It is Friday the 13th. It was a beautiful clear, crisp morning. We could see the top of Crystal Mountain.
We headed out at 8:30 because today was going to be a seven hour ride, according to Zumo. We soon rose up into the clouds once again but we caught a glimpse of Mount Rainier! No picture however, because Cathy fat-fingered something on the camera and we missed the shot. The ride was beautiful, though.
We turned onto Highway 131 and about one mile into the road we saw a sign saying the road was closed.
We pulled over and looked at a map. Some helpful elk hunters stopped and advised us. The road was totally washed out. We got back on the bike and rode to the next town, Mossyrock, to regroup. We had an espresso and split a breakfast sandwich and studied our options.
We decided to get on I-5 and then asked the Zumo to take us on some parallel roads that kept us out of the city centers of Vancouver and Portland. For the most part, it worked. We did get caught in a few traffic jams but we saw a fighter jet coming in for a landing. Bonus!
We crossed the Columbia and re-entered Oregon.
Since our new route took at least three hours off our schedule and we were about an hour outside of Albany, we stopped for a full lunch in Mt. Angel. Tom finally had his burger!
We got back on the road and traveled through beautiful farmlands and vineyards dotted with historic homes.
Soon we were in Albany and checked in to our hotel. Still full from lunch and with nothing within walking distance, we kept our gear on and rode to the Walmart Grocery for something light and nutritious for dinner. We had a lovely feast of vegetables and fruit.
Although today didn’t produce the adventure we were hoping for, we got to see some quaint little towns and beautiful farmland we would have otherwise missed.
Tomorrow we are going to meet our niece in Eugene for brunch. We have not seen her for too many years so we’re looking forward to catching up with her.
Well then head to Ashland for at least two nights. We’re considering our options.
Cathy’s Barn of the Day Pic…
Monkeybutt Chronicles 