A last look back before looking forward

August 16, 2019

So, another month on the road goes up on the shelf. We’re assembling a pretty decent library to dip into when we’re old and grey and full of sleep.

This tour broke some new ground for us - it’s the longest domestic tour we’ve taken since our first anniversary tour in New England and the Maritime provinces 30 years ago; and its by far the longest tour we’ve taken in our own back yard. As we’ve said before, this has been one of the blessings of being retired and relatively rootless - we have much more time in our lives to explore the homeland.

And what a wonderful exploration it was! With few exceptions, we found excellent cycling, met some friends in real life for the first time, made some new friends, and discovered/rediscovered some spots we’d be happy to revisit for longer stays. We especially loved Victoria, a city I think we could happily live in; and Bellingham and Port Townsend both look like they could be wonderful spots for an extended stay.

For me, the big uncertainty for this tour was bicycling around the Olympic Peninsula. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a young man, but I really didn’t know if it would be an attractive or safe ride with so many miles on Highway 101. We had some misgivings at the last minute, and had in the back of our minds the option of renting a car in Port Angeles if the roads felt too unsafe. I was pleasantly surprised though, and riding 101 (except for the south shore of Lake Crescent, which I’d avoid) was a significantly quieter and safer ride than I’d feared. I’m sure it helped that two of our highway days were on the weekend when logging operations are shut down.

The trip went as well as we could have hoped for. We had phenomenal weather, with only an hour or two of light rain in total through some of the dampest part of the country; we maintained good health; we had good luck with equipment, except for my failed front shifter (which definitely needs replacement); and I didn’t lose my iPad!

Would we take this tour again? Not exactly. Biking around the Olympic Peninsula feels like a once in a lifetime experience (particularly if you’re already in your seventies for the first time around). It would never be this good the second time, and we’d probably see rain every other day the next time anyway. Also, I’m aware that it’s a luxury to be taking this tour the way we did - the lodges are all expensive and space is in short supply - and we feel really blessed to have gotten to do this once. We’ve had our turn.

We’d definitely like to revisit the northern half of the route though. I can imagine a tour someday that combines another pass through the best of the Olympic Discovery Trail, the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, a visit to the Gulf Islands, Vancouver, Bellingham, and Port Townsend. Just waiting for the right open slot in the right season.

As always, thank you all so much for following along, for your encouragement, your feedback, and your (real and virtual) companionship. It enriched the experience for us, and helped us keep the blog going so that we can revisit this month ourselves in the years to come.

And join us in Spain and Portugal! The tour starts in less than five weeks.

Can you believe this? This (actually, just the basement apartment) is our home for the next week.

And I didn’t lose my gloves, either! They’d been left behind in the smaller pannier I use for rides around town. I didn’t really need a second iPad, but there’s nothing wrong with having an extra pair of gloves at hand.

And one last nature note! This colorful little guy scooted across the floor and bee-lined for our heap of dirty laundry. So with its thirty legs, is this a trigintapede?

Rodriguez is back at one of his favorite neighborhood hangouts, soaking up the rays while I wrap up the blog.

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Kathleen JonesThanks for mapping out my route for me. I was unable to do it this year but next year!
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Kathleen JonesSure. Which part are you thinking?
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5 years ago

Kathleen JonesTo Scott AndersonPretty much the same thing. Or just WA. Or just BC.
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5 years ago

Jen RahnI think Ron and I will be referring back to this one, too. Not sure which part yet .. but thank you for all the good info & photos!
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5 years ago

Jen RahnAlso ... Yes! These journals are one of the best gifts you could give to your future selves.
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5 years ago