Transitions

A toast to the newlyweds


Tana (the bride) changes into her dancin' clothes and gets down after the ceremony

Not sure how this guy was, but Melissa seemed to like him.

My mom and brother drive away in my car. It's just me and my bike now.

Stopped in to Tana and Rick's while out on a warm-up/test ride with the bike and trailer partially loaded.






The Return to the Lower 48
The ferry ride south is filled with wind, rain, and me catching a cold. I am not used to moving that fast on the water, and it is all kind of a blur. Tana generously picks me up at the Bellingham ferry terminal at the crack of dawn to bring me back to Port Townsend. I am sad to leave Alaska, but Port Townsend is such an amazing place to land.

The Weddin'
We begin work on the property later in the day as Tana and Rick's wedding is only a few days away. We start with arts and crafts, making signs for parking, recycling, welcoming... Tana and Rick comment that it feels like it has started with the arrival of Alex, Cheryl, and myself to begin helping out.
Over the course of the next few days family and friends begin to arrive and it all gets going. A fantastic group of people, Tana and Rick's family and friends, so much love and support.
On Thursday and Friday a number of old friends from our days in Yosemite arrive. I have been to 6 or 7 weddings with this crew and it is always the same. Huge hugs all around, stories and reconnection's of where everyone has been, what they have been up to, and where they are headed, followed by everyone jumping in full force to prepare for the wedding. There is a tremendous outpouring of love during the ceremony and early on in the reception, followed by hilarious antics and raucous dancing into the night (fun like I have no where else). In the morning we prepare some food, tell more stories, and clean up the entire site. I feel so lucky to be a part of this community where everyone comes together and gives of themselves for the greater good.

That Damn "W"
Sunday afternoon I head to Seattle to meet up with my mom and meet her cousin who lives in Seattle. We have a great time, though it is a little shocking to be back in a city.
On Monday, I head to the auto mechanic again (more on that later) then off to the airport to pick up my brother Brian (he and my mom are driving my car and boats back to the Bay Area). As it turns out, Bush is flying in to Seattle to speak at a fundraiser for some other whack job. His plane arrives at the same time as Brian's and he is speaking at the hotel where my mom is staying. It is only $1,000 per plate and the 20 minute speech or $10,000 to personally say what up dog? I mull it over and decide to take one for the team, plunk down my cash and have a short chat with the man. I tell him about how I am taking this trip down the coast and how something like 2,500 miles will be via human power (me in the bike and kayak), and how if more people got around like this it could make a real difference in the world and particularly the U.S.'s contribution to climate change (or as I like to call it, Global Climactic Destabilization--I picked this one up from David Orr at Oberlin College). He nods, mulls it over, and tells me he likes what I have to say and will run it by Carl. I think I am in?!
What really transpired is an absolute mess, traffic on I-5 comes to a standstill for more than 30 minutes, all the over and underpasses are blocked, police and FBI are everywhere, Bush raises $500,000 in less than an hour, total zoo at the hotel where my mom is staying. But here is the part that got me thinking. Bush is in the state of Washington for less then 2 hours during which time thousands upon thousand of local tax dollars are spent on law enforcement, transportation issues...thousand of people are forced to sit and wait for 30 minutes to 2 hours so they can clear the freeway for his motorcade (even while he was at the hotel no one was allowed to travel on the overpasses and underpasses, so you just had to sit and wait). All the while, he is here solely to raise money for a Republican Congressional Candidate, he isn't even doing any business related to "running" the country, and everyone else has to pay for it! It is a rude return from the relative simplicity and clarity of kayaking in Alaska and celebrating love in Port Townsend.
Despite all this, I have a great visit with my mom's cousin, my aunt and uncle and cousins, before heading back to PT with my mom and brother.

Time to ride
It takes 4 trips to 2 different mechanics to get my car running well again (including cleaning out 2 nests of mice that have set up shop in my heating system). The bike is all tuned up and ready to go. I am happy to pear down my gear and get out of the car. My brother Brian and I loaded up the kayaks on top of the car, big hugs and safe travels all around, then off they drove. What will take me the next month to complete, my mom and brother will knock off before I finish this entry.
We joke about me holding on to the car as it pulls out, but a little reality sets in. As they pull away I feel a bit of panic. I have never done this before (bike touring) do I have everything I need? Too much? I head back inside the yurt to catch my breath when I hear the sound of 2 year olds, Chloe and Sam. I head back out to visit and am instantly put at ease with the simple joy of playing and exploring in the yard outside the house. I am grateful for the lessons that little one's can teach me.
I am heading out tomorrow, ready to be on the move again and excited to try something new (the learning curve will be steep). I am planning to reach the Oregon border in a week or so then another 10 days to the California border, followed by another 10 days south to the Bay Area. My goal is to be in Point Reyes by Friday, September 28 and spend 2 days of van supported riding at about 15-20 miles per day to get into the city. This will allow for others who are not used to riding 50 mile days with gear to come join in my adventure. Mark your calendars, and get in touch to come join on this section of the ride. It would be really fun to have a good group of folks camping and riding together. I will post more later when I have details lined up.
Thanks everyone for the blog comments, phone calls & messages, and emails. As of right now, I won't see anyone I know for the next month until I reach Point Reyes. Keep in touch, it is a huge boost to my spirit.