How did the largest motorcycle run in the Pacific Northwest get started? It all started with a few guys getting together at the end of the summer to go for a ride and eat some oysters. The year was 1981.
Limp Lee had just returned from months of working in Alaska. Lee met up with friends at what was then the California Tavern in Marysville. The group decided to ride along State Route 9, stop at some places along the way and end up in Everson to have oyster cocktails.
The following year a few more people joined in, the next year a few more, and by the fourth year, there were almost 200 bikes! Well, as the years went by, there were just too many people to have an organized bike run on State Route 9, so Lee talked to the beautiful city of Anacortes about having the run there. At first, the town was not hip to the idea, as they were unsure what to expect, and most of the town closed up as the bikes rolled in. But soon more and more businesses stayed open, and now the whole town has joined in….. and the rest is history.
Although the official “Oyster Run” is a one-day event…some folks choose to stay in the area and make a weekend out of it. Many places are full a year in advance, so book your rooms early. There is no required route. However, you can take the scenic route if coming from the South by exiting I-5 at Conway to La Conner to Anacortes. The scenic route from the North is down Chuckanut to Edison to Anacortes.
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Oyster Run
