one hundred forty two

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

This was the before picture as I was driving west to San Francisco in a rental car to begin my next journey. I took this picture myself.

one hundred forty one

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FIRST CAMPS ALWAYS SUCK

On my first night on the road I free camped in a small park along a swamp lake. It was cold and damp amongst the cat tails and mud. Not every night is in a pristine location, safe is my primary focus. The first days usually suck and are filled with second thoughts.  I know this will pass as my body begins to adjust to the daily grind of the road. I indulge in my favorite evening meal chicken top ramen.

one hundred forty

OLD HIPPIES

The little towns in the North West are filled with coffee shops. I love espresso straight no cream or sugar just caffeine in mud form. The drive through shops only charged a dollar for a double and some only fifty cents. 

The other thing I noticed was the old hippies. They were balding, with gray pony tails, tie dye clothes, and walkers. The all natural organic recycled politically correct solar powered we are the world people. They display their authenticity through bad hygiene and bad teeth. 

Save the or stop the fill in the blank protests is cheaper then golf.

I graduated from high school in 1969, we did the hair thing and life style for a while, but most of us grew up. 

one hundred thirty nine

BOATS THAT SHOULD NOT FIT

I reached County Line campground on the Washington side of the Columbia River. The sun was setting as I arrived and the camp host had just told me bicycles were free. The camp was only twenty trailer spaces, a half dozen tent camp sites, a bathroom and drinkable water. 

I was about to pitch my tent when I saw this cargo ship. The channel was over forty feet deep so these large ships can travel inland. It was just shocking to watch them so closely.

one hundred thirty eight

FISH STORIES

This harbor in the islands of Washington State was filled with working boats. The fishermen I talked to worked other jobs and fished part time, so these are small businesses. They had a common connection with the New England fishermen, fish stories.

one hundred thirty seven

SMALL FERRY RIDE

The morning fog was still hanging around as I took a ferry ride across the Columbia River. This was a small ferry compared to the two hundred and fifty car one I took across the Puget Sound. This one only held about eight cars so I was waiting for them to break out the long poles. I took this to show the view from my handlebars.

one hundred thirty six

MOSS COVERED TREES

The moss covered trees and the lush ferns told the story of frequent rainy days. I enjoyed the few days of sun simply by luck. The bright sun revealed the colors, however the fog was always strangely present.

one hundred thirty five

SUNSETS NEVER GET BORING

The many sunsets I have seen will never get boring. The sun sets on the Pacific and sun rises in the Atlantic, I love them both. This was a state park on the California coast.

one hundred thirty four

OUT OF THE WAY MOTEL

I stumbled across a small out of the way beach motel. The price was surprisingly reasonable on a weeknight. 

My room had a great view of the sunset. I kept the curtains open all day risking an accidental passer because the view was too beautiful to hide. Luckily no one was in my the part of the motel. 

I wear the same clothes for days on the road so when I can wash them I was them all. While I wait for them to dry I enjoy my freedom.

one hundred thirty three

BREAKING CAMP AND GETTING READY TO RIDE

Morning sunrise on the Puget sound, I can still taste the morning coffee.

one hundred thirty two

A GREAT PLACE TO WAIT

I found the house in mid afternoon and waited about four hours for the owners to come home. This was the brother of someone I work with. He knows I'm coming but we have never met. 

I knew I could camp there so I just waited. The Puget Sound had so much going on I was never bored. This was the ferry from Clinton Island to Seattle on the mainland.

one hundred thirty one

The colors of the Puget Sound at sundown.

one hundred thirty

PERFECT SIZE

My tent worked well during on this trip. When I rode to Maine I had a two man Mountain Hardware castle. It was roomy but it weighed eight pounds. This tent weighs only three and fits m. I miss the room but I like the lighter load. This was in a front yard of a house on the Puget Sound, you can't beat the view.

one hundred twenty nine

FRIENDLY OASIS

This is a beautiful home in Washington on the Puget Sound. I work with the owner's brother. He moved from Arizona a few years ago and built this beautiful home. 

The floor plan and furnishings were well thought out. The amount of windows, hardwood and slate floors and furnishings make this an impressive home. This was a friendly oasis on my long journey. 

We work for the same parent company and it was hard staying off of that subject. 

I was able to wash my clothes take a shower and sit at a dining room table with a family. Those things sound small but a friendly face and welcome to our home means alot after a few weeks in campgrounds.

One hundred twenty eight

STILL WATERS

Crescent City California, the morning air was crisp and calm. 

The harbor was the home of many wooden fishing boats. The sun, sea water, constant growth of things like barnacles, bird droppings, and time takes a toll on everything in or around the ocean. The night before and noticed some boats had heat lamps glowing inside to keep them dry. 

The government bought most of the certifications or titles to the older boats. I guess that was a way to get them off of the water because they can't leave the harbor. The owners just sold them for a few hundred bucks to people wanting to live on them or just say they have a boat. They pay to dock them there until the novelty wears off or they find another fool to buy them. 

Several sunk and were repaired but the cost to remove them is much higher then just leaving them be. This was another brilliant government plan. There probably was more to the story but I saw one I would love to own or perhaps I found that perfect gift for that relative you don't like. 

one hundred twenty seven

EERIE SILENCE

I was traveling through the Avenue Of The Giants during mid week. The traffic was slow, one car every five or ten minutes. 

The wind was very strong that day but in the shelter of these giants it was completely silent. I could at times hear the wind high in the tree tops. These trees were up to 300 ft and higher in height. The cars made almost no noise because of the pine needle bed muffled all sound. 

The feeling it gave me was that of an empty country church. I thought of the age of these trees and what had happened during their long life. 

The narrow road was edged by these giant trees and their roots raised large sections of the road.  I laughed at the reflectors that I thought were to protected the trees but they are more of a warning so we won't get hurt.