by Liz

Day’s mileage : 51

Running total : 102

This morning the first half of my book was jettisoned along with the big box of out of date biscuits (delicious, now moved to a smaller tub) and three big bags we used on the journey over. We successfully made space in our panniers so now we can shop en route to our accommodation each day, because once we arrive we don’t feel in the least like going out to find food. We felt much better for the lighter loads. 

We cycled through an astonishing variety of landscapes today. Fields of livestock and crops, forest, mountains, bays, lakes and lagoons, mud flats, hump-backed islands, small towns, rivers, the amazing Deception Pass Bridge, rural communities and the Swinomish Indian reservation. We passed old Dutch barns, a bald eagle, bright orange poppies, a big hairy caterpillar, a bright yellow bird like a canary and even some other cyclists – a rarity. 

Since we arrived I’ve noticed many, many floppy-top pine trees – see photo. Tall and slim, I wonder what they are, if they’re a native variety, and why they evolved like that. 

The highlight of the day was cycling all the way around Oak Harbour and Penn Cove, sapphire and literally sparkling in the late afternoon sun, miles of it all the way to Coupeville. The other best part of the day was finding our accommodation for the night is a beautiful cabin in the woods, incredibly peaceful, with a wood burner and bird life all around.  It’s dusk now and we’re looking out at silhouettes of floppy-top pines against a darkening sky. A fabulous day without a doubt. And fresh peaches and ice cream still to come.

Additional notes

Bow to Coupeville, Skagit and Island counties, WA.

Left at 10.15am. Arrived at 5.30pm.

Weather: Cool, overcast. Sunny late afternoon.

Landscape: Padilla Bay. Swinomish Indian Reservation. Fields of livestock and crops. Forest, mountains. Bays, lakes, lagoons and mud flats. Hump-backed islands. Small towns, rural communities. Penn Cove in the afternoon sun.

Towns: Anacortes. Oak Harbour.

Trails: Padilla Bay Shore Trail.

State roads: Our first – for a few alarming miles.

Breakfast: Toast and butter (we hadn’t bought any food).

Lunch spot: Beside Fidalgo Bay (just off a main road).

Dinner, made by Liz: Dubious Pad Thai noodles. Peaches and ice cream.

Wildlife: A bald eagle in a tree. Two deer in Coupeville. A big hairy caterpillar. A sun bird (my name).

Plants: Sea pinks. Yellow mustard. Bright orange poppies.

Things we saw: The impressive Deception Pass Bridge. Old Dutch barns. A dead opossum on the state road.

People we spoke to or saw: Two mums with small children on the shore trail. Two fishermen at Fidalgo Bay. A friendly female cyclist outside Safeway. A walker along Scenic Heights Street who asked us about our bikes, saying he has a heart condition that requires him to exercise. The owner of the cabin asked about our trip and we were proud and excited to tell him we were on Day 2.

Incidents: We decided to get rid of the big bags we used on the flight over and cut my book in half, to lighten our loads. Deception Pass Bridge took us by surprise. It was narrow and there was nowhere to stop so we didn’t get a photo, just gaped at the sight as we rode over it (as best we could with the traffic).

Shopping: At Safeway in Oak Harbour (cream éclairs as a snack – they don’t seem to sell pastries here which was what we wanted). Prairie Center Market in Coupeville (took me ages, so indecisive, but I just went with it).

Accommodation: A small cabin in the forest, heavenly, with separate kitchen and bathroom across the courtyard. Thankfully it wasn’t raining.

Today’s sound: Birds in the forest around the cabin.

Today’s smell: Smoke from the wood burner.

Special moments: Loving today’s ride and nothing going wrong. Friendly locals. My heart soaring as we rode in sunshine around the sapphire bay. Making dinner even though it was my turn to write the blog.

Positive experience from my journal: Riding around the bay to Coupeville. Dry weather and sunshine.

Appreciation from my journal: Being decisive about getting rid of the ballast.

Blog comments from Wendy Van den Broek, Simon Hart and Debbie Lane. Wendy: ‘I’m loving checking your blog when I wake up, looking at the map and following your progress. So inspiring!’ Simon: ‘Sounds like you’re off to a brilliant start. I love the photos of the scenery- looks absolutely beautiful!’ Debbie: ‘What a treat to follow your daily progress through such a lovely part of the world.’

Video: Philip riding along Padilla Bay Shore Trail (10 sec). Lunch spot at Fidalgo Bay (10 sec).

Mementos: Safeway receipt, Oak Harbour. Prairie Center Market receipt, Coupeville.