Friday, September 21, 2007
Ready Or Not, Washington, Here I Come!
I didn't want to leave Cannon Beach, but today marked the last day of my Ride A2B adventure. Peter has waited 3 long months for his baby and it's time he have her back. When I arrived at Cannon Beach yesterday afternoon, the keeper at the first inn I stopped at recommended I continue on to the town of Seaside if I was looking for a room in the $60 range. I was also told it was more touristy and that the beach didn't have any monoliths jutting out of the ocean. So choosing to stay in Cannon Beach was a no brainer and I have no regrets stopping there for the night. I wasn't so sure I wanted to see what Seaside was all about, but I was procrastinating and was really starting to enjoy this "turn down any road" philosophy I was just getting used to. So I made my way into Seaside after all and turned down Broadway St. which leads to a roundabout overlooking the beach. The inn keeper was right. Seaside's touristy feel was nothing like the slower-paced Cannon Beach with its New England influence. But that's not to say that it wasn't nice. It was just different. I stopped to take some photos and noticed the roundabout had a statue of Lewis and Clark with the words "End of The Trail". I hadn't realized that much of my trip was actually retracing the steps of their expedition.
I hadn't had a Starbucks since I left Denver and was craving one right about now. As I rode through Seaside, I thought for sure I'd see one being this close to Seattle, but it wasn't until I made it to Warrenton that I found one. I made a quick stop there and spoke with a couple about the different routes I could take through Washington getting to Seattle once I crossed over the Astoria Bridge. Spanning just over 4 miles, the Astoria Bridge which connects Astoria, OR and Point Ellice, WA at the mouth of the Columbia River is impossible to miss. It's huge! Yet somehow, I rode right past it. I'll blame it on the head injury.
I hadn't had a Starbucks since I left Denver and was craving one right about now. As I rode through Seaside, I thought for sure I'd see one being this close to Seattle, but it wasn't until I made it to Warrenton that I found one. I made a quick stop there and spoke with a couple about the different routes I could take through Washington getting to Seattle once I crossed over the Astoria Bridge. Spanning just over 4 miles, the Astoria Bridge which connects Astoria, OR and Point Ellice, WA at the mouth of the Columbia River is impossible to miss. It's huge! Yet somehow, I rode right past it. I'll blame it on the head injury.
Astoria Bridge
Washington was about 20 minutes late welcoming me in true Washington fashion. To make up for it, the rain didn't let up until I hit Tacoma. But before getting that far, there was one stop I wanted to make. I had learned only a few months ago the tragic news that the father of a girl I dated in high school and college had recently passed away unexpectedly. Her parents had been living in Olympia and since it was on my way, I really wanted to stop by and give my condolences. Unfortunately, her mother wasn't home. Before leaving I stopped to ask her neighbor, Virginia, if Mary Jo still lived there. What I learned was that Megan and her husband were now living in Washington and were the proud parents of 4 children. According to Virginia, the grandkids keep Mary Jo pretty busy. What a surprise! But how wonderful is that?
Lesson Learned: Phone First
Next stop: Seattle! With all my detours, I was a good 4 hours late getting to Peter's place. Once I got into Bothell, it took 3 more phone calls and 2 wrong turns before I found Peter waiting on the street corner. Second Chance got me there in one piece and after putting on a few extra miles, she's home at last!
Labels: Astoria, Cannon Beach, Washington
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