Since December 2008, we have been taking part in group events through Meetup.com. There are all different sorts of events posted such as hiking, cycling, kayaking, camping, walking, running, games etc. You search for your area and your interests and get a list of events to keep you busy. Before we started spending most of our weekends in the US, we would do 2 to 4 Meetup events per week, one each on Saturday and Sunday, and another 1 or two on weekdays. I actually had to cut myself back as there were some weekends I would sign up for one event during the day and another at night and it became too much. I've known some people who will go from event to event, doing 3 or more in a day.
Bellingham has a Meetup group but it can't compare to the multitude of what's available in Vancouver, so we've had to get used to doing more on our own. I still keep an eye out for any events taking place near us so I was excited to see the Vancouver Bicycle Meetup Group was planning to cycle from the border, down to Fairhaven and back.
We arranged to meet the group at 9:50am on Saturday morning in Birch Bay but they were a little late so we waited about a half hour. We had planned to take Toonie, our Chihuahua, on the back of my bike but it was overcast and cool so we left her at home. We saw the group coming from a long ways back, since there were 19 of them, so we were on our bikes and ready when they arrived.
First along Birch Bay Drive, then through the State Park. The road is so nice there since it was all torn up and repaved this winter. I love the speeds I can get on that section. Turning off the road, we traveled along a closed road owned by BP Oil ... yes, those bad oil polluting guys ... to Cherry Point. Other than the Oil refinery further in, this is a very beautiful area. It first runs south before turning inland, becoming Aldergrove Road. We followed the road up to Kickerville, then traveled South to Rainbow, then left on Mountain View Road all the way into Ferndale.
We stopped at Ferndale for a bio-break, then rode to the river where there is a beautiful little trail running alongside. We followed this for a short distance until it ended, then continued down Ferndale road to Marine Drive. Marine Drive became Eldridge, and we turned off at Seaview and Roeder, which took us to the port where we rode down along the seawall, before getting back on Roeder and into downtown Bellingham.
Turning right on Cornwall, which is more like a lane than a road, we continued south for a few blocks before turning off and up to Boulevard Street which took us right into Fairhaven.
There were just too many of us to descend onto one restaurant so we separated for an hour and a half. Harold and I had brought PB&J sandwiches and fruit but with the cold, wet weather, I was really wanting a bowl of soup. We chose Skylarks Hidden Cafe because it had soup and sandwiches, and a covered patio so we didn't have to take the panniers off the bikes. We shared a sandwich and both had a cup of Italian Chicken soup, which was very yummy. Then we raced over to the wine shop to buy a bottle of Distant Bay Cabernet Sauvignon as it's the cheapest place we've found that particular wine.
Worrying that we might be late, we rushed back to the meeting spot, to find there were still a few people missing. They arrived a few minutes later and we took off again, up along Old Fairhaven Parkway, then a left on 30th street, right on Donovan, and left on 32nd street. We took this for a way down until we hit Fielding, turned right and came in behind REI.
REI is an outdoor gear store, organized as a co-op. You must purchase a membership and each year you receive dividends you may use for purchases. They are almost identical to the Mountain Equipment Coop store we also belong to in Vancouver, with comparable prices and items.
Harold and I had just been down to REI the day before, and the weather had suddenly cleared up, with brilliant blue sun filled skies, so we opted to stay outside and have a frappucino, while watching people go by. This REI is right by Western Washington University so they get a lot of school kids here. Bellingham has a definite outdoorsy, hippie, grunge quality to it, so you see a lot of messy hair and dreads, and messy, unmatched clothing. This can only be carried well by the young. Once they're over about 25 it just looks like they are homeless.
There is one couple who seems to live outside here, begging for money. I find them most memorable because of the beautiful Golden Retriever they have. Back in February, they almost got my money because I saw the woman alone with the dog with a sign that said "Cold, Sick and need a motel." and my heart went out to that dog ... then her dreadlocked husband came up to Harold and was putting a ton of pressure on him for a handout and it changed my mind. Since then we've seen them there everytime.
We all got back on our bikes, to ride North along N. Samish Highway, then left on E. Maple Street, right on Ellis street, right on N State, and left on James Street, bringing us to Trader Joe's. This is another favorite store of ours. We went in to sample some food, and coffee, and purchase an Indian meal kit we love. Coming back out, I saw an older woman with long white hair, wearing those big see-saw heeled shoes companies are flouting as the best fitness shoes. I asked how she liked them and was rewarded by a long sermon about the wonders of her particular shoes, which are MTB brand, and are much better than the copycats such as Skechers.
The group was all back together so we took off along Alabama street, then right on Cornwall, and right on Northwest Avenue. We went up under I5 then followed this road for a long way until we reached W Smith Road, where we turned left, and waited for the group to meet up again. Someone asked me whether we lived in Birch Bay and after telling them that we just spend our weekends down there, it was agreed by everyone (except us) that next time we were to supply breakfast and an ending bbq for the group.
We took Smith Road back under I5 and turned right on Hovander, then left on Main Street, into Ferndale. Our path crossed over for a few blocks then we turned right on 3rd. Half a block in we saw a Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Cantina. I made a mental note to return here for dinner sometime. Up ahead we came to new roads and bike paths but they didn't go on for long. We took a right on Washington, then a left on Portal and went straight under I5 yet again.
Portal Way took us all the way up north, back under I5 again, through Custer, and up towards the Birch Bay turnoff. A few of us broke away and raced ahead, enjoying the beautiful day with relatively little wind. At Birch Bay-Lynden Road, we stopped and waited for everyone to pass by, saying goodbye to them and letting the leader know we were headed off. Then we headed out towards the ocean, against the wind, of course, and cruised back into Birch Bay from the northwest.
All in all, a great day.
June 5, 2010 SWAN Century Sedro Woolley Ride
The SWAN Century and Family Fun Ride offered 3 different lengths, 13, 58, and 100 miles. This was the second year they had the ride in Sedro Woolley, coinciding with a town festival on the main street. The entry fees from the ride go to support children and give small loans to women in Bolivia and Kenya.
We opted for the 58 miles (100km, what they call a Metric Century ride) as this was more than we'd ever done before. We arrived at 6:30am, just as the check-in was opening. At this point it was a little cloudy and cold, and we stayed bundled up while pinning on our numbers and looking over the course map. Harold's number was 198 and mine was 199.
The ride started at 7:30am and within the first half hour we'd stripped off most of our layers since the sun had come out. The first few miles we were a large 70 person group, we owned the road! Then we all began to spread out. One poor guy had a flat before we even got out of the town limits.
The wind was quite strong, and we were riding straight into it. It felt like we were riding uphill and with the gravelly country road, it made for a tougher ride than we'd hoped for, but we pushed on. Some miles seemed to go on forever, being very tough, while others were much nicer and flew by. Our legs never got a respite from hard pedaling however. I found myself wishing we had more hills, so at least we'd get some downhill releases!
We rode right past the first water stop in Lyman, but were ready for a break in Raser State Park. After a bio-break, a couple orange quarters, half a banana, and Gatorade, we were back on route to Concrete.
Early settlers came to the Baker River in 1871, originally calling the settlement on the west bank "Minnehaha". In 1890, the townsite was platted by Magnus Miller, a post office was set up, and the name "Baker" was adopted. On the east bank of the river, the community that sprang up around the Washington Portland Cement Company (1905) was named "Cement City". After the Superior Portland Cement Company plant (1908) was built in Baker, it was decided to merge the two towns, and in 1909, after much discussion, the new community settled on the name "Concrete".
Concrete was the half way point. A quaint little old town, I was surprised I'd never been there before. It sits atop a hill, beside a river and falls turned dam. We were welcomed to this rest spot by 4 very cute and sweet cheerleaders. Everyone got a cheer and lots of up and down jumping.
The guy with the flat caught up to us at Concrete. He had a brand new carbon fiber racing bike and he was fast on that thing. I get a little frustrated with the fact we can't do the same speeds on our heavier aluminum touring bikes, but keep reminding myself they are for a different purpose.
Harold had moved his seat up a bit before today's ride and by this time, he was realizing that had been a mistake since his knee was really hurting. He moved the seat back and we hoped he'd be okay from here.
After more Gatorade and a shared cookie and orange, we cycled down the hill and crossed to the south side of Skagit River for the trip back to Sedro Woolley.
We had been hoping the wind would be behind us on the way back, but would have been just as happy with no wind at all. The last thing we wanted was to continue with the headwinds in our faces .... and that's exactly what we got. Still, it was a beautiful ride back down, with very few cars.
Half way back we passed the same guy with more trouble with his flat tire. I guess he didn't get out what had caused the first flat and it punctured his spare tube. The ride was over for him and the support truck picked him up and took him to the end.
Our last rest stop was 13 miles before the end where the same cheerleaders were there to meet us. At the 2 mile mark, I got a huge influx of energy and surged ahead of Harold, racing for the finish line.
Lunch was included with the registration, and it was the best meatball sub and salad I'd ever tasted. We decided against having the included ice cream cone and instead drove back to Birch Bay in time for Saturday Sips wine sampling at our local CJ Wijns.
We opted for the 58 miles (100km, what they call a Metric Century ride) as this was more than we'd ever done before. We arrived at 6:30am, just as the check-in was opening. At this point it was a little cloudy and cold, and we stayed bundled up while pinning on our numbers and looking over the course map. Harold's number was 198 and mine was 199.The ride started at 7:30am and within the first half hour we'd stripped off most of our layers since the sun had come out. The first few miles we were a large 70 person group, we owned the road! Then we all began to spread out. One poor guy had a flat before we even got out of the town limits.
The wind was quite strong, and we were riding straight into it. It felt like we were riding uphill and with the gravelly country road, it made for a tougher ride than we'd hoped for, but we pushed on. Some miles seemed to go on forever, being very tough, while others were much nicer and flew by. Our legs never got a respite from hard pedaling however. I found myself wishing we had more hills, so at least we'd get some downhill releases!We rode right past the first water stop in Lyman, but were ready for a break in Raser State Park. After a bio-break, a couple orange quarters, half a banana, and Gatorade, we were back on route to Concrete.
Early settlers came to the Baker River in 1871, originally calling the settlement on the west bank "Minnehaha". In 1890, the townsite was platted by Magnus Miller, a post office was set up, and the name "Baker" was adopted. On the east bank of the river, the community that sprang up around the Washington Portland Cement Company (1905) was named "Cement City". After the Superior Portland Cement Company plant (1908) was built in Baker, it was decided to merge the two towns, and in 1909, after much discussion, the new community settled on the name "Concrete".
Concrete was the half way point. A quaint little old town, I was surprised I'd never been there before. It sits atop a hill, beside a river and falls turned dam. We were welcomed to this rest spot by 4 very cute and sweet cheerleaders. Everyone got a cheer and lots of up and down jumping.The guy with the flat caught up to us at Concrete. He had a brand new carbon fiber racing bike and he was fast on that thing. I get a little frustrated with the fact we can't do the same speeds on our heavier aluminum touring bikes, but keep reminding myself they are for a different purpose.
Harold had moved his seat up a bit before today's ride and by this time, he was realizing that had been a mistake since his knee was really hurting. He moved the seat back and we hoped he'd be okay from here.
After more Gatorade and a shared cookie and orange, we cycled down the hill and crossed to the south side of Skagit River for the trip back to Sedro Woolley.
We had been hoping the wind would be behind us on the way back, but would have been just as happy with no wind at all. The last thing we wanted was to continue with the headwinds in our faces .... and that's exactly what we got. Still, it was a beautiful ride back down, with very few cars.Half way back we passed the same guy with more trouble with his flat tire. I guess he didn't get out what had caused the first flat and it punctured his spare tube. The ride was over for him and the support truck picked him up and took him to the end.
Our last rest stop was 13 miles before the end where the same cheerleaders were there to meet us. At the 2 mile mark, I got a huge influx of energy and surged ahead of Harold, racing for the finish line.
Lunch was included with the registration, and it was the best meatball sub and salad I'd ever tasted. We decided against having the included ice cream cone and instead drove back to Birch Bay in time for Saturday Sips wine sampling at our local CJ Wijns.
May 24, 2010 Chuckanut Drive and Lake Samish Circle route
Chuckanut Drive is a gorgeous road that winds between the Chuckanut Mountain Range and the shores of Samish Bay, south from the city of Bellingham to the Skagit Valley. Along the way riders enjoy spectacular views of the islands and inland waters off the northwest Washington coast. At one time Chuckanut Drive was the main road south of Bellingham. It is now a scenic highway, popular with tourists, car-commercial photographers, and, of course, bicyclists. Terrain: hilly and windy roads, especially along Chuckanut Drive.
Just a bit after the coast road comes out onto the flat farmlands, we turned left onto Colony Road, following it up and around in a semi circle going back up north again, connecting with Lake Samish Road. We decided on following the lake around on the west side, away from the Interstate and discovered a beautiful, sleepy, little lakeside community I'd sped by a thousand times on I5 but never actually been in.
After the lake comes a series of climbs up, back and forth under the Interstate. Going north, the hill is steeper but shorter. If we'd gone south, we'd have had a very long, but much less steep climb. I think I prefer how we did it as we got a great long winding roll down the other side and back to our car. At 28 miles (45km) we both felt like we could have gone much further. Next time we definitely will.
April 26, 2010 - San Juan Island
I had arranged to buy some used camping equipment from a kayak tour company on San Juan Island, so we decided this would be a great first trip for our new bikes.
We woke up early to drive from Birch Bay to Anacortes, WA and made it just in time to catch the ferry to Friday Harbor. They let the cyclists and pedestrians on first so we rode along the empty car deck to the front where we tied and locked up our bikes, and headed upstairs.
The Washington State DOT ferries are very old, and dated, in contrast to even our oldest BC ferries. The interiors looked like they could use an overhaul, but the views outside were beautiful and the voyage was just over an hour long.
Arriving in Friday Harbor, we were off first, along with the pedestrians. We made our way up the hill from the ferry and through town. The course I had planned on, lead us counter clockwise around the island, about 32 miles (52km) plus a few more miles off the roads.
Right away, as we started riding, I noticed my brakes rubbing as I cycled. They never seemed to let go completely, making for a harder and aggravating ride. We had noticed this issue the day I bought the bike so we'd already taken it back once and they swore they'd fixed it. I put on my iPod and tried to ignore the sound and problem but it definitely put a damper on things.
A few miles outside town, on Roche Harbor Road, we stopped at San Juan Vineyards to sample their wines. They charge $1 per taste so we sampled a few and settled on their 2007 Cabernet-Merlot blend.
This is a blend of 50% Merlot from Kestrel View Estates, Yakima Valley with Brix at 27; 25% Cabernet-Sauvignon from Kestrel View Estates, Yakima Valley with Brix at 25; and 25% Cabernet Franc from Alder Ridge vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills Ava, Brix at 26.
Harold tried to fix the issue with my breaks at our stop here, but when I got back on, the sound and feel was exactly the same. It was very hard not to get in a funk about it, but we had been looking forward to this ride, and I knew we had another 30 miles to go, so I pasted a smile on my face, plugged the headphones back in my ears and kept telling myself I was having a wonderful time.
The terrain along the north side is rolling hills all the way up to Roche Harbor, about 8 miles (13km) from town. I was unprepared for the ambiance and glamour of this resort area. The bay is filled with yachts of the filthy rich.
Named in honor of Richard Roche, who served under British Captain Henry Kellett in 1846 and Captain James Charles Prevost in 1857-60. The resort was formerly a company town surrounding the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company, which was incorporated in 1886. Lime production was a major industry and revenue source for a corporation run by John S. McMillin, whose ashes are buried in a large mausoleum nearby. The focal point of the resort is the historic Hotel de Haro, where Theodore Roosevelt stayed in 1907.
We headed back inland a bit and down the coast to the English Camp National Historic park. This is the site of the British Army camp during the Pig War set up in 1859 as response to a border dispute triggered by the killing of a pig. The camp, and the American camp on the south of the island, were occupied for 12 years, until the Treaty of Washington was signed, negotiated by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany. The British abandoned their camp in November 1872, while the American camp was disbanded in July 1874.
The terrain became more hilly at this point. We had a long crawl up, which was agonizing on my bike since it felt like I had to push twice as hard, then the hill down was a welcome relief. Harold had been offering to switch bikes with me, but I had turned him down until we got about half way around to San Juan County Park. The park contains rustic campsites right on the coast and more importantly has hiker-biker campsites. We are told, during whale season, this is one of the best places to see whales, dolphins and porpoises from shore. The absolute best whale watching site is supposedly from Lime Kiln State Park, just down the road, considered one of the best land based Orca viewing areas anywhere.
The road runs right along the coast down the southwest side and this is where the biggest hills come in. Now that Harold and I had switched bikes, I didn't have the pain of having to push twice as hard, but even though Harold had tried to adjust our seats, the fit wasn't right and it was a pretty painful ride. The views of Vancouver Island and the waters between were just awesome however, and it was hard to maintain a bad mood.
Cutting back along the south side, we decided against going to American Camp since we had to be back in Friday Harbor to meet the guy who was selling us the camping gear, and to be honest, I was quite happy to be finishing. We waited for him in a seaside lounge, enjoying an appetizer and a glass of wine. He arrived with a beautiful old yellow lab, and we plied him with questions about the islands and whale watching, then packed up our newly purchased equipment, and boarded the ferry back to the mainland.
The Washington State DOT ferries are very old, and dated, in contrast to even our oldest BC ferries. The interiors looked like they could use an overhaul, but the views outside were beautiful and the voyage was just over an hour long.
Arriving in Friday Harbor, we were off first, along with the pedestrians. We made our way up the hill from the ferry and through town. The course I had planned on, lead us counter clockwise around the island, about 32 miles (52km) plus a few more miles off the roads.
Right away, as we started riding, I noticed my brakes rubbing as I cycled. They never seemed to let go completely, making for a harder and aggravating ride. We had noticed this issue the day I bought the bike so we'd already taken it back once and they swore they'd fixed it. I put on my iPod and tried to ignore the sound and problem but it definitely put a damper on things.
This is a blend of 50% Merlot from Kestrel View Estates, Yakima Valley with Brix at 27; 25% Cabernet-Sauvignon from Kestrel View Estates, Yakima Valley with Brix at 25; and 25% Cabernet Franc from Alder Ridge vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills Ava, Brix at 26.
Harold tried to fix the issue with my breaks at our stop here, but when I got back on, the sound and feel was exactly the same. It was very hard not to get in a funk about it, but we had been looking forward to this ride, and I knew we had another 30 miles to go, so I pasted a smile on my face, plugged the headphones back in my ears and kept telling myself I was having a wonderful time.
The terrain along the north side is rolling hills all the way up to Roche Harbor, about 8 miles (13km) from town. I was unprepared for the ambiance and glamour of this resort area. The bay is filled with yachts of the filthy rich.
The terrain became more hilly at this point. We had a long crawl up, which was agonizing on my bike since it felt like I had to push twice as hard, then the hill down was a welcome relief. Harold had been offering to switch bikes with me, but I had turned him down until we got about half way around to San Juan County Park. The park contains rustic campsites right on the coast and more importantly has hiker-biker campsites. We are told, during whale season, this is one of the best places to see whales, dolphins and porpoises from shore. The absolute best whale watching site is supposedly from Lime Kiln State Park, just down the road, considered one of the best land based Orca viewing areas anywhere.
The road runs right along the coast down the southwest side and this is where the biggest hills come in. Now that Harold and I had switched bikes, I didn't have the pain of having to push twice as hard, but even though Harold had tried to adjust our seats, the fit wasn't right and it was a pretty painful ride. The views of Vancouver Island and the waters between were just awesome however, and it was hard to maintain a bad mood.
Cutting back along the south side, we decided against going to American Camp since we had to be back in Friday Harbor to meet the guy who was selling us the camping gear, and to be honest, I was quite happy to be finishing. We waited for him in a seaside lounge, enjoying an appetizer and a glass of wine. He arrived with a beautiful old yellow lab, and we plied him with questions about the islands and whale watching, then packed up our newly purchased equipment, and boarded the ferry back to the mainland.
Cycling is my lemonade
When I was accused of over training by others, they often gave me lines like "Too much of a good thing can be bad." or "Everything in moderation."
Later, when it turned out they were right, and I had to give up running, I told myself to take those lemons, and make lemonade.
Harold and I took up cycling as part of our overall exercise plans, but have come to enjoy it more than anything else. We rode often last year, and told ourselves that if we still loved it, we'd invest in better bikes this year.
After deliberating, we chose touring bikes, so we can carry all our gear for long distances and be self sufficient. We purchased two Novara Safari touring bikes from REI. The price was fantastic, especially when we used our 20% dividend coupons, we liked the looks, and feel, especially the butterfly handlebars and reviews of the bike were very favourable.
We have since been investing in cycling, and camping equipment, reading everything we can about what we need, where we want to go, how we want to do it all. The original plan was to ready ourselves for the STP - Seattle to Portland ride, which is a long ride for us. It's two days, and 200 miles (322km in Canadian). The most we'd done last year was 50 miles (80km) in a day.
Unfortunately, I decided to register 4 days after they'd sold the last spot. Here I'd thought they'd never sell 10,000 spots 4 months early! Then I heard they sold out the RSVP - Seattle to Vancouver ride in 4 hours on January 1st! Guess I'll know better next year. In the meantime, we're waiting to see if any new spots come open, while still training. I've also found a number of other rides to keep us busy all summer long.
Summer is, after all, the best time for lemonade.
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