by Philip

Day’s mileage : 62 (although 6 of these were on a ferry!)

Running total : 164

Today we were up early as, unusually, we had a deadline, with a ferry to catch at 10:15 from Coupeville (3 miles from the AirBnB) to Port Townsend. The accommodation was stunning, with a beautiful main room in forested surrounds, incredibly quiet and peaceful. The kitchen and bathroom were each in separate small buildings so we were very glad it wasn’t raining! Once packed and with our bags loaded on the bikes, we were delighted to see a pair of Californian quail parade through the courtyard which was a treat.

Heading off we made it to the ferry in about 15 minutes, only to be told that because of the tides the 10:15 had been cancelled, with the next sailing at 11:45. This was frustrating as we had planned to meet Ken, brother of our good friend Graham, who lives in Port Townsend and had agreed to meet for coffee. Our frustration was allayed somewhat at the port cafe, where we enjoyed pancakes, and the interest of several other customers in our ride. We saw a bald eagle and a few herons around the bay where the ferry docks.

The ferry ride was smooth, although it was interrupted half way through for an emergency drill – apparently these are conducted by the coast guard every 3 months and we managed to choose the one day – it involved noisy sirens and the ferry coming to a crash stop – fortunately we had tied our bikes up so they didn’t suffer!

On arrival in Port Townsend Ken met us and we had a chat for 10 minutes (interrupted by an otter which ambled past, as they do …) – with our delay we were keen to be on our way as we still had a day’s cycling to do. It was nice to catch up and we appreciated Ken for coming out to the port to see us. 

We had planned our route carefully having read about a tricky state highway which is heavily used by logging trucks – it meant an additional 19 miles, but was well worth it. Some of the roads were busy but had a wide shoulder we could cycle on, others were quiet, and best of all were the miles of the Olympic Discovery Trail which we mainly had to ourselves. On one road we went through clouds of minuscule insects which were harmless, but sounded like hail as they hit our coats and helmets. 

Later in the afternoon the rain set in – not particularly heavy, but persistent. We had one very long climb up a straight road that just didn’t seem to end, and then enjoyed some two miles of steep descent. As we got within two miles of tonight’s accommodation we looked up the nearest supermarket, having decided it works better to buy food on the way to our accommodation rather than have to go out after our arrival. Unfortunately we had miscalculated, expecting it to be close … but ended up doing an additional 12 miles. Thank goodness for e-bikes with a huge range! 

Having arrived at our very new cottage, in the middle of a forest near Sequim (pronounced “Squim”, we’re told), we started our evening routine of charging the bikes and all our electronics, then had a wonderful dinner of prawns with rice and veg. We are definitely tired after 62 miles, even if we only cycled 56 of those!

Additional notes

Coupeville to Sequim, Clallam county, WA.

Left at 9.45am. Arrived at 7pm.

Weather: Cold, overcast and damp at times.

Landscape: Forest trails. Long, straight pine forested roads. Rundown small businesses eg auto repair, pancake breakfast, fruit stand. Farmland with fields of crops and smallholdings with sheep and cows. Mountains ahead of us with misty tops. Wooded roads. Dutch barn style homes. Salmon Creek Estuary. Indian reservation at Blyn.

Towns: Port Townsend. Blyn.

Trails: Larry Scott memorial trail, part of the Olympic Discovery Trail.

State roads: Quite a few, all with a wide shoulder, scattered bits of wood, traffic rushing by. Our first experience of Highway 101.

Breakfast: Porridge with banana, bread with pancake syrup (the latter found in fridge). Second breakfast of pancakes at Callen’s diner by the ferry terminal.

Lunch spot: On a bench beside the Larry Scott trail.

Dinner, made by Liz: Prawn risotto. Mango, yogurt and chocolates with tea.

Wildlife: California quail (with little head piece dangling). Bald eagle. River otter in Port Townsend. Occasional clouds of insects hitting our helmets as we rode through them.

Plants: Wild broom. Lilac. Apple blossom.

Things we saw: A road called Egg & I Road. A pick-up with two dogs riding in the open back wearing ski goggles with dark lenses. A sign warning of ‘Toxic butter and varnish clams. Do not eat’. Heron Hall Library with Native American architecture.

People we spoke to or saw: Café staff (who called us the neon crew) and customers. A female cyclist on the ferry. Ken Jr, eager to talk about the political situation.

Incidents: The 10.15 ferry was cancelled due to the tide, making a 90-minute delay with 50 miles still to cover. A 19-mile workaround to avoid a dangerous road due to width and logging trucks. Our plan to pop in to Sequim for food ballooned as we realised the BnB was 6 miles short of Sequim, giving us an extra 12 miles at the end of a long day.

Shopping: Safeway in Sequim.

Accommodation: A new cabin in the middle of a forest.

Today’s sound: The insects as we rode into them.

Today’s smell: Ferry diesel.

Special moments: Having my first good night’s sleep last night. Ken Jr meeting us despite the delay. The offroad paths. Having a big battery so I can use assistance when I’m tired. Finding the cabin was cosy and all under one roof, a relief as it was cold and raining.

Positive experience from my journal: The warm, dry house, so comfy and luxurious.

Appreciation from my journal: Not minding our miscalculation over the shop, being up for doing an extra chunk of miles, doing a fantastic shop and cooking a delicious dinner despite being tired – a tall Amazonian woman today.

Blog comments from Richard Warburton, Emma Raymond, my mother and Jennifer, Lorna Hunter and Beth Saunders. Beth: ‘It all looks terrific Liz, I’m really enjoying your blog – it makes me yearn for my backpacker days!’

Message from Taffa: ‘I am absolutely itching to join you. I read your blog every morning before I get up’.

Mementos: Callen’s Diner receipt, Coupeville. Safeway receipt, Sequim.