Today started with a bang… literally. I fell down an entire flight of steps. Now yes, I know I’m super clumsy, but- to my defense- the Parkins live in a 1920 style bungalow, meaning that the stairs are steep and shallow. That paired with just waking up, having my hands full, and wearing socks, was a recipe for disaster. So after slipping on the very first step, I had the entire flight to wake up. As did the rest of the house, and likely half the neighborhood. But I came out of it unharmed, with just a few more bruises I can add to the arsenal of bruises I’m already collecting all over my body.
Sheena and I rolled through 27 miles pretty smoothly, with the exception of mist and rain. The heat wave has definitely ended. The morning was a stark difference compared to yesterday.
I am not a fan of the cold or rain. So at our first rest stop I was grumpy and cold. We decided to take a short cut to shave off 10 miles. As we rode I warmed up and the grumpiness melted away. The route was pretty flat (compared to the previous few days) but heavily trafficked with logging and gravel trucks. There was a good shoulder, but still some trucks came a little too close. Thankfully we have some guardian angels on our side working overtime.
We rolled into Centralia around 1pm. We set up at a Starbucks to decide whether to keep going an additional 30 miles to a state park or stay in Centralia for the night. Because we spent 2 hours just sitting at Starbucks puttering around being lazy, we decided to stick to the original plan and stay put and get a hotel. While mulling over the decision, we spoke with someone who recognized the ACA maps. We talked briefly and turned out he’s running for Congress. Best of luck Dave! Great meeting you and Sally 🙂
After much debate, we finally decided on a motel in town. Nothing crazy, but definitely nice to be indoors when we know it’s going to be a chilly night tonight!
Also, as we head out in the morning (usually before 6:30am), our warm shower hosts have been taking pictures before we pedal away. We get a kick out of how miserable we look, despite getting a great stay and a great night sleep. Early morning grumpiness is a very real thing, we need to insist on taking the picture when we’re fully awake!
Emilie Bikes and Hikes 