Tourists

[TexasBred]

I'll trade you. The local idiots have put together a rock concert with someone called Gentlemen of the road. For the weekend of Aug 22nd. We are a town of 5500 and they are projecting as many as 20,000 people in town that weekend

Might be the perfect time to drag out all the old hippy stuff, pack up the VW Van, stop off at the dope shop and pretend you're 19 again. :lol: :lol:

 

[Dave]

So yesterday late afternoon I was coming through the Columbia Gorge on the Washington side of the river. Driving right into the sun. It was hot and I was tired but I had a three and a half hour drive home. Now highway 14 is just a two lane road that is not very straight. Lots of corners with very few places to pass. So of course I get behind a tourist. I know it was a tourist because he had Illinois plates. It is a 60 mph speed limit. The corners aren't sharp, they just limit the line of sight. He is driving 45 mph. We come to the town Stephenson. From my car I am telling him that it is a scenic little town and he should stop and visit but no he keeps on going..... very slowly. Next we come to the Bridge of the Gods. Once again from my car I advise him to stop and read the history of the area. He just rubber necks and keeps on at his slow pace. Then we come to Bonneville Dam. There is water pouring over the spillways. A spectacular sight. He does some real serious rubber necking and slows down even more but doesn't pull off. Finally we get to the passing lane before Cape Horn after 30+ miles of following this guy. I blow his doors off along with a couple of dozen other cars who are behind me by this time. So all of this begs the question, if it is tourist season why can't we shoot them?

Hang in there Dave! In the second week of July we get 10,000 to 14,0000 jerks on bikes coming through....... STP, Seattle to Portland annual weekend from he!!.

So STP is July 11-12? I was wondering which weekend that happened. That might be a good weekend for me to make another trip to Goldendale. Leave early on Saturday and not come back until late on Sunday. Miss the entire STP.

I could hop over to the Oregon side of the river and take I-84. It is 4 lanes so the tourist don't block traffic. But I hate combat driving going through Troutdale and I dang near got whacked at the 205 merge the last time I went that way. So my options are go Hwy 14 and cuss the tourists or I-84 and risk life and limb.

 

[Alan]

I agree Dave, I like going hwy 14 up the gorge then crossing at the first bridge, Biggs I think is the first bring may be wrong. I think it's faster than messing with I-5 to 205 then 84.

As far as the STP, I just make sure fridge is full, truck is full and stick to the back roads and off the hwy.

 

[melking]

Ain't none of you folks know tourists until you spend a little time in South Florida. The county I just moved from goes from 500,000 during the summer too 1.7 million in the winter. Boom!