Embracing the expected

Day 3 in Omak, Washington
Distance traveled: 415.5 km
Cumulative distance: 1288 km
Maximum speed: 122 km/h
Moving average: 84 km/h
Temperature range: 11.8 - 26.8 C

Bonner's Ferry really isn't much. We stayed at the only motel IN Bonner's Ferry. which was attached to a casino. Tonight we are in Omak, Washington. and what we wouldn't give for a nice casino-motel combo. Omak is even less; it doesn't even register as a word on the Blogger spell check.

Today's entertainment for Nan.

Our hope had been to make a trip up Hwy 57 from Priest River to Nordman and then around to Hwy 20 however, a stop at the Priest River City Hall led us to decide that would not be prudent. It seems that the pavement turns to gravel past Nordman and not just any gravel but deep, loose gravel. We opt to follow a sure thing, even if less interesting. This is a sad decision because there are lots of "scenic highway" signs pointing to 57 but we end up on 395 which eventually takes us to Colville and it really isn't anything special. It's different but that is the best thing going for it. Looking now at our Spotwalla tracks, it would have probably been much better to turn off at Newport and start there on Hwy 20, around which a big part of this trip has been focused.

Priest River City Hall, where we ended up looking for guidance on the motorcycle worthiness of certain roads.

So, we get a pretty late start from Bonner's. Much later than when we are camping. I think it is because we get so hunkered down and stuff explodes out of our panniers and assorted strapped on bags that it seems to take us a long time to get it together. Also, the fact that we have breakfast in the hotel before departing adds extra time.

Colville is the place where all of our possible routes converge. But it is nothing special either. There is a big lumber operation there but each little town through which we pass seems more depressed than the one before. Boarded up buildings, abandoned homes, it looks a little like the American Dream has turned into the American Nightmare. Perhaps that explains in part the divisiveness of American politcs these days.

We were looking for something different than the typical and this looked like the place in Colville.

Lots of decorations but looks like somebody's "man cave"

The owner's spouse may have told him to "get rid of that stuff or I'll toss it!"

Nice John Wayne picture, buddy!

By Colville we are ready for something to eat. We are feeling the need for something a little less fast food-ish and a little more urban. However, most eating options are either sports bars or fast food outlets. All serve a preponderance of deep fried choices. A "healthy option" at he place we end up at is fish and chips with salad instead of fries. And it is the toughest fish I have ever eaten. I could have used a steak knife. When we were done lunch at the Acorn, it is really starting to warm up. The entire trip has been mid teens temperature wise but we finally see temperatures in the low 20s. I'm over dressed and now stressed about where I am going to put all this extra clothing. Rookie mistake.

After Colville, we are finally onto what brought us down here in the first place: Highway 20. This is a great motorcycle road and there are a number of signs along the road specifically for motorcyclers warning them to ride safe. It is not like yesterday's ride where it is so gnarly you are hanging on for dear life, these are fast roads with sweeping curves that allow for any amount of speed that you are willing to travel. Its great fun for us both.  Plus, I've stripped off all my extra clothing and Hwy 20 makes a steep ascent to Sherman's Pass at over 1700 metres and the temperature drops to 12. I'm wishing for an extra layer, which is now stowed away safely.

Heading up to Sherman Pass.

Despite that, we are not so cold that we are not having fun. It really is a great road and I would do this part of the trip again in a heartbeat. Parts of this I had done before with my riding buddies Stan and John, back early in my riding career.  I expect to do them again in the future.

The last few km into Omak, where I have made a motel reservation months before, are just a straight slab ride in advance of the next leg of the twisty Hwy 20. The temperature keeps rising till we hit 26.8 and the sky is clear blue with hardly any smoke, a pleasant respite from previous days. The Omak Inn is on the highway outside of town, which I didn't realize at the time I made the reservation; I have my heart set on a particular Mexican restaurant called Rancho Chico, a family-owned restaurant owned by a family in Spokane. We had seen a version in Republic and wondered the connection and found out it is run by a sister of the original founder. I had been to Rancho Chico on my last visit to Omak. On that visit, we had stayed at a place that was a short walk from the restaurant and this time we were quite far as it took us a half hour to walk to the restaurant. We kept telling ourselves that the walk would do us good . I was determined. (There are no cabs in Omak.)

Rancho Chico looks like a Mexican restaurant. It is very colourfully decorated and has authentic saddles and chairs painted in vibrant primary colours. Immediately upon being seated, we are served house made tortilla chips with salsa and some kind of hot slaw. We compliment them the hors d'oeuvres with margaritas. Nan orders some kind of chicken dish with peppers and mushrooms. I have chicken tacos with guacamole refried beans and rice. Service is fast, chipper and friendly. We realize why some Americans are so opposed to Mexicans in their country: they are such hard workers Americans must be afraid they will lose their jobs to them.

"OPEN". Good thing.

By the time we left the place was hopping!

Saddle up!

The Omak Inn is at a standard to which I have grown unaccustomed. This is definitely a "budget" motel and by the looks of Omak, there aren't too many other choices. About the best thing I can say for it is that it looks better than the place we stayed last time in Omak; a cinder block hotel with the pool in the middle of the parking lot. The Omak Inn has seen better days and looks as though it will never see better days again. I'm afraid to out my panniers down on the furniture, despite the fact that Nan has made a thorough check for bed bugs and other nasty things. Water stained ceiling tiles, stained carpets, furniture beat up and torn, I apologized to Nan for booking this place. But nothing in Omak looked a whole lot better. Based on our original travel itinerary, had we known we were going to take a shortcut yesterday, we could have pushed on to Winthrop, which is a town a little more accustomed to dealing with tourists.