LEAVING LAS VEGAS:
We left Las Vegas on Saturday morning at 7 AM, the day after our tradeshow ended.
The decision was easy.....leave early and avoid the heat.....leave late and get 'cooked' alive in the Nevada desert.
To anyone every considering riding thru the desert in the summer: a. don't b. get one of those water pouches that keep you cool (strapped to you), c. leave at night.
When it's 100+degrees 'F' /38 degrees 'C' you shouldn't be riding into the desert of southern Nevada. It's NOT FUN! I'm not saying you 'can't do it....I'm saying it WON'T be pleasant..that's all.
So....we left at 7 AM heading north out of Las Vegas on Hwy 95. About 100 miles up is a town called Beatty. We always stop there. They have a great little ice cream/candy store alongside the gas station. An ice cream when you've just rode 100 miles in the heat....is VERY nice!
From Beatty it's about 50 miles farther north to a great place to turn off....hwy 266. 266 is great because it goes up in elevation right away. More elevation = lower temp.
You HAVE to watch out for the free range cattle/bulls on that route...but really nice road.
In a city called Oasis (for a good reason), you hook up with hwy 168 that takes you the rest of the way thru Nevada into California for the first time.....at a city called Big Pine and hwy 395.
Highway 395 North:
Hwy 395 is beautiful as it runs up the high plateau behind Yosemite National Park. This ride is straight and clear, and there are spectacular mountains on one side, pretty meadows with flowers, and lots of horses and cows to look at as you go along.
We stopped at the same restaurant in Bishop, CA as we did on the way down. The one where the little boy got on the bike for a picture. I took another picture (see the one with bikes in front of the restaurant). There's a great big oak tree with a patio built around it in front of the little restaurant. It's called Petite Diner and is on the north end of Bishop. (Not in the main part of town, but in a section north of there with several businesses). We had a wonderful breakfast on the way down, and now lunch was also really good. I had a BLT with Avocado. Ummmmm...
We continued up Hwy 395 going into Nevada and back to California, and then into Nevada again...and finally Carson City and Reno, NV. Carson City deserves a stop. We couldn't. We were aiming to make it to the far north end of Reno that first night.
Highway 395 would be a great ride any time; we enjoyed it from both ways.....going south and then again going north. It's amazing how much different the views are depending on which direction you're heading.
Susanville, CA
Well our plan to stop in Reno was foiled. There are NO hotel/motels as you leave on Hwy 395 north out of Reno. We couldn't believe it...none. So....we gassed up and got some coffee at about 6 PM, and decided to continue to Susanville, CA about 80 miles north.
The ride from Reno to Susanville leads thru high mountain valleys. Surrounded all the way by mountains and tremendous scenery; its quite enjoyable riding 395 north in the early evening.
Unfortunately we pushed it too late. Upon arrival in Susanville there was NO choice for a hotel. The only rooms left were at the Knight's Inn in Susanville. You can guess that when there is only one hotel with rooms left out of probably 25 motels in Susanville...(or anywhere), that the one with rooms left is either really expensive or not a very good place. This one was the latter.
I feel bad. The Chinese man who owns it probably works his tail off to build a business in America. His attitude was very nice. He could speak only rough English. I saw him working early the next room getting ready to change linen in a room. So....stay here if you don't mind a 'rough' room for $49 per night during the summer vacation period. We were just really looking forward to a super clean and quiet room after the LONG day from Las Vegas to Susanville.
There is a picture above of us loading up to leave our Susanville hotel.
North from Susanville to Rogue River, Oregon - Day Two.
We left Susanville early on Sunday morning. It is a very pretty town and I'd love to have the time to drink in the views that surround it in every direction. You immediately go up in elevation from Susanville into high plateaus of the Lassen National Park. Hwy 44 north until you turn onto hwy 89 takes you thru some amazing views of Mt. Lassen and then Mt. Shasta. Along the way you are almost always in the high plateau surrounded by scenes you wish to remember forever.
We stopped for lunch after we hit Interstate 5 just south of Mt. Shasta. The first big town going north on I 5 is Weed, CA. (we gassed there on the way down). We stopped for lunch in Weed at Big D's BBQ diner. (the first exit). I loved my pulled pork sandwich. Peter was unhappy with the 'Baby Back Ribs'. He said they were NOT baby back ribs....too big.
I took a picture of Big D's front and of the three bikes sitting in its parking lot with Mt. Shasta in the background. Say this about Big D's for sure.....eat the pulled pork sandwich, and take your time to enjoy the special view of Mt. Shasta from their front porch dining area.
We finished lunch and headed north on I 5. Even though it's a major highway, the views are great as you are surrounded by snow capped mountains on both sides of the road for some distance as you head up to Southern Oregon.
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