Salem sits right on I-5 so Saturday was going to be an Interstate day where we simply mounted our trusty steeds, made it to the highway, then pointed our motorcycles north. No subtlety, just ride for the day with no expectation of seeing anything spectacular enough to merit a stop.
Riding from Salem to Portland, OR, was the usual semi-urban and urban experience; lots of traffic but at least it was moving smoothly until we arrived in Portland where it slowed from the 70 mph speed limit to the mid fifties but it was really no big problem. However, with the traffic there was no time for rubbernecking because focus is all-important when riding a motorcycle surrounded by vehicles in which drivers can be distracted and unaware of something as small as a motorcycle.
On the I-5 through Portland, OR
Portland can also be a complicated city to pass through with its series of on and off ramps and signage that at times can be confusing. However, by carefully watching my GPS and keeping a close eye on the road signs we were able to make it through Portland with no problems, eventually arriving at the bridge over the Columbia River to Vancouver, WA. Like many of the bridges over the Columbia it is a long one with a lift span to accommodate the ocean going freighters that make it up the river to Vancouver.
I-5 bridge over the Columbia River between Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA
Traffic was still steady as we entered Vancouver and rode north to Longview-Kelso where we made our first Starbucks stop after a stint of than one hundred kilometres through steady traffic. While we were waiting in line a guy behind me struck up a conversation about buying a used Harley. He had been talking to a guy who was selling a Fatboy with about seven thousand miles on it. The price seemed reasonable and he asked me what I thought. Being somewhat biased in the matter, I suggested that he see, take it for a ride to see if it was for him and then if he liked it, make an offer. He was going to have to take out a loan so he had already made an offer that was below the asking price and another interested person had made the same offer. Garry joined the conversation, added some comments, and we wished him luck with whatever we decided to do.
Leaving Kelso, we stopped about forty miles up the highway at a rest stop then continued north to Olympia. Again, traffic was steady and riding took focus, but we cleared the city and passed the large Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) which some time ago combined the US McChord Air Force Base and the Fort Lewis Army Base south of Tacoma, WA.
In Tacoma traffic ground to a very slow pace as lines merged and we were subjected to a lot of stop and very slow go movement. On a relatively warm day and dressed in leathers, this wasn't the most pleasant experience but it would have been much worse if we were in the heat that we had been experiencing for the past two weeks.
North of Tacoma the pace increased until we arrived in Seattle where we were again immersed in the snail's pace movement that now seems to be the norm in this city. Ordinarily traffic picks up speed when it clears the bottleneck under the Seattle Convention Center, but not today. We managed at best perhaps forty miles per hour on a sixty-five mph highway, and this was Saturday afternoon.
However, the worst was yet to come. For some reason, traffic always seems to be slow in Everett, WA, and today fit the norm. Here we experienced real stop and go from south of the city almost to Marysville when we resumed normal Interstate speed for the short haul to Sound H-D where we stopped for a respite from traffic and the heat in the air conditioned dealership after more than three hours in the saddle and almost constant slow and heavy traffic.
At the dealership I spoke to Mike, their service writer. and explained to him that although they have been servicing my Harley for five years, the dollar was now so week that I could't afford to return. Their service rate of one hundred and five dollars an hour is comparable with Canadian rates, but when a thirty-five percent premium is added, it costs me more than one hundred and forty dollars and hour just for labour, and parts are additional. I could see the light go on when Mike said, 'That might explain why some of my Canadian regulars haven't been back lately.'
The final twenty-five miles (forty kilometres) to Burlington were uneventful and we pulled into the Sterling Motor Hotel to get a room for the night. The Sterling is a bit of a fleabag motel but it is clean, central, and relatively cheap, which makes it a perfect choice for an overnight stay. However, what we hadn't counted on was the hydroplane races nearby and when we went to check in we got the last two bed room that was available. When we opened the door there was a strong smell of bleach which only made us wonder what had happened in the room before we arrived, but it was good enough.
Once again however, we saw first hand evidence of the extreme poverty that exists in many parts of the US. This motel has a resident population, people who actually rent by the month and make this place their home. It does seem to be a small community and residents seem to know each other and get along. As I have mentioned before though, these places are just one step above living out of a car or being homeless and it is somewhat sad to see the small things that people have done to make their room into a home.
After we settled in we made a visit to the Five Guys burger restaurant and had our dinner. One thing is for certain. In many of these places there seems to an excess of food, and for the umpteenth time, Garry and I were unable to eat all that came with our order so it went into the garbage Judging from the portion sizes in many fast food places, the obesity epidemic in the US isn't too difficult to explain.
Today was our last full day on the road and it wasn't one of the best with heavy traffic and relatively mundane scenery. Sunday will see us arrive home after a really great ride and we are both anticipating being home, sleeping in our own beds, and not having to pack up every morning.
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