Big Guy rides the Left Coast - Day Eight - Reno NV to Klamath Falls, OR

Day 8  - 409 kms - 5 hours

Was it all a dream?

I quickly checked my wallet and there they were - 2 crisp 100 bills (name of president?) and various 20s.

I felt pretty good - luckily they seriously water down the casino drinks- and I actually made an earlier start - up at 6:15. After a muffin and coffee in the hotel I packed my bag and headed for the parkade.

The ride was fairly uneventful as I left Reno. The little city seems so small now but was a lot bigger to me when  I was 21 - a couple friends and I went down for a few days for an impromptu break from classes. Of course, that was before I had done any serious travelling but, still, I was surprised that there were 4 or 5 casinos on the main drag and not much else.

I did walk by a place yesterday afternoon selling $2 jello shooters and when I peered into the darkness for a second, a chorus of very drunk voices encouraged me to join them. I declined.

I left Nevada fairly early on. I noticed in Reno that scooter riders on, what looked like 50cc scoots, did not require a helmet. I later confirmed that on the Nevada DMV website. Interesting variation.

A scenic California view

Another scenic California

Scenic California desert - Modoc Forest

Today's ride was a lot like riding in the Okanagan - scrubby bald desertish landscapes with greenish brown vegetation and trees. The roads were enjoyable to ride - some straight, some curvy, and not too crowded. I had a blast passing the occasional truck, cranking up the speed, just to pass safely, of course.

Then there was the interminable wait for road work.

Waiting for roadwork

And another.

Waiting for roadwork - again!

And another.

Other than gas and road works, I rarely stopped. I filled up in Susanville and was a bit worried as the next gas station I saw was not until Tulelake, where I was forced to put $3 of regular (gasp!) in my premium baby.

Finally I entered Oregon and , shortly thereafter, Klamath Falls.

Nice big hotel room. Suitable for a maverick! 

I booked a room at the Maverick Motel which was downtown but in sort of the scuzzy part of downtown. The room was the biggest so far and it has a nice king bed and a super shower. Unfortunately there is no pool - a mistake I will have to remedy in the future. I was getting used to my daily dip after a hot ride.

An interesting pedal-less bicycle outside the Leap of Taste coffee shop

I was there a lot earlier than I, or CoPilot, thought I would be. I used the extra time to have a giant nap (close to an hour) and had a really hard time motivating myself to get up. I was successful, however, and strolled down Main Street until I found a coffee shop (A Leap of Taste) where I ordered an ice coffee and sat in the shade, enjoying the coolness.

Gun shop for big shots

I continued down the street and spotted something I don't think I've seen before - a gun shop with a giant gun attached to the side of the store. Only in America?

Pretty, but with rules..

It was a very picturesque main street with flower pots, nice sidewalks, and a variety of stores. Interestingly, most of the flower pots had this rule list right below the pot.

Young lads playing croquet

At the end of the downtown was a nice city park. I was surprised - in a good way - when I saw a group of teenage boys playing croquet in the park! Kind of heart warming.

Lake Uwauna shot from city park in Klamath Falls.

Park selfie!

The park fronted onto Lake Ewauna which provided some scenic shots. Overall, it was a nice walk.

Back at the motel, I noticed there was a craft brewery next door that also served food. I decided to head over to the Klamath Basin Brewery and check it out.

Patio of Klamath Basin Brewing

There was a country band tuning up on the patio and, though I'm not a huge country fan, I thought that I would enjoy listening to them in the warm evening. I was not disappointed.

I wish that I could remember the band's name but I can't. The singer did a great job and I had fun listening to them.

Giant plate of risotto - it was tasty but way to big! Left 3/4 of it behind.

At one point I ordered dinner - chicken and mushroom risotto. Now, when I make risotto at home, I server a scoop of risotto (and turn whatever leftovers there are into risotto balls).  I was served a giant playful of risotto with a chicken breast on top! There was no way that I could finish it! I might have had a quarter of the risotto but could not finish eating the rest.

Ahh, beer samples!

I did, however, order their sampler. It was a tray of ten of their beers in sampler size - and it was only 12 or 13 dollars! Unbelievable! And tasty beers!

It was such an enjoyable evening that I thought that this was the perfect opportunity for the trip T-shirt. The pub had a couple different designs and I chose this one - the Klamath Basin logo was on the front (in white) with the 'state of Jefferson' breweries on the back (pictured). By the way, the state of Jefferson is a movement to create a new state from part of Northern California and part of Southern Oregon. 

After the beer and food that I did eat, it was time to ample back to the motel and have a nice, comfortable sleep.