Day 91 Skykomish to Arlington WA - Still 8 years old in my brain - CycleBlaze

August 11, 2023

Day 91 Skykomish to Arlington WA

I left camp around 7:30 and Peter and Henry passed me on their way to breakfast. CHG and Sarah must’ve left before me as I didn’t run in to them again. Their destination today is a Warmshowers host in Everett. 

Sweet peas and ferns- yes, I’m getting close to home.
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In the town of Grotto….
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I’m not sure what all these Weber kettles are for.
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Between grotto and Baring. Traffic isn’t bad.
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I stopped at Travelers Park in Sultan and was impressed by this espaliered structure
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While eating my snack, Henry and Peter pulled in. There’s a dog park there- very convenient!
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Route 2 continued to descend to Monroe with traffic gradually becoming heavier. I had planned a route to the Centennial Trailhead in Snohomish following Route 2 but suspected it might be too congested near Snohomish. And so it was. In Monroe, I quickly consulted Google maps and rerouted to Old Snohomish Monroe Road which was much quieter with some moderate climbs. Google did a great job of getting me to the trail in Snohomish. 

View from Old Snohomish Monroe Road
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Informational board on the trail. More sad U.S. history. (Sorry for the poor photo)
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I left the bike trail near Arlington and made my way to Emerald Springs RV park, a huge gravel plot with a zillion full time RVs next to a massive Amazon facility. Weird place with lots of rules such as No Bicycling In The Park. 

We decided to go out to dinner as this was our last night together. Peter and Henry are going back to Lummi Island tomorrow as we couldn’t get a reservation at Bay View State Park or near Mount Vernon. I will camp at the State Park as Washington is one of the states that has a No Turn Away policy for cyclists and hikers. 

We went to Bistro San Martin in Arlington. I went inside first to find out how to get Henry to the patio. As soon as I entered, I knew this was going to be a remarkable meal. The aromas were incredible! Steve, one of the owners, met us in the alley and ushered us to this cozy private patio lush with plants, a fountain and statues with two small tables. There was a couple from Oso there finishing up their meal. They had been asked if a dog was okay and they had graciously accepted before we arrived. They frequently eat there and informed us of their favorite dishes, of which there were many.

We had the most amazing culinary experience! For starters, seafood tostadas that were out of this world. I had scallops which were topped with som sort of chopped caramelized tomatoes with a subtle coconut curry sauce that I usually don’t like but found exquisite! For dessert we split the Naughty Chocolate Cake which was had a touch of cayenne and was decadent. All this as I was sitting next to a star jasmine plant with gently wafting sweet smells. Everything was perfectly done and balanced. 

Star jasmine
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Truly a lovely way to celebrate the end of our journey together. 

Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 3,470 miles (5,584 km)

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Julie O’NeillLike reaching the end of a riveting novel, I am loathe to turn the last page.
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1 year ago