2010 February 13
Transit: Washington State
Because I had forgotten to reset my watch to Pacific Time, I woke at 6:30 AM, rather than 7:30. This was not loss, though, because first light was beginning to reveal cobalt silhouettes of peaks bearded with bristling conifers.
I roused myself to breakfast at 7:30 AM. Instead of sitting with the friends I met the previous day, I was seated with three strangers. Hannah, a Montana news reporter; Bill, a fertilizer plant operator from the Tri-Cities; and Bill's mother-in-law, Patty, who is now in retirement. Out our dining window, to the north - I had heard about this, hence was willing to pay for breakfast - there were spectacular views of the Cascades. An hour later we passed through "Little Switzerland", a picturesque Alpine meadow in miniature, complete with the Matterhorn's children jutting up like shark's fins from the floor.
Little Switzerland.
In Seattle I had an hour layover between transfers, and during that time I needed to completely assemble my bicycle and break down the box it came in. I found out later that people were praying that I do it quickly enough. In fact, I had the bicycle finished in under ten minutes!
My bike arriving on wagon.
The ride to Olympia was brief, merely an hour or so, and not so scenic as the previous ride. I will say, however, that Amtrak has left quite an impression on me. Extremely comfortable going, this route was even equipped with an onboard Bistro! I was warned by a young woman, named Michaela, perhaps late twenties with sea water eyes and a pale complexion, to be careful on the west side of the peninsula. "It's pretty ghetto," she said, "and sometimes the 'Good ol' boys' like to have fun with eccentric travelers." Thank you, I'll bear that in mind.
When I reached Olympia rain was coming down, light but consistent over the next several hours. The Klein's - Joshua's parents, Andy and Stevie - had arrived to ferry me up to Hoodsport. The graciously invited me to lunch, something to "fuel him up." I chose the pasta with Italian sausage. During the meal Andy recommended that since it was already getting late, I not begin that afternoon but instead spend the night at their house and get an early start the next morning. This seemed like wisdom, though I didn't realize how much so.
Staying a night at their home afforded me an opportunity to take account of my gear. I realized, fortunately, that I was in need of dry bags and an essential tool that I left on Amtrak, the 4/5/6 Allen wrench. Andy brought me downtown to a bicycle shop and, not having stock of the tool I needed, the clerk kindly sold me the mechanic's! From what I saw of Olympia, it's a lovely, quaint little Capitol, reminiscent of Madison, WI, mixed with Dublin, Ireland.
In the evening I sorted out my kit, ate lots of pizza, and played ping-pong with the Klein boys, Sam and Ben. I won't tell you who won, but I will say that I used top practice several hours a day for months on end. Somewhere around midnight I found some rest on a guest bed cleared off by my generous hosts.
Transit: Washington State
Because I had forgotten to reset my watch to Pacific Time, I woke at 6:30 AM, rather than 7:30. This was not loss, though, because first light was beginning to reveal cobalt silhouettes of peaks bearded with bristling conifers.
I roused myself to breakfast at 7:30 AM. Instead of sitting with the friends I met the previous day, I was seated with three strangers. Hannah, a Montana news reporter; Bill, a fertilizer plant operator from the Tri-Cities; and Bill's mother-in-law, Patty, who is now in retirement. Out our dining window, to the north - I had heard about this, hence was willing to pay for breakfast - there were spectacular views of the Cascades. An hour later we passed through "Little Switzerland", a picturesque Alpine meadow in miniature, complete with the Matterhorn's children jutting up like shark's fins from the floor.
Little Switzerland.
In Seattle I had an hour layover between transfers, and during that time I needed to completely assemble my bicycle and break down the box it came in. I found out later that people were praying that I do it quickly enough. In fact, I had the bicycle finished in under ten minutes!
My bike arriving on wagon.
The ride to Olympia was brief, merely an hour or so, and not so scenic as the previous ride. I will say, however, that Amtrak has left quite an impression on me. Extremely comfortable going, this route was even equipped with an onboard Bistro! I was warned by a young woman, named Michaela, perhaps late twenties with sea water eyes and a pale complexion, to be careful on the west side of the peninsula. "It's pretty ghetto," she said, "and sometimes the 'Good ol' boys' like to have fun with eccentric travelers." Thank you, I'll bear that in mind.
When I reached Olympia rain was coming down, light but consistent over the next several hours. The Klein's - Joshua's parents, Andy and Stevie - had arrived to ferry me up to Hoodsport. The graciously invited me to lunch, something to "fuel him up." I chose the pasta with Italian sausage. During the meal Andy recommended that since it was already getting late, I not begin that afternoon but instead spend the night at their house and get an early start the next morning. This seemed like wisdom, though I didn't realize how much so.
Staying a night at their home afforded me an opportunity to take account of my gear. I realized, fortunately, that I was in need of dry bags and an essential tool that I left on Amtrak, the 4/5/6 Allen wrench. Andy brought me downtown to a bicycle shop and, not having stock of the tool I needed, the clerk kindly sold me the mechanic's! From what I saw of Olympia, it's a lovely, quaint little Capitol, reminiscent of Madison, WI, mixed with Dublin, Ireland.
In the evening I sorted out my kit, ate lots of pizza, and played ping-pong with the Klein boys, Sam and Ben. I won't tell you who won, but I will say that I used top practice several hours a day for months on end. Somewhere around midnight I found some rest on a guest bed cleared off by my generous hosts.
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