Northwest Z - Cruise to Sisters, OR - 13 Aug 2011

[Arne]

Central meeting and departure place will be the Southbound Santiam Rest Area on I-5. We will be leaving the rest area at 9:30 sharp, so try to arrive there around 9:00-9:15.

For you "Northies", if we're going to leave the Santiam stop at 9:30 sharp, any that want to meet up should plan to be at the Baldock Rest Area by 8:15 so we can leave there at 8:30. That will give us a little leeway in case of traffic (never know about I-5).

We will take Hwy 20 through Lebanon and Sweet Home. First short stretch break (15 minutes max) at Cascadia State Park on Hwy 20. At the junction of 20 and 126, we'll bear back South to the second short break at Sahalie Falls viewpoint on 126. After looking at the falls, we'll continue on 126 to the West end of Historic Hwy 242, and will cruise on 242 to the Dee Wright Observatory at the summit, where there will be another break for scenery and gawking (assuming clear weather). Then a short leg into Sisters, where we can picnic at the Sisters Park on the East end of town.

Picnic lunch of some sort is highly recommended. While there are several restaurants in Sisters, if the weather is nice they will be swamped. You have been warned.

Bear in mind - while 242 has been repaved and "improved" over the past 3 years, it is still a VERY narrow road, originally designed for Model Ts. Narrow, winding hairpins, no passing opportunities, steep drop-offs & cliffs, no real shoulders and few guardrails. It is emphatically NOT a road to try to race around on. This segment will be a slower, scenic cruise, not a fast slalom.

The planned route ends at Sisters. From there, everyone can pick their own route back home. I'll be taking 126 back to Springfield, northerners can take Hwy 20 back to Albany, Hwy 22 to Salem, or even hit Hwy 97 (about 20 miles to Redmond) to go back via Hwy 26.

Oh yeah. Several stations at Sisters for fuel for the return trip