Day 1 - Saturday September 12, 2009 - Shelton, WA to Brinnon, WA - 41-ish Miles
Highlights:
-Sparkling waters of the Hood Canal
-Sliced/blew out my rear tire at mile 20 and had to switch to spare resulting in dirty state champion kit
-No major climbs
-The Bayshore Inn (aka "Motel 1.5") with mottled shag carpet, Naugahyde chairs and stale tobacco scent
-The Halfway House Restaurant with giant Hood Canal Oysters and Marionberry "Crumble" pie
-Very sore back, which led me to "nose up" the Brooks saddle a bit more
Day 2 - Sunday September 13, 2009 - Brinnon, WA to Port Townsend/Diamond Point, WA - 38-ish miles
Highlights:
-Breakfast with the locals at the Halfway House Restaurant
-First "climb" up Walker Grade - about 3 miles of 5% average
-First espresso stop in the middle of nowhere in Quinlene
-Blackberry eatin' on the side of the road
-Dinner with Cousin Cathy, husband Kent and daughter Holly at the casino in Sequim
-Lodging at the Diamond Point B&B
Day 3 - Monday September 14, 2009 - Port Townsend/Diamond Point, WA to Port Angeles, WA - 33-ish miles
Highlights:
-Breakfast at the Diamond Point B&B
-Riding the Discovery Trail most of the day
-Bike shop stop for new tire in Sequim
-Meeting Astrid, a mid-40s Brittish woman who was almost done riding around the world longitudinally
-Mom's 60h birthday!
Day 4 - Tuesday September 15, 2009 - Rest day in Port Angeles, WA
Highlights:
-Internet access
-Laundry (but in the bathtub, since the fancy hotel did not have facilities)
-Getting an ad-hoc "Twilight" tour of Port Angeles from the local bus driver lady
Day 5 - Wednesday September 16, 2009 - Port Angeles, WA to Lake Crescent, WA - 28-ish miles
Highlights:
-Downpour of Biblical proportions around 11 am
-Diving into Granny's Cafe during the downpour for some of the best food of the trip
-Pushing the button as we headed into Lake Crescent to alert motorists to our presence
-Having one way traffic controls to give us a peaceful ride around the lake
-Hiking to Marymere Falls
-Dinner at one of the prettiest lodges I've stayed at
Day 6 - Thursday September 17, 2009 - Lake Crescent, WA to Forks, WA - 38-ish miles
Highlights:
-Biggest climb of the trip from the end of Lake Crescent through Fairholm
-More one-way traffic controls giving us breaks all day
-The slowest short-order lunch ever at the Hungry Bear Cafe
-Real laundry at the Pacific Inn in Forks
-Dinner at the Chicago-style pizza place in Forks
Day 7 - Friday September 18, 2009 - Forks, WA to Kalaloch, WA - 42-ish miles
Highlights:
-Cheapest breakfast of the trip in Forks
-Narrowest road of the trip, but quietest traffic, which helped
-First view of the ocean
-Kalaloch Lodge, which must be the best-kept secret of the area
-The beach at Kalaloch, strewn with driftwood and very scenic
Day 8 - Saturday September 19, 2009 - Kalaloch, WA to Amanda Park/Lake Quinault, WA - 37-ish miles
Highlights:
-The storm that came through overnight cleared for us to make it out for an early start
-Quiet roads with no logging trucks (good because the shoulder was still small)
-Changing my parents crappy/bumped tires for the 5th time
-The worst hotel/eating arrangements of the trip at the Quinault Rainforest Resort
Day 9 - Sunday September 20, 2009 - Amanda Park/Lake Quinault, WA to Montesano, WA - 51-ish miles
Highlights:
-A very scenic and memorable ride on the backroads through Wiskah and Winochee Valleys
-Lunch stop where we saw a cougar in the road
-A very gravely, dirt descent near mile 45
-The cute town of Montesano
-A satisfying dinner at the Bee Hive cafe
Day 10 - Monday September 21, 2009 - Montesano, WA - Shelton, WA - 42-ish miles
Highlights:
-The quiet Cloquallam back road we were on most of the day
-Seeing a clear cut in action :(
-Bumping into Astrid again during our lunch stop
-A hairy last few miles crossing the town of Shelton
-Arriving safely back at the start
1 comment:
Looks like it was a beautiful trip. Kudos to Gary and Joy for making the trek!
Post a Comment