I LOVE hot springs. So much. I used to live in Colorado and would be out finding hot springs several weekends a month. Since I moved to the Pacific Northwest I have been in search of nice natural hot springs, but it has been tough. Most of the nice springs in the Pacific Northwest are concentrated in Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia which is more convenient than going all the way to the Southwest, but still not as nice as having it close to home.
Read MoreA few shrimpy gals and I circumnavigated the Olympic Peninsula and in our first few days of the trip, we stayed in Joyce at the lovely Camp Epona. On that trip, we were sheltering in the barn because it had started to rain after dinner. While I was unpacking my bike in the barn, I noticed that there was a small pottery kiln in one of the barn stalls. I have been a ceramic sculptor and potter since I was in high school and it’s something that I miss a whole lot.
Read MoreI felt to nourished by the rhythm of our days. It felt so natural to be moving on a bike all day with some of my best friends, helping one another make food, work through feelings, and tackle mechanical issues. It felt good to sleep under trees, pack up my bike bags every morning, and bathe in lakes and rivers. Eight days was all it took to adapt enough to a different type of life that I didn’t want it to change. Maybe I would get tired of this pace of life? If the weather was bad? If I couldn’t find good food? If it wasn’t as scenic? Whatever the case, I felt inspired to tour for longer, to keep going, to develop a new frame for cycling in the future.
Read MoreI wanted to make the most of this time of year by planning to explore the Olympic Discovery Trail, yet another one of Washington State’s amazing rail to trail conversions. The rail lines were removed from the Olympic Peninsula in the 1980s and advocacy to create a multi-use trail began shortly after.
Read MoreIn 2019 I got more confident about planning bike trips, and started planning some trips on my own. I planned out a few overnight bike trips throughout the summer. I had wanted to ride to Fort Flagler the previous summer, but had not been able to convince any of my friends to go with me. I chose a weekend at the end of June and hoped we would get good weather.
Read MoreHiker-biker sites in Washington State Parks make it so much easier to coordinate trips because as long as you are riding a bike, you can assume you will have a place to stay. I found Scenic Beach State Park and thought that it looked like a pretty phenomenal spot to hang out for a weekend.
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