January 14: Lovely Lilies!
Under usual circumstances I wouldn’t have gone for a ride today. It was dark and cold and raining heavily, with water gushing like a stream down the street in front of my house. But I was perilously close to running out of bread from my favorite bakery two hours south of me and couldn’t resist the invitation to join the Lovely Iron Lilies of Oregon for lunch at Junkyard Extreme Burgers and Brats in Junction City, just a half hour from the bakery.
Leaving on the ride was a little bit of a calculated risk, as it wouldn’t have been too much fun to ride about 250 miles in a downpour. But I checked the weather app and noticed that the weather was supposed to improve later in the day and further south.
Emboldened by the promise of fresh bread and fellowship with other female bikers, I layered up with electric gear and all textile outerwear and headed south. What a great day it ended up being!
It was wonderful to feel the wind in my face, the texture of the road, and the rumble of the bike as I sped south through the rain past fields and farmlands, breathing in the fresh air, and enjoying the views of sheep grazing in the fields. Just south of Salem the rain stopped and by the time I turned off onto highway 228 in Halsey there were pockets of blue sky in the distance.
Lunch with the Iron Lilies was amazing. It was so fun to share a meal and stories of adventure with so many beautiful, kind, strong, and capable women. I had met several of the ladies at a variety of biker events in the past and it was wonderful to catch up with them and hear about their lives as well as to meet some friendly new riders. I was so honored and encouraged that they made me feel so welcome.
The Lily’s choice of a lunch meeting place was spot on as Junkyard Extreme Burgers was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners and Drive-Ins and Dives.” The restaurant offers an amazing variety of onion-smashed half pound burgers, dripping with juice and bursting with flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed my fresh burger topped with a generous portion of grilled onions and accompanied by a homemade fry sauce.
After a great lunch I rode south to the Creswell Bakery and loaded up on four loaves of their whole wheat multigrain sourdough. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I couldn’t resist ordering my favorite sandwich while I was there! After enjoying my meal and a piping cup of hot water, I headed north to West Linn, pulling into town just as it got dark. What a great day!
