Archives for the 'driving' Category
Elegant Autos in Kirkland
My good friend, Kristina, lives in Kirkland. On Sunday we decided to walk down to Carillon Point to check out the “Concours d’Elegance.” The first parking lot we came to was full of Porsches, old and new. As far as I can recall I had never seen Porsches from the 1950’s and 1960’s, but they quickly became some of my favorites.
After we left the lot of Porsches, we came across a variety of other vehicles on the roadway - some classic cars (like an old Jaguar, Mercedes, Bugati, and Alfa Romeo), some other rides (particularly a very intriguing-looking Spyker), and some vehicles featured from dealerships (like Maseratis, Lamborghinis, and a Bentley).
At some point we reached the main entrance and elected not to pay the $25 entry fees to get closer to the rest of the cars. Maybe we were just being cheap, but it seemed a bit steep (especially since I knew the Des Moines Marina only charged $5 for the Italian one at the end of August). In any case, from the other side of the fence we could see they had a number of beautifully-restored horseless carriages … but we could not see much else.
We enjoyed what we did get to see, though. And the weather could not have been better.
Kirkland Concours d’Elegance: “Snuggled up to the shores of Lake Washington with the majestic Olympic Mountain range as a backdrop, the Kirkland Concours d’Elegance is hosted in early September on the lavish grounds of Carillon Point … As a celebration of the classic art of vintage automobile, motorcycle, and wooden boat design the Kirkland Concours is patterned after early twentieth century Concours held in Europe, which were truly “Contests of Elegance.”
The Greenest Park Ever
My original plan for Saturday morning was diverted, so I decided to go for a morning ride.
My usual route from Maple Valley is to head south on the Issaquah Hobart Rd (there known as 276th Ave SE), which eventually turns into Landsburg Rd NE and comes to a four-way stop next to a small convenience store. From there I either continue straight onto SE Ravendsdale Wy or take a right onto SE Kent-Kangley Rd. This time I decided to go left, towards Kanaskat, and as soon as I saw a sign to a state park, my destination was no longer unknown.
I began to think to myself that I had never been so excited about parks until I started exploring areas on my motorcycle. They were now little gems amongst the vast miles of pavement and throngs of housing developments I was so accustomed to seeing every day. Having just recently been to the Green River Gorge Bridge (which was not far away), I was hoping for something as soothing.
It is difficult to tell what a park is going to be like until you are actually in it, and in I went, going 25 MPH … and then 15 MPH. I passed the campground entrance, some signs featuring a kayaker, and a large covered picnic structure where some people were setting up for what looked it was going to be a large BBQ. When I got to the end of the road, I parked and walked down an unmarked trail.
Shortly, the trail came to a “T” and I could see the river peeking through the branches of trees. I walked out onto the rocky dry edges of the riverbed and found one other soul, standing in the water fly casting. It was a refreshingly beautiful sight, and I hoped that as I went around to get closer to the river I was not intruding on his solitude.
All I could hear was water rushing over stones and the sounds of small boulders and rocks shifting as I walked across them. Bright sunlight played through the trees and bounced off the water, and what was green appeared as green as just about anything could possibly be.
Kanaskat-Palmer State Park
32101 Kanaskat-Cumberland Rd
Ravensdale WA 98051
360.902.8844“Kanaskat-Palmer State Park is a 320-acre camping park on a small, low plateau in a natural forest setting. The park has two miles of shorelines on the Green River. Boat and raft launching is by hand only. River rafting and kayaking down the Green River Gorge is for expert-level enthusiasts only. Shoreline activities include nature appreciation, trout fishing and picnicking.”
Over the Green River Gorge
Late Labor Day afternoon I decided it was finally warm enough to go for a motorcycle ride. I wanted to head towards the sun shining in the east, but I did not want to end up driving through the holiday traffic I would likely find around Issaquah … so west I went.
I headed out to Black Diamond and decided to check out the Green Valley Gorge. I had seen the sign to turn left on the way to Enumclaw many a time, but I had yet to venture out there. As I started down the road, the large yellow sign that warned, “MOTORCYCLES USE EXTREME CAUTION” was a little disconcerting, so I proceeded warily. The “rough road” promised was almost disappointing. I did hit a couple of dips camouflaged by the shade of trees that launched me (half-intentionally) off of my seat, but I did not come across anything that really could not be avoided. It was a pretty cold ride, though - even at 45 MPH, and I was very happy to have worn my “new” chaps.
At some point the road began to slow and curve … and I noticed a smile growing on my face. Then I came to a stoplight in front of a one-lane bridge. While stopped, I “admired” the closed Resort building to my right that looked like it had been shut down for years. Then my eyes drew downward, and sitting not 10 feet away from me was a peacock. He stood perfectly still with his feathers down, and I wondered if he hoped I could not see him. It was then that I realized I had forgotten to grab my little camera before I left.
The light turned green and I drove slowly across the Franklin Bridge over the breathtaking Green River Gorge. I vowed to return soon to stop and enjoy it on foot … with my camera, of course. On the way back, I went all the way down US 169 to Renton, where I turned around before hitting I-405 and headed back to Maple Valley via Cedar Grove Rd.
I kept my promise on Wednesday after work, heading out to Enumclaw to gas up and back through the Green River Gorge again. This time I stopped to take photos and enjoy the solace of hearing nothing but water running far beneath the bridge. It is an incredibly green and inspiring place with only a few cars passing through every so often, and it is definitely worth a side trip if you are ever in the area.
The Franklin or Green River Gorge Bridge is about 4 miles off of US 169. A loop starting and ending at US 169 at Lawson St in Black Diamond is 12.4 miles. The loop as I did it heads south on US 169 and exits left/east onto Enumclaw-Franklin Rd SE, follows the road over the bridge , and continues back to the highway (via the SE Green River Gorge Rd and Lawson St). It is any easy loop with little traffic … and little chance to get lost.
Motorcycle mileage (as precisely as possible on Google Maps):
09/03/08: _34.3 mi - Maple Valley; Green River Gorge
09/01/08: _51.5 mi - Maple Valley; Green River Gorge; Renton
08/23/08: 132.0 mi - Maple Valley; Sunrise Point (Mount Rainier)
08/17/08: _45.8 mi - Maple Valley; Mud Mountain Dam
Sunrise Road on Mt. Rainier
Saturday was being hailed as quite possibly our last day of summer, so we decided to head up to Sunrise Road on Mount Rainier. I had never been to Rainier from that side, and it looked like an easily do-able afternoon ride.
We left from Maple Valley, riding side-roads to Black Diamond and 169, and from Enumclaw we followed 410. We stopped briefly in Greenwater, where we ran into Robert’s sister and brother-in-law taking a break. The next time we stopped was at the last turn towards the top of Sunrise. The lot was busy, but it was still nice to be away from the city. If I did it again I would leave earlier to allow time for exploration. Mount Rainier is always impressive, and it was a fabulous ride.
I Guess I Don’t Hate Disco
I decided it was time for me to get a new car. Well, not a “new” car, but a newer car - which to me meant one that was less than 10 years old and had less than 10,000 miles on it. I started looking about a month ago, and after much research and a few test drives (including two other makes of automobiles), I determined that a 2003 Land Rover Discovery II SE was the car for me. I never thought I would own a green car, but I saw my first Vienna Green Disco a few weeks ago, and the color has been growing on me since. I was originally planning to purchase a Java Black model, but that endeavor did not pan out in the end, and long story short … on Saturday I became the proud new owner of this beautiful Vienna Green Disco.
The Little Hooks in Life
I have had my 1990 Range Rover County for over a year and a half. It is a fantastic car containing an interesting blend of quirks and luxuries not found in any other make. The guy who owned it before me had installed a small metal arm for his cell phone cradle. At first I found it annoyingly ugly, but over time I have come to find it quite useful for hanging things - bags of trash, bags of groceries, … bags of Chinese take-out food. (Anyone who has had soup or sauce spill on their way home from a restaurant can probably appreciate how grateful I am for the little arm when my take out food contains liquids.)
I am telling you this because I have been shopping for a car lately. After driving two other makes, it was time for me to drive the car I thought was going to be the top contender - a Land Rover Discovery. I had driven one before but it was many years ago, so I paid a visit to the dealership to driver a newer model. I had to sit in the driver’s seat while the salesperson drove the car off of the lot. While I sat there, I noticed a small hook on the wall next to my left leg. I could hardly believe it. I was all smiles when I asked “what’s this?” “The curry hook,” she said. “The what?” I asked in near disbelief, knowing full well why it was called that and still not believing it was there. I half-listened while she tried to explain how apparently there are a lot of Indians in England and a lot of Indian food. I was laughing giddily and in amazement that the folks at Land Rover were not just insightful, but insightful to the point of making such a thing a standard feature of the Disco.
Yeah; sure - I could drive to the Storables less than 5 minutes from my house and buy a nice professional-looking hook for less than $5, but the point is if I had a Disco I wouldn’t have to …
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