Day 91 - Lopez island, WA to Friday harbor, WA - Can('t) Hurt Me - CycleBlaze

August 12, 2021

Day 91 - Lopez island, WA to Friday harbor, WA

Meet your heros

The smoke rolled in overnight
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This morning we took the 10 am ferry to Friday harbor. We slept in extra long because of an unexpected smoke layer that descended into the bay. It obscures the sun so you it feels earlier than it really is. We packed leisurely and rode the short 4 miles to the ferry.  Once you get on the islands you don't have to pay to get around (on foot or bike, revenge on the cars), so we just hopped on and rode to Friday harbor.

Here is the harbor and the town, the ferry ride is about an hour because you stop at shaw and orcas islands first. There are alot of other bike tourists just riding the islands here, so we don't stand out too much
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We reached out to a host in town who let us camp in his yard. He was only 1000' from the ferry, so we dropped off the bike and walked into town to see the sights. We brought some snacks back to the house and chilled with our host, John, for a few hours before we went back to town for food. We came to Friday harbor partly to meet the creator of cycle blaze, Jeff, who invited us to have food from the local vegan restaurant. We met downtown in a park by the marina and ate tacos. We met Jeff and his family and talked for a while about bike touring and other life adventures. Like us, Jeff and Kristen are in the process off building a small home. They seemed like an older version of us and it was really cool to get some life advice and ideas from like-minded, but more experienced people. We chatted for a while and parted ways. I think they have given us some food for thought about next steps and the natural progressions of life. We went back to the house and talked some more with John. John has toured alot and is a bike fanatic. We enjoyed talking to someone who had a similar experience since he had done the northern tier. We talked alot about generosity and hospitality. We also talked alot of gear and bikes. John was as tall as me, so it was nice to hear his perspective on bikes and everyday life. It's not often I can commiserate like that. He was also a great story teller, so it was fun to listen and relax. We went outside around 9 to set up the tent and went to bed shortly after. It was still smoky so we couldn't see much, but you could tell it was normally a really scenic area. 

We haven't been doing many miles a day for the last few days, which has been really nice. The islands have a ton of exploration areas, but we just feel like sitting around. I think it's about time to take a break from the bike. We are ready to have a place to stay for a while and a kitchen to cook in. I think the islands have been perfect for winding down.

Mileage:4
Altitude gain:not much

I didn't take to many pictures today, so here is a random picture on the ferry. I didn't get permission for this picture so don't tell anyone
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Today's ride: 4 miles (6 km)
Total: 4,692 miles (7,551 km)

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