Finally on the Bicycle

Remaining true to my incomprehensible propensity to do things either against the grain or backwards I started my "give my ass a ride" by riding east from Port Angeles, instead of going all the way to Neah Bay and then riding east. This was partially because I waited way to long to find places to stay during the pre-planning stage of this adventure. The facilities in Neah Bay are limited and I could only get a reservation for two days towards the end of this week. So, tomorrow I will ride from Port Angeles west towards Neah Bay, come back to Port Angeles tomorrow evening,  and ride the rest of the way towards Neah Bay on Friday. Two days in Neah Bay will allow me to ride out on the coast access roads all the way to the coast which is just a few miles from this village. 

Highway 101 is a scary ride!  It has wide shoulders but the traffic is wall-to-wall and doing at least the speed limit of 60mph. In my infinite wisdom I thought I would leave early in the morning so I could beat the "rush hour" which my uniformed naivety suggested that rush hour, in such a rural place, couldn't start before eight a.m. I managed to find a couple of great gentlemen (Bob Forcier and Scott Clausen) who worked in a visitor center in Sequim (pronounced skwim) WA.

"Where's everyone going in such a hurry so early?" I asked.

"Well, work of course." one of them said. He frowned at me. I quickly told them I still worked for a living so they wouldn't think I was some kind of elitist who pod casts NPR as I pedal my bike. I asked where everyone went to work. Some, they told me have to drive (roads and ferry) back and forth to Seattle which has to be at least a two hour one way commute. Others build houses on the peninsula and on Whidbey and the San Juan Islands for other NPR pod-casting liberals. Some log, some work as stevedores and yet another group work as maids, house-keepers, bar tenders, waiters, etc who pander to the needs of NPR pod casting, trust funded, elitist liberal tourists and newcomers. I hurriedly told them that other than Fox news at the gym I workout at in Holladay (Holladay Health and Fitness) my only source of news, sports, and political commentary is X-96 Radio from Hell KXRK Provo, Ogden, Salt Lake City. But after a few doubtful glances at each other they gave me maps, showed me alternative routes--that still met my objectives but avoided the heavy traffic--and suggested I stop at Fat Smittys hamburger joint in Discover Bay, and told me about their various knee and hip operations. Great guys!!

Fat Smittys: is an ex-marine (so don't talk politics with him Bob and Scott warned me) who has made burgers for a couple of decades. His specialty is a double decker: 2 half pound hamburger patties, a chunk of "American" cheese (on each level) along with what sounds like at least a half pound of bacon, (on each level) topped with dill pickles and home-grown in the U.S. of A. tomatoes hand-picked by Americans, etc, etc. Tables are plastic American flags, Fox News in on the tube, and there are hundreds if not thousands of one-dollar American bills taped, stapled, or pinned to every wall. Every sq inch of the ceiling, including bathrooms is also decorated likewise.
"I'm a vegetarian," I told Bob and Scott after they told me about Fat Smittys. "Not a card carrying vegan or anything, but I don't eat meat." They looked at each other. "Hope you brought your own lunch or you're planning to start eat meat again, but don't tell Fat Smitty you're a vegetarian."

Tomorrow I will down load photos of today's ride.