America the Beautiful

We’re back.

Best border photo ever!

No, we’re not home. We’re not done traveling. We still have some 4,500+ miles to go.

But we’re in the USA. And it feels good.

We’ve really been talking about it for months. Our return to the homeland has been long-anticipated. We didn’t exactly want to rush our arrival to the US, because it means the end of our cycling journey is in sight. Now we’re on our way home. When asked, we say we’re cycling to Alabama… where we’re from.

But ultimately, we’ve been eager to return to the States and enjoy some easy cycle touring in familiar territory. It’s not overly familiar… neither of us has spent much time in the Pacific Northwest before. But there’s a general comfort of being in our own country… we feel like we’re cruising. Asking directions? Always in the native tongue. Needing water? Just stop and fill up at most any old faucet—the water’s safe here. Looking for the grocery store? There’s one in every town, and navigating it to find the food we need is a breeze. Ready to stop for the night? Free camping in random small towns along the way is no big deal. Basically… every part of our life has gotten easier since landing in North America.

One evening this became particularly clear as our day drew to an end in Stanwood, Washington. We pulled up at a stop sign, getting ready to head into downtown and ask if we could camp at a church (or whatever else we could find). Just then, we heard a friendly voice call out to us, asking where we were going. We turned to meet Dan, who was out walking his dogs for the evening. We began the conversation with our short answer that we are headed to San Francisco, coming from Vancouver.  But Dan knew better. He pointed out that our bags looked like they had been farther than that. So we ended up going into the long version, and before we knew it, he was extending an invitation to come pitch our tent at his place.

Dan and his wife Rebecca further extended their hospitality by inviting us to join them for dinner. She cooked up some yummy enchiladas (good Mexican food, another North American delight). Before we knew it, she was baking a made-from scratch apple-rhubarb crisp! We went to bed showered and with full stomachs, so grateful for the kindness shown by our own countrymen.

What a delicious treat… then we piled whip cream on top.

Our free camping has included some of the best options the US has to offer: we managed to camp at two town parks and one church. Then in Seattle, we stayed with a warmshower… amazing! Susan and her husband Brice had ridden across the US last summer, so they knew what it was like to be on the receiving end. Susan went above and beyond to show the best hospitality to us. She seemed to take great delight in absolutely spoiling us, especially with food, as she cooked us bacon and eggs for breakfast and sent us away with bags of homemade cookies.

Susan prepared a feast our first night: fresh salmon, parmesan rice, mashed sweet potatoes and kale with cheese. Amazing.

Some other highlights of our first week include meeting Will, a Canadian cyclist on his first tour. We cycled together for a day and a half before parting ways. We’re always grateful to make new friends and have company as we pedal along. Our riding has also taken us past some stellar scenery. We’ve been fortunate enough to have cloudless blue skies, which afford us unhindered views of the Cascade and Olympic mountains. As the locals say, “the mountains are out today.” And they’ve been out every day! What a treat!

With our new friend Will!

The Olympic mountains ahead, while the Cascades are somewhere behind.

Unfortunately the best shot we’ve gotten of Mt. Rainier. It towered over us for several days of riding… but we never had a clear shot. We finally got it, but it’s clouded by the smog and industry of Tacoma in the foreground.

We also spent a day in Seattle… a large chunk of our day was used to wander in awe around the largest REI in the world—the flagship store in downtown. We’re making some gear decisions before we press on toward home, so the research trip was useful. We also picked up some necessary bike parts… again, it’s so convenient to be able to find everything we need. And what trip to Seattle would be complete without some local coffee? We enjoyed a tasty brew from Vivace… conveniently located across the street from REI.

A Saturday in Seattle is always better with coffee!

So far, so good! We couldn’t have asked for a better start to the journey across our beautiful homeland.