I just got back from my third time on the PCH. This was my longest trip on this wonderful road and a great trip. Our trip took us through Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada.
Our first day out was all freeway straight up I15 to I84 into Pendleton, OR. For most of us interstate miles are boring miles. This was no exception for me, but this was our longest day going almost 600 miles. There are some good views on these interstates, but when you need to get there they serve their purpose. Pendleton was a nice town to stay in but small and not a lot of choices.
Day two had us heading to the coast from I82 we headed onto Hwy 12 and West across Washington past Mt. Rainer and to Hwy 101. What a great road and the views are excellent. This took me into Aberdeen out to Ocean Shores. We stayed right on the coast. As with all posts this one is full of opinions. If you go this route take the extra 18 miles out to Ocean Shores and stay, even if you back track. Aberdeen is light on the hotel choices and the town leaves a lot to be desired, but it is the starting place for Nirvana.
The next day we started down the coast on 101 heading for Coos Bay. All our days started out cold and foggy, but we had no rain on any of them. That's good luck on the PCH. We stayed in jackets and leathers most of the time. Part of riding down the coast is not being in a rush. Traffic varies depending on the area. You go through several small towns. We averaged speeds between 25 and 60, and 60 was very few. Coos was a great place to stay and the dealership there great. Fantastic places to eat and drink.
The next morning we were up heading for Eureka. One of our best days with a surprise find. This was our lowest day in mileage so checking the map I was able to find some side roads to add some great riding. South of Pistol River, OR and North of Brookings look for the Carpenterville road. What a gem. This is worth the extra 30 to 40 minutes it takes you above the 101 in the hills above the coast with great views and curves. This was probably an old logging road back in the day and was eventually paved and some homes built. It comes back out to the 101 and is worth it trust me. We then continued South and hit Hwy 197 to 199 through the state park. Then South of Klamath we went on the Drury Rd through the redwoods and into Eureka. Now another recommend for a town. We stayed in the South end of Eureka. The area in downtown Eureka near the dealership didn't look great and some of the people wondering around, well not the best. I'm not to judgmental, but when it comes to a place to stay and the safety of my bike I can be picky. Trust me the South end of town is your best bet.
Following day had us heading down into the bay area going to Corte Madera. We went from the 101 to the 1. Excellent views and started to go across some great bridges with the clouds moving in from the ocean. Great photos were taken. We got into the bay area just at the start of rush hour, but we were North of San Fran and that helped.
The next day was our last on the PCH going South to Morro Bay. This is far South I wanted to go and I didn't want any part of the L.A. area. Getting out across the Golden Gate is always a pain, but we made it with no mishaps and riding across that monument is a must. Heading down the 1 we continued to see some great coast and finally some seals. One frustration on the coast can be the drivers. Some blowing your sides off, others moving slower than dirt, and most never using the slow traffic pullouts. I love the view too, but when you got 8 to 10 cars stacked behind you. Hey ******** pullout! We took another side route into Atascadero, but more on that in a minute. Finally into Morro and great final night. What fun place. I can tell you if you can go down to the coastline near the marina. Some fantastic places to eat and great bars.
The next morning had us leaving the coast across California on Hwy 58 and the heat was on. 58 is a good road lots of twists and turns in the hills before Bakersfield. Good tip fuel up not much out there. We left the cold of the Coast for pushing triple digits. By Bakersfield we were burning and continued across the desert into Barstow. Who's idea was it to put a four way stop in the desert on 58 before you get into Barstow. This blows in 100 plus temps and 2 mile traffic back up. From Barstow we got back on I15 heading North to Baker. At Yarrow we hit a traffic back up and I tried lane splitting for the first time. Wild when you are on a bagger, but burn up or move, I take moving. 6 miles later we found the accident and SoCal drivers having issues with merging into one lane. We picked the worst day to be on I15 North with everyone in SoCal heading into Vegas on a Friday. We got into Baker and it was around 111. I started to worry about my bike. My friends digital oil temp gauge said 295 degrees. Damn. I heard dino oil starts to break down at 280 and synthetics last longer. I'm glad we were running synthetic in our bikes. Into Vegas just in time. We got to South Vegas into the Casino out of the heat. Damn what a day but we were able to recover with good beer and A/C.
Next morning we headed for home and were up early to try and beat the heat. No luck. At 6:30 a.m. the temp was above 80 already. So it was back on the 15 heading North. A quick stop in Mesquite for breakfast had us back in Utah and the temps were in the mid 90's. We made it home with an outstanding ride completed and lots of pictures.
Now for a quick side story on dealerships. We stopped in a few for the usual shirt and to see what they were like. 2 days into the ride I started to have an electrical issue with my bike. I thought it was my battery so I decided to try and get it tested in Coos Bay. We got there 10 minutes before close made a few purchases and I talked with a service guy. What great people, he agreed to stay after close and test my electrical system. The results were mixed and after talking I decided to push on with the trip. So two days later I still felt something was not right so we decided to head to the dealership in Atascadero. We got there it was hot as hell and went in to talk to a service guy. Night and day. This guy acted like he couldn't be bothered or cared. This place wasn't exactly busy as hell, but he wanted me to wait 2 hours to test my battery and charging system. I would never want to kick someone off a lift who was there first. Come on how long does it take. The worst part is getting your seat off. In Coos we were done in 15 minutes. There are some real ******** at certain dealerships. I can tell you I would never take my bike to this place if I'm the area again with a problem. I will head into Bakersfield first or another area dealership.
PCH what a ride. It's one of those everyone should do if you have the time.

 

Glad ya had a good trip.

 

Sounds like an awesome trip! I'm doing the Oregon Coast next month. Just gonna go and decide what we want to see/do on the way. Would love to see some pics though!! (hint, hint)