The Pacific Northwest

Settle was amazing. Bicyclists everywhere. We finally left our gracious hostess Terra and spent the morning doing some sight seeing on the roads and paths around Lake Washington. From there we rode to Jodi and Dan's house through the arboretum and through UW. We rode 26 miles that day mostly on bike paths or on roads that give cyclists priority. Jodi and Dan's son Jack was excited to show us his bike and do some riding. He is just a set of training wheels away from his own bike tour. The next morning Dan took us up to Edmonds to catch our first ferry and officially start our bike tour. We are also starting our learning process. Lesson #1: Don't visit the local brewery before you've done your miles for the day! Port Townsend Brewery located in the boatyard and recommended by the local bike shop was our lunch destination on our 2nd day of riding. After consuming a pint of fine ale and getting rocked to sleep on the ferry to Whidbey Island we found our motivation lacking. Lesson #2: Don't hoard food. We are carrying way more food then we need. We still have backpacking mentality on this count. I get so excited by all the fresh fruit and veggies available that I want it all! We are also stocked up on exotic sauce mixes and spice packets from the fabulous Uwajimaya Asian grocery store. We are in Anacortes tonight and will catch another ferry to Orcas Island and continue our excursion around the San Juan Islands.

The bikes and bodies are holding up well.... but we are getting more compliments about the bikes!

Tasting Note:
Tucked in a corner of a gritty Vietnamese market complex in the International Districk of Seattle is "Tamarind Tree". Modern, fresh and delicious. Lemongrass is featured prominately even in the cocktails, a fact I will toast with the lingering memory of my lemongrass martini. Terra had the yummy guava martini and Christian had an amazing Zen Tonic. I'm ready to make my own green tea liquer for this one! Dinner included Pinapple prawn salad, vietnamese spring rolls, lemongrass tofu and garlic, dill kohlrabi. When have you ever seen kohlrabi on a menu?! For dessert it was a quartet of amazing ice creams. We picked Vietnamese coffee, ginger, red chili and black sesame seed. All of which I will attempt to duplicate when we return home. Fried banana cake and a super rich iced vietnamese coffee finished the evening on a delicious note. Thanks Terra for turning us on to the Tamarind Tree.... sure beats dried rice and beans! I think I'm getting used to the hardships of cycle touring.