Day 16 - Lopez to Anacortes - Ferry Good Times: Cycling the Salish Sea

June 13, 2025

Day 16 - Lopez to Anacortes

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I wake to a gray, cold morning. The clouds are high, though, there is no rain forecast, and the sun is supposed to show its face in the afternoon, so I dress in layers. The water in the bay is so calm it’s like glass. I snap a couple of pictures.

Gen is our designated driver today, but Rich isn’t feeling well. He’s coughing and his throat is sore, so he decides to drive and Gen suits up for the ride.

Since the restaurant here doesn’t serve breakfast, she, Jim, and I drive into Lopez Village to the local bakery to see what they have for breakfast. I am hoping they have something like a breakfast croissant or sandwich. But no luck there. The only savory pastry is a bacon and Gruyère swirl. So I buy 2 and a chai tea cake (kind of like banana bread) and take these back to our room to share with Rich. I have a slice of cheese and a few raspberries we had in the fridge, and I’m satisfied and ready to ride.

The three of us leave a little before 10:30 am. The air is brisk, but we warm up quickly climbing a hill. From there, it’s up and down, rollers and lovely long, downhills.

About 13 miles in, we take a detour to Spencer Spit State Park to walk out on the spit for which the park is named. Coming back up the road from the park, we’re supposed to take a right on Westpark Lane, but when we get there we see No Trespassing signs. Well, so much for RideWithGPS recommended routes.

We recalculate our route and detour back to Port Stanley Rd, which takes us directly to Ferry Rd. We’re a bit early. While we’re waiting, we chat with another cyclist, a young woman who likes to bike pack and is doing so on her own. We’re impressed with her stamina and bravery (Gen and I both agree that we probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable traveling alone at her age.)

Back in Anacortes, we put our bikes in sport mode and ride up the ramp and down the road as fast as possible to get ahead of the ferry traffic. It works, and we make our way to an official bike lane ahead of the cars. Whew!

In order to stay off the main road as much as possible, Jim has routed us along side streets. We make a right turn onto one of these side streets, right into a wall. Well, not an actual wall — but a one-block hill that has to be at least a 20% grade. I had been riding in a heavy gear, going downhill. When I see the steep road, I manage to go down 2 gears and shift to turbo mode, but it isn’t enough. I stand and with all my strength and weight grind my way up, groaning and saying OMG, and Sh*t. There happens to be some kids walking up the hill. They cheer us on saying, “You’ve got this!” Gen and I barely make it to the top in this fashion. Jim seems to have an easier time — he doesn’t stand. Perhaps he was in a lower gear to begin with.

When we arrive at the hotel, Rich is waiting for us in the parking lot, having followed our progress using Apple’s Find My app.

After Jim checks into the hotel, the three of us ride down the Tommy Thompson trail, just for fun. On the way back, Jim sees his brother, John, and wife, Ann, walking along the trail. What a complete surprise! John and his wife store their boat in a boatyard here in Anacortes, but Gen and Jim didn’t know our visit would overlap with theirs. Ann and I chat for a bit while Jim and Gen tour John’s boat. Then we head back to the hotel.

Rich is still not feeling well, and we decide to order takeout at the nearby Thai restaurant and eat at the hotel, instead of going out.

Tomorrow is a rest and laundry day. Perhaps Gen and I will explore the downtown area, and maybe I’ll visit the local yarn shop.