Made it to Cape Disappointment

It started raining at 10:00 this morning and it has not let up since then. I went to the campground at Cape disappointment State Park and the whole biker section was one big pool of water. I was forced to get a motel tonight. I have good rain gear, but when you get pounded by a hard rain for hours, it eventually breaches the best of rain gear. So I am presently drying out in my room. I did go to the Lewis and Clark Museum and it was fantastic. Very well done with great displays and authentic artifacts. Their expedition fascinates me. It was fun to see where they finally reached the Pacific Ocean. I went up to the lighthouse on top of the hill and the visibility was very poor. The wind was howling and the rain was pounding, but I could still make out the ouTline of this beautiful and rugged area. Biked about 50 miles today. I am seven miles from the Oregon border. I will cross over into Oregon tomorrow morning. I will enter Astoria and then bike some 50 a 60 miles down the coast. It is supposed to be another heavy rain day, but I hope it is not As heavy as today. Loving my adventure, even with the rain and wind. When I am out there, it is like I am one with nature. God's creations speak to my spirit and I feel the Love of God and his creations.

Rainy

It rained all last night and I woke up to a very wet and hazy fog. Had to put a wet tent in my panniers. Started the day at 51 degrees and very low visibility. Donned my rain gear and hit the road. By noon the fog had burned off. The temp. Gradually increased to 68 for a while. It is now cooling down and the fog is setting in. The forecast is 60% rain for the next two days. Biked 54 miles today. Staying at a KOA campground tonight. Got to do some more laundry. I will be very close to entering the Oregon Coast tomorrow. I will either make it to Astoria, or stay at Cape Disappointment State Park this side of the border. There is a Lewis and Clark museum at the cape, and I am fascinated with Lewis and Clark history. I loved the book "Undaunted Courage". Cape Disappointment is where the Mighty Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. I will have Chili and crackers tonight with some fruit cocktail. Met 6 other bikers today also heading down the coast 2 from seatless, 2 from Atlanta and 2 from Arizona. Nice to link up with them from time to time. That's it for now. Jerry

Made it to the Coast

After biking for some 80+ miles today, I made it to the west coast. I am in West Port WA. I made very good time today averaging over 12 mph. The shoulders on highway 101 were very good for the most part. When I got here I set up camp at Twin Harbor State Park. I then went down to the pier to visit the Maritime Museum and walk along the beach. The weather started out very overcast and 54 degrees. By the time I hit the coast it was sunny and 72 degrees. Rain is supposed to hit the coast on Wed. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a sunny day. If all goes well, I should hit the Oregon Coast by Thursday. I saw another seal today down at the harbor. For dinner I heated up some beef ravioli and had a beagle. I also found my favorite cookies (fudge sticks), so life is good. I biked through Christmas town USA today - Sheldon WA., which harvests more Christmas trees than any place else in the country. I also passed through the town where they make Ocean Spray Juices etc. I stopped to see if they had a tasting booth, but to no avail. They didn't even have a retail store there. The highways were lined with massive pine and evergreen trees of many different species. It is so green here. I gurus that's what you get when you only have 60+ sunny day a year. Lot's of water fall to keep it so lush. Had my first flat tire today. Ran over a sharp piece of steel, like a heavy duty staple. Can you guess the 5 most common kinds of debris I have seen along the roadways? 1. Bungy chords, 2. Plastic bottles and aluminum cans, 3. Banana peels, 4. Bolts (probably off trailers and trucks), 5. Tire shreads. That is your trivia for the day. That's it for now. Take care and God Bless. Jerry

Overview of the past several days

Biking Canada was very unique for my Pacific Coust bicycle route. Of the many miles I biked there, the Pacific Ocean was never seen, a minimum.of 7 hours was spent on six different Ferrys, and 115 miles was spent bicking North instead of South. Vancouver was a beautiful city, with numerous parks, bridges, vistas, city views, and bicycle paths crisscross the city. Having successfully negotiating the city streets and two very high and intimidating bridges, I headed up the North on the sunshine Coast. After taking two Ferrys, one at horseshoe bay and the other at powell river, I then started down the South Coast of Vancouver Island. On my way I decided to take two side trips, one to Denman Island, and one to Tsawwassen. Each spot added a new historical interest to the trip. I finished my British Columbia ride in Victoria, a city noted for being more English than England. The British influence was especially seen at the large Empress Hotel and in the Paliment buildings. There were also many beautiful gardens in Victoria. The weather in B.C. Was in the mid 60's with only one day of rain. The people were very friendly and helpful, and courteous to bicyclists. After leaving Canada I jumped a Ferry to The San Juan Island - a part of Washington State. I really liked biking this island. I was able to see the whole island in one day. The highlight was happening upon 8 Orca whales while biking along the South Coast of the Island. I stopped and watched them play for over 40 minutes. They Started to move South and that was the direction I was heading too. I saw them several times along the way. There is only one Ferry a day coming from San Juan Island, and it left at 6:50 p.m., so I arrived in Aacortes, Washington after dark and had to bike several miles to my campground. Luckily I have lights on my bike but my front light went out so I had to get out small flashlight I carry with me. Here I am biking while holding this flashlight trying to find my way. All part of the adventure. I then biked to Fort Townsend, W.A., rich in history during the 1850's. The British had set up a military base here and on the San Juan Islans because they wanted to occupy this territory. In 1887' the Americans also had a military presence here for the same purpose. It seems that a British soldier shot a wild pig on San Juan Island and that incident set off a several year conflict between the two forces in these areas. As it turned out, it was peacefully settled with the Americans gaining control of the territory. Yesterday, I biked to Potlatch W.A. Along the beautiful Puget Sound waterway. I stopped and watched some seals playing. The forests here are spectacular. I love the smell of the soil. I love the sky, the waterways, the cool breezes, and the vistas that are breathtaking. It is humbling to contemplate God's great and marvelous creations. Today is Sunday the 12th and I am taking a rest day. It started raining this morning and so I decided to go to a motel today so I could dry out, take a shower,take a nap and rest my legs. Tomorrow, I will bike about 75 miles which will put me very close to the Washington Coast. Hpoe you Re all well. Until next time, take care.

Back in Washington State.

Just finished biking the Nortah and South coasts of Vancouver Island and in Victoria BC. I also biked the San Juan Islands in Washington. I am now making my way to the Washington coast. biked over 400 miles so far. I was without the Internet in BC. It has been a great experience. The beauty of this great earth is humbling. I love the smell of the soil, the breeze against my cheeks, the sounds of the birds and the waters, and the magnificent beauty of the sky. Have met many good and friendly people. The biking has been hard, especially the steep hills and the head winds, but I am getting stronger. I will try to keep up on my blog mow that I am back in the states. Miss you all.

On My Way

I just learned that my bag has arrived this morning. I am on my way to pick it up. I will then pack all my gear onto my bike and be on my way to Canada. One thing to note, I may not get 3G coverage in Canada. My plan says that I will only have domestic service in the US. I hope it still transmits. If not, I will be incognito for the next 7-10days. Bon-Voyage.

Lost Luggage

When I arrived in Seattle yesterday,my duffle bag full of my gear for the tour was not on the bus, even though I loaded it on myself when we changed buses in Butte Montana. To say the least, I was very concerned. The greyhound personnel were not helpful at all. After an hour of trying to track it down with no success, I went on to Bellingham. My wife Kim, some family members and friends started to pray with me. After about 40 minutes into my ride to Bellingham I got a telephone call from the driver of the bus to Seattle. He stated that he had taken my bag off the bus in Spokane, WA because he thought the tag said Pullman,WA. When he saw his error and told the new bus driver to put it back on. The new bus driver forgets to put it on and and the bag was still in Spokane. I was very relieved to know what happened, and grateful for all the prayers. They said they would send it on and it should arrive in Bellingham within 12 a 24 hours. It is now Wednesday at about4:00 Utah time and the bag is still not here. I am bummed because I was going to start riding today. I still do not know the status of my bag but I am all over greyhound to to identify exactly where it is. They are hoping it will arrive this afternoon or early evening. If it does I will be very glad and I will load up for an early start on Thursday. If not, I will need to start praying for patience and forgiveness. All of my clothes are in the bag. I guess I will have to wash what I am wearing while I wait. Luckily, I did manage to get a toothbrush. The people who picked me up in Bellingham and took me to their home in Blaine, WA (the Ford's) have been great. They gave me a nice bed to sleep in and have been feeding me well. I really appreciate them. I did get my bike re-assembled today and went on a nice ride around Blaine. They have a beautiful harbor here and great views of the ocean and over into Canada. They are right on the border. Well here's hoping I get my gear sometime today.