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eric on Mar 24th 2009 at 3:18 am Motorscooters, Planning/Dreaming, Scooter Trips

Ring around Rainier – Planning a three day romp through Washington

Well, I’m planning another very short scooter trip. Maybe 600 miles and only three days. It’s hardly Scoot 66, but it’s got US routes and old alignments of roads. Railroads too! It’s very much a trip that I would take.

I’ve divided it into three legs.

The First Leg (click to see the map)
This will take me out US 2 and over Stevens Pass. I’ve done this before, but very quickly and had no chance to explore it at all. I’ll stop in a few towns and trace some old, original alignments over the pass. There’s even an abandoned railroad tunnel to explore around!

I’ll follow Route 2 to Coulee City, again finding some original alignments and old stage roads to pass my time. I’m hoping that I can find a place to camp around Coulee City.

The Second Leg (click to see map)
North of Coulee is some really beautiful country and hopefully I’ll be able to check that out too with a quick trip to Steamboat Rock. From there, back down WA 155 to WA 17 south, which looks really lovely and, like the area around Steamboat Rock, is part of the Coulee Corridor. From there, it’s WA 26 (Old US 295/Vantage Highway).

I’ll hit WA 821 in Ellensburg, following Canyon Road, which is old US 97. It looks fun as it winds along the Yakima River and bypasses two abandoned tunnels.

Yakima will probably be my home for the night.

The Third Leg (again, click to see map)

Yellowstone Trail in Redmond, WAFrom there, it’s Old Naches Highway, which looks fun and may be old US 12 (though I have no idea). After that, I could rejoin present US 12 or stay with WA 410 (formerly US 410) and head through Mt. Rainier National Park.

Either way, I’ll then skirt the metro area using old roads that used to be highways (including the Yellowstone Highway) before the city crept east, winding up back in Seattle the next day.

This will be done on the Vespa GTS250, Ruby, the same scooter I took on Scoot 66. I have no doubt that she’ll do fine. It’s not even 700 miles.

So anyway, those are the plans for one 3 day trip. Shouldn’t be too difficult to pull that off. The next trip to plan is heading west to the Pacific.



Related posts:

  1. Planning a desert and mountain scooter trip
  2. Planning two tiny trips around King County
  3. Planning the CRAP out of Jersey!
  4. A day to find the Yellowstone Trail in Washington
  5. Route 66 Trip Planning

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6 Comments

Comment by AlanNo Gravatar
2009-03-24 04:39:52

Wish I was going with you. Last summer, Jina and I drove through the Olympic Peninsula on our way to the Pacific–(we stopped and hiked through the Hoh rain forest). For this Gulf Coast swamp boy, seeing the Olympic mountains was like seeing demi-gods!

Anyway, hope you and Ruby have a nice, safe ride–

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2009-03-24 07:32:03

Well, anyone will a bike is certainly welcome to roll out with me. I’ve only ever ridden alone and would really like that to end. I’ve been reading “I See By My Outfit” and didn’t realize it, but miss having a traveling companion (I’ve traveled in a car with other people, but never on bikes).

I’m not big on hiking, which bugs me. I want to be. And maybe living out here, I’ll get that chance. Whenever I’ve done it, I’ve liked it, but have mostly just “walked” rather than “hiked.” I bet I’d like both just as much.

So when are you folks getting out here?

Comment by AlanNo Gravatar
2009-03-24 07:47:01

We’re thinking between mid-June and the end of June. Gotta sell the house(wish us luck). I’ve got a school contract that doesn’t end until June (hoping to start teaching up there this fall-again,wish me luck).

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2009-03-24 07:50:40

Great! It’s a very beautiful time of year here.

Good luck selling the house, hopefully you get what you want for it.

The regular job market here isn’t so hot, but I’ve no idea how it is in the education field. Good luck on all counts. This is a really wonderful place to live, you’ll dig it.

 
 
 
 
Comment by AlanNo Gravatar
2009-03-24 10:04:46

Thanks, Eric–and I must say, your blog does Seattle great justice. I think the Washington Department of Tourism should pay you something for all you do to promote the city!

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2009-03-24 11:44:48

Thanks! I sure do wish someone would pay me for doing something sooner or later!

 
 

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