USA (2) PART ONE
SEATTLE TO SAN FRANCISCO
8 173
Kilometres – 134 Days
22 MAY – 1 OCTOBER 2014
22 MAY – 1 OCTOBER 2014
PART ONE
SEATTLE - SAN FRANCISCO
22 May - 22 June
1700 Km - 31Days
SEATTLE - SAN FRANCISCO
22 May - 22 June
1700 Km - 31Days
Washington Photos
Washington
22 May – Seoul, South Korea - Seattle, Washington,
USA
My flight from South Korea landed in Seattle USA, just
as the sun started peaking over the horizon. The early morning light was
amazing, and water and forests, a beautiful sight, surrounded the city. The
remarkable part was arriving in Seattle before leaving Beijing, China. Dead
tired, I collected my luggage, hailed a taxi and headed to downtown Seattle. We
first swung by the bike shop to drop the bicycle and then searched for the
hostel booked. Discovering my backpack, containing all my valuable items, was
left in the taxi, no doubt, put me in a flat spin, to put it mildly. Yellow
Taxi Cabs had a lost-and-found section, but I only left my details as I’d no
phone number, car registration number or name to give them.
A snooze was called for as I never slept a wink
during the flight. On waking, I discovered the lost bag placed on my bedside
table. Happy dance! It must be mentioned, the taxi driver was the sweetest
Somali guy, and we chatted non-stop during the ride from the airport. I knew if
someone were going to return the bag, it would be him. So, a massive thank you
to this unknown Somalian taxi driver.
23 May - Seattle
The next day was to explore the city as I’d a day
or two to kill while the bike was serviced. The cycling maps ordered would also
take a few days to arrive. Seattle had a lovely waterfront and market area and
a delightful old town that made a pleasant stroll.
Following the obligatory cup of coffee at
Starbucks, REI was up next. Big mistake as the store was quite marvellous. They
had nearly everything a person could need for the outdoors, and all looked good
quality stuff. I soon discovered it was pretty impossible to leave without
buying something - this time, a solar panel to charge my growing number of
devices.
24 May - Seattle
No maps came, but the bicycle was ready and not
simply did the shop thoroughly service the bike but they also fixed the broken
front rack. A Garmin North America map could be bought from Best Buy located on
the opposite side of town. In the process, I got to ride all kinds of public
transport. Purchasing the map was easy, and all one had to do was download the
map from the internet; easy — famous last words.
25 May - Seattle
I was lucky to meet up with Mike (a 365-project
friend), and we sauntered to the folk festival. Later, we walked up the hill to
get a few night shots of the city skyline. Thanks, Mike.
26 May - Seattle
Getting itchy feet, I was keen to get going, but it
would be a waste of money leaving without the maps ordered so I, stayed one
more day.
A fascinating underground tour kept me busy. Way
back in the 1800s, Seattle was a low-lying city built upon tidal flats whose
streets were regularly flooded. Eventually, the town council raised the street
level by building retaining walls, increasing the city level by one story. It’s
underneath these streets where the morning was spent.
I later learned the maps had arrived a day earlier,
but no one told me and I never asked. Silly me!
27 May - Seattle – Shelton - 80 km
Boarding the ferry that took passengers from
Seattle to Bremerton was with great excitement as it was my first day on the
road in the mighty USA. Unfortunately, not a significant distance was covered as
it was already late upon reaching Bremerton.
From Bremerton, Route 3 headed south. The scenery
was sublime and entirely unfamiliar, featuring tall pine trees and a snowy
mountain backdrop. Even though not warm, the sun was out, and a pleasant day
was spent pedalling to Shelton.
Being Memorial Day, the fascinating thing was that
practically every village passed had a festival of fete of sorts, complete with
corn dogs and lemonade. This was the USA, after all! Shortly before historic
Shelton, a campground lured me in, a good choice as it provided a nearby food
store.
28 May - Shelton – Centralia - 120 km
I emerged to a drizzle that lasted all day.
Although cold, the ride remained beautiful, past small settlements resembling
movie sets.
Centralia, dating to the 1800s, came as a pleasant
surprise and revealed a historic downtown. Tiny Centralia was a delightful
place where camping was behind a motel. With a food store nearby, the hotel made
perfect camping. These places were fascinating as there were many homeless,
disabled, drug addicts or mentally ill people. However, they were all
exceedingly kind and eager to help wherever possible.
29 May - Centralia – Longview - 115 km
The next morning, a cycle through town revealed old
murals and buildings after which the route took me out of town. The day turned
out great as the sun shone, and the vistas were magnificent. At the same time,
the path proceeded past a multitude of villages.
Towards the end of the day, and upon reaching
Longview, home to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, a motel was the single option.
Unfortunately, Longview had no camping, and a motel was a blessing as the
weather became freezing.
Oregon
30 May - Longview – Fort Stevens State Park - 115
km
From Longview, Route 4 followed the Columbian
River, which turned out part of the historic Lewis and Clark Trail, both a
cycle and hiking trail. The path followed the river until reaching Cathlamet
from where one could cross the Columbian river to the state of Oregon. Crossing
the river was in two parts, first by bridge to the island in the middle of the river,
and then by ferry to Westport.
Cyclists met while crossing the river advised about
state camping on the outskirts of Astoria, and heading there, was thus, a no-brainer.
In addition, Astoria had an excellent tourist information which provided good
information about the route and camping further south.
Once stocked up, I set out in the direction of the
park. The park was vast and immensely fascinating, and not merely was the park
the breeding ground of the snowy plovers, but it hit used remains of an old
fort, a shipwreck, as well as hiking and biking trails. Soon, the other
cyclists I met earlier arrived, and by evening a big campfire was made, both to
keep warm and to socialise.
31 May - Fort Stevens State Park – Nehalem Bay
State Park - 70 km
After packing up, I waved goodbye to the other
cyclists and set off in the direction of the next state park. These parks were
quite fantastic as they had Hike & Bike sections where one could camp at a
mere five or $6. This suited me fine, as I’d no intention of rushing down the
coast.
The day’s ride was stunning, and the views quite
spectacular. Reaching Nehalem Bay was in good time, where the tent was pitched,
and one could laze about the rest of the day. The park was located along a
sandbank between the ocean and the Nehalem River and offered popular beach
horse rides. Later, the other cyclists (Lam and Jeffry) arrived and a fire was
made again to keep warm and heat supper.
1 June - Nehalem Bay State Park – Cape Lookout SP -
62 km
Following the coast brought many remarkable sights.
Shortly after stopping at The Three Graces or Crab Rock, Garibaldi made an
excellent opportunity to grab a bite to eat. This small settlement had a whole
host of fascinating things.
Even though stopping gazillions of times, Cape
Lookout SP was reached early. The park had a few hiking trails leading to a
lookout which kept me busy the rest of the day.
2 June - Cape Lookout SP – Pacific City - 30 km
First thing in the morning, the road climbed up and
over the hills to Pacific City. Once in town, and while filling up my water, a
super-friendly guy started a conversation, and we chattered for a while. He
turned out the Pacific Inn owner, and no sooner was I ensconced in a lovely
room, free of charge! Not only was I generously given a place to stay, but the
staff offered to do my laundry, and I hoped this kind offer wasn’t due to me
reeking to high heaven.
The rest of the day was spent charging devices and
chilling out watching TV. What luxury! By evening, I considered it time to do
the American thing and eat at a traditional pub featuring country music, beer
on tap and burgers. Oh, my word, what’s with the massive portions?
3 June - Pacific City – Beverly Beach SP - 70 km
Not thinking I would see Lam and Jeffry again, I
was surprised to find them shortly beyond Pacific City, slowly crawling up a
long hill. We cycled together, had coffee at McDonald’s, and shopped at a small
grocery store. Afterwards, we agreed to meet at the next Hike & Bike and we
hence proceeded at our own pace.
The stretch to Beverly Beach was short but
exceptionally scenic, past Neskowin Beach, Boiler Bay, Pirate Cove, Rocky Creek
and Devil’s Punchbowl.
4 June - Beverly Beach SP – Jessie M Honeyman - 70
km
Lam and Jeffry wanted to visit the bike shop the
following morning, and I continued south. Spotting a fudge shop, a place no
cyclist ever cycles past, two large pieces were purchased. While outside the
shop, devouring one, the owner presented me with one of her famous chocolate
brownies, neatly wrapped. Was that super kind or what? And I assumed capitalism
was indeed dead!
5 June - Jessie M Honeyman - Bullards Beach - 112
km
From Jessie M Honeyman, an undulating coastal road
led to Bullards Beach. The Oregon coast was picturesque and even more so with a
tailwind. A few cyclists were already set up by the time I slinked into camp.
Unfortunately, the wind was super strong, and two of my tent poles broke while
pitching the tent in the high wind. Fortunately, other cyclists could help to
repair it.
6 June - Bullards Beach – Gold Beach - 100 km
Flying out of Bullard’s Beach was with the aid of a
45 km/h wind, confirming cycling south was a good idea. Gold Beach, situated
along the Rogue River, was so named following the discovery of gold in the
river’s mouth in the mid-1800s. Unfortunately, the wind was howling, and best
to give camping a miss as I didn’t entirely trust the tent in the strong wind.
A short walk led to a grocery store as well as a
laundry where Steve, a remarkably fascinating man, was busy doing laundry. He
appeared homeless, travelling by bicycle much like me, except I wasn’t
interesting. His bicycle wasn’t a touring bike but appeared a “trick bike” with
which he pulled a trailer stacked with three crates. He was the kindest person
one could imagine and offered me his last washing powder, so I didn’t have to
purchase any from the machine. How kind is that?
Returning, a store selling peculiar bits and bobs
lured me in and, to my surprise, I uncovered a pack of tarot cards. I lost mine
ages ago and couldn’t believe they were sold in this tiny village.
7 June - Gold Beach – Crescent City - 116 km
The next morning, en route to Crescent City, I again
ran into Steve, who was busy collecting cans. He quickly offered me a muffin he
had bought earlier and gave me a beautiful feather, something which nearly made
me burst into tears. Still, the fact he remembered my name, impressed me most.
We chatted a while before I waved him goodbye,
leaving him to his job of collecting cans. A short distance further, the route
crossed the state line into California. It led past farmlands and small settlements,
and I was surprised to meet a cyclist on his way north. Riding north meant he
was into the prevailing wind, and not simply did he have a huge load but a
crate (instead of a handlebar bag) holding a puppy. The little thing looked
quite happy sitting there, enjoying the scenery. In Crescent City, and
enquiring about camping, the closest was a wild camp without water or
facilities. The next one seemed too far away - a perfect excuse to find a room.
Interestingly enough, just like most towns cycled
through, tribes inhabited this region. Sadly, foreign trappers, settlers and
gold miners reached the area in the mid-1800s, robbing them of their land, like
in parts of Africa and Australia.
California
8 June - Crescent City - Palm Café & Motel - 70
km
Shortly after Crescent City, a cyclist was parked
by the side of the road. She wasn’t merely equipped with four panniers but also
a trailer, home to two dogs. I could barely get myself up the hills, let alone
pull a cart and two dogs!
It became a beautiful day of cycling - the sun was
out, and the route headed through forests and from time to time along the
coast. Still, the area remained undulating and included one big(ish) climb. My
legs felt tired, and though cycling days were short, there were no rest days
since departing Seattle.
Later I ran into Casy, whom I’d met previously. We
chatted a while and I decided to stay put at a nearby motel. The motel was way
over-priced but feeling tired; I paid the price. The café had good food, as
well as a daily special, which made the decision even easier.
9 June - Palm Café & Motel - Clam Beach State
Park - 40 km
Trinidad’s pretty town and picture-perfect harbour
and lighthouse called for a photo stop and shopping at the village store. Not
much further, I caught up to another cyclist, and we cycled the few kilometres
to Clam Beach campsite. Albeit early, Clam Beach seemed a good enough place to
spend the night. The ground, nevertheless, later turned out somewhat exposed
and sandy.
10 June - Clam Beach – Humboldt Redwood State Park
- 95 km
From Clam Beach, country roads took me to Humboldt
Redwood State Park. The areas outside the big cities were surprisingly rural.
With its old town and Victorian houses, Eureka made
a perfect place to shop for a new tent. Adventures Edge, an outdoor store
offering a good selection of camping equipment was just the place. With the new
tent strapped to the bike, I was eager to try it out.
Soon afterwards, a turnoff pointed to Avenue of the
Giants. What a spectacular sight, to see massive Redwood trees said the tallest
trees in the world. These trees can get up to 2,000 years old. Virtually all
the trees in the park were between 400 and 600 years old; which is pretty old
for a tree.
Red Crescent had no grocery store, and I was
pointed down the hill to the previous campsite. I sped downhill only to find no
shop, then back up the hill to the next camp. I, luckily, had enough food to
see me through. Eager to try the new tent, which was surprisingly easy to pitch
and like moving into a new house. Slightly bigger and heavier than the
lightweight one-person hiking tent used to date, it turned out a perfect tent
made by Columbia, which lasted many years afterwards.
11 June - Humboldt Redwood State Park
Humboldt Redwood State Park was so unique it called
for a day of hiking. Following cycling the four miles to the shop to stock up,
I returned to my spot in the woods. The camp was surprisingly quiet for such a
beautiful location, and me the sole camper. Later, more cyclists and Kat (the
lady with the dogs) arrived. Our chatter continued until late as she was a
fascinating yoga teacher who previously lived in India.
12 June - Humboldt Redwoods SP – Standish-Hickey SP
- 80 km
The following morning, and in the next village, a
family cycle touring the region recommended Standish-Hickey SP. I was told of a
substantial hill looming, and best to tackle it on fresh legs. I thought this
sound advice and cycled to the said campsite where I was the single camper.
13 June - Standish-Hickey SP – Mendocino - 88 km
The next morning, my route ran past the drive-thru
tree and I snapped a few more pictures. Afterwards, I continued over the
mountain which mercifully wasn’t as severe as predicted. The road soon spat me
out at the coast, where a hilly ride took me via Fort Brag and to the next Hike
& Bike.
14 June - Mendocino - Manchester Beach KOA - 66 km
The day was a short but immensely hilly ride and,
as the internet was a priority, I pulled into KOA Manchester Beach thinking
such a large and well-known campsite would’ve Wi-Fi as well as laundry
facilities. But, unfortunately, the Wi-Fi was a disappointment and only free
for an hour. Moreover, my Wi-Fi was quite useless as I never had a connection.
The laundry, nevertheless, came in handy and I chucked a few things into the
machine.
15 June - Manchester Beach KOA - Bodega Bay Dunes
State Park - 120 km
The Californian coast was slightly undulating, but
a beautiful one that called for numerous photo stops. Then, with good weather
and cycling a pleasure, I proceeded to Bodega Bay.
16 June - Bodega Bay – San Rafael - 134 km
I veered inland to Bodega City, which offers interesting
bits and pieces. The city and bay had a long history. As elsewhere, the Miwoks
were the original landowners and the Spanish first surveyed the area in 1775.
The Russians claimed the area for King and Country in the 1800s. To this day
their legacy remains in names like the Russian River State Marine Recreational
Management Area and the Russian River State Marine Conservation Area, two
marine-protected areas in the Russian River.
The town was further The Birds’ film location, and
the old schoolhouse was still used. Roadworks and detours encountered made a
long day on the bicycle.
Eventually, I landed in San Rafael where a motel
room became home that night due to a lack of camping. San Rafael was awfully
close to San Francisco, but it was already late and I’d enough cycling for one
day.
17 June - San Rafael – San Francisco - 35 km
A short cycle led over the iconic Golden Gate
Bridge and into San Francisco. Shortly past the bridge, I met a cyclist who
accompanied me to a hostel. Unfortunately, the first one was full. So we
continued past the waterfront to the next one, but only after stopping for
coffee and a bagel. The Adelaide Hostel turned out lovely (a tad pricy but so
were all hostels in SF). It came with a complimentary breakfast and a highly
central location.
I used the internet to catch up on online work but
discovered that I had lost my daily journal.
I further discovered my phone’s SIM card slot
faulty; no wonder my phone never had an internet connection. The Garmin map
bought in Seattle never loaded on my device and I sent them an email inquiring
regarding what to do. As if that wasn’t enough, my camera lens got stuck (after
dropping the camera). Although still functioning, it lost the auto-focus. At
the camera store, I bought a new lens. It wasn’t good quality but an 18-200
lens and, hence, one instead of the two previously carted around.
18 June - San Francisco
I further visited the computer shop to see if they
could retrieve the lost file. The weather in San Francisco was glorious and a
good day to take the streetcar to the waterfront. Besides wondering about and
blending in, I obtained information regarding a train to Seattle. The news was
good as a train departed San Francisco daily at around 22h00 to Seattle.
One still had to put the bicycle in a box,
available at the station for $15 plus a $10 handling fee. I further understood
all one had to do was go to the AM track office, where the bike and bags would
be loaded onto the train. Though the train was from Emeryville, the ticket
included a bus ride from the Amtrak office to the train station.
The plan was to return to Seattle and cycle from
there, either across Canada or east across the US. In the meantime, my new
passport was eventually ready, which my sister forwarded to the hostel in
Seattle. Happy days!
19 June - San Francisco
With no phone call or email from the computer shop,
I took a walk to find out what was happening. Regrettably, they couldn’t
recover the lost file, and a big blank remained in the journal.
Garmin never returned the email, and I sent them an
additional message; it didn’t make any difference as they never answered
emails. Such poor service.
I was eager to get going but could hardly leave
without the laptop. I further needed to apply for a Canadian visa, which seemed
more trouble than it was worth. The online application was lengthy, and I lost
interest even before registering. What a mission!
20 June - San Francisco
All these tedious doings were getting to me, and I
joined a walking tour of San Francisco. Afterwards, a visit to the computer
shop revealed they were still busy, and they advised me to check the following
day. However, as the next day was a Saturday, they only opened at 12h00, which
meant one more day in San Francisco.
At the hostel, a more serious effort was made to
complete Canada’s lengthy and complicated online visa application. My word, it
was like applying to become president. Canada wanted all your family
information, both dead and alive and therefore, late at night when all was
finished.
21 June - San Francisco
After breakfast, I picked up my laptop, and once at
the hostel, I could complete the visa information. Still, there was no word about
what form the visa would take and how it should be collected, and I guessed
some form of proof would be emailed. The website gave the estimated processing
times for the various offices but not an online application.
Eventually, all was done and even if no processing
time was mentioned, I imagined it would be a long wait, in the region of three
weeks or more.
22 June - San Francisco
I made my way to the Amtrak station. The bike boxes
sold were quite large and easy to fit the bicycle once the pedals were removed
and the handlebars turned sideways. The remainder of my stuff went into one
large bag (bought in China Town). Unfortunately, the train wasn’t due until
evening, and I’d a whole day to kill.
The best part of the day was spent trying to rewrite
my lost journal - a laborious task - and by evening a short stroll took me
downtown to the Amtrak office, from where busses ran to Emeryville.
The train was a strange setup – I’d never seen a
double-storey train before. It was extremely comfortable and provided plenty of
legroom. It was good because my seat was next to a rather large person. I then
realised how difficult it must be to lug such a size around; everything is
double the trouble. One constantly needed to feed the body to maintain such a
size. All this effort must leave them exhausted by the end of the day.
23 June – San Fransisco – Seattle – By train
For the most part my time on the train was spent
trying to rewrite the journal, not an easy task taking my goldfish memory. With
the help of my photos and Google maps, I reconstructed the past month’s events.
It wasn’t perfect and made uninteresting reading but I again lost interest long
before the job was done. Fortunately, there was nothing to do, and one couldn’t
go anywhere and I was thus forced to finish the job.
The train ride was picturesque, and quite a novelty
sitting back and watching the landscape go by without pedalling a single
stroke.
The train reached Seattle late; mercifully, the
hostel was basically across the road from the train station. Once the bike was
reassembled, I packed my belongings and cycled the short distance to the
hostel.
24-25 June - Seattle
First thing in the morning, a short walk took me to
the Canadian Consulate, only to find they had no visa information and didn’t
know how to collect it once granted. This lack of info left me no other option
than to resume my quest east across the US’s northern states until Canadian
access was granted.
The weather was most glorious and perfect to join a
walking tour, sampling their world-famous clam chowder while feeding seagulls
and watching the sunset.
