November 21 - The Long Way to Markum for Lunch

What a great day! Nothing tastes better after a ride on a cold crisp fall day than a freshly prepared hot meal sourced from local ingredients. Today’s ride took me the long way to Markum Inn for lunch. I had originally planned to do a ride through backroads from Salem with the SRG. But when the ride got cancelled at the last minute after I had already arrived in Salem, I decided to head north and east over to the Markum Inn for the best onion rings around.

When I left West Linn this morning it was cold and foggy, with the temperature around 37 degrees and visibility rather low. Fortunately, I had heated gear and fog lights and was able to crank both up to high to keep warm and stay visible.

After gassing up in Salem and finding out the ride with the SRG was cancelled, I decided to head east on Hazleton Road through Silverton and then north on Nowlens Bridge Road. Even shrouded in fog, the countryside was beautiful in its own way, with a thick layer of mist hanging over the pastures and meadows as I swooped around corners and up and down hills.

The meal at Markum Inn hit the spot. I came for the onion rings but left satisfied by the piping hot hamburger stew as well. The onion rings are hand battered on premises and taste like a donut with an onion in the middle. The stew was hearty and satisfying with a rich broth, nice chunks of hamburger meat, and produce sourced from local farms. What a great meal!

The way home on South Kropf Road and then 99East along the Willamette River was especially nice, with the sun finally peeking out and the river providing a beautiful view to the north. I pulled over to enjoy the view of the Willamette Falls, the largest waterfall in the northwest US by volume. I feel so blessed to have such a natural wonder so close to home.