Chicks

Partway through Bamberton day 2 we ran out of supplies. So it was on the bike to ride into Mill Bay for more food and drink. Considering how much time we'd just spent huddled by a campfire in the last 24 hours, it was mandatory to find somewhere to eat outdoors. We found a restaurant with a patio that they opened just for us, or so we thought...

 

This little guy kept sliding down the slope of the chair.
Each time he'd get too close to the edge he'd shuffle
back up towards the middle. Silly Chickadee.

Then it was back to the camp again for our final night of camp food, box wine and fires. 

 

Unidentifed Fungi Objects

Finally, a whole day in one spot! Time to go exploring.

Bamberton Wildlife

A slug

A butterfly

A Michael

In addition to the local wildlife we found a ton of mushrooms! Most (all but one) we were unable to identify using our very basic mushroom brochure (once we got back I looked them up in my dad's more comprehensive mushroom books). But they made for some exciting hunting, and kept us entertained trying to guess how poisonous they might be...until finally we landed upon a single choice edible: the Yellow Morel.

Amanita Variety Described as "even more poisonous" with one of the symptoms produced being a state of berserk frenzy.
Rib-stalked Cup	Yellow Morel

Toy Boat

Morning began with a breakfast of instant motel coffee accompanied by leftover mushroom risotto from the previous night's dinner. Not too bad.  Also not too bad was the view from our motel balcony.

On our way back into town we were passed by the following vehicle:

Clearly he didn't want to miss the ferry.

We parked and decided on "Necesito Burrito" for lunch, because that's exactly how Mike was feeling at the time. It was quite literally underground, but they made up for it by creating a unique ambiance thanks to many black lights, fish tanks (one advertised to contain a real life Nemo!) and various Mexican-inspired decorations. The burritos were the size of a...can't think of anything burrito-shaped and large at the moment, but they were huge! So huge I forgot to take a picture.

With full bellies we got into the ferry lineup (only $7.50 for a driver, passenger and motorcycle!) to sail over to Coupeville and Deception Pass. We resisted the temptation to just ride the ferry back and forth all day long, for the simple reason that it was such a good deal.

On our way to Deception pass, we stopped in the park just before the bridge. There we stumbled upon a pond and discovered what we're going to do once we retire. We were even given explicit instructions by our new friend that "the key is to find out what model boat everyone else in your area is racing. That way you'll know which one to buy so you can meet more people and the races will be much more fun." Apparently they meet once a week for practice and two weekends a month for regattas. Mike even got to push the big red button that announces the start sequence for each race.

One member of the fleet undergoing repairs	"The hardest part is not being on the boat, you're never really sure what the wind is doing"	The skippers

Then it was off to Deception pass! Very cool history about the bridge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deception_Pass_Bridge. I especially like the part about how before there was a bridge, travelers would cross by means of an unscheduled ferry. To call the ferry, one had to bang a mallet against a saw, then wait.

 

Another ferry ride and we were back in Canada, home of Bamberton campground and the most generous bundles/recycling bins of firewood of any campground in North America (well, in anywhere we've been in Washington or BC so far). It also helps to take someone like Mike along with you, he has a natural ability to find nice, dry firewood left behind by others. 

McMenamins and the Honey Bucket

After packing up our motel camp we set out for breakfast. Mike had searched out a place to eat, but all I could get out of him was "McMenamins! McMenamins! I can't believe they have one of those here!" It sounded like a made up place (and made up word) to me so I simply tagged along (not much choice when you're sharing one ride) and awaited the unknown. Turns out, it was a really cool spot, apparently this chain of restaurants/hotels uses old buildings to set up shop in, but retains some of the previous elements. I think ours had once been an old church because instead of booths there were pews.

 

Afterwards we set forth for Port Townsend. On the way we crossed a couple of bridges, passed through Gig Harbour, found a Meredith Street (too bad they made a typo...), went to Seabeck for a u-turn, caught a glimpse of the Olympic mountains, and stopped for gas in Beaver Valley. 

At the Beaver Valley gas station, the following scenario took place:

Mike: Do you have a washroom?

Man behind the counter: Honey bucket (while pointing in the direction we came from)

Mike: Uh, a bathroom? Toilet?

Man behind the counter: Yes, honey bucket (more pointing)

Mike: Is that a restaurant? We must've missed it on the way in...where? (looks over at me questioningly)

Man behind the counter: Honey bucket.

Mike: Ok, thanks.

Not entirely convinced this gas station didn't have some sort of facilities nearby we walked around the building in the direction we'd been shown and found...the honey bucket. Not a restaurant, or a coffee shop, but a well-known brand of outhouse. Well-known to everyone but us.

A short ride later and we had arrived in Port Townsend. With a forecast for high winds and more rain overnight, we once again opted for the kind of accommodation involving doors and roof over our heads as opposed to our tent. We had a drink at the nearby "Pourhouse" taproom and bottle shop and walked into town to take in some of the local sights. Dinner was followed by a movie (Jiro Dreams of Sushi) at the historic Rose Theatre with some of their legendary popcorn, and made our way back along the beach. 

 

The Olympia Inn Hotel

In the morning we were pleased to find that the rain had stopped and that we would not have to build an ark after all. We warmed ourselves with a small cook fire and a hearty breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs and coffee, then packed up our sodden camp and headed for Olympia.

The band!

Farmers Market Lunch:
Homemade beef and salmon jerky with freshly baked
cheese sticks and local chèvre camembert

It rained again on our ride south, but these were merely showers compared to the night before so we rode on happily without stopping. The skies finally cleared and the sun made its long awaited appearance as we rode into Olympia and we both cheered with delight. We had lunch and coffee at the Farmer’s Market and enjoyed the music of a string duo who were friendly but nearly as unkempt as Sonia and I. We were both eager to get clean and dry so we began looking for a place to stay.

If you are a Canadian motorcyclist afflicted with stubbornness and romanticism, the following may be of some use to you.

How to dry your camping gear when you really should not have been camping in the first place:

Step 1 – Find a sleazy motel from the fifties. (Do not be confused by signs such as the one seen below. This is neither an Inn nor a Hotel. This is a Motel and it is precisely what you are looking for.)

Step 2 – Set up camp inside.

Step 3 – Turn up the heat and crack the windows.

Step 4 – Vacate the premises. (The last step is important if you do not wish to turn into beef jerky, as the room will quickly become like the inside of a smokehouse.)

Olympia Capital Building – Sonia never quite succeeded in getting a
complete shot of the building from the back of a moving vehicle...

It should be noted that there are a few distinct advantages of seeking out an establishment such as the aforementioned motel:

Heaters – Large, American-made, forced air heaters were the standard of that period. Scientists have recently discovered that the hot, arid air emitted by these units is the sole cause of global warming. Use with Caution. As an added bonus our room came with a towel warmer that was more likely to set the place on fire than to warm anything.

Bathtubs – Wash yourself and your gear, preferably not at the same time. Ours had water in - as well as under - the tub. It felt similar to a waterbed, though not quite as much fun.

Nature programs – HBO? Showtime? I don’t think so. Try PBS. Nature programs have a tendency to put everything in perspective; a cheap motel seems like Shangri-La when compared with Siberia and Antarctica.


More to come soon!