Day 1 - Larrabee State Park - Riding the California Dream

September 10, 2022

Day 1 - Larrabee State Park

Meeting Up

Almost there

We had a short drive today, only about 150 miles from Olympia to Larrabee State Park near Bellingham, so we relaxed in the morning and purposely got a late start, as our campground check-in was set for 2:30 PM.

Passing through Seattle, we experienced the same smoke overcast, which continued to worsen as we drove north. At one point, the AQI reached 120, but began to decrease slightly after we turned off I-5 onto Hwy 11 and headed northwest.

Ash rained down on our car as we passed through Everett, Wa

About 15 minutes south of Larrabee, we stopped at the charming Farm to Market Bakery for lunch. Everything was wonderfully fresh and made with care. We ate our sandwiches in the garden at the back of the house. And, of course, I couldn’t resist the cookies and bought enough to share with the tour participants.

Larrabee

Finally, we’re here! There will be 15 of us and I’m about the 5th or 6th person to arrive.

Today’s the official start of the tour, but that just means arriving at the campground, setting up, meeting for orientation, and organizing for the first day of riding.

Rich helps me pick out a flat spot for my tent, kisses me goodbye, and heads back to the hotel in Olympia. He’ll continue his journey back to Napa tomorrow, while I and the other tour participants travel to the Peace Arch and begin our Coastal route.

First time I’ve camped in many years. I felt pretty proud of myself for successfully setting up my tent.

The group, gathered around for orientation.

How to mount the ACA triangle and still allow for the Garmin Varia taillight mount.

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Rachael AndersonHow exciting, the start of your tour! I hope the ash doesn’t affect your trip too much.
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2 years ago

Lynda ThompsonThanks for posting and for the photos. It really gives me a sense of what you're seeing. Hopefully the smoke won't be too bad for riding. I've never been camping so setting up the tents seems overwhelming, but yours looks sturdy and perfectly cozy. Sleep well!
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2 years ago

Amber StarfireTo Lynda ThompsonActually I did sleep pretty well last night, thank you 😊. The smoke was pretty bad today and the smarter among us (not me) red with masks. However it seems to be clearing up and the AWI is improving.
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2 years ago

Genny FoxYay first night of camping done well! I do hope the air quality continues to improve.
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2 years ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Amber StarfireThe one time I camped at Larrabee I was woken many many times by the blaring train whistles and decided never again. That was 5 years ago; perhaps it's quieter these nights.
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2 years ago