Day 62 – Friday 7/29/22

Elma, Washington to Olympia, Washington – 30.5 Miles

The closer I got to Seattle the easier things were. With fewer miles left to travel and the same amount of time to do it, the need to make a large jump between towns disappeared. Any distance greater than about 70 miles is almost a full day on a touring bike. But when you’re doing 30 or 40 miles, a slow start in the morning won’t hurt a thing. After reaching the coast I had achieved the main goal of the trip and started to prepare for what I called “Reentry”.

To me, that meant coming back to the real world. One in which pedaling between “A” and “B” wasn’t, and couldn’t be, the focus of the day. We all live in that world, where the demands on your time and attention aren’t always your choice. For over 60 days I’d lived in a space where what I did was chosen by me, with minimal influence from the outside. A few days from now I’d give that up and return to a “normal” lifestyle and lose some freedom as a result. So, when Ishmael and I rode away from Elma, we weren’t in a hurry to get to the next town. It was time to reflect on what had got us to that point.

With little over 30 miles to ride, and most of it on state highway, I didn’t expect to be on the road more than a few hours. Following a back road at first, then the highway, we got near Olympia around 12:30.

As I got off the highway, a road cyclist passed me with a greeting and continued on ahead. I stopped for a minute to check navigation, and when I continued saw the rider facing my direction. He’d seen a piece of debris on the shoulder and had turned around to remove it, which is a great help to all cyclists that follow.

His name is Brian and he’s a co-owner of a bike shop in Olympia. It’s a truth that bike shop owners don’t get to ride as much as their customers. But Brian was off that day and taking advantage of it. He asked me questions about the ride, and when I told him that things were winding down, he was a great source of information on shops, services and places that could help. Thanks, Brian!

Because I was so early into town, hotel check-in wasn’t available. Ishmael and I rode around a bit before stopping at Baskin-Robbins for one of my favorite beverages, a chocolate chip malt.

While sitting out front savoring each sip, an older guy, sort of like me, sat down a few seats away and started asking questions about my trip. It doesn’t take too long, particularly with people from my generation, to find common ground in conversation if the subject is bicycles. Brian (2), the second helpful Brian of the day, grew up and got into cycling at the same time I did. He knew all the bikes, brands and biographies of that time, and we had a great conversation that continued long after the ice cream had disappeared.

With more time left, Ishmael and I went to West Bay Park just north of downtown and relaxed.

Shortly after 3, I checked in to the Red Lion hotel in Olympia. The hotel was perfectly placed for walking around town, and convenient to anywhere I needed to go. After a few hours of rest and reorganization, I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby. Olympia is easy to get around, with a lot of interesting natural and architectural highlights.

Later, It was becoming clearer what direction the rest of the trip could take. That would have to be addressed soon. But for now, it was another good day of many.