Most people coming from Portland take Hwy 30 to Clatskanie, then make a left onto OR-47 S/Mist-Clatskanie Hwy, and then turn right onto OR-202 N/Nehalem Hwy. It's a twisting road through forests, and will take you to Birkenfeld and the Birkenfeld Country Store, a motorcycle-friendly place to stop and have lunch, coffee or a snack. You will have completed 77 miles on very twisty roads by this point, and at least 90 miles of riding. OR-47 S/Mist-Clatskanie Hwy is also a good way to head back to Portland if you have come to Birkenfeld by a different route.

From Birkenfeld, take any windy road back to where you need to go. For instance, you could continue on 202 to Hwy 26, and then head back east, or you could continue back the way you came on OR-202 N/Nehalem Hwy, but then veering right and continuing on OR-47 to Pittsburg, and getting back to where you need to be however you wish from there. Either way is a two-hour ride.

Altogether, that's at least three hours of riding, non-stop. How can that be an all-day ride? Take into consideration stopping every 45 minutes for at least a few minutes, and stopping for lunch for an hour. Now we're up to at least five hours out and about. And, to me, that's an all-day motorcycle outing.

If you are headed from Washington to California through Oregon, and want a break from coastal riding, the Birkenfeld route is a terrific introduction to the inner-part of Oregon and a good way to get to Portland from the coast after Astoria - take OR-202 and it will bring you to Birkenfeld.