I’ll be leaving in the morning on this 3-day loop to Eastern Oregon and back along the Lower Columbia River Basin and past Mt Hood in Oregon and Mount St. Helens in Washington.

Day 1 is mostly fast moving highways with the exception of Hwy 821, aka Yakima River Canyon Scenic Highway. Day 2 follows some great lesser-traveled roads through small towns, farms and ranches I first saw in 2015. Day 3 follows the southern shore of the Columbia River and turns north at Cascade Locks and travels through the forest land of Mount St. Helens before joining Interstate 5 for the return home.

I’ll be traveling alone on this first trip of the 2017 riding season. Since I’m not camping, I won’t be traveling with the top case, which will make managing the expected winds easier. The weather is sunny and warm along the entire route.

Welcome, Summer!