After waking up late, and listening to Christopher’s heroic tale of how he saved our lives (but not our bagels:) from the vicious raccoons, we packed up camp and headed off. I had high hopes of an early coffee break to get the day started. Just past our camp site, I could see off in the distance a cute little cafe. I got my hopes up as I climbed the last hill to reach the cafe, and, to my disbelief, it was all boarded up! Being a good soldier, I put on a big smile and pretended that it was no big deal. The next 15km were filled with scenic views of boarded up coffee shops. I thought to myself, “where the heck am I? Alaska?” After 18kms, we finally found a cute little cafe where we stroll in for coffee, only to have the waitress inform me of my flat tire, no wonder the morning felt so tough!!
With caffeine flowing through my veins and an inflated tire, I knew the rest of the day could cause me no more grief!
Today was a perfect example of why I LOVE our Adventure Cycling Maps. If you’re considering doing any type of touring, don’t leave home without these. Not only do they show you all the cheap biker/hiker campsites, other accommodations, bike shops, and service stops, but they also take you off the main route as often as possible. As one who hates large RV’s and semi’s spitting up dirt and mud into my face as they pass, this is a key reason I love the maps. The rest of the day took us along peaceful ocean trails, and a beautiful bike bridge and trail that brought us into Anacortes. It was what great bike touring is all about! My only wish, is that they’d extend these touring maps to include more Canadian tours.
I was really excited to stroll into Deception Pass because I have fond memories of camping there as a child. After crossing the infamous Deceptions Pass Bridge, we found our campsite, sitting proudly on top of a large hill (oh, the joys of bike touring!). Another fabulous day in the saddle!
- SBartel
next year, the Prairies!!!…lol…flat!