3rd Corner/Lighthouse Tour

[RandyShields]

Here we go again.  On my epic 9,000-mile Westward Ho ride a few years ago to finish riding in all the lower 48, I clipped the eastern borders of Oregon and Washington, but didn’t get to the coast or my third U.S. corner (Blaine, WA) as originally hoped.  That gap is about to be corrected as I hop on my RT in 2 weeks in Bandon, Oregon.

 

The plan is simple – experience the beautiful sights on the OR and WA coast, with occasional eastward jaunts for locations like Crater Lake, NP, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier, NP.  I will also see Olympic NP, ride the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP and, hopefully, get to Beartooth Pass in MT and WY, which was closed with snow on my previous trip.  It will be a gameday decision, as some of the MT side is expected to remain closed until late July due to the heavy flooding that impacted the area, including Yellowstone.

 

Additionally, I learned about the Iron Butt Association’s Lighthouse Tour and plan to visit 16 lighthouses on the Pacific coast.  That will give me a good jump start on seeing the required 60 in 12 months.

 

If all goes well, I will also visit a nephew in Vail, get new tires in Denver, and cross the plains to complete 5,200 miles in 16 days.  My route is tentatively set, but if anyone has suggestions on POIs or curvy/scenic roads to check out, please let me know.  Thanks in advance.

[BamaJohn]

Way to go, Randy!  

When eastward bound and nearing Denver, you might consider riding the "highest paved road in the US"  Mt Evans, at 14, 200'.  The lead-in road turns off of I-70 at Idaho Springs, and the route is well-marked.   jb

[RandyShields]

Thanks John.  No eastbound ride.  Having the bike shipped to Bandon and heading north and southeast from there.  Will definitely check this out for the ride home, though.

 

By the way, I noticed that your sign off appears to be reversed.  Shouldn't it be bj for Bama John?

[taylor1]

Very cool Randy. That light house tour would be extremely fun. I was a lighthouse keeper for 4 years while in the USCG. If you decide to see the ones here on the N.C coast, I would be game with tagging along if you would like company. You can't drive to the one by my house, Cape Lookout, but I'd be happy to ride you there on my boat.

[RandyShields]

3 hours ago, taylor1 said:

Very cool Randy. That light house tour would be extremely fun. I was a lighthouse keeper for 4 years while in the USCG. If you decide to see the ones here on the N.C coast, I would be game with tagging along if you would like company. You can't drive to the one by my house, Cape Lookout, but I'd be happy to ride you there on my boat.

Cool!  There will absolutely be a NC lighthouse tour, and I will let you know when we do that.  Would love to have you join.

[MikeRC]

I've been to a lot of those lighthouses on the west coast since my wife collects the stamps in her passport (US Lighthouse Society Passport Program).  On the motorcycle we have been to  Cape Flattery as well as West Quoddy .  The walk out to the Tatoosh Island viewpoint is only a few hundred meters/yards.  Stop in at the Makah Museum in Neah Bay, even if just for 15-20 minutes.

 

Mike C

[RandyShields]

20 hours ago, MikeRC said:

I've been to a lot of those lighthouses on the west coast since my wife collects the stamps in her passport (US Lighthouse Society Passport Program).  On the motorcycle we have been to  Cape Flattery as well as West Quoddy .  The walk out to the Tatoosh Island viewpoint is only a few hundred meters/yards.  Stop in at the Makah Museum in Neah Bay, even if just for 15-20 minutes.

Thanks for the information Mike.  Will try to work in Cape Flattery and the Makah Museum.  Quoddy will have to wait for another trip to Maine.

 

Randy

[GSJOE]

Hey Randy, Hard to not have a good time in this area.  I can’t quite envision your route completely.  might help others to direct you to really cool roads if you send out a image with a preliminary route.

[bendbill]

You'll have a great time at Oregon lighthouses, several of which have tours.  I met MikeRC at Heceta Head when I worked there as a volunteer tour guide.  Great tour, as is Umpqua and Yaquina Head.

[RandyShields]

7 hours ago, GSJOE said:

Hey Randy, Hard to not have a good time in this area.  I can’t quite envision your route completely.  might help others to direct you to really cool roads if you send out a image with a preliminary route.

Good idea.  I have daily routes set up in Google Maps and Basecamp.  Let me see if I can combine them so the entire route is visible.

[RandyShields]

On 7/30/2022 at 6:09 AM, RandyShields said:

Good idea.  I have daily routes set up in Google Maps and Basecamp.  Let me see if I can combine them so the entire route is visible.

I exported the entire 5300 mile route in GPX from Basecamp to my downloads and attached it here.  You will have to import it to Basecamp or a GPS to see it.  I couldn't figure out how to combine all the Google maps to show the entire route as a picture because of the point restrictions.

 

 

3rd Corner Tour.gpx

[GSJOE]

Nice!  I’ll have a look, there certainly some areas I can point out some interesting roads…. Please hold.

[GSJOE]

Route looks wonderful and well informed.   

Few of suggestions:  

If you stay in Cody or looking to eat, this place is great :https://goo.gl/maps/BSynuL6hp7Xc3aJm7

If you can make the detour, Big horn area is wonderful!  https://goo.gl/maps/ANftCNDcKMhz9euZA

Might consider this alternative in the Denver area (14) is kick in the pants!  https://goo.gl/maps/qFkQJL7kNpajgLv48

 

 

 

 

[RandyShields]

4 hours ago, GSJOE said:

Route looks wonderful and well informed.   

Few of suggestions:  

Thanks very much for the validation and the suggestions.  I had originally planned to stay overnight in Cody, but I needed to get more miles that day so the hike into Vail (to stay with family) was not so long.

I rode the Big Horn area a few years ago on my Westward Ho trip, on the day I visited Devil's Tower.  Wonderful scenery.

I definitely will take a closer look at your suggestion across CO into Denver.  I went through Estes Park on the prior trip, but don't think I was on CO 14.  

 

Randy

[roadscholar]

On 7/31/2022 at 7:57 AM, RandyShields said:

I exported the entire 5300 mile route in GPX from Basecamp to my downloads and attached it here.  You will have to import it to Basecamp or a GPS to see it.  I couldn't figure out how to combine all the Google maps to show the entire route as a picture because of the point restrictions.

 

 

3rd Corner Tour.gpx 6.1 MB · 4 downloads

 

That's an impressive amount of riding Randy. I'm not that familiar with the PNW or the great plains above I-70 but do have a couple small suggestions in WY and CO, one already mentioned by GSJoe. In southern WY at I-80 I'd backtrack a little to 789 then down to Baggs and across the Snowy Range on WY70 to Riverside, haven't actually done it but is supposedly very scenic and worthwhile. The other is I'd take 14 from Walden to Fort Collins thru Poudre River canyon, really nice road. You'd miss CO 134 and 131 down to Wolcott which are good (but not as good as 14) plus bypass the rat race on I-70.