(as of 8/10)
All of the day's logs are now posted and all of my photos are as well. Added photos from Vogey and Mike Coleman to be added.

Also, I'll be adding links to places that are referenced so most of the blog entries will change over time.

On Thursday home was only 573 miles away and we easily made it before 7pm that evening. Robert professed that he had a date with his wife at 7 and his exhortation, repeated several times, was "Jones don't slow me down!"

Leaving Cedar City we made a swoop near the Grand Canyon but had to leave that for another trip. We had a nice look at Zion National Park from a distant overlook but had to leave it for another day as well.

5,087 miles into the trip we reluctantly left Lake Tahoe on the 20th. We had debated many routes and finally determined that the most direct route home was now in order.

We continued on 89 until reaching U.S. 395 and in the process climbed a couple more passes in excess of 8,000 feet (including Monitor Pass) and at times were again quite chilly. If motorcycling in the mountains gives you nothing else, it gives you a variety of temperatures. Even Robert, for once, felt cold.

I think I have the text a little out of sync, but the 18th got us to Redding and on the 19th we made the Redding to Tahoe leg. The ride down 44, to Lassen and then 89 into Tahoe continued the experience of fantastic scenery viewed from wonderful motorcycling roads.

We left Florence on the 18th bound for the next major objective of the trip, the Californa redwoods. Although stationed in San Diego during my tour in the Navy, I had never gotten into Northern California. One hears their entire life about these magnificent trees and both Robert and I were determined to get close to one.

I've been on the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, the California Pacific Coast and the coasts of a number of other countries. But in my estimation there is nothing like the Oregon coast.

Leaving the night's camping under the stars beneath Mt. Hood we proceeded to Portland and up U.S. 30 to Astoria, OR. There we parked and had our first view of the Pacific.

From Post Falls we headed South practically along the Idaho/Washington border to Washington Route 14 along the Columbia River Gorge. That had been touted as a 'must do' part of this trip but frankly I was disappointed in that part of the route. The Columbia River is impressive in size and a lot of it certainly does run in a gorge.

On this Thursday morning we reluctantly broke camp at the Whitefish KOA. Both Robert and I were in need of rear tires (he much more than I, but mine would never make it all the way home) and had located a dealer in Post Falls, ID with tires.