Today starts in Yakima, Washington
And finishes in Baker City, Oregon
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Today starts in Yakima, Washington |
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| Places Visited Along The Way, Photos, and Notes |
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TODAY IS HUMP DAY! Middle point of the trip |
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I left
Yakima about 9:45 and headed down the I-84 "super-slab" (motorcyclist jargon for interstate highway )  |
About 50 miles down the road, I stopped at a Love's Truck stop to fuel
up I walked through the Carl's Jr. and the convenience store but was not tempted sufficiently |
 The weather was great, ranging from 62 degrees in the morning rising to 82 by 11:30 or so then falling back to low 70's at altitude |
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About 11:45, I thought it would be good to stop for lunch in
Pendleton So I pulled off and started into town. The local traffic seemed heavy and the further I went into town the heavier it got Pendleton is know for the wool mills and plaid shirts It is also known for a famous, huge rodeo Guess which weekend of the year and which day it starts You got it. This weekend and today! Traffic was stop and go and cops were in the intersections Parking spaces were being rented for $25 each per day There must have been some sort of parade earlier because there was ample evidence of horses walking down the street and leaving their calling cards on the pavement I was hoping that it would not be slippery each time I put a foot down |
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Soon after, the road began switchbacking its way up a mountain High speed, limit 70 mph, and very sharp curves often slow to 45 signs Cutting around a high speed curve mere feet from a truck in the next lane at 65-70 mph is not for the feint of heart It goes from about 200 ft altitude at the Columbia to reach about 4,300 ft (about the height of Hamilton Observatory) |
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Now, Oregon is known for being rainy Even when not raining, there are so many clouds  That they have to stack them one on top of another |
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La Grande was the next town down the road so I stopped there Quaint little town with a fun, historic downtown 
 Fun shops some with a bit of a new age flavor others notalgic for a less complicated past |
There is a Union Pacific Railroad swich yard in La Grande With an old depot and office building  A pair of locomotives and a track maintenance machine 
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Soon after La Grande, the road starts losing altitude big time again with switch backs but not so tight as the ones climbing up were Down slope can be even more dangerous because your speed tends to creap up if you are not careful |
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Staying over for the night in
Baker City, Oregon Tried to get into a Best Western, but they were full Trying a Super 8 by Wyndom Turns out to be a big mistake. Low quality, stale smelling, poor location Nothing within walking distance for dinner Had Pizza Hut deliver a pizza. Pretty good, ate too much |
| The Route Today |
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |||
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Day 1 September 9 |
Day 2 September 10 |
Day 3 September 11 |
Day 4 September 12 | Day 5 September 13 |
Day 6 September 14 | |||
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Day 7 September 15 |
Day 8 September 16 |
Day 9 September 17 | - | - | - | - | |||
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