The border crossing back into The States was everything going into Canada wasn't. Even with my U.S. Passport, I was asked to pull off, dismount, remove my helmet, and asked more probing questions than I care to remember all while they searched my gear. So much for a welcome home! I guess the beard and heavy melanin made me fit a certain profile. Even with the border delay, I made it from Green Lake back to Seattle in one day of hard riding. You know you have good friends when they are always happy to see you, even if it is earlier than expected. Seattle was once again happy to see me, and the feeling was mutual.
One of the things that had piqued my interest upon riding past the space needle was this strange shaped building. Upon closer inspection, I found that it was called the "Experience Music Project," and that it had several exhibits on artists (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Gorillaz), some exhibits on the Seattle music scene, the production of Loony Toons, the costumes of Star Wars, and modern tools used for music production. With the rest of the day, Trevor took me on a tour around The Sound, and the city did not disappoint. Seattle really is a beauty. More delicious food was made and devoured in their kitchen, and we prepared to say our second goodbyes in the morning. Trevor offered to follow me down I-5 for a while, partly because it is a beautiful ride, and partly so I didn't have to worry about getting out of the city. Riding a motorcycle in an empty HOV lane is a blast! It came to an end and a wave and a salute had to suffice for a final goodbye.
The next place to stop was with my sister and her family in Medford. The ride was beautiful, but the closer I got to southern Oregon, the smokier it got. A wet bandana over my nose and mouth hardly helped. I arrived very late and was still happily greeted by my sister and her kids. We stayed up far too late, talked about everything until we absolutely couldn't stay awake anymore. I helped her get the kids ready for church the next morning, and I turned my wheels south once more.
Next on the list of stops was Lake Tahoe, or Truckee to be exact. I recommend driving in right at sunset. Between the vivid color and the smell of warm pine, it was very welcoming. Truckee is a cute little town with all the trappings of a seasonal tourist area, with obvious caterings to California tastes. My host this time was a friend and former coworker that I hadn't seen since he moved off island. While staying with him, we spent a day at the beach. Tahoe is the brightest blue I have seen outside the Caribbean, but the water is much much colder. Even mid summer you didn't want to stay in terribly long. The water of the lake was extremely low. All of the docks were so far above the water line as to be useless. It exposed a lot of giant boulders that were enjoyable to swim out to and climb around on. Paddle boarding was my favorite (and the warmest) way to get around on the water. That night I made Al the biggest, most sloppy burgers I have yet attempted, and they were a delicious mess. Although my time in Tahoe was short, it is an area that I would love to visit again. There are just so many outdoor activites to do there!
The next day I was on my way to Yosemite. As Treebeard says, "I always like going South: somehow it feels like going downhill." It is a sentiment I concur with. I always seem to travel faster going south. On a recommendation from Al's roommate, I took Route 88 to 49 to 120 into Yosemite. As he put it, "you're riding through the golden hills that are the reason California cows are so happy." It didn't disappoint.
The one thing that no one tells you about our National Parks is that they can feel a bit like an amusement park. I had seen many photos of the grandeur of Yosemite (thank you Ansel Adams!), and was excited to be able to ride around such giants of nature. It happened to be the case that day that 100,000 other people wanted to do the same. Traffic consisted of mostly RVs that were much to big for the roads they were attempting, and buses full of tourists clogging those roads that could handle them. It was still 100% worth it. The Sequoia trees are a presence to behold, the mountain valleys beg to be rolled around in, and hiking Half Dome has been added to my list of things to do. The fire damage is jarring however. I couldn't help feeling like I'd "missed it."
The one thing that no one tells you about our National Parks is that they can feel a bit like an amusement park. I had seen many photos of the grandeur of Yosemite (thank you Ansel Adams!), and was excited to be able to ride around such giants of nature. It happened to be the case that day that 100,000 other people wanted to do the same. Traffic consisted of mostly RVs that were much to big for the roads they were attempting, and buses full of tourists clogging those roads that could handle them. It was still 100% worth it. The Sequoia trees are a presence to behold, the mountain valleys beg to be rolled around in, and hiking Half Dome has been added to my list of things to do. The fire damage is jarring however. I couldn't help feeling like I'd "missed it."
The best part of my stay was the free campsite I found about 40 minutes out from Yosemite. It was down a steep, washboarded, cliffside gravel road, but this kept it quiet once you finally got down to Drew Creek. The evidence of a fire from a few years ago was still very evident. I quite liked that the water of the creek had flecks of glimmering sediment. Every time I got in the water to cool off, I came out shimmering.
There were a few hardy souls down there, and I even made friends with the folks camped next to me. We of course made time to cook each other dinner the nights that I was there, and trade a few truths and many lies around the campfire. I learned a thing or two about metal detecting from them. They were positive it was going to make them their fortune. I also learned a thing or two about the nut industry in California from them, and how the extreme drought was causing difficulty in both the work, and finding such work. On the second day I was heading to Yosemite from my camp, I came around a curve and the gravel started swallowing my rear tire while pulling me very near the cliffside. I managed to free my steed and continue onward, but only after abruptly laying her down and breaking off one of the mirrors. She's looked a little goofy ever since.
There were a few hardy souls down there, and I even made friends with the folks camped next to me. We of course made time to cook each other dinner the nights that I was there, and trade a few truths and many lies around the campfire. I learned a thing or two about metal detecting from them. They were positive it was going to make them their fortune. I also learned a thing or two about the nut industry in California from them, and how the extreme drought was causing difficulty in both the work, and finding such work. On the second day I was heading to Yosemite from my camp, I came around a curve and the gravel started swallowing my rear tire while pulling me very near the cliffside. I managed to free my steed and continue onward, but only after abruptly laying her down and breaking off one of the mirrors. She's looked a little goofy ever since.