July 9, 2016 Victoria - 10.35 miles

Started the day walking down to the waterway behind the motel - was blown away by the reflection of the clouds on the still water. Unbelievable!

I decided that I wanted to go whale watching, since I have never done that and I can't imagine it would get any better than here. Left the motel at approximately 10:30 am headed for the Inner Harbor area. I took a different route that incorporated pretty much all designated bike lanes, and was pleasantly surprised to find how easy it was to get downtown. On the way, I passed through several lovely neighborhoods, and also came across a Trek Bicycle Store. Decided to stop at the store and check it out. Also got some more map and route info relevant to my planned ride to Sidney tomorrow, as well as where I go from here.

After checking out the various companies, I decided to go with the 3 1/2 hour tour with Eagle Wing Whale Watching - it was rated #1 on tripadvisor for outdoor activities in Victoria. I had about 1 1/2 hours to kill, so wandered around Fisherman's Wharf. There was a floating boat community that looked just like a bunch of colorful tiny houses on the water. One even advertised as a B & B. 

Thought I better get something to eat before the whaling adventure, so stopped a Barb's there on the wharf and ordered a cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. I later learned that Barb's is famous - especially for their fish and chips. The sweet potato fries may be the best I have ever had. Homemade and as flavorful as any I have had - downright succulent. As is often the case with these food stands on wharfs, seating was limited, and I took up a seat on the end of a table next to some folks. Two women came up soon after and sat across from me. I learned that they were Connie (mother) and Janice (daughter), and lived in Victoria. I asked all sorts of questions about Victoria and Sydney, and told them about my current journey. Turns out that Connie is originally from Scotland, and moved by herself to Toronto in the 1950's. An adventurous sort! Eventually, she married and had a family, and ended up in Victoria. While she loves Victoria, she bemoaned the fact that some of the character of the city is being disrupted by what some might call "progress."  I have sometimes felt the same way about Austin in recent years. I learned that they had even lived in Sydney for a while, and Connie, like others I have met, confirmed that I was in for a treat when I visit tomorrow. Connie and Janice happily agreed to let me take a picture for the blog, and asked if they could access the blog. So, maybe we have a couple new people to ride along with us! Canadiens, no less.

The whalewatching adventure was, I am told, extremely successful as we had no trouble finding both humpback and orca whales. They bundle you up in rain gear and take you out in high speed boats to areas of reported sightings. There, you wait for the whales to appear - which they did in several groups. While it was a thrill to catch sight of the whales, it was too far away to get a really close picture. But, did my best and here are a couple. The most interesting part was parking alongside the shores of the San Juan Islands and watching several families of Orcas swim along the coast. While we did see a couple of "whale tails," mostly we would catch sight of the fins and backs - sort of like you see with porpoises. 

All in all, I enjoyed the whale watching, but have no burning desire to do it again. Another item checked off my list. 

Hopped on my bike and found an even shorter bike route home - took me about 25 minutes. And the good news is that it was mostly downhill! Heated some soup for dinner in the kitchenette that I have been carrying around the whole trip (camping provisions). I am tired, and ready for an early night. Have definitely decided to stay over until Tuesday, so I can check out either Butchart Gardens or the city bus tour on Monday.

Heard from Randy, and it sounds like he is adjusting to life and the heat back in Tucson. I miss him - he would have loved Victoria. 

July 8, 2016 Port Angeles --> Victoria BC Canada - Ferry + 8 miles

My ferry over to Victoria didn't leave until 12:45 pm. Took my own sweet time with the morning studies and prayer. Called everyone one last time before entering Canada and the $1 per minute kicks in, although LaDonna taught me last month about WhatsApp, which allows you to text and call internationally for free. Works great - just have to get everyone to load the app, which for Mom is a little intimidating. 

Left the motel around 11:00 am, and coasted downhill for the 2 miles to the ferry. Took a couple of pictures along the way, including one of a thick mass of wild blackberries which some pedestrians were picking and eating - this was similar to those I described seeing all over Sequim yesterday.

I stopped by the Visitors Information Center next to the ferry to get some maps and info. As I was leaving, I was approached by a couple and their dog - Bob & Dorothy Simpson and Sadie. This retired couple lives in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, which just happens to be the point from which I will ferry over to Vancouver when I leave the island the end of next week. They are avid cyclists, and have biked extensively in Louisiana and some parts south near where I live. More recently, their cycling adventures have taken a hit as they spend most of their time indulging in their new passion - square dancing.  Bob & Dorothy are also members of Warmshowers and Couchsurfers which I wrote about previously. In any event, they invited me to camp at their house or stay with them when I get to Nanaimo. They even said they would leave the house open and I could just stay there if they happen to be out of town when I arrive - they have some square dancing activities planned out of town. They gave me their card, and I told them I would call later in the week when I knew more about my plans.

While waiting for the ferry, I also met another retired couple with their bikes who had spent a couple of days biking to Sequim and back. They live in Victoria, and offered a number of suggestions for my upcoming biking in the area. Specifically, they told me about the Galloping Goose Trail and the Lochside Trail that runs pretty much all the way to Sidney - my likely destination for tomorrow. The woman also seemed to think my thoughts about a loop to Port Renfroe --> Lake Cowichen --> Duncan --> Nanaimo might be a really good ride. I am just not sure yet about taking that much time. Am already thinking about an extra day in Victoria since there seems to be a lot to see and do. 

We reached Victoria after the 90 minute ferry ride. There was a festive feel in the air and it was  sunny and quite warm. A gentleman from California graciously took my picture to prove that I had, indeed, arrived in Victoria. The friend with him was from Sequim, of all places! Seems like everyone I was meeting lived in Sequim, had visited Sequim, or wanted to. 

Rode my bike past the government building and Queen Victoria's statue at the start of the 5 mile or so ride to my motel.  The streets were quite crowded, but everything is set up to be biker friendly and the ride was enjoyable. 

Arrived at my motel at approximately 3:30 pm. Love my room! It is huge and has a nice little kitchenette as well as a desk and couch. There is a little lake out back behind the complex that is pretty and serene. Very happy here.

At the suggestion of the young man at the motel desk, I walked across the street for dinner at That Li'l Pasta Place. Outstanding! One of my favorites ever. I had pasta primavera that was out of this world. After dinner, I returned to my little haven and settled in for the night - I was feeling very tired after all the twists and turns of the week. Will figure out the activities for tomorrow in the morning. 

July 7, 2016 Sequim --> Port Angeles - 22 miles

Woke up after a good night's sleep, and feeling remarkably well after biking 88 miles yesterday. Still kind of shaking my head at the various unanticipated interactions with people yesterday, culminating with the loving warmth and hospitality with which I was received by Becky and Lewis. 

Becky biked off to work early, and Lewis and I headed out for breakfast at his favorite place - the Oak Table Cafe. Lewis has taken a unique approach to office hours in his position as pastor. Rather than meet at the church, he conducts office hours each day at a different coffee shop where people know they can find him. A fabulous idea, and seems to have worked well. We agreed that building relationships is primary and vital to the church and our growth. And in line with the greatest commandment to love God first, then your neighbor. As I indulged in my buckwheat pancakes, Lewis and I continued our discussion regarding our life experiences and how they affected our beliefs and spiritual practices. I shared my admiration for Rohr, and the contemplative prayer process as a means of centering in my daily life. I think Lewis would concur that what is most important is not insistence on a particular theology or creed (although these may have their proper role), but developing an ability to hear, discern and follow what God is telling us. If we do that, everything else will fall into its proper place. Which generally means we will learn how to accept, support and love one another. And isn't that what it is all about?

After breakfast, Lewis took me on a tour of Sequim that left me wanting to relocate there. Just the right size town located near the Olympic National Forest on one side, and the beautiful bay on the other side. Interesting shops. No interstates and none of the big city traffic. Bike routes everywhere. Built on and surrounded by picturesque farmland, and just a wonderful healthy feel. Great climate. Located conveniently to Seattle and Port Angeles. I kept thinking Sequim fit the bill for everything I would want in a place to retire, except for maybe being too far from my family. 

Lewis left for a meeting, and I packed up and headed to the bike shop down the road for minor adjustments. Jon was wonderful and took good care of me. Assured that everything was in good working order, I headed for the 20 mile Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) that runs all the way to Port Angeles, thereby avoiding on road traffic for the most part.

I took my time on the ODT, stopping frequently to take pictures. Loved the old barns, farms, bridges and streams. Loved the wildflowers and trees. Just took it all in.

At one point where a construction crew was working, I was held up by a young woman named Maya. We chatted about my upcoming plans to visit Victoria and Vancouver Island. In the course of the conversation, she mentioned how much she had enjoyed Sidney - I had been contemplating a day trip to Sidney on Sunday, and I took this as confirmation that I was on the right track! Thanks to Maya.

I also came across this interesting offer to camp free. It mentions affiliations with Warmshowers and Couchsurf. These are organizations that provide volunteer contacts for places where bikers can stay for free. 

I also came upon another "sign" - a beautiful feather on the path. Looks like some sort of hawk feather to me. My special feather. 

The final couple of miles on the ODT into Port Angeles were along the coast. I watched as the ferry I am taking tomorrow began its journey to Victoria. Snapped a picture of a majestic blue heron for my mother. 

Reached my motel at approximately 1:30 pm, and spent the rest of the afternoon taking care of business before leaving the country tomorrow. Biked to an Italian restaurant down the road and had lasagna for dinner. Then spent the remainder of the evening catching up on the blog and watching the sad news regarding recent shootings in Minneapolis and Baton Rouge, and today's shootings in Dallas. Very sobering. And I started asking myself  - what can I do in my own way to help with the healing process? 

A whole new phase in this unpredictable journey begins tomorrow as I head to Canada. Looking forward to the adventures to come. However, before I end, I want to again thank all of you that reached out and offered your encouragement and support in the last week. It came at a time that I really needed it, and meant more than you could know.

July 6, 2016 Shelton --> Sequim - 87.6 miles

This was tacked on a bulletin board of the breakfasrpt room at the Super 8. A good omen for what turned out to be one of the best days to date.

Headed out on Hwy 101 at 7:40 am to get an early start, since I planned to ride 78 miles to Sequim. The first 52 miles to Quilcene consisted of a series of gently rolling hills interspersed with occasional slow long inclines/steep downhills. The Hood Canal ran alongside on the right, with forests of the Olympic National Forest running alongside on the left. Everything was green and lush, with those colorful wildflowers often bordering the road. There were several lovely little picturesque "towns" along the way. I cruised along soaking it all in. 

As I approached Quilcene, I received a text sent from my good friend, Nancy, in Austin. She indicated that her sister and brother-in-law lived in Sequim, and had offered to put me up for the night and feed me. Apparently, when Nancy read in the blog that I was headed to Sequim, she called Becky and Lewis. Shortly after the text, I received a voice mail message from Lewis, inviting me to stay with them.  I had no idea Nancy's sister lived in Sequim (sorry Nancy if you had told me), and was blown away by the timely coincidence. The other strange thing was that I had not booked a room in Sequim, just in case I got there and decided to push the final 20 miles to Port Angeles. I had no where to stay. I called Lewis and told him I would be there in 3-4 hours.

I stopped at the Quil Bean to fix a sandwich and got a berry smoothie, heavy on the blueberries. A young couple having a cup of coffee invited me to join them. I noted my favorite sunflowers nearby. A sign? James and Emma were visiting family in Quilcene, and were in the process of moving from Ft. Collins, Colorado, to North Dakota. Emma was an elementary school teacher specializing in the sciences, and James was an EMT. They had traveled quite a bit, and we shared some of our favorite adventures. What was especially noticeable about them was that they were so enthusiastic about everything they talked about - so alive. I thought how wonderful it was that they enjoy their lives now. They made me feel joyful just being around them. Since James was from around the area, I asked his opinion regarding the route to Sequim - Google lady had given me 2 options. Either through the forests (probably with inclines) or continue along Hwy 101 (probably more of the same I had ridden all morning). He recommended Hwy 101 because it was pretty. Not much to say about the alternative.

I finished lunch, still undecided regarding which route to take. My gut said the safe bet was to stay on Hwy 101, while my spirit of adventure urged the forest route. So...I turned off Hwy 101 down a one lane road and started a long climb into the forest. It was gorgeous. And quiet. And a hard climb, but I just kept pedaling. It helped that I had taken Advil at lunch for my creaky knees. About 4-5 miles into the ride, an SUV pulled over and a couple got out and told me that they were cyclists. Michael and Louisa asked if I knew where I was going. I told them that I thought so since Google lady had indicated this was a route to Sequim. And I was okay with the climbs. Then Louisa explained to me that a few miles up the road, it turned into a dirt road - all the rest of the way to Sequim. Well, Randy and I have been the victim of Google lady dirt road adventures in the past, and I knew I did not want to go through that again. So, I thanked Michael and Louisa for their help and decided to just bite the bullet and backtrack to Hwy 101. Bonus miles. Turns out that Michael and Louisa have some pretty extensive touring cycle experience. Michael checked out my bike and panniers, and told me he was jealous. I invited him to get his bike and join me. Then these new friends, who just happened to live on this beautiful road, offered me a place to stay for the night. Told them I was expected in Sequim, and thanked them. Angels kept popping up today.

The return to Hwy 101 was fairly painless, since it was all downhill. But still had another 30 miles or so to go. Not too terribly difficult to ride, except that by now I had already ridden almost 60 miles and my legs were pretty tired. When I reached Blyn, I got on the Olympic Discovery Trail, which meant the last 5-6 miles or so were off the main highway. A nice reprieve.

Pulled into Becky and Lewis' driveway a little after 5 pm. Their dogs, Tucker and Dee, saluted my arrival with energetic barking. When Becky came out to greet me, I was struck with the family resemblance to Nancy. Not to mention a certain way of speaking and mannerisms. Since Nancy is one of my most favorite people ever, I felt immediately drawn to Becky and very comfortable. She threw my filthy biking clothes in the wash, and handed me a glass of ice cold lemonade. We talked and got to know each other better. Felt like I had found yet another spiritual soulmate. Becky and Lewis moved to Sequim from Arkansas a little over a year ago. Becky is a psychiatric nurse and commuted to a job in Port Angeles until recently, when she opened her own practice in Sequim just down the road from their house. Lewis spent most of their first year in Sequim renovating their home, which had been an old farm house with a beautiful view of the mountains. He took the position as pastor of Olympic View Church of God in April. I also learned that Lewis has done some extensive bicycle touring in the past, as well as having hiked parts of the Pacific Crest Trail. Sequim is extremely bike friendly, and Becky and Lewis bike to work. They are extremely active and fit. 

After I showered, Becky and I went by her office, then out for dinner and a brief tour of Sequim. Lewis was unable to join us as he was at a meeting. 

Dinner was at this wonderful Chinese restaurant. I had chicken with all sorts of veggies. I was craving veggies and especially hungry after my 88 mile day. After dinner, we drove through farmland and by dairy farms to the bay protected by Protection Island, where we got out and walked a little ways down the beach. Then went by John Wayne Marina, where Becky is starting to get involved with a fledging rowing club. On the drive home, Becky pointed out the full blackberry bushes that blanketed the side of the road. Upon arrival home, I got to meet Lewis and we had cherry pie a la mode.  Delicious. By this time, it was going on 10:00 pm, and I think we were all beat. 

Today was extraordinary in many ways I could not have predicted, and I feel so blessed. Days like this are why I love bicycle touring. Tomorrow, Lewis is going to show me more of Sequim, then I plan to bike 20 miles to Port Angeles, where I will catch the ferry to Victoria and Vancouver Island on Friday.

July 5, 2016 Rest Day in Shelton, WA

Decided to take a full rest day in Shelton since I was staying at a place I liked which was conveniently located to stores, restaurants, etc. Also, right next to Hwy 101, which is the next leg of the journey. My legs needed a good rest as well.

I was eating breakfast when a couple approximately my age walked in wearing bicycling clothes. I perked up and starting asking questions. They were from Switzerland and in the middle of a 10,000 mile ride that started from Quebec City in April. Turns out they hit the cold, rainy and even snowy weather that besieged the northeast in the spring. Not the best start. However, they persisted across the US and today they were headed north on Hwy 101 towards Port Townsend on their way to Vancouver.  Then, they will head east towards Banff, and eventually end at Quebec City where they started. We noted that most of the riders we have seen are going in the opposite direction from us. I almost jumped up and grabbed my bike to ride with them today, but had already made arrangements to stay. I watched a little wistfully as they rode away. Decided to take it as another sign that I am to continue on to Canada.

Turns out that I needed most of the day to research the route to Port Angeles (where I catch the ferry to Victoria) and book a room; research and book the ferry; find and book a room in Victoria for the weekend; arrange for cell service while in Canada; plan the bike route for the next 2 days; start planning for the rest of the stay on Vancouver Island,.... Then, I cleaned up my bike and made minor necessary adjustments. Got everything packed and ready to go for tomorrow. 

The plan is to ride 78 miles to Sequim, with options to stop earlier if I get tired. Getting to Sequim would leave a short ride to Port Angeles on Thursday, which would leave time to prep for the ferry ride to Victoria on Friday. Looks like the cloudy weather may hold tomorrow, but rain is likely on Thursday. All the more reason for a short ride on Thursday. 

Given all that I needed to do today, I am glad I didn't jump on my bike with the Swiss this morning. Maybe there are others out there to meet...

Didn't take any pictures today, so here is one of the last ones Randy took of me.