the beginning!

Today is the day we start biking! We will take a ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island and proceed to Port Townsend. This is the very northeast of the Olympic Peninsula, a large body of land that contains Olympic National Park. The plan is to bike across the top of the peninsula then go south along the shore, skirting the park. From there we will proceed to Portland, then points south.

The biggest holdup, strangely, has been finding a new sleeping bag for Matt. One requirement is that it must zip together with my bag to create one big bag--a rather common thing. BUT it seems that this has been a popular year for sleeping bags. Perhaps the high gas prices have caused people to vacation on the cheap and camp out, or perhaps the surging interest in protecting the environment means people want to get out and appreciate nature. Whatever the reason Seattle is sold out of bags! Our course of last resort was to order one online that we will meet in Port Angeles, on the peninsula! We'll suffer a few cold nights but then all will be peachy on that front. (Cross your fingers!)