Day 94: 4,035 Smiles

4,035 miles from coast to coast. We did it!!

It’s still sinking in that the bike trip is complete. I’ve been so immersed in it for so long that it feels unreal that I’ve done it.

I’m so grateful for all of the people I’ve gotten to visit and meet along the way and all the friends and family back home and all over that have been supporting and rooting me on from afar. One of the reasons I love traveling by bike is that it really renews my faith in humanity and this trip has very much done that. The world is full of incredibly generous, nice, curious people.

The country is so beautiful. Every new region I biked into was gorgeous - all different, all amazing. There were highlights of course (the parks and forests, lakes, oceans) and there were brief sections which weren’t so stunning (industrial parks, ghost towns, busy highways). I also had amazing luck with the weather, which probably amplified the scenery.

I’m so glad I got to start with my mom and end with MJ. Sharing the journey, the triumphs, the hard parts, the random things you spot on the road, the songs that get stuck in your head (a lot of Oh Canada oddly - probably Thiago’s fault), the excellent food is all so special. Though I also enjoyed riding solo - going fully at my own pace, listening only to my own legs and visiting more friends and family and friends of friends of friends who are now my friends. The world has gotten both smaller and bigger simultaneously.

All the Coffee Stops

Being the last day of the ride and heading into more densely populated areas, we prioritized coffee stops today. First up was Perks Espresso in Concrete (a cool town that used to be a company town for a concrete factory). We’d both had light breakfasts to get us through the first ten miles, so were hungry for some real food. I figured I’d go but since it’s the last day - waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, and biscuits and gravy. MJ went for a breakfast sandwich and helped finish the waffle.

Over breakfast we learned that our ride from Anacortes to Seattle had fallen through. MJ’s friend’s husband had taken the big car on a trip and a sedan wasn’t going to fit us and our bikes and her friend’s baby in a car seat. We both started researching and reaching out to folks. We found a public transit option that was doable, but about 4 buses and a train and 3.5 hours at best. Thankfully, Martin came to our rescue instead and agreed to come get us!

The riding today was mostly back roads through towns, farmland, and suburbs. There were tons of blackberry bushes lining the road, so I helped myself to a handful at several points along the way. We had to get on pretty busy roads at a couple points, which wasn’t the most fun, but they got use where we needed to go.

We stopped in Sedro-Wooley for our second coffee stop at Apothecary Coffee, which was in a pharmacy, so a very fitting name. They had excellent baked goods, so we both got scones to go with our drinks. We learned the bakery they get their stuff from is actually in Anacortes, so we filed that away for when we got to town.

As we got closer to the coast, the air started to become more salty and we could see the Olympic Mountains looming off in the distance. This being our seventh straight riding day and with lots of mountains in there, our legs were pretty tired, but the adrenaline made the riding pretty easy. As we took the bridge over the channel to Anacortes, we got our first glimpse of the water. It was really there - the pacific - after all this time. MJ also got a not-quite-flat going over the bridge that we pulled over to just put some air in the tube and keep going since we were so close.

This last section is actually miles I’ve biked before. When Lexi and I rode the west coast in 2017, we came into Anacortes on this same route. It was a partial detour at the time, but I needed a new spoke for my rear wheel and there was a good bike shop in town. MJ came into Anacortes from the San Juan’s via the ferry, so this was new riding for her. There’s an awesome pedestrian bridge over Fidalgo Bay that takes you to the edge of town and then we continued on bike path to the Seafarers Memorial Park. It was the perfect spot to declare victory - a nice grassy park leading onto the rocky beach.

I dipped my tire and we both got our obligatory bike over head photos. We basked there for a bit in the moment, then headed to Penguin Coffee in town a bit. They sold the baked goods from that same Anacortes bakery. I got a mini chocolate cake to celebrate and MJ got a coffee and then a sandwich from the Jimmy John’s next door.

Martin met us at the coffee shop and we got our bikes packed into his car. This is the first time I’d met Martin in 3D - he’s very tall it turns out. The ride to Seattle was pretty, but fast - cars move so quickly. MJ’s parents have an apartment downtown where we’re staying and Martin kindly dropped us off there.

After settling in, we walked into town to get a celebratory sushi dinner at MJ’s favorite place in Seattle. The salmon there was soooo good. It was a great end to a great day.

Miscellaneous Facts and Figures

• Miles biked: 4,035
• Longest day by mileage: Two Inlets, MN to Fargo, ND - 103 miles
• Longest day by time: Port Huron, MI to Frankenmuth, MI (7:15)
• Biking days: 68
• Rest days: 26 (though some of these weren’t so restful as they were more hiking days)
• Average daily mileage: 59.3 miles
• Bears seen: 2 (in Massachusetts)
• Favorite hike: Sleeping Bear Point
• Favorite miles: VT side of Lake Champlain, Tunnel of Trees Scenic Byway in MI, Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP

What’s Next

The bike trip is complete, but I am not home yet. I’ll be wandering back by train over the next three weeks and visiting more friends and family along the way. I’ll probably post one blog entry per city, so no more daily updates here, but also not quite done yet.