What's your least favorite type of riding? If you ask most motorcycle tourers, they will usually answer. "Freeway riding." Why? Because of the traffic and trucks. As you probably have already guessed, that's my choice also, so it was with some trepidation that I got ready to head out on day three.

I took a few pictures of the gardens at the Travellodge where we were staying ($53 bucks, not bad) since we were located right on the Sacramento River (photos 1 & 2). This was close to a place I had canoed with my son several years ago (photo 3) so I have fond memories of that river. Anyway, after breakfast at Denny's it was time to get up on the freeway.

Well, I'm here to tell you a secret, if you have to ride on a freeway, you may want to try Interstate 5 from Redding, California to at least as far as Eugene, Oregon. I got off at that point and can't vouch for the rest, but I'm hopeful.

The countryside out of Red Bluff, our starting point, is getting pretty dry and brown during this time of year, but after Redding, trees and the color green again start to dominate. Soon, you're meandering back and forth between hillsides and valleys, and if you start early, the traffic isn't half bad either. As we approached Shasta Dam and Lake, I pulled off the road for a few pictures (photos 4 & 5).

Back on the freeway, we stopped at the next rest stop for a drink and a few more pictures, this time courtesy of Linda's eagle eye (photos 6 & 7). Linda likes to remind me that I will talk to a stick if it stays still long enough, so she wasn't surprised to find me in conversation with a gentleman at the rest stop who had been admiring our motorcycle. It seemed like the neighborly thing to do. By the way, this stretch of Hwy 5 is dedicated to our World War 11 vets (photo 8). That seemed like a nice thing to remember since we have sons and daughters in harms way, in various parts of the world, as we speak.

For the next hour or so, it was just straight riding and admiring the surrounding countryside. Mt. Shasta dominates the skyline around this area. It is all your eye is drawn to. We've seen it in winter and summer and the grandeur is one of degree. We, of course, took several pictures from several angles (photos 9 & 10).

But just before leaving California to enter Oregon, our first additional state since starting this trek, we stopped at the Joseph Collier Memorial Rest Stop. Boy, they should all be like this one. Located right on the Klamath River, several people were swimming in the river (photos 11, 12, & 13) while two groundskeepers did their best to keep the place looking clean. There's also an information center with some of the history of the surrounding area. Not bad for a "rest stop" (photos 14 & 15).

As we entered Oregon, I passed several trucks so I never actually saw the "Welcome to Oregon" sign. I noticed that the exits were numbered 1 and 2 and figured we were north of the border, so to speak. The terrain at this point is continuing to gain alitutude and is getting even more scenic. As the freeway reaches the Ashland Summit and starts down the other side, the curves come fast and furious. At one moment you're doing 65 or 70 and then the turn starts to decrease and drop to 50 mph. Leaning the big Goldwing way over, first one way and then the next, I hear Linda say in my ear with a touch of humor…"Can we go back and do it again!" Well, it sounds like she's having fun, anyway. It's always a good thing when the driver is tense and concentrating to know the passenger is having a good time.

Later, as we pass from the Medford and Canyonville area to Rogue River City and the Valley of the Rogue River State Park, we both comment on what a beautiful area this is. I want to live here. Here we are on a freeway, passing trucks, riding the wild ride, and thinking I'd like to live here. Man, this is some freeway riding.

At 1:45 I decide to stop for lunch and pull off the road at a little out of the way spot near Azalea, Oregon. There we found a local eatery called by the modest name of "Heaven on Earth" restaurant (photo 16). Bold my dear. You'd better be good. It's bad enough when people put their names on the place and have to stake their reputation on the quality of the food, but when you proclaim your food is Heaven on Earth, you are creating high expectations indeed. The food was great!

I had the homemade soup and some Marionberry Cobbler a la mode and the variety of flavors was wonderful. I would like to have stayed and had dinner here, but the road called. We found out that the lady who started this place was successful where eight other restaurants in the exact same location failed. Heck, she even has a petting zoo out back with a horse to provide that country feel (photo 17). The food is really, really good and I recommend it. We weren't the only bikers to think so, there were four ladies riding Harley's who seemed to enjoy the place as much as we did (photo 18).

After getting back on the road, I soon realized that I was getting weary. All of the blood had run to my ample stomach to digest all that cobbler and I was seriously in need of a short sleep. At about three in the afternoon, we called it a day. We grabbed a room at a local Sleep Inn, which turned out to be a very nice little room. What a great day of riding, even if it was on a freeway.

Today's Route: Interstate Highway 5 the entire day to Roseburg, OR.