Spring has really been dragging its feet this year as we have been experiencing near record cold temperatures. Today we finally got a  break as temperatures soared to a balmy 62 degrees. I thought it would be a great opportunity to ride the Issaquah Hobart road to XXX Root Beer drive-in Issaquah.  I have been wanting to try the XXX Burger for some time. As for the route home, I figured I'd ride down around Lake Tapps.

I spent about 30 minutes loading my gear into the Goldwing and checking tire pressure etc. the basic safety checks I try to do prior to each ride. Once the engine was warmed up I headed to the Late stand in the Bargain World parking lot near PT. Defiance park. They have the best Iced Mint Mochas! As always I opted to take the scenic route along the Ruston water front and made my way on to highway 705. The view of the water was great and there were allot of people out and about enjoying the nice weather.

As I made the turn near the Tacoma Dome on to I-5, I was treated to the usual traffic congestion. All the more reason to avoid I-5 as much as possible. I only had to suffer for about 8 miles where I turned off on to highway 18 and made my way down through Auburn and up the other side. As I made my way up Highway 18 the scenery began to improve and traffic became lighter. It definitely was a great day for a ride. I turned off  highway 18 and took a left on to the Issaquah-Hobart Rd. This was a nice road with a few nice turns. The road led right into Issaquah where I intended to stop for a burger. I was pretty hungry so seeing the giant XXX Root Beer sign off in the distance made my day. As I approached the establishment I could see numerous motorcycles and what looked like a bunch of older Military vehicles. Turns out, there was some sort of a old military show taking place today. From what I have heard this drive-in is known for having different types of shows like this. The drive-in had that old school look to it inside and out. I figured I was in for a treat because of the amount of people lined up to order. This is a very good sign!

Once at the counter, I ordered the XXX Burger and a large root beer. The guy at the counter took my $18 bucks and told me they would call me when it was ready. The first call was to deliver the root beer. Man that was good root beer! Probably the best I have had. I sat in the shade for another 10 minutes and over the loud speaker I heard "Big Rob" several times. I thought that was funny. The guy behind the counter has a sense of humor. When I approached the counter I was shocked by the size of the thing. It was mammoth and the bun was grilled and greasy. Extra points for that! Grilled onions, special sauce, beef patties, lettuce and cheese were hanging out around the entire thing. Right On! This place knows how to make a burger. As I picked it up I noticed the bun was very soft as stuff started oozing out all over. More extra points!  After the first bite I was in in hog heaven! By time I was half way trough I was starting to get full and knew this now had knocked the Bunkhouse BBQ's Trail Boss and Ranch Hand into the #2 position. Every bite left my face, hands and forearms a mess. Yes, I said forearms! First burger I have eaten that dripped juice and sauces all the way down to my forearms. The flavor was unbeatable. I finished the thing slowly while enjoying the large tall mug of root beer. Once done I had a pile of dirty napkins in front of me and a tray full of fries. I couldn't eat one fry! I was a mess. I had juice, sauce whatever all the way down to my forearms. This was hands down the tastiest and most sloppy burger I have ever sunk my teeth into. It just doesn't get any better then this! I was so messy I had to go to the truck of the Goldwing and get the bottle of Windex to spray my hands. Again, extra points! As I type this my wife informed me that I have to take her to XXX root beer soon. She's a burger girl! :-)

Once cleaned up, I made my way on to east bound I-90.  This was a nice 5.5 mile ride to the highway 18 exit. As I turned on to 18, I was thinking, I shouldn't of ate the whole thing. As I type this my wife informed me that I have to take her to XXX root beer soon. I rode highway to the Issaquah-Hobart Rd. Exit. I turned left on to 276th Ave. SE and rode 3.8 miles where the road took a slight bend and became Landsburg Rd. Soon it became Ravensdale Rd. SE. Not a bad stretch of road. I followed a group of Harley riders for a bit. maybe 20 riders in all. The Harleys created that thunderous effect as the sound from the engines bounced off the hill sides. I couldn't even hear my Honda running.

I made several stops along the way to take some photos. One such stop was at the Cedar river. nice place to stop. As I rode through Black Diamond, I took note of the great view of Mt. Rainier. I soon turned left on to Lawson Rd. This is a great stretch of road that has some nice twisties. Be careful as you approach the Green River crossing because as soon as you make the turn there is a stop light. The reason for the light is that the bridge is a single lane bridge. The light switches from east bound to west bound traffic allowing vehicles to enter from one direction only. Once across the road soon becomes Franklin Rd. There are some really bad areas in the tail end of this road. This road soon turned on to 264th Ave SE and took me into Enumclaw. I snaked my way from here through the town of Enumclaw and back on to 410. As I rode through Buckley, I passed another of my favorite burger joints. Wally's White River Drive-in. This is another great burger stop. Not as good as XXX Root Beer but definitely in the top ten.

I rode Highway 410 into the Lake Tapps area and turned right on to 214th Ave E. This road changed names a few times as I followed it around the Lake. I was treated with several great views of Bass fisherman fishing near sunken stumps and a couple views looking across the water with Mt. Rainier in the background. It was nice but not as nice as I imagined it would be. There was allot of traffic as housing is been steadily growing in this area.

It wasn't long and I was back on 410 heading towards Tacoma and Puyallup. I Turned off on to Meridian and crossed the Puyallup river and then turned on to the Puyallup River Rd. Home was near. The ride was coming to an end as I soon entered and exited I-5 and rode past the grain elevators on Schuster Parkway. The water front was twice as busy as this morning when I left. Allot of folks were glad to see the sun for a change.

Once again the end to another great ride. And the chance to enjoy what I now consider Washington's Best Burger! A big thanks to the folks at XXX Root Beer! You Rock!

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