Slow, lazy mornings are a luxury you forget about on a bike trip. Today we treated ourselves, spending extra time at Doug’s in the morning. We ate some bagels, walked down the block for donuts, and returned to roll out and relax a bit more before hitting the road around 11:30. The next ferry leaving for Bainbridge Island would depart at 12:30, and we intended to catch it.
It was drizzling once again as we set out. Doug explained to us last night that Seattle used to be a kind of collection of towns that fused together to become a city, and that neighborhood feel is still very present in the city. Within just a few miles we passed through what felt like many different suburban towns, before arriving in a traditional downtown. Skyscrapers rose above us, and to our right, the famed Space Needle. It didn’t reach quite so close to space as I remembered, but still an impressive height.
We arrived at the ferry just as the cars were beginning to board. As we were pulling onto the boat, Maddie noticed she had yet another flat! It was oddly perfect timing though, as we had a chance to regroup while the ferry brought us across the sound. We took in the sights from the upper deck, watching downtown Seattle recede in the distance. See you soon, Seattle!
Maddie had read about a highly regarded Vietnamese restaurant on Bainbridge Island, Ba Sa, so that was our destination for lunch. I biked over to grab a table while Maddie walked. The food lived up to the expectations; I had a spicy lemongrass lamb dish, while Maddie went with dry pho, similar to a pad thai. Shoutout to Mr. and Mrs. Plank for treating us to this lovely meal!
We spent a while trying to change the tire after lunch. It wasn’t one of our quickest fixes. No rush though, today was a mere 20-mile ride. Highway 305 brought us to Poulsbo, WA, a small lakeside town. The homes we biked past were fantastic; homes of all sizes nestled between densely packed trees along a beautiful lake. Towards the downtown area of Poulsbo is the marina, with over a hundred boats.
Kate and Ron welcomed us to their home, a quaint blue bungalow receiving a fresh paint job. Maddie ran over to the local bike shop to get a new tire. Can’t have another flat in our last two days! Kate and Ron told us their own bike tour stories from when they traveled across the country: Key West, FL to right here in Poulsbo, WA. That’s 4,400 miles. And, oh yeah, they rode a triplet bike with their 6 year old daughter. What an adventure.
We enjoyed a delicious salmon dinner, with a corn salad and homemade bread to go with it. Afterwards Maddie and I got ice cream at the local ice cream shop: chocolate peanut butter for me and Irish coffee for Maddie. We enjoyed walking through the downtown area and admiring the sunset on the water. We just watched Swordfish, a decent John Travolta/Hugh Jackman movie. The 48 hour countdown has begun! Just two more days of riding. Can’t wait to touch the ocean!
-Charlie