Moving On to Lopez - Plan B in Action - CycleBlaze

July 9, 2014

Moving On to Lopez

We packed up our campsite and rode back to Friday Harbor. We had plenty of time before the ferry so we dropped my bike at Island Bikes for derailleur adjustments (it was being uncooperative again, jumping cogs without provocation) and bought more groceries. Island Bikes didn't charge for the work so I bought a rear view mirror to try and we boarded the ferry for the short trip to Lopez Island.

I'd never been to Lopez before; Al had but before he met me, and that was 26 years ago. The fellow at Island Bikes recommended camping at the county park close to the ferry terminal so we went there first. We learned something new: hiker-biker sites can be reserved in advance and most of the sites had been. Before taking the one unoccupied site, Al wanted to try the state park, where he remembered camping on the beach.

It was a pleasant ride over to Spencer Spit State Park. On the board, prices were listed for hiker-biker sites but they were not indicated on the map and regular sites were quite expensive. We rode around the campground looking and wondered whether they were up the roadway towards the service area. We finally found an employee to ask who confirmed that that road into the bush led to the hiker-biker sites. After being among the little lakes on San Juan, this wasn't appealing. He also said there was one biker site down by the beach but it might be taken. We walked our bikes down to it and sure enough, it was occupied. The buggy sites in the evergreens did not appeal at all, so back to Odlin County Park we went.

Al went off in search of cold beer and I set up and started dinner.  It took him a while because he had to go all the way to Lopez Village.

Friday Harbor from the ferry
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We both liked this road sign. Al thought nearby residents must wonder about all the tourists who pose with it (but we were the only ones we saw)
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I've got to work on Al's photo-taking skills. He's getting better at composition but everything he takes with my iPhone is fuzzy.
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