Today was the beginning of the end. Starting out on the spaghetti Seattle trails was great. I was amazed at how the trails mimic their roads and the number of commuters on bikes that I saw along the path. Along a couple of the trails I saw countless berries in half mile long stints. I saw a couple walking picking a few berries to eat for a morning snack. Farther up the trail I ran into an Air Harbor service where float planes were preparing themselves to take supplies to somewhere unknown. I watched several take off from the bay. Because of all the water and harbors the variety of industry here is very unique. As I continued along my journey I ran into a posted detour which required me to recompute my route for several miles. Lisa Marie and I were planning to meet at the ferry for our water crossing. We planned separate trips just in the event that things went sideways. It was a good thing. Lisa Marie needed to queue into the car line long before I ever arrived. Bikes on the Washington ferry either load first or load last. In my case I loaded last. My route in the morning was far more hillier than I anticipated. At one point climbing a mile long hill with a very steep grade, a commuter on an e bike blew past me like I was standing still. After messing up and missing a couple of turns I finally figured out how to get to the ferry. With very little time to spare I was able to secure a ticket and board the boat. Lisa Marie was anxiously waiting and hoping I would make the boat. With the challenges of navigating an urban environment, the early morning rain, the hills, and the traffic, it took us both much longer to arrive. Today’s ferry ride was a bit longer than yesterday. Arriving on the opposite shore as a biker, I was allowed to leave first. I quickly made my way off the boat and through the terminal to my bike path. From here it was a considerable amount of climbing throughout the day but all roads. As I made my way across the early parts of the Olympic Peninsula, I traveled through Port Gamble where I met Lisa Marie and were hoping to sit and have a small snack, but there was nothing open in the town when we arrived. I sent Lisa Marie on her way with a time to meet at the end of the day.
I wanted her to enjoy the day while I completed the miles. The farther I traveled the less traffic I saw. Today was very cloudy and for the last two hours on my journey it rained. At one point I met Spencer and Tom who are bike packing across the peninsula. They were independently riding when they met at a small restaurant that I would pass 40 minutes later. They realized they were traveling a similar direction so they hung out. Unfortunately I forgot to grab a picture because of the rain. It was great talking to them and I think they we’re going to check in on my journey. I met up with Lisa Marie as I finished the ride and we went in to Port Townsend where we would be staying for the evening. This eclectic town was filled with wine tasting shops, restaurants, art galleries, and much more. We had a great time exploring the town and eventually settling down for the evening to prepare for the remaining two days.
Insights From Lisa Marie
Leaving Seattle on the car ferry to get over to the Olympic Peninsula, Norm and I did my own thing. After getting off the ferry I drove north to this little town of Hanesville. Here I found there were 2 lighthouses. Again for those who know me this is another thing of mine😁. I was trying to find the Skunk Bay lighthouse but ended up in a neighborhood with a dead end street. A very nice couple, Greg and Mary laughingly told me it was just down the road behind the gate. Not much of a picture. The main one is the Point No Point lighthouse on the northern tip. You can see whales from this beach. Unfortunately I didn’t see any while I was there. I then drove to pick up Norm before we headed into Port Townsend where we are staying tonight.
