Beautiful and historic Port Townsend, Washington, marks the start of the aquatic portion of State Route 20 on a 30-minute ferry ride to Whidbey Island. Even from the dock the town?s Victorian era seaport charm, restored homes and buildings, and busy marina show why it is a major destination stop for visitors to the area. Photos by the author.
In getting to points north, east and west here in Washington state, at least a portion of State Route 20 is often included. So I wondered?what would it be like to ride it end-to-end" How much better than settling for one flavor is it to taste three" This statewide adventure would be like a big scoop of Neapolitan ice cream?Washington has three distinct eco-systems dividing it into thirds. We would follow State Route 20 from the rainforest/alpine region, to inland high desert, and then back to the pine forests and river valleys of yet another foothill range…tasty! A motorcycle trip of any length should be started with a good meal, thus starting out on State Route 20 pointed east, one has the opportunity to feast at Fat Smitty?s. (Burger shown not actual size.)
It can be logistically daunting to ride between the mileposts of an entire numbered roadway, yet I knew State Route 20 holds many gems to make it worth the trouble. I also had the bonus of including my stepson Adam as wingman on his first ride in a couple of years. He was on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RRR (Recently Recovered from Robbers), and this would be a solid r...