Westport to South Bend (67km)

After a breakfast to die for (homemade granola, thick yoghurt and fresh berries; herb and goat cheese omelettes with a side of hashbrowns and peppers and homemade salsa; a toasted English muffin with homemade jam and their own coffee blend, freshly roasted and ground), we were treated to a sample of Rich and Tracy’s homemade granola (and recipe) to take with us (oh, and did we mention the bottled water on arrival, the robes and the chocolates in the room..)

Today’s ride was mercifully short and relaxed. We got our first real sight of the pounding surf of the Pacific Ocean. Although we will be following the coast for most of the way south, we will not grow tired of the experience! We eventually headed east for a time along the estuary of the Wallipa River to Raymond, where we had lunch in a diner complete with 50’s memorabilia and music. (We later learned that Maritia and Steve, Jade and Rhys stopped here a couple of years ago and Jade saw a sculpture of Elvis “Leslie”) It was a short ride along the river to South Bend, the “oyster capital of the world”. We had dinner in Chester Club and Oyster Bar, which included a fried oyster burger.

We are on the traditional territory of the Shoalwater Bay People. On their website we found the following, “Today the people of the Shoalwater Bay no longer freely roam the Chehalis and Columbia Rivers. Our territory has shrunk to the present day reservation and a handful of nearby properties purchased by the tribe. Our people still have deep connection to our ancestral homelands however and many of our tribal members are living within those ancestral lands from Ilwaco to Aberdeen and everywhere in between”. Unfortunately the shop on the reserve (1 sqr mile in size) was out of bannock. We learned that the building was that of the father of the present owner and the walls had many old photographs of his ancestors.

Potlatch to Westport (128km)

 We prepared oatmeal and had our homemade granola (in our camping bowls – the room had a kitchen, but no dishes!) for breakfast. Back on our bikes, we left the Hood Canal and made our way south along the 101, stopping in Shelton for coffee at Steph’s Espresso. If it had not had Yelp’s best reviews we would have probably ignored it. The hut looked battered, but the coffee was very good and Steph was enthusiastic about out trip!

Further on we stopped at the visitor centre for the Squaxin Island People. There is no one left living on the reservation, but they have purchased (back) land where they have built a casino and hotel. The husband of the young woman at the centre was off in a group paddling a traditional freighter style wood canoe up to a canoe gathering this month in Bella Bella. Our route then took us across country and up one very steep hill, to McCleary. The freeway (Hwy 12) had a wide shoulder but was uninteresting and hot and we met the on-shore winds. At Aberdeen we resorted to Starbucks for hot and iced tea. Surprisingly refreshed (!), we were encouraged to find the 105, which followed the south side of Grays Harbour, mostly flat for about 10 km, particularly as we were now battling a gusty westerly wind. But, as we have come to know, one can never hope for an easy end to a hard day – the hills reappeared, the winds continued and we crawled into Westport after 12 hours on the road.

Happily, the Westport Bayside B&B was true to its reviews, a delightful spot with charming owners. Rich drove us to a local restaurant by the harbour for local shrimp, scallops, crab and salmon. Rich and Tracy moved here 2 years ago from Arizona and bought the house and the already established B&B. Because visitors are few in the winter, both have other jobs. Tracy is a nurse and works at the local correctional centre. As she explained her main challenge is not the inmates, but the jaded staff.

We are on the traditional territory of the Chehalis People.

Port Hadlock to Potlatch (93 km)

We felt the effects this morning of a first full day back on the bikes (and distinct lack of training, at least for Lois – Paul has the endurance benefit of a recent 1/2 marathon) and the terrain and the heat also made for a tough day. The motel directed us to Farm’s Reach Cafe, which includes a bakery, serving organic breakfast items and good coffee. We chatted there with an older man who told us about a cycle trip he did many years ago from Quebec to Vancouver with his wife and 2 children. He said he had clearance to visit the Chalk River facility, and is still on a nuclear safety commission in the US. Purchasing wild salmon croissants for lunch, we headed off on the Center Road to Quilcene, across the north eastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, passing fields of barley, peas and other crops, fruit orchards and pasture.

As with the entire day, the road was rolling hills, with very few flat stretches. We enjoyed a very long descent into Quilcene, but were aware that that generally means an equally long descent to follow (it did). We found another drive-through espresso hut in Quilcene and sat in the shade for awhile before tackling the next stretch, along Hwy 101. That road took us through the Olympic National Forest, along Dabob Bay and the Hood Canal (as in “channel” – actually a fiord forming the western lobe and one of the 4 main basins of Puget Sound). While we were quite close to the water, mixed forest and houses often impeded the views, but when we occasionally dropped down to the beach, we had gorgeous views of the canal and peninsula beyond.

We stopped in Seal Rock State Park to eat our sandwiches. Hwy 101 had a narrow but good hard shoulder but was a continuous series of slow hot climbs and brief descents. For a break, we stopped at the Hama Hama Oyster Company. The outdoor patio was surrounded by huge baskets of oyster shells. Oysters are harvested in the Hood Canal and sold grilled. We left with just two crab cakes and a bottle of local bitter for supper,  but were tempted to stay and try the other seafood. After stopping in Hoodsport for more supper supplies we finally arrived at Potlatch and our motel overlooking the Canal.

After today, we are not looking forward to a 120 km ride tomorrow.

We are staying on the traditional territory of the Skokomish People. Their history since 1900, has been marked by land being taken away and decisions of others that have greatly limited their cultural practices.

 Anacortes to Port Hadlock (69km)

We were pleased to find excellent espresso in the lobby of the Ship Harbour Inn, which delayed our departure and gave us time to launch our blog.

In choosing this route south, we were looking forward to exploring Washington’s coastal islands and we are not disappointed. The scenery is spectacular! And as for the hills, well, this is the mountainous pacific coast after all! We are also interested to see the history and the preserved 19th c buildings (we have it on good authority that great shopping is to be found in these lovely Victorian towns, but unfortunately (says Lois), cycle touring leaves little time or room for shopping!)

We cycled down Hidalgo Island, crossing to Whidbey Island across the bridge at Deception Pass. Half way to Oak Harbour, we stopped for a second (decent) coffee at a drive-through espresso hut, a phenomenon that we noticed in several towns along the route.

At Oak Harbour, we went into the “historic downtown” to look for a cafe, but found the centre more old looking, than historic, and most places closed on Sunday. So, we sat on the curb and ate our standby oatcakes, cheese and apples. The afternoon ride was along the water, with a stop in the delightful town of Coupeville, for huckleberry ice cream and a vanilla milkshake (and a very quick look in a few shops by Lois). From there, it was straight to the ferry to Port Townsend, where we happened to arrive just as the ferry was about to depart. Port Townsend appears to be an attractive and once-bustling port, but weariness caused us to pedal on to Port Hadlock for the night.

We are staying on the traditional territory of the Klallum People.

Vancouver to Anacortes, WA

We cycled 8kms!

We arranged to meet Maritia, Steve, Jade and Rhys at Terra Breads Cafe for a breakfast send-off. Chris and Shinyoung also joined in virtually while driving in the centre of Paris! After admiring J & R demonstrating their prowess on their new scooters, and Rhys on his bike, we said our goodbyes and headed for Olympic Village skytrain station. We are following Bicycling the Pacific Coast which takes us through the Gulf and San Juan Islands. We decided we didn’t need to cycle to Tsawwassen, so happily rode the skytrain and bus to the ferry terminal, just making the 12:00 boat. At Sidney, a few minutes along the Lochside Trail, we turned off to visit old friends, Kate and David, for a cup of tea. We caught the 5:50 ferry nearby to Anacortes, via Friday Harbour. Possible seals and numerous bald eagles were spotted, but no whales. Lois had kayaked from Sidney a number of years ago and was looking out for familiar landmarks. It was 8:30 by the time we arrived in Annacortes, Washington, to a brisk cool wind and a light rain. We passed through immigration and pedalled up the hill to the Ship Harbour Inn.

We are on the traditional territory of the Samish Indian Nation