The Digest:
32 mile loop circumnavigating San Juan Island, sunshine, fish tacos.
In Photographs:
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Rolling rolling rolling
BOTSFORD! Our kin!
View from Lime Kiln State Park
Selfie at English Camp Park
The fishiest little harbor
View from future porch SOLD to the highest bidder!
The short story made long:
It begin with yet another early morning skedaddle to get to the ferry, which carried us to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. In what has become classic Botts fashion, we got our hands on a map and settled in for a second cup of coffee in a cafe. We love coffee.
The cafe and the day’s route were both suggested by Fly Nurse Flynn, a fellow cyclist on the ferry. He was helpful and energetic, as is likely required of an air-borne paramedic. He told us that he and his son will soon take a two month bike tour of South East Asia.
We opted for a clockwise path around the island heading south out of Friday Harbor. Although we were heading to bluer skies, and the clouds were being chased easterly by a dry breeze, we still were under cloud cover and the chilly air reminded us that we are always at the whim of the weather. After about 5 miles we turned west, directly towards blue sky, to not see another cloud in our path for the rest of the day. Oh the warmth and pleasure of a clear day on a bicycle!
We rolled over many a hill. At Lime Kiln State Park, we paused to look out over Haro Strait to see Vanvouver Island, flanked by the enormous Olympic Islands to the Southwest. We ate lunch in Roche Harbor, a truly bizarre little village that is some cross between an upscale lake resort, Disneyland, and legitimate historical artefact. It seems that some developer with large sums of money purchased a previously forgotten town based around lime and cement portage at the turn of the century. Said developer is now constructing extensive housing units around the harbor, of a uniform antiquated style. There are two restaurants in the harbor village, but judging from their fonts and menus, they’re owned by the same person. To make matters fishier, at the restaurant where we ate, we were served by a primarily Italian staff with truly unmatched cheer. Speaking of fish, we ate a delicious shrimp salad with fish tacos. The whole place felt like a cute facade for a money trap, and we were glad to return to the real world with bellies filled and wallets unemptied. (Steve points out that we’re hardly living in the real world right now anyways.)
We rolled back to catch the ferry in good time and bought groceries to fuel us for the next couple days. Tomorrow we’ll head down Fidalgo Island to set up camp in Deception Pass State Park. The Internet has great things to say about it. However there will likely not be internet there, so we’ll be off the blog for a few days.
Haste la pasta comerades. Carpe Diem. Seize the donuts. Smell the onions. Ride slow.
….just you and your shadows…