42 | JUNE 2026 SPECIAL SECTION
Northbound Pacific Coast Highway( U. S. Route 101) was packed with weekend tourist traffic. The salty ocean mist felt invigorating, as did the slightly cold head wind that kept me alert. I stopped along the coast and caught silvery glimpses of whales breaching at two of the many scenic turnouts, Devil’ s Punchbowl and Rocky Creek, before heading east and inland on State Route 18 to McMinnville. Valleys west of the Cascades in Oregon are cooled by the ocean air and are ideal for wine grapes, especially pinot noir. The vast vineyards and rolling hills make Yamhill County, 76 miles from Newport, a popular ride. I tailed a pack of Harleys riding at a quick clip as I neared Amity, finding the 5th of the Springfield’ s six gears for the first time. Amity is a few miles south of the fork of State Routes 18 and 99W, where the Coelho Winery offers tours of its vineyard.
Completing the coastal loop, I continued south on State Route 99W to State Route 22 eastbound, zigzagging south from Stayton to Lebanon, taking small roads canopied by
tall trees, passing turn-of-the-century country homes and covered bridges. I caught U. S. 20 eastbound and quickly climbed more than 4,000 feet up the Tombstone and Santiam passes. The ride up the mountain became a race against the quickly setting summer sun, and I was impressed with Big Red’ s nimbleness as I rode it harder into the corners and forgot I was on a big bike. After 118 miles through the Menagerie Wilderness and cresting the summit of the Cascade Range, I arrived at the small ski town of Sisters. Giggling in my helmet, I had beaten the sunset and settled down at the Sisters Bunkhouse for the night.
Fresh the next day and still thinking about that splendid ride up U. S. 20, with its perfectly pitched curves and stunning vistas at every turn, I went in search of more fun. Armed with my map and highlighters, I found the Sisters Coffee Company. Fueled by a double macchiato, I worked up the courage to interrupt a round table of retired cowboys, riders, authors, gearheads, and tinkerers during their morning chinwag for advice about the best route to the Oregon-Idaho border. They kindly obliged with a scenic route off the beaten path. I was also directed to the Gallery Restaurant and Bar for breakfast, where I met a local KTM adventure rider who added a few more points of interest, stressing a stop at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Five miles east of Sisters on State Route 126, the terrain and temperature quickly warmed as the elevation dropped. As instructed, I took a left at Holmes Road onto a rough crowned asphalt road paralleling groomed green pastures and alpaca farms. Then right onto Lower Bridge Road, which climbs over the Deschutes River, undulating in elevation and curving
Top: Cowboys, riders, authors, and gearheads at Sisters Coffee Company gave me great route advice. Bottom: The road to Antelope, on the eastern side of the Cascade Range, turns to high desert.