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Tuesday, July 18, 2017

240 Miles, 2 Lattes, 4 Barn Quilts, and a Dozen Lamborghinis, Oh My!

Several weeks ago after being inspired by a barn quilt picture taken by ToadMama, I started researching to see if there were any barn quilts within a days ride of Corvallis.  I found the web page for the Tillamook Barn Quilt Trail. Tillamook is about 90 miles northwest of Corvallis and is famous for its creamery and cheese factory as well as being on Highway 101 at the coast.  We made a mental note that it might be a fun ride one day to see how many barn quilts we could see.

We thought that might be a good option for a last hurrah before sending ScooterBob off to Princess ScooterPie.  So, Troubadour took a peek at the maps to see how we might get there all while avoiding as much traffic as possible.  The last time we were there on bikes was in October 2014 when we went to the air museum ---- blogged about in this LINK.

Saturday July 15th was the day. We made a quick stop in Corvallis and then headed west towards Philomath to fuel the bikes.  From Philomath we headed west on Highway 20 then turned north onto Kings Valley Highway which lead us to Dallas.  Troubadour seamlessly lead us through Dallas and before long we were waiting to turn west onto Highway 22.  And we waited, and we waited.  There was so much traffic it took us a bit before we could pull out and I think I even bounced off the rev limiter on the Versys.  Sure wished for the v-twin power of the Gladius at that point, but we made it.

After 12 miles on the highway we turned north towards Willamina where we could take a back road further north/west.  We were looking for Bible Creek Rd, a one lane twisty forestry road heading northwest.  We missed the turn and ended up on Bald Mountain Access Road.  It too was a twisty one lane forestry road, it just took us further east that we were expecting.  Longer ride in the forest for us and a gravel section too, bonus.

The photo below is where we stopped to check out the map to make sure we were heading in the right direction and that the road would for sure intersect with the one we were aiming for - Nestucca River Road.

(Bald Mountain Access Rd looking back at where we'd been)

(Bald Mountain Access Rd looking at where we'll go)
We eventually came out on Nestucca River Road and stopped at the same information kiosk we stopped at in 2014.  We rested a few minutes, drank some water and ate an apple for a late lunch. The kiosk is right where Bible Creek intersects Nestucca River Road.  It was a happy accident that we missed our original turn since Bible Creek was closed and a detour in place.  From there it was a nice easy ride into Beaver where we made a left turn (north) onto Highway 101.  Heavy traffic on that stretch of highway made it seem like the longest part of the ride.

The first stop in Tillamook was Five Rivers Coffee Roasters at the north end of town and across from the Tillamook Cheese Factory. It was easy to find, easy to park. It was a nice building with lots of natural wood inside and was complete with a pretty picnic area out back off the highway. We each ordered a 12-oz vanilla soy latte.  Unfortunately I forgot to order them extra hot and with an extra shot of espresso.  They weren't very warm or strong.  Live and learn, the place had great ambience though.

(The picnic area at Five Rivers Coffee Roasters - Photo by Troubadour)

(Parked at Five Rivers Coffee Roasters in Tillamook, Oregon)
We stopped and rested for a bit and discussed not only the barn quilt trail, but also the smell of dairy air derriere.  One thing about riding in the land of cows is the smell.  Oh, the smell.  As Troubadour had his phone out taking the picture above a group of exotic cards drove by heading south.  There were about a dozen in all different colors.  PolarBear guessed after seeing a picture on Facebook that they were Lamborghini Huracans.  Not too sure why they were all headed south but it was cool to see.  They all had a label on the side like it was an event, but I can't remember what they said and it is too hard to see in the photos. All car photos by Troubadour.  EDIT - Thank you to Kari, aka Bluekat for the following link on the Lamborghini tour.  LINK.

(Lamborghinis on parade - a red one)

(And a blue one)

(And a black one - there were also green ones)
While stopped we took a look at the map and figured out a route that would give us the most barn quilts.  First off the following.....

(ScooterBob admiring the barn quilt)

(The Tiger, the Versys, and ScooterBob in Tillamook)
While stopped at the barn above Troubadour noticed a little rubber ducky on the ground.  He nestled it in the cables of my dash and it is now my little talisman.

(Rubber Ducky you're the one....)

As I mentioned in my ScooterBob post on Wet Coast Scootin (link HERE) ScooterBob decided to base jump off my tail bag after the above photos were taken and was subsequently banished to the ground lest he pull a Humpty Dumpty and we had to put him back together again.  We fought really high winds all day and didn't want to take any chances with another wind gust.

Back on the bikes we quickly realized that just because it was called a barn quilt trail didn't mean they were all on barns.  We bypassed the ones on the side of metal sheds and ugly outbuildings and ones that were really hard to get to or you had to ride into a dairy farm to see.  We did stop at the fairgrounds below for its colorful 'barn' quilt.

(Barn quilt at the Tillamook County fairgrounds)
As we were riding along we came to the conclusion that for a couple of vegans going into farm country for barn quilt pictures maybe wasn't the best idea.  Damn, your food stinks when it is growing.  We decided to cut the trail a little short and if there was easy access to barn quilts on the way back to Highway 101 we'd get them.  There were two more.

(Another barn quilt - further off the road)

(A little harder to capture at that distance)

(One last barn quilt - just couldn't get the truck out of the picture)

(And across from that barn quilt - cows!)
We made it to Highway 101 and turned south.  We decided to ride south to Hebo where we would turn onto Highway 22, the Three Rivers Highway.  Traffic wasn't even doing the 55 mph speed limit for the 19 mile stretch between the two towns.  At times we were lucky to be doing 45 mph. We were glad when we turned off that the rest of the traffic stayed on Highway 101.

The stretch of highway between Hebo and Valley Junction is such a beautiful section of two lane back road with smooth asphalt and sweeping curves along the river.  At one point we did stop for a rest and a snack since it was after 5 and lunch was only an apple.  Luckily we still had some trail mix and a couple of Cliff Bars.  The last pictures of the day were taken along Highway 22 where it intersects with Hiack Creek Rd.

(Troubadour taking a rest)

(The Versys 300x now sporting OEM hand guards, center stand, and heated grips)
We made one more stop at the Fort Yamhill State Heritage Area.  A State Park just before Valley Junction. It has some informational displays regarding the 27 different tribes of Native Americans that were moved from their land to the neighboring Grand Ronde Indian Reservation. There were also picnic areas and restroom facilities.  From there it was an uneventful ride home.  We headed east along the highway and then south to Corvallis.  We arrived home at 7 pm with approximately 240 miles (386 km) on the odometer 8 hours after leaving the house.  The Versys averaged 65 mpg for fuel economy and I made it on one tank of gas!  It is nice that it has a 4.5 gallon fuel tank. One gallon more than the Gladius and I can go almost 100 miles further on a tank.

On Sunday we boxed up ScooterBob and he was mailed off to Princess ScooterPie yesterday.  He should arrive in Victoria within a week or so.

Also on Sunday we were lucky that Don and Karla from Two Vegans Two Wheels were traveling home to Bend though Corvallis.  We were able to meet up for coffee and hang out for an hour or more.  We visited like old friends, but forgot to take any pictures.  Next time!

- Au Revoir

" This coffee tastes like mud!  Well, it was ground this morning." - Old Vaudeville Joke
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33 comments:

  1. Glad that you two got out for what looks like a nice ride, if a bit odorous. That's one of the byproducts I suppose.

    Any idea how or why the quilt patterns got started on barns?

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    1. I did some Googling and this is what I found out about barn quilts: "The concept of barn quilts began with Donna Sue Groves and her wish to honor her mother, Maxine, and her Appalachian heritage by having a painted quilt hung on her barn in Adams County, Ohio."

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  2. We had a great time and plan on another Corvallis stop soon. I totally spaced out getting a photo, even though I had it planned as we pulled in....so, if 4 vegans meet at a coffee spot, and no one takes a picture......Next time!

    Don

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    1. We definitely need another get together. My camera was in my purse too and I forgot to take it out. We were having too much fun.

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  3. A great "Last Hurrah" ride for SB....I learned about the Tillamook Cheese Factory through the auspices of a couple, riders who I met in Alaska....good times.

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    1. Funny how a man from Colorado can learn about an Oregon icon while in Alaska. Small world.

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  4. What a great idea for a ride - quilt trail. I've seen quilts on barns, but have never heard of a trail of them. Are you loving the new bike? (I suppose I would know if I visited here more often!) Nice MPG - I could get used to that. Great report!

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    1. There were more than one trail of barn quilts in Tillamook, we were just looking at the first one.

      So far I love the new bike. The handling is great as is the throttle response compared to the Gladius, it isn't notchy like the Gladius. The seat is a little hard but I'm dealing with it.

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  5. Nice to see someone is getting some sun for riding. Also, nice to see the Versys getting some farkles!

    Love the first two piccys - those roads look like nice tasty back roads to this kid.

    Love the Lambos too. Not a lot of them around these parts although I have had to wait at a turn-off for what must have been 40+ Ferraris to go past - must have been a Ferrari club day out.

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    1. It was in the 80's in the valley and 70 degrees at the coast I believe. A beautiful day to be on the bike, I even had my mesh jacket on.

      I was thinking you'd like that one lane forestry road. Right up your alley for the Tenere. And one stint of gravel too for a few miles.

      Must have been tough watching all those Ferraris drive by. Pretty machines.

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  6. Barn Quilt trail hey, now I have heard of every excuse in the book to go for a ride lol

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    1. Technically we don't need an excuse, but it is nice to have a destination for route planning.

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  7. I had never heard about Barn Quilts before, but there is something about old red barns that intrigue me. Adding a quilt could add something to that I'm guessing. Are those back roads as well maintained as they appear in your great pictures?

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    1. I think that they hope the barn quilts attract more tourists. Not sure if that is true or not. The old red barns are so pretty. I thought them nicer than the white one.

      I don't know as if the forestry road was maintained but the road surface waffled between 'great' and 'holy crap I'm glad I'm not on the Gladius' because it was so broken up and patched in places. There were more than a few "rough road ahead" signs.

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  8. I always your rides. You seem to come up with the most interesting ideas. And you have some of the best riding areas in the US!

    More, please.

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    1. Aww shucks, thank you. We are spoiled with our forestry roads.

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  9. Barn quilts, a die a dozen, but a rubber duckie - priceless!

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    1. That was "a dime a dozen 😋"

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    2. It was a good find by Troubadour. I probably wouldn't have spotted it.

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  10. I like the barn quilts and the Quilt Trail sounds like a great reason to be out on the bike.

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    1. We don't always need a reason to be on the bike, but with my OCD it is nice to have a destination in mind so I at least know a general route or my brain has a hard time. Hard for me to just wander on the bike.

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  11. Ha! The longer the ride the harder the seat. 😁 Glad that other than the seat it's serving you well.

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    1. Yes, I would agree on the length of ride and seat hardness equation.

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  12. Wonderful post and great photos as always Brandy. Can't get over how similar parts of Oregon and NZ are! Also lovely to see ScooterBob again - happy days! Quilting is a big thing in NZ, especially in country towns. How are you finding the Versys with a bit of time under your belt?

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    1. Thanks Geoff. Whoever I see pictures from your and Andrew's rides (and Rogey when he posted) I am always surprised at how much the two landscapes look alike. Must be all the rain.

      So far the bike is great. While i do miss the torque of the 650 v-twin the 300 parallel twin is fine. I really like the 19" front tire and hubby has said my cornering speed has increased too. That is a win. It is fun to ride and those backroads were made for it. So nice not to worry about rough road or bumps in the corner upsetting the suspension. I can just get on and ride. Not as pretty as the Gladius though, but what's a girl gonna do?

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  13. If you ever find yourself in Wisconsin without an excuse to ride: https://www.travelwisconsin.com/article/arts-and-culture/shawano-county-and-beyond-how-to-find-wisconsins-barn-quilts

    It's interesting to see the regional differences in barn quilts. I like that west-coast style!

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    1. Upwards of 300 barn quilts?. You do have a lot around there. I checked out the link. I like the one that looks like an owl winking. Very creative. It is on this page: http://www.shawanocountry.com/barn-quiltstours/barn-quilts-page-2/

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  14. It looks like you had a grand day out. Barn quilts? - a new concept to me. I wonder if anyone has ever linked, in any way, barn quilts & Lamborghinis, ever.

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    1. It was nice to go for an all day ride rather than just riding locally. Barn quilts and lambos seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, but it was happenstance so we rolled with it.

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  15. It's funny you mention barn quilts, Trobairitz... I noticed quite a few on my ride through the Northwest, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest (and I, too, blame ToadMama :D ). I don't recall seeing many--if any--in Utah... I'll have to keep my eyes open as I travel locally.

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    1. Great, now we are all blaming ToadMama, sorry Kathy if we give you a complex. :-)

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  16. I love that the barn quilts are showing up all over...we sure have enjoyed them here in the Appalachians for a long time! I do really enjoy your reports on the Versus X, too. Great mileage and it sure looks good with its new goodies. 240 miles is a good long day, even on a comfy seat, these days. 😀

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    1. I was quite surprised with just how many were around Tillamook, but it is the land of dairy cows.

      Gas mileage has been really nice and I appreciate the 4.5 gallon tank that goes with it too. As I ride it more we'll see how the seat does. It didn't feel as bad on this trip as it did the last one and this one was about 40 miles longer I think.

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