For awhile now I’ve been wanting to do an epic ride with my dad. Back in the mid 70’s my dad used to ride a motorcycle to and from work – year around. Honestly not sure how he managed in the cold winter months with no special gear. Over the years my dad has maintained his motorcycle endorsement but we’ve never ridden together. When my dad had to get an emergency heart procedure things came into perspective. I decided to stop putting on hold a trip I’ve been thinking about but not pulling the trigger.
In the spring and summer months I try and take as many Fridays off to ride that I can. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, less cars and traffic to contend with during the day. Secondly, we have two young boys and I don’t want my wife stuck watching them while I ride – so guilt free riding.
Another thing to note, during the week I’ll plan out my ride so I make the most of the time on the road. I do all my planning using the app inRoute. This is not a plug for their app but I find the app really useful, it works on my laptop, I can save the route and load it in my phone and get turn by turn audio instruction. I’m going to do a separate write up on the app and the features I like in a future post.
What I like about this ride is that it will take you through Skagit valley known for its farms and the tulip festival.
Highlights include:
Edison, a small town that is home to the Longhorn Saloon. They have plenty of outdoor seating which is great for social distancing during Covid.
Downtown Edison
Chuckanut drive. This stretch of road has plenty of curves and scenic views of Puget Sound.
Sumas, a small town with border crossing into Canada.
Acme, another small town you will pass through as you make your way on the Mount Baker Highway.