Week 1

It felt like we just threw our bikes into the back of Nat's pick up truck, hopped on three trains and miraculously showed up in Seattle, WA!
After our first night on the the train we woke up in Toledo, OH to the aftermath of a tornado with torn up trees on either side of the tracks (which made us want to buy a Worst Case Scenario/Survival Guide for the trip). We saw so many beautiful parts of the country from the Great Lakes region, through the Dakotas, the Cascades and on to the Pacific Coast. After a day of the unchanging North Dakota landscape we questioned our sanity but Glacier National Park made up for it at the end.

Chicago


In the lounge car in the train


Mississippi River


North Dakota morning


Montana

Montana


Glacier National Park


Glacier National Park

Our bike trip kick-off started at the beautiful home of the Geigers in Woodinville, WA where we finally got to sleep horizontally for the first time in four days, explored the Pike Place Market, ate delicious sea food, experienced the bike shops, bike routes (and hills) of Seattle, and the rainy north western weather.

Seattle skyline from the ferry to Bremerton

Phil, Lindsay's friend from college, gave us a proper send off to our tour by joining us for the first three days on our way down to Portland. For the first couple of days we rode through Washington's mountainous and lush landscape. We passed through some old growth forests, prairie, rode along riverbeds, and passed a great number of waterfalls along the way.

In Cathlamet, WA we crossed paths with Toni, the children's librarian, who graciously brought us into her home, shared her kitchen and comfy couches. We decided to continue on that day and rode the windy ferry over the river to Oregon.

Riding along the Columbia River was beautiful but extremely windy. We were passed all day by logging trucks stacked with freshly cut wood more often than not taken from clear cut landscapes that we also passed on our way. These landscapes were an intense and direct reminder of how we exploit our forests.

view of Mt. Saint Helen


Dr Pierce's Favorite Prescription for Weak Women


on the way to Castle Rock


clear-cut landscape


Along the Columbia River

After about four days our muscles started to get used to biking all day and finally on the sixth day of our trip at dusk we crossed the St. John's bridge into Portland. We've been so lucky to stay with Zoe and the whole 33rd Ave household and spent a whole day exploring the city. So many trees, so many bikes, surprisingly flat, amazing thai and happy people!



Crossing the St. John's Bridge into Portland


Portland


Finally found a really good cup of coffee, thank you Portland!







Tomorrow, the 17th, marks our full first week of biking and we've come to the realization that it's the people that we come across that really make this ride amazing although the 11am small-town diner food comes in at a close second. We weren't really expecting it but we've managed to cultivate a fear of small dogs and tractor trailers. Tomorrow we're buying an air horn. Ta ta for now.