Crossing the Olympic Peninsula

Bremerton-Elma 53.1 miles
It was actually a 69 mile day today but I have been fighting a cold for two days (and not winning the battle yet) so I bumped up 15 miles for a bit of a shorter day. Went through forests of cedar, hemlock and Douglas fir - tall and stately ..also along a number of beautiful inland, fresh water lakes. Passed two young women, self contained,loaded bikes, moving slowly. They started in the Yukon 12 weeks ago and are headed to Panama. Oh we WT babes are so spoiled... Our geared is carried for us, our food is cooked for us and we stay in hotels with warm showers and clean sheets!! Heading west to the coast tomorrow

First Day Off

Resting up,cleaning bikes,doing laundry and visiting the Bremerton Pyrex Museum- a full day of frolic!
Here's a picture of the hardy group on the first morning.(writing photo captions on this blog seems to be impossible) Thirty one riders and two guides. Bikers are from all over the US, also Canada and Scotland. Approximate age range-early 40's to mid 70's with many veteran WT riders.

On Course Today

Port Townsend -Bremerton
55.4 miles
Lovely day- cool in the morning but no fog and a warm afternoon. Hills still on my mind--We started at sea level, ended the day at 35 feet above sea level and rode 3500 feet of elevation.
Crossed the Hood Canal Bridge, the 3rd longest floating bridge in the world. Lovely vistas but concentrated more on trucks and cars speeding past on a debris strewn bridge surface. Making it across without a flat was a miracle!
Large viney bushes of wild strawberries,raspberries and blackberries grow everywhere along the roads with tendrils creeping out onto the road shoulders. Pacific Northwest's version of kudzu but with a delicious harvest.Staying tonight at a Hampton Inn next to the Seattle Ferry Terminal on the Bremerton waterfront

The Day of Wrong Turns

Bellingham to Port Townsend. 84 miles (but meant to be 75!) We headed out of the parking lot at 7:20. 48 degrees and foggy- lovely ride along the coast on Chuckanut Road. No vistas because of the fog but ferns as big as forsythia bushes along the road. Margie a perfect day for my smart wool socks-thanks again- probably will wear them everyday - very chilly until fog broke around noon
Dramatic, beautiful,chilly,coastal scenery along with warm and sunny farm fields.
And hills and hills and hills- I have never used my granny gear more than I did today and this is just a preview- oh this midwestern flatlander is in trouble! Went through Anacortes, the beautiful and scary Deception Pass onto Whidbey Island and the after getting lost twice and adding 8 miles made it to the Port Townsend Ferry at 6 pm- the cooks were holding dinner! Hope to get it right tomorrow.Staying at an old army base right on the shore near a lighthouse-Fort Worden. I think we are in the officers quarters- charming in a faded glory way.

Panic Purchasing

Oh it is "déjà vu all over again". Found an REI in Bellingham and decided I couldn't live another moment without a new handlebar bag. The troops are starting to arrive and the tension is mounting!

OH CANADA!

Bellingham-Blaine-Bellingham.
59.4 miles
Patti, Katie and I made it to Canada today, through rolling farmland and along the bays of the Pacific.Went through beautiful Birch Bay State park on the coast and ate lunch(fresh local mussels in a white wine butter sauce)along the main street of Birch Bay.Continued north to Blaine and the Peace Arch International Park which straddles Canada and the US. We had a late start this morning so when we left the Peace Arch at 3:30, we had to hustle back to Bellingham to beat the sunset which we did by 15 minutes. The day was cool and cloudy in the morning and cool and sunny in the pm..  A perfect biking day.

Found the maple leaves ...quest continues for margaritas

Carpe Diem

The idea of this new biking adventure started with a phone conversation with the sweeps this past winter when we
decided we needed to seize the day and ride while we still could. In that spirit Patti surprised us this morning with these special bracelets she had made for us.
We wandered downtown and ended up at Fanatik Bike Shop to pick up our shipped and reassembled bikes and had a mile long warm up (well,hardly!) ride back to the hotel. Weather is a bit damp and overcast but not cold-- perfect biking weather for me but Patti and Katie are hoping for more sun and heat.. We will have it all I'm sure.

The adventure begins...

9/21/12 ... with a really long travel day. A flight from Chicago to Seattle with Patti and then a 2 1/2 hour bus trip to Bellingham. It's easier to bike 60 miles than do the trains planes and automobile thing! Katie arrives this evening at least 10 pounds over the weight limit! We arrive at our hotel and and lo and behold the LOH convention is happening. That's "Ladies of Harley". So it's babes on bikes in Lycra and babes on bikes in leather- let's rumble!