing with traffic, I take the Old Sumner-Buckley Highway, which goes right into the heart of Buckley, but without a lot of traffic, and some amazing views of Mt. Rainier. At the junction with Highway 410, a left turn takes me into Enumclaw and on the way out of town (headed toward Chinook Pass), another left turn onto 264th Street (which becomes Veazie-Cumberland Road a short distance away) and I ride past farms and Nolte State Park. As I mentioned earlier, if it’s a hot day, I’ll stop at the City Hall Saloon in Cumberland. Great place to pull up and hang for a bit…huge outdoor seating area, with 2 outside bars for those crowded days. Thursday nights in the summer are always packed, and usually with live music.
Leaving the City Hall, a turn to the right and I end up at the intersection with Retreat-Kanaskat Road and a left turn takes me up to the Kent-Kangley Road. There are two ways to go at this junction: left puts me on the Maple Valley-Black Diamond Road (SR 169) and takes me through Black Diamond and back into Enumclaw. Going straight will continue until I reach Highway 18 north of Auburn. A right turn, which I have not yet taken, would lead me up into the Hobart area and toward Tiger Mountain, also intersecting with Highway 18.
Depending on which route I decide, I can be out for two hours or four. In addition, there are dozens of back roads, parks, and side trips to see, so an all-day outing is possible.
This is just one of the reasons I love riding in the Northwest. For all my bitching about the weather and traffic, I believe I live in one of the best areas in the country for riding!