What a day. What started out perfect, then went south, then ended on a high note. Wow, let’s get started….
Took me a while to fall asleep last night, but once I did I was out! Drool and all. I don’t even set my alarm as I know I’ll be up at daylight. This morning was no different. Up at 5:30 am. Being on the coast it was MUCH cooler and there was actually dew on the tent. It didn’t help dry out the towel I laid out that’s for sure.
I expected a pretty straight forward ride of about 65 miles with 3600 ft of climb as I head to the Prancing Unicorn Campground near Shelton.
The kids got me a fancy Bluetooth selfie stick for father’s day. First time using it this morning for the customary pre-ride photo. It’s pretty slick!
As I headed towards South Bend I got the strangest feeling that I had made that trip before. Nothing opened for breakfast until 8 am so I continued to Raymond where I pulled into 7th Street Coffee. I met two nice you ladies Bailey and Cassie. They requested I try the cheese, egg and ham bagel and provide feedback because it’s the first day they are offing this brand. It was pretty good, but a premade breakfast sandwich will never hold a candle to Cheryl’s.
After breakfast, the ride to McCleary was amazing. Weather was literally perfect. Blue sky, high 60s. Traffic was light and I was making great time. It was a dream. I took a break and told Cheryl I should be done by 12:30 pm.
Well, as I exited town, I saw a bunch of detour signs for hwy 108 and 101. As a cyclist, the one word you never want to hear/see is DETOUR. For a driver it’s no big deal. Maybe some extra gas and a few songs on the playlist. For a cyclist it can be a killer. It appeared that 108 was closed but it wasn’t clear to me so I went to Bears Den for lunch (phenomenal cheeseburger by the way) and to do some research. I asked a local couple and they confirmed 108 was closed and the detour takes you on freeway 8 to freeway 101. As a cyclist, the second word you don’t want to hear/say is freeway. Unfortunately there wasn’t really a choice unless I wanted gravel and/or an extra 30 miles. Taking the freeway added another 20 miles as it is. What to do what to do…
I decided to follow the detour (after verifying with a nice lady at the WDOT that bikes are allowed on the freeway. So off I went. The temperature started to rise as did my mileage. Though the cars and semis were loud and zooming past me, it wasn’t too bad as there was a huge shoulder. Not a fun ride though.
I just kept pedaling along and finally made it to my destination, the prancing unicorn campground. Total ride, 83.5 miles with 4500 feet of climb. I thought the first day was bad!!
There were a few nice sights before I entered the freeway.
So as I approach the campground I actually went past it as there was no sign and there was a locked gate. I stopped to double check my confirmation and look for a number to call and a gentleman came and unlocked the gate. “Welcome to Prancing Unicorn.” I felt like I might be stepping into a horror movie. He directed me to the check in which was nothing more than a covered shelf but there was no paper form to complete.
I had checked in on-line and had site #4 reserved. Problem was the spots were not marked! This is a nightmare. Well, I just picked a spot as there was no one here (shocker) I just sat and reminded myself, it all part of the experience.
Once camp was set up and I had time to relax and hydrate, my spirits lifted and looked for a place to eat. Shelton is a nice little town with many choices. I started at the High Steel Brewery for a beer (big surprise there.) but I wasn’t in the mood for pub food. So I hit Westside Pizza. Oh man it was GREAT pizza. I’m somewhat embarrassed to report that I ate an entire pizza myself. I figured I earned it.
There was only one thing missing though and that was to meet a few of the locals so I stopped into the Cabin Tavern for a beer. Rene was the bartender. I knew I was in the right place when a few of the locals said “We’re going out for a smoke, you coming Rene?” Rene made sure I had beer in my glass and off she went. Love it. I had a nice conversation with Belle who is a retire Boeing machinist. Lived in Shelton her whole life and now raises pigs, chickens and her dog just had a litter of nine puppies. Laberdoodle and Goldendoodle mix. Not sure what you call that. Labendoodle?
Things were looking up. When I arrived back at camp, there were two other cyclists (Pete and Pete) who had just finished their first day of a 30 day ride to LA. We had a good chat and traded biking stories. As I approach 61 I find I’ve picked up a few good biking stories a long the way. It was fun.
Finally time for a shower. Did I forget to mention the outdoor showers? Prancing Unicorn is a very interesting place indeed. I’m back living the dream!
Tomorrow I get to Seattle via the Southworth Ferry. Should be fun barring any detours!
Until then…
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