Day 63: Along the Columbia River Gorge
Vancouver, WA to Pendleton, OR
214.58 Miles | 3:57 Riding Time
It’s Wednesday, June 12, 2024, and it’s Day 63 of my cross country motorcycle trip.
This weekend (Thursday - Saturday) is the BMW MOA National Rally in Redmond, OR, which is only 150 miles away. But, I only have a reservation for Friday. With rooms in Redmond were going for more than $300 a night, I decided to take the long way to Redmond, and ride along the Columbia River Gorge to Pendleton, OR,
It was a beautiful ride along the Washington side of the river—scenic, twisty, and very little traffic. I basically rode along RT-14 and crossed the river near Maryhill, WA. Then, took the interstate to Pendleton. There were lots of overlooks to check out on the WA side, but once I got over to OR, it was all highway.
For much of the ride along RT-14, the road is next to the train tracks, so there aren’t many sharp turns or steep grades. But at one point, a train was heading the opposite direction. If you think the wind from a semi truck is a lot, try passing a massive freight train. Riding along with the trains was fun, once I got used to the wind.
Pendleton was a cool town. I stayed at The Hotel Pendleton, which is a remodeled motel in the center of town. The staff was very nice and the rooms were clean. In the lobby, I met another guy, Collin from British Columbia Canada, who was on his way to the Rally as well. We chatted for a bit, then decided to head across the street to Hamley Steakhouse and Saloon. The food was good, and the decor was a classic old west saloon.
