| Date: September 13, 1999 | | Location Canada to Mexico - #4 - Fort Ebey to Anacortes | | Where: Washington Park, Fidalgo Island | Monday - Jim writes
We have finaly hit our stride today. The secret is planning fewer miles. This gives us time to make the important stops like Starbucks & laundry. I also had time for a hair cut. The barber is used to giving Navy cuts I guess--so I think the cut may last til Mexico.
Another secret to touring is weight. We shipped back almost 8 lbs of extras this morning at the post office in Oak Harbor. Jeanette decided on this drastic course after another frustrating day of hills. Our last night's campsite was at Ft. Ebey State Park which is located on Hill Valley Road---does that give any of you cyclist a clue??? For non-cyclists, road titles incorporating the words--hill, crest, view, heights or summit are roads to be avoided if at all possible. So last night after climbing through Hill Valley, we had a "sorting party" at our camp site, anything that we had not used or could not justify as absolutly necesary we put in a pile on the picnic table. This morning I wraped it up and lashed it on top of the tent bag and off to the post office we peddled.
Now, "absolutly necessary" is sort of in the same catagory as "beauty in the eye of the beholder". You see, Jeanette refused to give up the playing cards and the pinic table cloth. I deamed necessary a bottle of wine--it was a gift. The previous evening a wedding reception took place next to our campsite. The father of the bride came over to our campsite and presented us with a bottle of wine. Neither John nor Jeanette drink, so the responsibility has been all mine. Now I would never buy a bottle of wine to take, it's WAY too heavy, but a gift is different. And hey, there will be a weight savings when I throw the empty bottle away!
So there are the two tips for the day---less miles & less weight equal more happiness.
|  | | Hood Canal floating bridge Days Distance: 38.0 miles
Days Climb: 1560 feet
Days Average Speed: 9.7 mph
Days Max Speed: 31.5 mph
Total Distance: 182.9 miles |
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