A nice little spin through some of my favorite part of the state.
More after the break…
Part 1: To Edmonds
We started early, at about 7 AM, so we could beat the traffic out of town along I-5. My most recent experiences riding on the freeway solo revealed a bit of shaking at high speeds, but having my partner on the back calmed it down a bit. Perhaps there's something to the heavier bikes on the market.
We left I-5 in Lynnwood to hit the IHOP in Lynnwood, but there was construction in the parking lot and the interior of the restaurant was dark, so we just headed west in search of food. Perhaps that wasn't the most time efficient option, however, as we ended up all the way in Edmonds for breakfast at Claire's Pantry. SR-524 was certainly good handling practice, as the road was curvy with some tight corners in town.
I'm at Claire's Pantry in Edmonds, WA https://t.co/dM3sMiEnwg pic.twitter.com/CZ5Oxoas5L
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 16, 2021
The food was pretty good. We'll definitely keep the place in mind for future trips through Edmonds.
Part 2: To Index
We then headed back east along SR-524. I wanted to take this route to Maltby to hit SR-524 so that we could avoid having to go all the way up to Everett for US 2. Traffic was pretty bad in a couple spots, but the ride was smooth otherwise.
Our next stop was in Startup, because my partner needed to use the restroom. We stopped at the Startup Market, and I picked up drinks and snacks for the ride. An older guy told me about how he had is own 600cc Triumph back in the '60s, which jives with what reviewers said about today's Triumph's "modern classic" line.
We continued along US 2 to Gold Bar, then left it for May Creek Road and Reiter Road, which I wanted to show Cierra for its slow speeds and beautify scenery. I rode very conservatively, taking tight corners slower than really necessary, not least because of all of the wet leaves on the pavement.
Reiter Road spat us out in Index, one of my favorite towns. I was hoping my partner would see why I wanted to live in or near such a remote place, and she definitely did. The sound of the rainfall-swollen river was everywhere, too!
Love this place! (@ Index, WA in WA) https://t.co/GeBwTDE92E
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 16, 2021
We made a quick stop at the Index General Store, to both peruse their wares and get me an ice cream sandwich. While there, a guy who was parked told us about his Triumph Bonneville from 1964.
While I ate my ice cream sandwich, we wandered around town a bit, enjoying the peace, quiet, and surrounding scenery.
My partner was getting pretty sleepy at this point, so we headed over to the Espresso Chalet to get coffee and some souvenirs, one of which was a hoodie to add to her riding layers, as she'd been freezing all morning. She was surprised that I was so warm the whole time, which I think was because of heat from the engine. (I also got a matching hoodie, but didn't wear it on the return ride.)
She remarked on the beautiful scenery also around the seating area of the Chalet.
I'm at Espresso Chalet in Index, WA https://t.co/GFD6ec8pWf
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 16, 2021
Part 3: Return Home
At this point, we started heading back home. I was hoping to stop by the Prospectors Steak and Spirits bar for lunch, but I couldn't find 
the building. (I'd later find out that it had moved to a new location a few blocks down the road.) So we ended up eating at the Alpne Drive-in in Startup. I had a burger and mozzarella sticks, which she had chicken nuggets.
While waiting for our food, a guy with a nearly brand new Toyota Land Cruiser jokingly offered to trade his SUV for my bike. Did he think it was a vintage bike in immaculate condition? Not sure why, since it had wet leaf mulch all over from the ride!
I'm at Alpen Drive-In in Sultan, WA https://t.co/Cq34o0I9Iz
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 16, 2021
To avoid riding on SR-522 the whole way back to Bothell, we went through Snohomish, which gave us the chance to pick up a few pastries from the Snohomish Bakery.
I'm at Snohomish Bakery in Snohomish, WA https://t.co/F4QJSi3XFm
— 竹下憲二 (@takeshita_kenji) October 16, 2021
However, this ended up being the wrong choice, as traffic leading out of Snohomish was horrible! We were stuck waiting for quite some time before getting to SR-9, but thankfully the rest of the way back to SR-522 was smooth…followed by bad traffic that highway to I-405.
We took I-405 and I-5 the rest of the way back to Seattle, only having to deal with bad traffic between Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace. I'd taken a look at traffic reports before leaving Snohomish, so I knew to hop off I-5 in Northgate. At that point, I only had to deal with the usual congestion around SR-99 the rest of the way home.
My partner said this was one of the most fun she's had on one of our day trips, and I definitely agree with that sentiment!
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