Anytime I get to go on a motorcycle trip with one of my children I know it’s going to be special. This trip was no exception. It has been a busy year! The Army transferred me from San Antonio, TX to Ft. Lewis, WA. Over the past year I have taken a few trips, and I have put a lot of miles on my ST1300. The Pacific Northwest is a great area to ride. The temperatures are moderate, and the scenery is fantastic.
This was a five day trip with the 2007 Honda ST1300. The plan was to ride to Astoria, OR, and then follow Hwy – 101 down to Sacramento/San Fransisco. Then we would head east to central CA, and finally work our way north back home. The trip was awesome and Maija still talks about it to this day! We hit all different types of weather, and the ST1300 was absolutely perfect for this adventure.
Day 1
Maija and I woke up early to a beautiful and sunny summer morning. The ST was already packed and ready to go. We ate breakfast, went over our safety plan, and suited up. It was warm when we pulled the ST out of the garage. At ten years old, Maija was thoroughly enjoying her summer break, and this trip was something we were both looking forward to! The ST fired fired right up like it always does, and we were on our way. The ST is one of the finest Sport Touring bikes ever made. It’s plenty spacious enough for Maija and I along with all of our camping gear and clothes…and Maija’s baby doll and its clothes.
Although I usually take back roads, I will sometimes take the quickest route to get out of the home-base area. In this case it was I-5 south to Longview WA. Once south of Olympia, the traffic on I-5 cleared up and we were comfortably gliding along at 80mph. We rode for about an hour and a half before we stopped in Longview. My brother and his family lived there and Maija enjoys playing with her cousins. We pulled into my brother’s driveway around mid morning…Maija played and my brother and I visited over a cup of coffee.
After a bit we hit the road again and headed west towards Astoria. It was getting pretty warm and the traffic going to Astoria was heavy. Everyone was headed to the beach, and the going was painfully slow. I was in second and third gear slowly chugging along…what should have taken an hour took two hours, and it was becoming exhausting. We finally pulled into Astoria and stopped to rest and eat a late lunch. It was hot, but that was about to change for us.
As we continued west through Astoria and towards Sea Side the weather turned. It became overcast and the temperature dropped significantly. In fact, it got so cool that Maija asked to stop so we could change into warmer clothes…a stark contrast to a couple hours earlier when we were baking while sitting in traffic.
The temperature dropped significantly once we reached Sea Side. Maija and I bundled up.
After a short break and putting on some warmer clothes, we continued south. Our destination for the night was a campground in Lincoln City, OR. About 250 miles…perfect for a 10 year old! Hwy-101 runs along the pacific ocean, and is one of the prettiest rides in America. The only downside is that traffic can be heavy in the summer. But there are stretches where you can really enjoy the road and the views without fighting RVs and slow cars.
We finally made it to the campground around dinner time. We set up camp, and walked across the street for some delicious fish & chips. We spent the rest of the evening sitting around the campfire, and Maija found a friend that she played with. All in all it was a great day!
Day 2
Maija and I woke up and it was still overcast and cool. You could smell the salt in the air from the pacific. The water was choppy as the waves crashed into the shore with surprising force. It was maybe 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and didn’t feel as if it was going to warm up anytime soon. I broke down camp and loaded up the ST while Maija “changed the diaper” on her baby doll…she also gave her baby doll “medicine” so she wouldn’t get car sick on the bike. She’s going to be a fine mama when she grows up. We left Lincoln City and continued our way south. We stopped about 20 miles later to eat breakfast at a coffee shop, and to go for a little morning hike.
Stopped for a nice breakfast and a little morning hike.
As we headed south on 101, the sun began to peak through the clouds. It was still cool but tolerable. The traffic was light, and the ST was made for these roads. It’s surprisingly capable and glides along the twisty roads. Every now and then I would come up to an RV or a slow moving car that caused a line of cars…simply drop a gear, wait for a clearing, twist the throttle. and zip by them. The ST will go from 40 mph to 120 mph in a breath so passing is never an issue!
Hwy-101 is breathtaking! We stopped whenever we saw an opportunity to take in the views. God is an amazing artist!
As we neared the California border, we began seeing signs advertising a wildlife refuge ahead. They had pictures of baby animals on bill boards, and Maija simply can’t refuse a baby of any kind. “Dad I wanna see the babies!!” “Plus Cambry (the name of Maija’s baby doll) needs a diaper change!” I tried to convince her that the stop will put us behind schedule, but she wasn’t having it. Fifteen minutes later we pulled into the wildlife refuge parking lot. Maija quickly changed Cambry, and we went in to appease Maija’s baby addiction.
Maija enjoyed all the babies.
They had an impressive collection of wildlife…and minimal fencing that separated apex predators from everything else. I’m not sure if they are still open.
The lynx kitten was the highlight!
Once Maija got her fill of babies, we were back on the road. The trees started to get larger as we neared the redwood forests…it’s amazing how small you feel next to those massive trees! The temperature was dropping again as the sky became overcast. There was a mist in the air that almost looked like fog coming off the pacific. It was beautiful, but we were getting chilled. We finally rode up to a somewhat dingy motel that looked like a log cabin. There were a lot of adventure bikes in the parking lot, so we pulled in. They had a room available for a bit more money than I wanted to spend…but we were cold and damp and tired. I bit the bullet on the room and Maija and I ate dinner in the motel restaurant. Maija wanted to swim but the indoor pool was filled with the adventure riders who were drinking and enjoying their evening. Instead we settled into the room where sleep came quickly.
Day 3
Today’s plan was to continue south on Hwy-101, through Eureka and hopefully down to San Fransisco by the time the day was done. The adventure bikes were still there as we loaded up the ST. None of the riders were at breakfast either…perhaps they enjoyed their evening at the pool a little too much. We rolled out of the motel and continued our way through the redwood forest. What a splendid ride it is! I rode slowly, trying to soak up as much scenery as I could. I heard Maija yell “look dad!,we’re going under the tree bridge just like in the princess book!” as the road literally goes through a massive redwood tree trunk.
Once through the redwoods the sky began to clear, and Hwy-101 becomes even more stunning! The views were breathtaking and the warm sun felt nice after a cool and misty morning.
Breathtaking views along Hwy101
Somehow Hwy-101 just kept getting better. The big sweepers and multiple changes in elevation made it a blast on the ST! This road must have been designed by a motorcycle enthusiast. Once in a while we would pass an old abandoned gas station or a country store that was barely hanging on. The travelers along the 101 are the only thing keeping these stores alive! The scenery was beautiful and plentiful…validation for why long riders do what we do!
The reason why we long riders do what we do!
We continued to work our way south towards San Fransisco. The traffic was getting heavier as we approached Santa Rosa. Before long we were rolling at a slow crawl. The temperature was also getting intense…moving slow in traffic on a bike in warm temps is no fun. We pulled over and took a break, filled up with gas and gatorade and decided to change our plans. A secret to success while on a motorcycle trip is being willing to adjust plans accordingly. My rule of thumb is that if the riding is no longer fun, it’s time for a change. It makes no sense to suffer through a ton of traffic and heat just to say you made it top your planned destination. This was one of those moments. We decided to get off Hwy-101 and shoot east. We’d take the back roads by Lake Berryessa and work our way to I-5, before heading north again towards home.
This was probably the best choice we could have made…and I’m glad we had a full tank when we left Santa Rosa! The roads we took worked their way through the mountains, twisting and turning and never flat. It was an absolute blast! Once in a while we’d come upon an old country store, which was barely surviving.
This part of California is surprisingly desolate with a few old run down farms along the way.
Stores were barely hanging on…if the road ever shuts down they will soon follow suit.
The riding was slow…not because of traffic but because the roads were not for the faint of heart, and I had precious cargo on the back. By the time we reached I-5, it was late evening and it was HOT. We stopped for dinner at a Cracker Barrel…which was conveniently located next to a Holiday Inn. We checked in, cleaned up, and slept like babies.
DAY 4
It was still hot when we woke up in the morning. It’s incredible how cool it can be near the coast, and how hot it can be once you pass the other side of the mountains. We were south of Redding, and the goal today was to make it to Eugene, OR. I could just shoot north on I-5 and cover a lot of ground quickly…but that’s boring. Instead my plan was to take the interstate for a while, and then branch off and take back roads for a while. I would continue doing that until we reached our destination. I filled the tank on the ST and we began our journey north. I put the windshield of the ST at the lowest setting to maximize airflow…it was hot.
We jetted north on I-5 for about an hour until we pulled into Redding. The gauge on the ST was hovering around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. We stopped for a water break and to cool down. We poured water over our heads to cool down…Maija really enjoyed dumping water on me.
Pouring water over Maija’s head to help keep her cool
After rehydrating and cooling off with some icee treats we continued our journey. The decision to get off the highway and take back roads proved to be a wise decision. There were little towns all over the place, and one town that had a neat museum highlighting the days of the gold rush.
A historical house from the days of the gold rush.
Maija loved seeing the old babies dolls!
We continued our way north towards Eugene. We stopped often for water and breaks. The nice thing about the ST is that it allows for a good clean airflow with the shield in the lowest position. We were traveling at a faster pace than yesterday. Northern California has plenty of straight roads where a rider can open it up a bit. The ST clipped along effortlessly at 85-90…it felt good with the heat.
We finally made it to Eugene around dinner time. We checked into the KOA and set up camp. We grabbed dinner at a Sushi restaurant and relaxed in the air-condition. We returned to camp, showered, and went to bed. We decided against a fire…it was still pretty warm. We slept on top of the sleeping bags…too hot to crawl in. Thankfully there were no bugs, and sleep finally came.
DAY 5
Today was our last day on the road, and Maija wanted to stop by and play with her cousins again. It was going to be hot again. I called my brother to make sure he would be there so we could swing by for a quick stop. He said forget about a quick stop, “lets take my boat out on the water with the kids…let them swim.” Maija was all for it, so we decided to hammer north on I-5 until we reached Longview. We loaded up the ST and put the hammer down!
Loaded up and ready for one more day…the ST performed perfectly as always. What a fine machine she is!
I-5 is like any other interstate. Boring but fast. The miles melted away as we zipped north. We blasted through Salem and Portland until we finally reached Longview. We pulled in to my brother’s driveway to a bunch of cute smiling faces. He had the boat loaded and ready to go. The swim was exactly what Maija and I needed after a hot ride on the bike.
Maija and her cousins having a blast on the boat!
The girls swam and played…a perfect way to end an awesome bike trip!
We ate dinner after our swim, visited for a while, and headed out for our last couple hours on the bike. We were refreshed and rejuvenated from our swim, and the last two hours of our ride happened as the sun set. It was perfect! It was dark when finally pulled into our driveway. It was an amazing trip, and Maija did an amazing job as a passenger!
Sport Touring Cycle Adventures 