Fri 6/3
Anacortes to Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands
15 miles
Today we say goodbye to the rent a car and hello to newly put together bikes. A small vehicular comfort over the last few days allowing us to explore Seattle and Mt. Rainier, and run last minute errands for bike tubes, toothpaste and food supply. To test out our bikes we decided to postpone one more day of officially starting and explore the San Juan Islands by ferry. Matt and I are both having a hard time coming to terms that we will need to say goodbye to the ocean for 3 months and so chose a ferry that would allow us an entire day to do a quick bike ride on Friday Harbor and then spend multiple hours on the ferry enjoying the salt spray one last time.
On Friday Harbor, we rode to Jackson Beach, a shoreline completely full of driftwood. I couldn’t stop thinking of my dad who has a great affection towards driftwood. I imagined he would spend hours at this small beach sizing up each piece. It was warm enough that I joined the dogs playing in the water and took off my shoes to submerge my fe
et. Tingles sent up my spine in the icy water, but as most of you know, temperature has never kept me out of enjoying the ocean.
The bikes are on their way! They should arrive by Thursday! This morning while Matt finished up editing a project, I set out to explore Pike Street Market. As I walked past the many international travelers I followed down a long hallway that opened up to a rooftop garden. The perfect space to spend the morning, I sat on a rocking chair surrounded by fruits, vegetables and flowers overlooking Puget Sound and the Bainbridge mountains.
There’s nothing more satisfying than spending hours upon weeks, upon months preparing for a 4 month bike tour. Matt, with his keen eye for good reads, continues to order great cycling books to help us prep for our trip. Just when I’ve finished one, another arrives in the mail. Here’s a list of what we’ve read so far…..