The Days of the Knights (Day 2)

The name, The Knights of the Open Road had it's origins with some of the group being dubbed that while on a cross Canada trip in 2008. It has stuck ever since. You can also follow this trip by reading Bob Kuhn's blog at http://positivelyparkinsons.blogspot.com/2011/06/journey-begins.html

The day started out raining as we walked back to the Almost Home restaurant for breakfast. There was a cardboard cutout of John Wayne. I should have had my picture taken with him just as I did with Clint Eastwood last year. (See older blog post).
After stuffing ourselves we waddled back to the Motel 6, packed up our stuff and put on the rain gear. I came to find out later that I left part of my CPAP machine (electrical transformer) in the room. *sigh* I must be getting absent minded.

I donned my fluorescent orange HelleHansen rain gear, making me look like a road construction cone, and after gassing up, headed for Roseburg. In Roseburg we stopped to refuel our bikes with gas and our bodies with coffee. From there we continued on toward Klamath Falls and my "divine encounter."

It was continuing to rain as we wound and wove our way through the twists and turns of Umpqua National Park. I was following Bob and Jim, and being followed by Ben as we snaked along the 30 and 45 mph. curves. As I entered one 30 mph corner I ws hugging the center double line. Suddenly my back wheel slid out from under the bike tipping me onto my left side. I turned the front wheel slightly to the right as I felt the slide and both heard and felt the grind of the footpeg and the peg on the highway bar as they ground into the pavement. Sparks flew out behind as the metal momentarily met asphalt. But the turn of the wheel and the hitting the pegs as the bike went over were enough to put me upright again, and straightening out, I continued on. I called it my divine encounter because later, Ben who saw it from behind, said it was like the hand of God just reached down and straightened me back up after going onto my side. I'm grateful God was there.

We continued on through more rain, climbing to an elevation of 5900 ft., seeing snow on the sides of the road as we traveled past Crater Lake to our lunch at Diamond Lake Junction. there we met Arlene and had had the hand-pressed, homemade bacon cheeseburger.

We finally arrived in Kalamath Falls at about 3:30, got unpacked and soaked our old weary bones in the hot tub. Yes folks, life doesn't get much better than this... (once I figure out how to load pics from my iPad I'll post them)