Ed & Sharla's Final Thoughts

Now that this dream is complete we wanted to put together a few thoughts about the journey.

Ed's Thoughts:

One of my goals was to use this time to get to better know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I believe this was furthered in several ways.  The time on a bike allows you to experience your surroundings much more than in a car.  You not only can enjoy the surroundings more because you are doing it slower and have unrestricted views, but you also use your other senses such as smelling and hearing to experience it.  This allowed me to get a better view of His creation and recognize what a creative God we have.  He created magnificent vistas to view His handy work from the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. He also created such a variety of wildlife from birds and mammals to many types of animals that live in the sea.  These experiences demonstrated what a unique and wonderful place God created for us to enjoy and take care of.

I really enjoyed meeting people along the way that were either interested in what we were doing or were fellow touring cyclists with various dreams of their own.  We got a chance to interact with people we never would have had the opportunity to meet without this journey.  A lesson I learned was that I should not judge people based on my first impressions, because after I spent a little time with them I found out they had a story of their own and it was probably not what I had imagined.  It was also very easy to start a conversation by being on a touring bicycle and meeting all these new people was a highlight of the trip.

This adventure really ended up being a journey and not a destination and I am now wondering how God will use it to shape my future.  I feel greatly blessed to be able to have physically accomplished this and also have the time and resources to do it.  I am most blessed that my wife, Sharla, did this with me!  She was amazing and experiencing this adventure together brought us even closer to one another!

One last thought is that people keep asking me what was the best part of the trip and other than meeting some amazing people, it had to be riding along side the Pacific Ocean on a bright sun shinny day with a light wind to my back and minimal traffic.  The miles passed quickly and it was utterly exhilarating!  We had a number of these experiences throughout the journey  in Canada, Washington, Oregon and California.  I still can't believe we did it...

Sharla's thoughts in a nutshell:

I also can't believe we did it but my knees, legs, funny tan lines and so many memories let me know we did. It was an amazing adventure to share with Ed. Beforehand, I wondered how we would manage with so much together time. I can say now, we managed pretty well and I would say our relationship is closer as a result of this experience. 

I think back on the mountains, mountain passes, hundreds of hills and even some bridges that challenged me the most. As you've read this blog, you know I didn't appreciate them too much but there is a sense of accomplishment each time I made it up and over them.  I learned to focus on the task at hand and just take it 1 day at a time, 1 visible climb at a time, a half mile at a time and know that there was a downhill coming. I praise God for giving me the strength and determination to complete this journey.

Having bikes with panniers and pulling a trailer was an instant conversation starter. A highlight of the trip was the people we met along the way. So many people stopped us and wanted to know where we were going to and coming from. It was very fun to meet fellow bicyclists...some of them several times at camps who we would have never met due to age difference or whatever but here we had a common denominator in bicycling.

I also praise God for the beauty He created that was so evident in the sites I saw. There were also so many times I felt God's intervention from using a car accident on a bridge for me to catch my breath to recently placing people who helped direct our path--one at the right moment came along and kept us from ending up on a dead-end strand of land and another helped us figure the best place for my sister to meet us by the border.

All in all, it has been a wonderful, unforgettable experience.

We also thank our neighbors niece, Tori, for making this possible by agreeing to take care of our house and animals while we were gone.  We also thank our neighbors Rod and Nella for their part in taking care of our property while we were away.  Without them this dream would not have ben possible.

We were unable to post pictures during our journey but will try to add them in the next few weeks after we get home, so check back later if you want to see them.

Mexico...The Dream Accomplished - Day 56 (October 16, 2012)

During the final  leg of our journey, we rode through Del Mar, Torrey Pines (a 300' hill that reminded Sharla of earlier climbs), La Jolla, Pacific Beach, San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, San Ysidro and Tijuana. Near the end, Ed was figuring maybe we didn't need to cross the border but Sharla said we couldn't say we went from Canada to Mexico if we didn't cross the border. That was about a 3 hour process--hour to get into Mexico, spent less than half an hour in Tijuana, and the rest of the time in a long line to get back in U.S.  Sharla's sister, Cindi, met us in San Ysidro after we got back across the border with her truck to give us a ride to our Mom's place in El Cajon. It is hard to believe our journey has been completed and Ed's dream accomplished.

Penultimate Ride - Day 55

For those of you who don't know (since Sharla didn't know) that means the next to last ride. Today's ride took us through San Clemente, Camp Pendleton (had to show our IDs to ride through), Oceanside, Carlsbad and Leucadia.  It was a 44 mile ride before arriving at our final campsite in San Elijo State Beach campground. We saw lots of beaches and many more surfers. We met fellow bikers, Tom and Richard, who were interested in what we were doing. At the campsite we met Don who has seasonal work in Alaska and is riding from San Jose to San Diego and then is going to head East to Florida.  His ultimate goal is to eventually ride the perimeter of the United States.  Today was a nice ride even though temperatures were the warmest we've had.

Back in the Saddle Again - Day 54

The last 27 miles out of LA was on Highway 1 and didn't have a bike lane or shoulder so we rode this on Sunday morning and it worked out well as traffic was light and we were able to take one whole lane (there were 3 lanes most of the time) without causing traffic problems. Traffic increased in the afternoon making riding more difficult as we were still on Highway 1 without bike lanes so we were glad that we started early and got through so much of the ride without difficulty. We rode through Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach seeing some nice coastlines and lots of beaches during our 54 mile ride to Doheny State Beach campground near Dana Point. It is evident that the population density is much higher than any other part of our ride.

Down Time in Los Angeles - Days 52 & 53

After checking into the motel and having a nice dinner on the Wharf, we decided to enjoy the nice weather and spend a couple more days in the LA area. In order to get around, we rented a car for the first time on our journey. Friday we went to the LA Museum of Natural History. We were again amazed at God's awesome creativity and the diversity in life we saw in the displays of dinosaurs, mammals, insects, fish, etc. from  prehistoric times to now. We cannot possibly believe that this tremendous variety could have evolved without God's handiwork. We also visited the California Science Museum and Hollywood. The space shuttle, Endeavor, was scheduled to be moved into a special building at the museum the next day but we decided not to return and fight the traffic but we did see some of the  preparations being made for its arrival.

Saturday was spent as an easy-going day that ended with us attending Saddleback Church where Rick Warren was preaching. At the guest table we met Joel, who is an avid bike rider and triathlete. He told us he is biased because he lives here, but he still believes some of our most enjoyable rides are still ahead of us.

Blessings Abound - Day 51

We were soon into the rolling hills of Malibu...sometimes with expensive houses on both sides of us but many times with the Pacific Ocean on our right.  This whole trip Sharla has been looking for whales and dolphins. She finally saw several dolphins swimming along today. First blessing of the day. We stopped at a grocery store in Malibu to get a mid-morning snack of danish and juice (can do that sort of thing now that we don't have mountains to climb). Sharla stayed outside watching the bikes while Ed bought the goodies. She was soon entertained by a homeless guy who called himself Freddie the Singer.  He said he was a song writer and sang a cute song about a turkey who took diet pills before Thanksgiving and ended up putting the farmer out of business when he sold the diet pills to the other turkeys. He said he may be homeless but he lives in Malibu!  At the end of Venice Beach we were looking for a place to eat and were looking at a menu at Thomas Hamburgers when a man out front asked about our bikes.  When he found out about our journey he told a guy next to him to give us whatever we wanted.  We told him he didn't have to do that but he told us he was Thomas and he owned the restaurant and we could have whatever we wanted.  Ed had some excellent fish tacos and Sharla had the best gyro we have ever had.  We found out he immigrated to LA 40 years ago from Greece and now has several businesses in LA.  Our 2nd blessing.  We continued on a wonderful 20 mile ride on a paved beach bike path and the miles went by very quickly. After arriving in Redondo Beach, a lady told us where we could get a reasonably priced motel and also about an excellent wharf restaurant that had a great early bird special. We got a motel and cleaned up in time to catch the special. When the waitress found out about our journey, she treated us to a free dessert--chocolate mousse. Another blessing.

A WOW Day - Day 50

There was rain in the forecast but it ended up being a beautiful day. We are really enjoying the perfect California weather we have had.  Much of the day was spent on the coast, traffic was light, bike lanes were wide, roads were fairly level, and it was a great day for riding. Today was spent going through Ventura and Oxnard making stops for pastries and coffee, fish, chips and sushi, and ice cream.  Ed kept looking out at the Pacific Ocean and was "WOWed" that we have nearly completed his dream ride. We had a 50 mile day and ended at Leo Carrillo State Beach just North of Malibu and Los Angeles. A perfect ending to the day was spent sitting on the beach watching surfers, kayakers and divers enjoying the Southern California coast.

Carpinteria Hospitality - Day 49

According to our guidebook, we are done with all the big climbs for the rest of the trip so Sharla is celebrating that.  We met 2 guys this morning who are riding from Port Angeles, Washington to San Diego in 3 weeks time putting in 70 mile days so we know we won't be seeing them again.  We were mostly on bike paths or roads that ran alongside highway 101 today. We rode through the historic part of downtown Santa Barbara. We're stopping at all the bike stores we see because Ed needs a new mirror again. When we stopped at a bike store in Carpinteria, a gal, Rachel, who was on one of her runs (she runs 5 to 10 miles each day, 6 days a week) was glad we stopped. She wanted to catch up to us so she could invite us to stay at her house. She and her friend, Shauna, had recently finished going across country from West coast to East coast--Shauna on bicycle and Rachel and their dog, Romero, in the support vehicle but Rachel being the runner would run or go for walks while waiting for Shauna.  They experienced people's hospitality across the country and want to do the same for other people.  They have a great piece of property fairly close to the freeway and are even converting their backyard (they have 4 acres) into an area where bicyclists coming through their area can camp. We definitely felt their kindness and hospitality as they gave us their upstairs room, hot showers, and wonderful conversations hearing about their many experiences. A surprise blessing to end our day.  We rode 38 miles.

Side Trip and Bypass - Day 48

Before leaving the motel, we met a young gal from China. She quit her job in China, rented a car in U.S., and was touring mainly National Parks in Western U.S. She called us heroes when she found out how far we had ridden our bikes. She said in China they ride bikes to get to work...not for fun.

Ed was again amazed that after a 70 mile ride yesterday, Sharla was still willing to take a side trip to Solvang, a community founded by Danish people and has that feel with the architecture and even a few windmills. We had lunch there which we topped off with their famous dessert, Ebelskivers, a puff pastry dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a raspberry sauce. Sharla was also hopeful that this side trip would cause us to bypass the last big hill (900' elevation gain) of this journey which it did so Sharla was mighty happy about that.  There was still some climbs today but more in the under 500' elevation gain, so manageable. It was a sunny, pleasant day. This afternoon we were back on the busy Highway 101 . At times we had a tail wind but it was mainly pretty strong at our side.  Sometimes when big 18 wheelers passed, we would get quite a swirl of wind to deal with. We made it 45 miles today and are camped at Refugio State Park very close to the beach.

The Bribe - Day 47

We talked with a couple in the hiker/biker campground this morning from France, Mike & Sue, who are riding their bikes from Vancouver to San Diego and then back to Los Angeles where their daughter lives. We actually had previously met them at a pull-off along the road. They have done a lot of bike touring all over the world. 

After 4 nights camping, Sharla was telling Ed it was about time for a motel. The only campgrounds were 26 miles away or 70 miles away. Ed suggested we could either go the 26 miles and stay in a campground or go 65 miles to Lompoc and stay in a motel. Sharla chose going for the motel which ended up being a 70 mile ride since the motel was on the other side of town. This is a new record for the distance travelled in one day. We traveled on a lot of flatter, agricultural terrain which was inland and not particularly scenic but we did have a 950' elevation gain mountain pass to cross near the end of the day. The wind was favorable and on some of the stretches we were cruising up to 20 mph. At the motel we got the laundry done and ordered to have a pizza delivered.

Hearst Castle - Day 46

We were surprised to see David this morning--he arrived in camp after dark. We had a schedule to keep this morning. Be out of camp by 8, back track 2 miles to restaurant for breakfast, and then back track another 3 miles to the entrance for the Hearst Castle tour. There were lockers where we locked up our panniers and a place to lock our bikes so we felt safe leaving them. We watched a 40 min. IMAX movie on William Randolph Hearst and then got on the bus for our ride to the top of a mountain for our tour of the Hearst Castle. After the tour, they let you roam around the outside as long as you want seeing gardens, fountains, swimming pools and tennis courts. We felt the tour was very well done and worth the $25 charge.

At 2 p.m. we were on Highway 1 again traveling south. We had a tail wind again which helped carry us down the road. At one point Sharla was amazed as she was going 24 mph on flat terrain without pedaling. The scenery shifted from majestic cliffs to flat, sandy beaches that attracted a lot of kite surfers--it's easier to pedal too. Had another perfect temperature day. We can better understand why so many people choose to live in central and southern California coastal areas because of their weather. 

Wind at our Back - Day 45

Woke to another beautiful, California morning and had a chance to talk to David (we've camped 3 nights in a row with him) and found out he's a retired physician. He's feeling the pressure to complete his trip so we may not see him again. After a couple, gradual but moderate climbs (800' elevation gains), we had lunch at Ragged Point where we saw 11 Shelby Cobras who were on a rally to Carmel. We recommend this as a place to stop as they have reasonably priced food unlike a number of other small places we had stopped at. Further down the road just before Hearst Castle, we pulled off at Piedras Blancas, along with lots of other people in cars to watch hundreds of elephant seals basking in the sun on the sandy beach. They were quite active flipping the sand on themselves, going in and out of the water, and sparring with each other.  Apparently these are all young seals but some of them are quite large as an adult male can be 16' long and weigh 5000 lbs. If you want to see a live web cam of the elephant seals on the beach, you can go to www.elephantseal.org. We stopped at Hearst Castle to see if we could go on a tour but they were booked today so we scheduled a tour for in the morning.  We went on down the road 5 miles to San Simeon State Beach. The young couple, Tom & Brittany were also at this camp who we have seen on and off for probably the last month. They are also traveling from Canada to Mexico.  It seems that the car of choice for the last 2 days in this area has been Mustang convertibles.  The afternoon ride had a pleasant tail wind to help us along as well as the terrain was flatter so more enjoyable. We rode 36 1/2 miles today.

Scenic Day - Day 44

The day began with a couple of nice climbs (including the one we partially did yesterday). It was a good day for riding with no wind but a slightly overcast sky for most of the day. It was a picturesque ride along the coast with many magnificent views. Sharla encountered some knee pains which hopefully won't continue to be a  hindrance. We rode 34 miles and stayed at Plaskett Creek Campground.

Almost a Dream Day - Day 43

After a few days off the bikes, Ed was so excited to ride around Monterey Bay and through Carmel. It was a beautiful day with clear, blue sky. The ride around Monterey Bay on the bike path was phenomenal and we saw lots of birds, sea lions and deer. A perfect day for riding. We continued on to Carmel along the "17 Mile Drive". This drive is free for bikes and passes by several famous golf courses including Pebble Beach and many luxurious homes along this coastal drive. After a wonderful morning of riding, we got back on Highway 1 heading south. For only the second time on our journey, we had a quite strong headwind. This wind in conjunction with several sizable climbs was very tiring. Sometimes we even had to peddle downhill to keep moving forward. Along the way we kept leap-frogging with David from upstate New York. David is also on a journey from Canada to Mexico but he couldn't talk his wife into joining him.  Besides the extra work of the wind, we travelled a mile uphill past the campground because the park sign indicated lodging (there was a lodge there) but didn't list camping. Sharla was not too happy with Ed for not stopping and checking our guide book. These events kept it from being a perfect dream day. We rode 49 miles and stayed at Pfeiffer-Big Sur State Park.

Down Time - Days 41 & 42

Ed had to fly to Colorado for a 1 day meeting while Sharla stayed in a motel in Monterey. Sharla spent the down time looking through  Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, a couple antique malls, swimming pool time and even a much needed haircut. (She also did the laundry and some grocery shopping so it wasn't all down time.)

Monteray - Day 40

After waking up to a gorgeous, clear blue sky, we rode our bikes 2 1/2 miles to get from the camp to the motel.  You may ask why we didn't get the motel for last night? We would have been charged an extra $25 to book the motel for a Saturday night.  Much cheaper to pay $12 for a campsite.  Between having lunch and dinner on Fisherman's Wharf, we spent time at the Monteray Aquarium.  It is the best aquarium we have been to and all the animals were healthy and active. We are reminded of God's creativity in the variety of sea life He created. His handiwork is seen in the many varieties of jellyfish,  seahorses, sea mammals, and fishes. It was fun to see lobsters climbing over eels and using their tentacles to keep them away. 

Strawberry Fields Forever - Day 39

As we said, we camped right next to a huge strawberry field ripe with strawberries. We resisted the urge to take any and were rewarded this morning. Hispanic strawberry pickers arrived about 7:30 in the morning and began picking right next to our campsite. One of the supervisors then gave us a 2 lb. box of freshly picked strawberries. They are so flavorful and delicious.  As we rode today, we passed miles and miles of strawberry fields and also some artichoke and celery fields. We saw so many Hispanic workers in the strawberry fields with backs bent over picking strawberries. It made us realize that our country would probably have a problem harvesting the produce if it weren't for the Hispanics who are willing to do this back breaking work. We also noticed that they are hard-working, very friendly and seem happy to do it.

We only got 5 miles down the road when Ed got a flat in his BOB trailer. Patching didn't work so put on a new tube but then discovered there was a slit in the tire itself so we used the $1 bill trick that Steve at Full Cycle in Fort Collins told us about where you use a $1 bill to line the inside of a cut tire to reinforce it.

While stopped with the flat tire, Laura (from Toronto) came along. Laura rode with us all the way to Monteray even stopping with us for lunch. In Marine, the 3 of us happened to get our own personal guide. Larry rides his bike from Marine to Monteray every day and loves to direct people to the bike path which is confusing to find without help so he joined us, directed us and pointed out the sites. We rode 33 miles and arrived at the Veterans Memorial Park & Campground in Monteray. The campground is located  right  in the middle of Monteray up a very steep 1 1/2 mile climb. There we met another married couple, Tim & Leslie from Idaho who were doing a one month tour from Leggett to Monteray. There are more locals/transients using this hiker/biker area for a cheep campsite than there are actual bikers.

Surf City - Day 38

As we were departing Santa Cruz looking for a grocery store, a biker came along and saw we were checking our map for directions. His name was Tom and after telling him where we were going, he suggested we turn around and follow the coastline, which was much more scenic than the way we were going and even told us where we could find a grocery store along the way.  He said he was on his way home and we followed him along the shoreline drive. He led us past marinas and a spectacular bluff where there were a couple hundred surfers seen below catching the waves. He even offered that we could camp in his backyard but we wanted to move further down the coast. He noted the nice waves and left us to go surfing. After spending some time watching the surfers and eating lunch, we only travelled 20 miles to Sunset State Beach Campground.  We passed fields and fields of strawberries and artichokes that are being harvested. In fact, our campsite is only 10 yards from a very tempting strawberry field.

Santa Cruz - Day 37

We were surprised to meet Laura again at camp. She's an engineer from Toronto who is taking a year off to do some biking and hopefully some humanitarian volunteer work before grad school. We have been at the same camp on several occasions since Oregon. 

We planned a 50 mile ride from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz. It was a pleasant ride with some fabulous, coastal views even though it had plenty of climbs and descents as it went from sea level to a few hundred feet.  We had been told about a RV site in Santa Cruz but when we got there, we found out it was 4 miles up into the redwoods. Ed thought about going further down the road to the next state beach campground but by then it was 5 o'clock, cold and Sharla didn't want to ride any further. Besides, we decided we didn't want to leave the Santa Cruz beach area without spending some time there. Ed negotiated on the price of a motel across from the Boardwalk and got it down from $140 to $70. Had a nice walk and dinner along the wharf and we were glad we decided to stay.

Devil's Slide - Day 36

The ride from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay involves another section of road that is dreaded by bicyclers. It is 3 miles of a very narrow, two-lane, winding road with NO shoulders for most of the section. It is known as Devil's Slide and is a moderately steep ascent and descent and can have a lot of traffic including sports cars who like to speed around the corners.  God again blessed us with not a lot of traffic and no zooming sports cars. Everyone gave us a lot of room and there were even unexpected pull-offs where Sharla made sure we pulled off and she caught her breath.  Overcast and foggy all day with a bit of a head wind but overall, it was a good 34 mile ride.

Down Days in San Francisco - Days 34 & 35

We took 2 days off in San Francisco for some down time, but the time passed quickly and we didn't get to relax as much as we had hoped.  Trips to Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Trolley car ride to Chinatown, shopping, eating at a couple of nice restaurants, and rotating the bike tires filled the two days. Even though we didn't ride the bikes, we did a lot of walking and did have a nice time.

San Francisco! - Day 33

After about 8 miles on the road, the bike route got us off into neighborhoods and small town streets.  It was a flat route and very enjoyable--we even stopped at a bakery mid-morning for juice and scones. There were several cyclists on the route which was a good thing because we needed to keep asking directions as the zig-zagging our book told us to do was confusing.  We had a few hard, short climbs before and after Sausalito, the community before the Golden Gate Bridge where it was sunny and we saw tons of sailboats out in the bay.  The Golden Gate Bridge, however, was engulfed in fog and very chilly riding across. We couldn't see the arches above and could hardly see the water below.  We arrived in San Francisco!  We found our quaint, little motel on the west side of Lombard Street and didn't have to climb any steep streets to get to it. A 32 mile ride tod

The Need to Fuel the Tank - Day 32

Left camp early without breakfast thinking we would stop in Bodega Bay a mile down the road and get breakfast there.  The only restaurant we found open was expensive so we got a danish, coffee and OJ at the gas station, mini mart.  After a few miles down the road, we could tell that breakfast didn't have the power in it that our usual oatmeal, bagel and fruit does. Food is our fuel and it is important to keep the tank supplied. The day still had its ups and downs as the road goes around cliffs and canyons.  There were hundreds of cyclists on the road... most going the opposite direction of us as there were several charity rides going on including a large one for MS.  The best part of the ride was the last few miles when we had a bike path through the redwoods with no vehicle traffic that took us directly to our campground--Samuel Taylor State Park. It is nice to be amongst the redwoods again. We meet all types. There is a gal in this hiker/biker camp area who looks like a guy who has gone through a sex change. There is also a middle aged guy, Tod, who was at the same campsite as us last night. It was another great day for riding with warm temperatures and blue skies.

Ultimate Ride - Day 31

Today was a marvelous day--a warm, sunshiny day with clear blue skies. Much of the ride was on cliffs high above the Pacific Ocean and it seemed like you could view the coastline for miles and miles. There were several ascents and descents that veered around rivers and bays. The book described one 500' descent as an exhilarating switchback that was a better road for cycling than driving. Ed careened down the switchbacks well ahead of a red sports car. As he was climbing up the other side, a passenger in the car gave him a thumbs up as if saying it was a job well done. In the meantime Sharla was using her brakes almost all the way down and allowing cars to pass her way behind Ed. This was a day that the stunning coastline view and gorgeous weather helped fulfill Ed's dream journey down the coast.

 Arrived at Bodega Dunes State Park in the middle of the afternoon after going only 25 miles with lots of stops to admire the views (and catch our breath). By the time it got dark, there were 13 bikers in a small hiker/biker campsite. We met Joe who is a landscaper from California that had gone Santa Cruz and now was returning home. We also met Bob and Marilyn, who are a brother/sister team from Nova Scotia and Vermont. Neither of their spouses camp so they are touring together to San Francisco. They are the first ones we have met who are probably at least 5 or so years older than us who are enjoying themselves and doing great.

Grand Day for Biking - Day 30

Sun started coming out through the fog before we left camp. Another day with lots of little hills. Ed kept calling them free hills. He would get going fast enough going down the hill that he could sometimes make it to the top of the next hill. That didn't work for Sharla because she would be using the brakes going down. If there is no traffic, no wind hitting her on the side, and no curves, she doesn't use the brakes as much but that doesn't happen too often. We found a little Mexican food restaurant in Gualala to eat at for lunch.  Sharla got stung by a bee when one hit her in the face while riding and got caught between her face and sunglasses. Hurt a bit but not too bad. Made it as far as we were going to go today...43 miles to Stillwater Cove State Park. Arrived early afternoon. We were visited  by a couple tame peacocks in our campsite. Another bicyclist, Mike, joined us in the hiker/biker campground area. Around a campfire that he built, we had a great conversation and found out he is a believer as well. He is in between jobs and searching for what the Lord would have him do next. He would desire it to be doing something where he is making a difference in people's lives.

5th Week on the Road - Day 29

The. book showed lots of ups and downs for today but we were mentally ready this time.  There was one hill that was extremely steep that we had to walk up and even that was difficult.  Met some people doing a tour with Adventure Cycling that will end in San Francisco.  Adventure Cycling provides supported tours so you don't have to carry all your gear. We ended up with a nice campground at Manchester State Beach after a 39 mile ride. Enjoyed a nice afternoon in camp with warm sunshine.

Nothing Like Moose Tracks to End the Day - Day 28

Woke up to a soggy, wet  morning. Since we were planning a short day, we took our time breaking our camp and drying things out. We only had a 20 mile ride to Fort Bragg. To our surprise, there were numerous 200 and 300' descents and climbs as we crossed rivers and coves along the coastline. We had not closely reviewed the map and were not mentally prepared for some of the strenuous ascents. We had planned a leisurely day but by the time we found a motel, did laundry, and grocery shopped, the evening had arrived. It ended up being a sunny, beautiful day. We ended up eating a microwave lasagne dinner in the motel and  1 3/4 qt. of Extreme Moose Tracks ice cream.

Updates: Talked to our friend, Connie Greenlaw, and her husband who had the stroke, is still very critical. We continue to pray with Connie that the Lord's will be done but our desire is that John would recover with a qualitative life.

We would also like to update that RE I has offered to reasonably compensate us for the damage they caused in shipping our bikes. We appreciate Kim's (from REI Fort Collins) efforts to correct the mis-packaging job that was done to our bikes.

Miracle Day - Day 27

After a day of agony that continued some into the night, Sharla woke up to no pain.  She was worried it would set in at any moment but it didn't.  We praised God all day for answered prayer. We went up and down hills for 14 miles until we reached a point when we had to make a decision. Do we stop there at a campground at 700' in elevation or do we go on and conquer the highest mountain on our journey--2000' in elevation. My leg was doing good so we went on and conquered that mountain.  We were stopping every 1/2 mile on the way up.  Later we had a 750' hill to climb which was also tough since it was steeper in parts.  After being inland for the last few days, we left Highway 101 and are now on Highway 1 which headed to the beach. We had some sunny, warmer days but now we're back in clouds and fog. We stopped after putting in 41 miles at Westport Union Landing State Beach.  We are up on a bluff with the ocean right below us. We will go to sleep hearing the waves. Another milestone today was the completion of 1000 miles of our journey. We accomplished this in 27 days which included 3 rest days so our average is about 43 miles on days we ride.

Day of Agony - Day 26

Sharla got up with no pain but by the time we left camp, the pain in her lower leg was there and didn't go away all day.  That has never happened before so it was frustrating for her.  We finished going through the Avenue of the Giants which is fairly flat and enjoyable but it was tempered some by the pain.  Our free-spirited bicycling neighbors said Garberville was a good place to stop so we stopped there for lunch.  We could see why they liked it... we had never seen so many free-spirits in one area. The deli we ate at even had a poster about smoking pot. We had some hills to climb in the afternoon. We went 30 1/2 miles until we made it to Richardson Grove State Park about 3:30 in the afternoon and called it quits in order to give Sharla's leg more of a rest before tomorrow.

Sharla's Almost Dream Day - Day 25

Didn't leave the motel room until after 11 and the fog had mostly lifted. It was a fairly flat ride with only a few small climbs.  During the time we were on Highway 101, it had 8 - 10' shoulders which made for a stress-free ride although it did still have a lot of road noise. The sun came out as the route turned inland and we entered The Avenue of the Giants which is a route off of 101 that goes through a towering redwood forest. This was a dream ride and an excellent way to appreciate these giant trees.  Traffic was very light along this route and we rode slowly admiring this magnificent forest. Along this route, we also found a little produce stand that provided some excellent, home-grown tomatoes and even excellent homemade blackberry popsicles. In the hiker/biker camp at Burlington Campground, we met some interesting fellow bicycling characters.  They remind us of hippies from the 1960's.  As soon as they arrived, they lit some incense.  They seemed to be carefree and traveling on their bikes from place to place. They also told us about being vegetarians and attending big gatherings of other free-spirited people.  The day ended with a 47 mile ride. Ed never dreamed Sharla would say a 47 mile ride would be an almost dream day.

Down Day in Eureka - Day 24

Got up to a really wet, foggy morning.  After a 5 mile ride, we got a nice room at a boutique type motel  in Old Town Eureka.  We found Eureka to have a really nice old town area with restored late 1800's Victorian architecture. They also had a bike shop where Ed was able to replace his mirror that got broken when the wind blew so hard it blew his bike over 4 days ago. The sun came out in the afternoon and we walked the downtown area, had a couple nice meals and a great cup of fresh made ice cream. Days off are a nice change from on the bike but they are still busy as we have laundry to do, shopping for groceries, exploring the town, catching up on the blog and sometimes drying out the damp camping gear.  Still helps our bodies to have a break.

Another Day in the Magnificent Redwoods - Day 23

The book said moderately easy day compared to yesterday.  Sharla would term it as moderate but take the word easy out of it as there were lots of moderate hills. We started the day seeing a doe and a couple fawns right by our campsite, then saw a couple bull elk once we got on the road and we continued amongst the magnificent redwoods.  Our bike route directed us off Highway 101 which was nice going through smaller communities without having vehicles buzzing past us. On one of those roads we were along the coast with heavy fog and could barely see the Pacific Ocean but certainly heard a large gathering of sea lions below. At lunch, we stopped in Trinidad at a grocery store & bought a deli sandwich (what a local recommended) and shared a picnic table outside the store with 5 guys from Italy who are seeing our country by car.  Also talked to a young guy touring by bicycle from Germany that stopped at the grocery store. We stopped for the night at a KOA campground close to Eureka. Not as nice as the state parks but did have the advantage of a hot tub.

The Dreaded Mountains After Crescent City - Day 22

Sharla had heard several people along the way talk about the steep mountain after Crescent City. So, of course, that had her dreading it and lost a little sleep over it.  We got on it fairly early before there was much traffic. We stopped at least every half mile on the way up to rest. Ed led as he is a good pacer. The first mountain was about 1200' elevation gain. At the base of that mountain, there was a tourist attraction called Trees of Mystery that we stopped at. There was a free Indian museum that we enjoyed looking through but we didn't pay the charge to take some tram into the redwoods. In the afternoon we had another 1100' mountain to climb. So we conquered the first 2 mountains of northern California! After that, it was downhill through the redwoods.  We felt we were in the midst of giants.  There was a couple we stopped at...one called the Corkscrew and the other called Old Tree that they figure is 1500 years old, 17 ' in diameter.  These huge, old trees are pretty amazing. Soon after that, we got into our campground--Elk Prairie. About a 9 to 5 workday and 34 miles. After dinner, we sat and talked with a single gal, Laura, from Toronto who we've been at the same camps 3 to 4 times in the last 1 1/2 weeks. She's bicycling from Vancouver to San Francisco.

Goodbye Oregon... Hello California - Day 21

After 8 miles we said goodbye to our 2nd state and said hello to our 3rd and final state.  Today completed the end of our 3rd week of riding... we had 2 rest days out of 21 days and have covered 800 miles.  California welcomed us with a beautiful sunshiny day and the bike route led us away from highway 101 onto lightly traveled back roads through various small farms and dairy farmland.  It was flat with no wind and another "dream" day for riding.  We celebrated our accomplishments by staying in a motel in Crescent City and only a 32 mile ride.

Three weeks of thoughts from our ride include:

- Canada, Washington & Oregon are all very bike friendly and for the most part courteous drivers.

- Logging  is well and alive in both WA and OR.  Almost all log truck drivers respect bicyclists except for 1 obnoxious unloaded log truck driver in OR who had to get on his horn as soon as he saw our blinking tail lights until he was well passed us.  The road section had an adequate bike lane and we were well within it.  We heard him do the same thing to another bicyclist 1/2 mile in front of us.

- We don't understand why a driver, driving a small truck or bus needs a CDL but a driver of a 42 foot, 30,000 lb. motorhome pulling another vehicle doesn't.  Many of them don't even realize how big a vehicle they are driving.

- The weather for bike riding was very good with virtually no rain and only 4 or 5 foggy cool days.

- Mexico is still a long ways away.

- We continue to easily meet some interesting friendly people.

- Food shopping is a daily occurrence.

- Sharla continues to amaze Ed with her bike riding stamina and perseverance.   Sometimes she has had some severe leg cramps in her lower left leg in the morning, but praise God it has gone away by the time we get on the bike.  God has truly blessed me with a wonderful wife!

- The "dream" continues to be alive of seeing God's awesome creation of majestic sea shores, vast forests of thick trees & foliage, and magnificent farm and ranch land.

Another Long Day... Including Lots of Wind - Day 20

Had coffee with RVers so didn't get away as early as we would have liked.  Stopped at Paradise Cafe which was recommended and had the largest pancake we had ever seen - they had to be at least 16" x 10". The waitress told Ed he didn't need to order 2 and she was right. It was a sunny day with a lot of wind but fortunately, it was blowing out of the North.  The first really windy day we have had.  The only camping options were at 30 miles at Gold Beach where it was extremely windy and cold (we did eat lunch there and had some super blackberry pie) so we chose to go on to Harris Beach State Park which was 56 miles... our 2nd long day in a row.  There were several vigorous climbs involved so we had debated whether to go on or not but the wind helped us up them. The wind also made it treacherous going downhill as the bikes were quite unstable so we had to ride the brakes all the way down. The ride had a number of gorgeous views of the coastline.  

Met Richard and his daughter from London who were riding from Bellingham to LA.  We also met 2 guys from Germany who had travelled from Anchorage and were going to Las Vegas. 

Sunshine at Last - Day 19

Looked out this morning to mostly cloudy skies with some sun but by late morning, it was mostly sunny. This was a pleasant change from 5days of cool &foggy. After a 10 mile ride to Charleston, we encountered the Seven Devils Road.  The road gets its name from 7 major mountainous climbs (up to 500' each some with very steep grades). We did not see any other tourers for most of the day until late afternoon when we met 3 others all going to San Francisco area. One of them, Brian, was going to continue on across the Sierras to Big Pine. We planned on only doing a 40  - 50 mile ride but there were no campgrounds so we ended up doing 60 miles to a commercial RV campground in Port Orford. A very nice, small RV facility with very friendly owners and guests.  It has advantages over State Parks in that it has Internet service, electricity for charging batteries, as well as coffee & muffins in the morning. Saw some nice coastal views. After some challenging climbs on Seven Devils Road, we had a pleasant ride the rest of the day with manageable rolling hills. Ed is amazed that Sharla does 60 miles without complaining. She notes that she would have been complaining a whole lot more if the strenuous climbs had been at the end of the day.

Another of God's Truths Revealed - Day 18

Exodus 20:9-11 tells us God created the earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th and commands us to toil for 6 days and rest on the 7th.  We hadn't taken a day off from riding for 15 days and our bodies were telling us it was time for a break.  We stayed holed up in the motel catching up on the blog, servicing the bicycles and doing some grocery shopping.  Meals included delivered pizza and microwave dinners.  It was a much needed rest day.

Some more thoughts about our journey:

- We are 240 miles out of 400 miles into Oregon

- Reality has set in on how far it is to the Mexican border

- A day of rest is needed at least once a week

- We are tired of the cold and foggy days we've had since entering Oregon

- We don't know why motor home drivers are not required to have CDL's, as they are every bit as large as trucks.

- Canada, Washington & Oregon have been very bike friendly for the most part.

- Motels are a nice relief from the damp and wet campgrounds and pretty hard sleeping surface

- Except for damp mornings and fog, we have been blessed with good weather.

Sad News - Day 17

Today we rode 45 miles to Coos Bay where we got a motel. The day was again foggy and our route was  described as the most curvy and scenic of the Oregon coast. It would have been nice to have been a clear day but was an enjoyable ride anyway. We stopped in Reedsport for a couple of hours so Ed could participate in a work related webinar. Had a couple major hills to climb. On one of the hills we leap-frogged with a young man hitch hiking to Coos Bay where his wife was in labor with a new baby.

 We received sad news that our very good friend from Fort Collins, John Greenlaw, had a stroke.  Spent much of the day on the bike praying for him and his family.

Another Foggy Day - Day 16

Sharla got up with big pain in lower left leg but Advil relieved it so wasn't painful after we got on the bikes.  Switched to long sleeve jerseys and leggings along with our jackets to help us stay warm.  For the most part, it was an enjoyable ride but would have been nicer without all the fog.  We rode along some of the Oregon Sand Dunes.  Met up with Nick again at Jessie Honeyman State Park... a 51 mile day.

Cold & Foggy - Day 15

We woke up to fog and had fog most of the day.  Despite the weather, we had a beautiful ride and saw some magnificent coastline. We stopped in Newport at a bike shop and were able to get a replacement shifting cable housing that the BOB trailer had pinched.  We travelled 34 miles to the South Beach State Park campground.  We also met up again with our friend, Nick, from Sweden.

God's Amazing Miracle - Day 14

The day brought 2 mountains (gains of about 800' each in elevation with steep pitches) that Sharla was dreading.  Several stops on the way up made them endurable but getting the bikes going again on an incline was difficult.  One of Sharla's attempts resulted in a fall and a skinned knee.  

We stopped in Pacific City at a little cafe for a big second breakfast. The place was quite busy so took us quite awhile.  The day had been cool & foggy and 2 1/2 miles out of Pacific City, the sun was shining so we stopped to take our jackets off and put on sunscreen.  As we were getting back on our bikes, someone drove by and hollered, "Ed and Sharla". We had no idea who would know us up here. It ended up being one of Sharla's college roommates, Ellen Osborn. She lives in Arizona and unknown to us, her daughter lives in Pacific City and Ellen was in Oregon for the birth of her new grandchild.  Ellen knew we were riding down the coast on 101, but wasn't aware of exactly where we were at in our journey and was looking at all bicyclers to see if she could spot us.  It had probably been 15 years since the last time we had seen each other.  God's timing was so amazing in how long it had taken us to climb the hill, how long it took us to eat, and Ellen happened to be on the same road at the same time as us.  It was really special to see her again.

After 5 nights on the ground, we decided to get a motel in Lincoln City and do our laundry. Milestones we accomplished today included completing our first 500 miles of the journey and crossing the 45th parallel which is halfway to the equator.

Cape Lookout State Park - Day 13

After a great hot breakfast with the Hanke's, we had another short day of 22 miles to Cape Lookout State Park. On the way we toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory but the production line was down due to it being Labor Day.  This State Park has a great beach but the weather was cool & windy so we didn't go down to the water. The hiker/biker campground was again nearly full by early evening. We had a chance to meet several of the other tourers. 

Visiting Friends in Garibaldi - Day 12

After a leisurely start, we stopped in Wheeler, OR, where we met Wheeler Dave. He is wheelchair bound, paralyzed from the waist down and told us the story of how he saved a little girl from drowning 4 years earlier. He was on the dock when he heard a splash and wheeled over and dove into the water. The  girl had sunk to the bottom where he found her and pulled her up. After getting her up on the dock, she was not breathing and after giving her two resuscitation breaths, she began to cry and her Mother came over and got her. This is how he became known as Wheeler Dave. 

 After a short ride of 22 miles, we met our former Pastor, Mark Hanke and his wife, Kerri, at her Mom's house, which was the dairy farm where Kerri was raised.  It was fun to meet Kerri's Mom, Marilyn, and her brother, Darren and his family.  Mark gave us the tour of the dairy farm that Darren now owns and operates. He is the 3rd generation to operate this farm. We got to see all of Mark & Kerri's kids as well, including Tyler's wife, Audrey, since they all met at the farm too for Labor Day. They fed us royally including some delicious homemade pies and cake. We really appreciated Marilyn and her family's hospitality.

Goodbye Washington - Hello Oregon - Day 11

Today is the day we leave Washington and have to face the Astoria Bridge crossing the Columbia River.  This bridge is infamous for bike riders in that it is 4 miles long, only 2 lanes of traffic, traffic is typically heavy, winds can be quite strong, steep climb to allow large ships to cross underneath, and minimal bike lane. One of the park rangers suggested we go up river another 40 miles and take a ferry and then ride 40 miles down the Oregon side to avoid the bridge.  This was not an option for us because  didn't want to spend 2 more days just to avoid the bridge.  He also said he rode it once and would never ride it again. We decided that we wanted to cross it early in hopes of avoiding lots of traffic and before the wind picked up.  An early start allowed us to get to the bridge about 9 a.m.  Traffic was relatively light and there was no wind. A car accident occurred halfway up the steep climb that stopped traffic in our lane.  Sharla felt God used this situation in that it gave her a chance to catch her breath.  The bridge was conquered safely and everything worked in our favor.  

We had hoped to see one of our former pastors and his wife, Larry & Shari Rydman in Seaside but they apparently are out of town.

Today's journey was 59 miles and included 3 difficult hills.  We are camped at Nehalem Bay State Park.  The hiker/biker campground is pretty full for the first time on our trip. We were glad to see Nick, who we have camped with on 2 previous sites. Nick is from Sweden and is a full time bike tourer. He began this trip in Anchorage and will travel to San Francisco.  He will then travel to South America and bike tour Brazil, Chile, Peru, and other countries. His touring makes ours seem small.

Cape Disappointment State Park - Day 10

Wasn't really a disappointment at all (don't know how it got it's name) but we welcomed it in the early afternoon after 38 miles of riding. We stopped at a grocery store and got lined up to make bean burritos with chili flavoring for dinner.  We walked almost a mile to get to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and then walked another 3/4 mile to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.  We then walked back to our campsite and walked a mile the other direction to get a view of the North Head Lighthouse. This is a treacherous area where many boats have shipwrecked through the years as they dealt with the currents caused by the Columbia River meeting the Pacific Ocean.  It is also the final destination of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Met Joey and Megan from Port Angeles who are on a northbound journey from San Francisco. They arrived early evening after crossing the Astoria Bridge which they said was horrible.  Lots of traffic and faced a head wind.

Pretty Amazing & The Dream is Alive and Well - Day 9

The Dream is Alive and Well - Ed's Thoughts on the Journey

Today I reflected on our journey and wanted to share a few thoughts.  First is that my beloved wife and best friend of 38 years is willing to join me in my dream of doing this ride.  I would not have done it without her and her sharing in this adventure is amazing!  She has done outstanding and is one heck of a climber.  Even though she dreads the hills I can't keep up with her no matter how steep the grade is.  I would never have thought that she was willing to do a 66 mile ride followed by by a 52 mile ride today.  She is truly an amazing woman and I love her with all my heart!  I will follow her next in her dream but I'm not sure what that is.

My next thoughts are that today was truly the dream I envisioned.  It was absolutely the best bike ride I have been on!  Fifty-two miles of quiet road, with little traffic, minimal climbing and a nice bike lane along the Pacific Ocean.  What an experience it was and even though I know there will be many miles not as pleasant as today I will always cherish this ride with my dear wife.

Lastly this journey is not only about completing the goal of arriving at Mexico, but it is also about deepening my love for Jesus Christ.  Today we read John Chapter 3 and I was reminded about a book I am reading called "Crazy Love".  It gives an illustration of  using a movie about God and His creation.  In this movie we humans are in the movie for a mere 3 seconds compared to the whole feature.  In other words the movie is about God and not me!  John 3 brought this to life when John the Baptist stated that " He (Jesus) must become greater and greater and I must become less."  This journey has emphasized how insignificant I am and how great God is!  Seeing the vast mountains, the tremendous forests, the marvelous farm and ranch land, and the mighty Pacific Ocean has reminded me of our great creator!

Pretty Amazing - Sharla's Thoughts on the Journey

As we left Twin Harbors State Park this morning, we soon had beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and my comment was that this was pretty amazing. I had such a sense of wonder seeing the ocean.  There is the beauty of God's creation I see there but also the amazement we have made it so far and we will be following alongside this ocean the rest of the way.  Ed said this morning that  he thought this journey would come to an end too soon.  Those aren't exactly my thoughts. I love my husband enough to not want to stand in the way of his completing his dream and I thought I could make it with God's enabling.  I have seen God work so far.  I am enjoying the time together,  enjoying the magnificent scenery and enjoying eating lunches in small cafes along the way.  I don't enjoy the steep hills that I have to get into my bottom gears and am still huffing & puffing and out of oxygen by the time I get to the top but thankfully I think I'm getting a little stronger so the hills are manageable.  I am looking forward to continuing to see God's hand in our travels. Tonight we are staying in Bush Pioneer County Park--47 miles to the Oregon border--that also is pretty amazing.

God is Good - Day 8

Soon after leaving Shelton, we turned off Hwy 101 towards Aberdeen, the exit required us to make a right turn after the off ramp.  Sharla stopped and turned right with no problem but Ed hit an oil slick and went down. It was so slick, he could hardly stand up. Praise God that he only skinned his arm and bruised a hip a and the bike and panniers were not damaged.  This is the first crash he has had in over 30 years. 

Ed was able to meet Tom  Nostrant, the designer and distributor of the Click-stand, in Aberdeen, WA, to replace the one he lost.   Tom even met us as we entered the town.  We consider Click-stands essential for touring and appreciate Tom's superior service.

Rain was predicted for today but we only experienced a couple light sprinkles. We did put on our rain gear at one point but didn't really need it.

Yesterday Ed heard some loud clicking on his bike and discovered a 1 1/2" staple stuck in his tire. When he pulled it out, the slime in his tube immediately sealed it up without losing hardly any air.  He completed yesterday's ride and today's before discovering the tire half full of air when we got into camp.  A lesson learned was that slime is only a temporary repair and the tube still needs to be patched.  Thankfully he didn't have to change a tire on the road. 

Another thing Ed is thankful for is Sharla's Hoo Ha Ride Glide for saddle sores.  Check it out if you are interested in what it is for.

The next campground after Aberdeen was another 20 miles after we had already gone 46 miles so that made a 66 mile day.  Sharla has never riden so far in one day.  Perhaps she is getting stronger but she thinks God helped enable her too and it was generally more level and she thinks there was a bit of a tail wind.

Within walking distance of our campground, we got our first view of the Pacific Ocean.  We got a small glimpse of how Lewis & Clark must have felt.  It gave us a sense of achievement as well as appreciating God's magnificent creation.

God is Good - Day 8

Soon after leaving Shelton, we turned off Hwy 101 towards Aberdeen, the exit required us to make a right turn after the off ramp.  Sharla stopped and turned right with no problem but Ed hit an oil slick and went down. It was so slick, he could hardly stand up. Praise God that he only skinned his arm and bruised a hip a and the bike and panniers were not damaged.  This is the first crash he has had in over 30 years. 

Ed was able to meet Tom  Nostrant, the designer and distributor of the Click-stand, in Aberdeen, WA, to replace the one he lost.   Tom even met us as we entered the town.  We consider Click-stands essential for touring and appreciate Tom's superior service.

Rain was predicted for today but we only experienced a couple light sprinkles. We did put on our rain gear at one point but didn't really need it.

Yesterday Ed heard some loud clicking on his bike and discovered a 1 1/2" staple stuck in his tire. When he pulled it out, the slime in his tube immediately sealed it up without losing hardly any air.  He completed yesterday's ride and today's before discovering the tire half full of air when we got into camp.  A lesson learned was that slime is only a temporary repair and the tube still needs to be patched.  Thankfully he didn't have to change a tire on the road. 

Another thing Ed is thankful for is Sharla's Hoo Ha Ride Glide for saddle sores.  Check it out if you are interested in what it is for.

The next campground after Aberdeen was another 20 miles after we had already gone 46 miles so that made a 66 mile day.  Sharla has never riden so far in one day.  Perhaps she is getting stronger but she thinks God helped enable her too and it was generally more level and she thinks there was a bit of a tail wind.

Within walking distance of our campground, we got our first view of the Pacific Ocean.  We got a small glimpse of how Lewis & Clark must have felt.  It gave us a sense of achievement as well as appreciating God's magnificent creation.

Motel Time - Day 7

Sharla had a wierd incident when she got a big pain in the leg before leaving camp. She prayed for God to take it away which He did.  She never had another incident of it the rest of the day.  We rode 40 miles to Shelton and wanted to do some more since it was early afternoon but the next campground was another 40 miles so we decided to motel it. After one week on the road it was time to do laundry, update the blog, and have a  nice bed to sleep in. Nice ride with pretty good bike lanes but had to be alert for many logging trucks on the road. Didn't see a single biker today.

Week 1 Recap:

Rode 225 miles in 6 days of riding

Travelled from Lynnwood, WA > Edmonds > ferry to Kingston > Port Angeles > ferry to Victoria > Sidney > ferry to Anacortes > through Whidbey Island > ferry from Coupeville to Port Townsend > Shelton.  

Highlights & Lessons:

Bicycle touring is a great way to meet people

Hills can be challenging

Be well organized so can get out of camp early

God's creation is evident in the Puget Sound area

Washington and Vancouver Island are great places to ride
Weather has been fantastic... no rain & perfect temperature

The Feared Mt. Walker - Day 6

Rode from Old Fort Townsand State Park to Dosewallips State Park.  Ed didn't fear Mt. Walker because he hadn't looked in the book to know that it was up ahead but Sharla had.  It was a long gradual climb but nothing steep so it went better than Sharla had feared.  A highlight of the day was stopping and picking blackberries along the side of the rode... made for a great dessert. A walk down the Dosewallips River resulted in seeing 20-30 seals.  We rode 39 miles.

Lost Click-Stand - Day 5

Rode the full length  of Whidbey Island and caught the ferry to Port Townsand.  Sharla's spirits were lifted as the hills were more manageable. We stopped for lunch in Port Townsand where Ed somehow lost his click-stand (a folding kickstand that supports a loaded touring bike and trailer very well).  We will try to replace it in Aberdeen,WA, where they are made and we will be passing through in about 3 days.  Found a stick that works but is cumbersome to carry on the trailer. Camped in Old Fort Townsand State Park in the hiker/biker campground where we were joined later by Kate, a law student in Victoria on a solo 3 week tour down the Washington & Oregon coast. She was contemplating whether it was more important to complete her goal of riding to the California border or spending more time enjoying stops along the way. 

We are also discovering that it is difficult to see all the sites along the way and still make reasonable progress and get to a campsite in the late afternoon.  It is difficult to justify spending the extra energy to do side trips (especially if it involves an uphill climb).  We rode about 35 miles today.

Northern Most Point - Day 4

Left Victoria on our way to Sidney. The trail started as the Galloping Goose Trail and then we turned off onto the Lochside Trail - which was a combination of pavement and  hard-packed dirt - great bike trail. Arrived in Sidney early and met a couple from Toronto doing a morning jog before their flight home who told us the only way we could complete our journey is through our love for one another.  

Caught ferry to Anacortes where we met fellow bicyclers, Sarah, from Seattle and her Mom from Chicago who wanted to ride some mountains. Talked to another guy who was on a motorcycle ride with friends, who wished he was on a bicycle but didn't have anyone to go with him.

Finally heading South... soon after leaving Anacortes, a couple stopped us on the road to ask some questions about our panniers. They are fellow tourers and had just ordered some Ortlieb rolling panniers and wanted to see how they compared to ours. They told us about warm showers.com where bicyclers host other bicyclists. They invited us to spend the night but we wanted to move on further down the road.

We spent the night in Deception Pass State Park where we had a secluded hiker/biker campsite.

The ride from Anacortes to where we spent the night had some tough short steep hills that Sharla called "wicked". She was a little discouraged thinking it was going to be like that the rest of the way .  We travelled about 30 miles.

Extra day in Victoria - Day 3

Spent an extra day in Victoria sightseeing and enjoying this beautiful city.  A highlight of the day was the best fish & chips (good thing we're not riding today) cooked in a little shack that we had to wait in line for 1 1/2 hrs.

Canada! - Day 2

Had a great 1st camp and met Rick & Jeana, bike tourers from Vancouver. Rick last year did an 8000 kM across Canada.  We surprised at how long it takes us to get packed up & out of camp--need to develop a plan to get faster.  Continued on the Olympic Discovery Bicycle Trail. Another beautiful ride but were disappointed the trail was closed the last 5-6 miles along Puget Sound due to tree clearing.  We had plans of catching the 12:45 ferry to Victoria but felt we were racing along the trail and remembered this trip is all about the journey and not the destination.  We saw God's hand in our plans...finding an excellent  Mexican restaurant and were able to arrange for a reasonable hotel in Victoria.  Arrived in Victoria, Canada, with daylight to spare. 

We're surprised how easy it is to strike a conversation with people along the way about our journey.  We met:
- Erik, Holly & their daughter who met hiking the Appalachian Trail
- Ernie (use to live in Denver) and Steve
- Steve, a long distance runner who got his Masters at CSU
- Brandon, a student in Victoria studying acupuncture