The day was sunny and warm. Temperatures ranged from mid 60’s (briefly near the ocean) to mid 90’s. Seattle experienced the hottest June on record and so far July is pretty warm as well, though we’re only a couple days into the month.
Distance: 352 miles
Time to complete: 10 hrs (with stops and ferry ride)
The plan today was to meet up with Will and Carson to share their final day of a short vacation on Will’s Suzuki V-Strom. They were staying overnight in Hoquiam, WA.
I left the house shortly after 8am to meet them at their motel in Hoquiam. I wanted to stop for a latte somewhere close to Olympia and decided to try The Blue Heron Bakery off Hwy 101 just west of Olympia. I stopped their on the first day of my first multi-week trip, the 2014 Western States Tour. I remember it being very good (they bake their own goods) and wanted to try it again. They have moved to a new location about 1 mile from their old locale. Unfortunately, while the new digs were nice, the latte wasn’t so good today 🙁
Regular readers will know that Will is my usual riding buddy and Carson is my housemate. They have been gone for three days, exploring the Oregon Coast. Today was their last day on the road and I used that as an excuse to go riding 🙂
Once I reached Hoquiam, and after a stop for gas, the three of us rode up Hwy 101, taking in some scenery.
The temperatures were coolest at this point, next to ocean with a cool breeze.
We continued on to Forks, where we had burgers at the Mill Creek Bar and Grill and I drank about a gallon of ice tea. The temperature here was more than 20 degrees warmer than at the beach.
Hwy 101 continues north and we stopped at Lake Crescent.
This area is really very beautiful. I will have to camp up here some this year.
The ferry terminal was crowded, but motorcycles (and bicycles) get priority boarding so it was just a matter of pulling right up to the front of the line 🙂
Priority boarding incentivizes island residents who use ferries to commute to work to avoid lines by either riding a motorcycle (or a bicycle). You can see how many motorcyclists do just that, at least on sunny days.
I’ve mentioned many times that finishing a ride on the ferry is just so relaxing. Today it was also warm and sunny – a great chance to capture a photo or two of Seattle.
It was a great day to be out and about!