Second day on the road

There's a stretch of highway that connects the southern part of Oregon to the California coast.
It is shaded with thick forests of trees. There are steep slopes going up on one side, and steep slopes going down on the other.
It is Highway 199 that leads to I-101 and it is an amazing ride for a motorcyclist.
Highway 199 is going to become a favorite ride of mine, I'm sure.
I left Grants Pass on Monday morning just before 7 a.m. and took Highway 99 out of town until it became Highway 199.
It was my first time on this road so I can't recall where the road changes or what towns I passed. But I remember there was little traffic on it and, at one point, I came upon a sign that had the symbol for a curved road and the warning, "NEXT 8 MILES."
I was thrilled, being able to tilt right and left and right and left for eight miles with no cars in front of me.
Road trips are great, and I've taken plenty by car and truck. But the thing about being on a motorcycle is how connected you feel to the road and the passing landscape. You smell everything, from cows and sheep to the damp earth after a morning rain.
You feel everything -- a strong breeze blowing across wide open farmland, or the chill that comes when you roll into a shaded valley.
And you hear so much, even over the roar of the motorcycle. In fact, what I most listen to is my motorcycle. I'm listening for any changes in the engine, anything that sounds like it's laboring, anything that needs to alert me that I should stop and give my bike a rest.
I love that sense of being part of the road and, in a way, part of the environment.
Highway 199 led straight into Crescent City, on the California Coast. That's where I finally stopped for breakfast, roughly two hours after leaving Grants Pass.
The food was good, the price was a bit high. Oh well. I'm not sure I'll eat there again.
I hit the road soon after through the part of 101 that is called the Redwood Highway. At one point, I stopped along side the road to take in the view of the redwood forest.
This is a photo from that stop. Then the rain began and I hopped on my bike to make a quick exit. I got pretty damp at points from all the dew in the air, and I have no rain gear with me.
Still, it wasn't too bad. I did stop to put on some long johns 'cause I was getting pretty cold. And there was a brief period where I wished I had brought my winter gloves along.
But with just a saddlebag for my luggage, I really kept my gear to a minimum.
Funny thing, I had no close calls while riding my bike on the highway. Drivers were unfailingly polite. On the second day, I even ran across a pair of friendly Harley riders, who actually waved to me as I went past them while they stopped at a roadside diner.
It was a good day's ride.