Illinoistocht

Day 2: Bellingham, WA to Port Hadlock, WA.  77.9 miles, 4,047 ft. of climbing (125.4 km, 1,234 m; not including another 6 miles on the ferry)
After a first day that featured a boring ride through the Vancouver suburbs, an uninteresting rural area at the US-Canada border, a frustrating delay at the border crossing, and a miserable day in the rain, my second day may have been one of the best days of the entire Pacific Coast tour.  The first miles out of Bellingham were on a shelf road perched on a hillside overlooking Bellingham Bay in the Salish Sea.  This offered pleasing views of the bay and shoreline with its pine forested hillsides running down to the shoreline, reminding me of the scenery riding around Lake Tahoe (minus the high mountains in the distance).  After ten or so miles, the road entered flat farmland, punctuated by interesting sloughs.  This section was very serene, I think I saw more cyclists and definitely saw more fisherman than I saw cars here.   The route then continued on Hwy 20, which was pretty busy but not terrible after passing Anacortes.  After the spectacular Deception Pass, the route then took me through Whidbey Island.  This was very scenic, so much so that I didn’t feel cheated in that I hadn't opted to spend a day or two exploring the nearby San Juan Islands.   Once past the Ault Field Naval Base, the island became very charming, reminding me of little fishing villages in Maine.  Coupeville is an enchanting little town near the southern end of the island.  I had timed my ride well, and had a short wait for the car ferry to the Victorian era town of Port Townsend.   It was still fairly early in the afternoon, and despite the many interesting places to linger in the historic seaport town of Port Townsend, I continued on to Port Hadlock.   I stayed at the Inn at Port Hadlock, a very nice hotel right on the bay.  This was a nice place, a bit pricey, but worth it. 

This day had it all for the touring cyclist: views of a forested bay in the morning, quiet stretches of farmland (with a few very good farmer’s roadside stands), high bridges over dramatic landscapes, and quaint historic seaport towns.  Maybe the best day of the entire Pacific Coast tour.