Alaska 2004
 
 

Day 09

July 17

  
 

It seems hard to believe that today is the day Tom and I will be splitting up after riding close to 5000 miles together. That much time in the saddle lets you really get to know one another and form a friendship from mutual respect. But he's got some places he wants to go and I'm going to spend some time with Mapinator and the Hotel crowd. We are in Mapinator's line of travel, so he knows the area far better than we do. Of course I bring up the topic of breakfast –

“John, nothing around here looks too exciting for breakfast. Besides I'm as full as tick from supper last night” I tell him.

“Well, I know a place down the coast a bit close to Golden Beach at Rogue River that has a great restaurant” he says.

“Sounds like a plan to me” I add.

We finish packing and mount up. I love to ride with folks that know the area, because the experience is different than just wandering through it yourself. As an outsider, you will miss some of the best parts just because you don't know where to look. As we wander down the rest of the PCH, it's hard to stay focused on the road. The PCH is not anymore technically difficult to ride that many roads back home in the hills of Tennessee, but the scenery is compelling. The craggy coast line and crashing waves pull your eyes toward them, but on this road it can prove fatal.

 
   
  As we head inland a bit, John slows to a stop. There on the side of the road is big elk just placidly enjoying his breakfast without a care in the world.  
   
 

John manages to get a picture of him but my hands aren't working quick enough so my shot is too late. We get back up to speed and arrive at Golden Beach and pull into the restaurant parking lot. John points out the mouth of the Rogue River to Tom and me - “The only way you can get up the river is in a very fast power boat. In the old days the movie stars would go up the river for relaxation to get away from the crowds. Now there are lots of boats that do it.”

  
 
 
  What was once only a rich man's haven has now become a tourist attraction and so it goes for most places. We wander into a crowded restaurant and are seated pretty quickly. The food is good and the service is good and I enjoy catching up with what John's been doing. But we figure we have about 500 miles to do today, so we take a few local pictures of a boat that John really wants to buy and get back to the riding business at hand.  
 
 
  When we arrive at the California/Oregon border I do my customary stop. I get the California shot easy and turn around to get the Oregon stateline since I don't like the shot I got on the way in. There's a dude too cool for the rest of the world getting a shot of his girlfriend and he just can't seem to get it right. He's one of those potato and peg paraders that thinks the whole world should wait on him. He sees me behind him waiting, so he sees how long it can take him to get his shots. In my younger days, I probably would have walked over to him and snatched him up, but my heart's been changed since then. But today, I do consider how much jail time it might cost me because he is being such a pain in the anatomy. But it's just not worth it so I just wait. Finally figuring I'm in it for the long haul, he moves on and I can get an Oregon state line shot more to my liking.  
   
  We get back underway and cruise down 101 to Arcata,California where Tom is splitting off. We gas up and take a break and exchange hugs. There are few fellowships like the fellowship of the road but even those have to be put on hold sometimes.  
 

 

  
 

John and I head on down 101 as Tom heads inland on 299 and we are off to each explore what the future has for us. I am excited as I know we will pass through the Avenue of the Giants, probably one of my favorite 5 rides in the entire country. The last time I was on it, the rider with me was in a bit of a hurry, so I could not do the entire route. But today John and I have decided to run the entire way which just tickles me to death.

 
   
 

We are soon enveloped in the quiet and peace of the giant trees and I relish the time. This is not the place for loud pipes to save lives, but a place of quite reflection and refreshing. We stop along the way to soak it all in and take some pictures. To me it is like riding through a great cathedral and it is a ride not to miss.

 
   
 

The road is relatively deserted which adds to the joy of riding it. As it ends, we return to highway 1 and continue our journey toward the highway 128 cutoff. As we enter Mendicino county, I can't help but hear the refrain from the Willy Nelson song about it. Not one of my favorites at all, but interesting collision of thoughts to be in the place again that he sung about. We stop for a break and I tell John -

“Mapinator, I'm a bit tired, so I may be poking along a bit on 128. So I hope I don't hold you up. If I get a little pick up, I may crank it up, but it will depend on how I feel.”

John understands so when we hit 128, I take the lead at a leisurely pace. It's a great road and lots of fun to ride, though I am a bit road weary. My biggest problem is reading the pavement to know what I can trust and what to watch out for. Finally getting this sorted out and getting a second wind, I feel comfortable cranking the wick up a bit. We whiz through the twists and turns at such a pace that John begins to wonder what happened to me. When we stop for a break, he asks -

“Man, Uncle Phil, did your rocket boosters kick in?”

“Naw, Mapinator, I just felt good so I just let her rip” I reply.

Since we are close to his house and he has graciously made room for me there, he takes the lead back. He guides us into the home place and it feels good to be off the road and not in a motel.

He fires up the grill and I get to meet his lovely wife, Miss Theresa. I tell her my ‘serial killer story'-

“First time I was headed out to Dennis Ryan's place, someone asked Norma, his wife, where Dennis had met this folks coming in. When she told them on the Internet, they got real serious and said “Don't you know that's where those serial killers lurk?” So when I got there, I gave Miss Norma a big Tennessee hug, and said “Hello, I'm your serial killer for the day!”

We all have a good laugh on that one. John's got the burgers finished so we sit down, give thanks to the Lord, and dig in.

“Mapinator, you do a pretty good job on that grill. Reminds me of old Coop. He did a mean grill in Wisconsin when I was up at his house” I tell him.

It's getting late, so John asks me –

“You want to ride or rest tomorrow, Uncle Phil?”

“John, I reckon I can rest when I get back to the house. So let's ride!” I reply.

We turn in and once again I realize how blessed I am to have been able to travel all over the US and Canada and to know so many great folks. It's been another great day to ride with friends in one of the most scenic places around. But I'm tired and really looking forward to a good night of snore music. Little do I know what tomorrow will hold …