Colorado Cruise 2003 – Day 1: Touring The Gas Stations Of The Northwest

Saturday

Scott & Joe
Seattle, WA to Burley, ID
655 miles

How A Ride Gets Off The Ground

My brother, Paul, calls out of the blue and said hey, let’s go for another week long ride before the year is out. How ’bout we meet in Colorado? I groan and say that work is way too hectic. I’d love to but no can do. Dejected, I hang up. A couple of days later, I go to my doctor for my annual checkup and she has a cow when she sees me. She says I’m a wreck and that I need to go on vacation immediately. If that doesn’t lower my stress levels, I’ll need to find a new job. Ok, so working at a company spun off of bankrupt Enron is no picnic. I knew I was bit frazzled but I didn’t think I was that bad.

Nevertheless, as this particular doctor got me through a very nasty problem with my heart years ago with flying colors, I obey her orders implicitly. She asks what I plan to do and I tell her of my recent phone call. So I call Paul back and make plans. Riding buddy, Joe, decides to accompany me out to Colorado before he splits off to go visit his sister. We agree to meet at a great breakfast place in North Bend before crossing the Cascades.

In the morning, I head out on the same highway in Seattle that I take to work each day and so while my mind knows I’m on vacation, my body sure doesn’t. I still feel the same tension and anxiety but as I take the off ramp on to I-90 heading East for the mountains with the B-52s playing in my helmet, the vacation concept slowly begins to sink in and that tension starts easing up. I begin anticipating yet another great adventure in the making. I feel a smile coming on.

Superslabbing

Driving this many miles on the Interstate can be rather tiresome but with the goal of getting to the real riding destination, Joe and I can really hunker down and burn up the miles. We slip into a sort of rhythm and get it done while actually having an enjoyable ride. We ride for an hour and then take a 15 or 20 minute pit stop for gas, bathroom, snacks and water. On this ride, I’m on my Gold Wing 1800 with the 6 CD changer in the trunk so I have tunes the whole way which also helps pass the time. Joe, on the other hand, takes a simpler, low tech approach and just whistles to himself in his helmet.

(click a photo to launch the slideshow)

**1st Stop:** A nice rest area in Washington. Note the Cascade mountains off in the distance.

**2nd Stop:** This looks like the Texaco on the Columbia River at the Washington and Oregon border but then, if you’ve seen one Texaco station…

**3rd Stop:** This lovely gas station is in Pendleton, Oregon. By this point, you’re probably wondering why Joe is taking pictures of the gas stations we’ve stopped at. Beats the hell out of me but if he hadn’t, I’d have zero photos for the 1st day, wouldn’t I? (Thanks, Joe!)

**4th Stop:** This looks like Baker City in Oregon. This section of the Interstate follows the Oregon Trail and despite the number of times we’ve ridden it, I still can’t keep from comparing our pleasure ride to that of the settlers in their wagons with no convenient gas stations along the way.

**5th Stop:** Beats me where this gas station is at. After awhile, it all becomes a blur. By this point, the ride is an exercise in managing hydration, blood sugar, concentration and pain med levels while enjoying the simple pleasure of cruising hour after hour with nothing else to do.

**6th Stop:** Joe’s version of a sport touring bike, the Suzuki Bandit 1200s: lightweight, great gas mileage, very powerful, comfortable ergonomics.

**Bliss Valley:** This view is from right behind the gas station in Bliss, Idaho and is very indicative of the landscape we are traveling through.

Bob’s Museum: We always take a picture of Bob’s every time we roll through Bliss and yet we have never looked inside. Maybe next time….

7th Stop: The sun sets somewhere in Idaho as we roll out of the last gas station stop of the day and head back to the Interstate. A bit more and we’ll be stopping for dinner and a couple of cold beers.