Day 2

Shelton, WA to 10 miles south of South Bend, WA.

74.2 miles        Total elapsed miles 125.5   5:22 hrs saddle time   Average speed 13.8 mph

July 4, 1961: Spent most of day at Kenneth's.  Went into Bremerton late afternoon and spent night at G-Ma's  (Paternal, that is).

July 5, 1961: Went to Shelton with Jack (uncle, husband of my father's kid sister Vivian) at noon.  Raining all morning.  Spent pleasant afternoon with Cruickshank family.

July 6, 1961: Shelton to Ilwaco, Wn.  First real day of the trip.  Vivian packed me a lunch and I was off at 8:45,  Made good time most of day.  Had two hours of hard rain. Only feet got wet.  Lunch in Raymond.  Camped on beach at Ilwaco after searching for 90 minutes for "Fort Canby State Park."  Supper was 15 cents' worth of grapes.  Mosquitos ruined the night.  Light sprinkles.  Will buy breakfast this morn.  Rode 115 miles.

     A long, rather hard day.  As in 1961, we drove to Shelton. Vivian (Jack passed away in 2003) was expecting us and we spent about a hour reminiscing, comparing photos, drinkng coffee and enjoying Poulsbo pastry.  Vivian is well, as was the one daugher, Jackie, who joined us for a while.  I believe I last saw Vivian in the late 1990s, and Jackie and I agreed we last met when I traveled to Poulsbo with my daughter Devon sometime in the 1980s.
     Mounted up on the Specialized at 12:15 and pointed the front wheel south.  Weather nice - low-mid 80s, little humidity, sunny.  Roads mixed - two-lane with shoulder of varying width, often of very coarse asphalt.  One several-mile stretch of freeway, which wasn't really bad - the shoulder is about 15 feet wide, clean and separated from the roadway by a rumble strip.  And those semis roaring by at 70mph bring a great draft with them.
     Rendezvous'ed with Bob for the first time in Elma a little before 2:00, watered up, replenished my power bar supply and took two Endurolytes.     
     Ride got more interesting as the temperature (and the elevation) rose.  Either my memory has weakened over the last 50 years, the road has been re-routed or the mountains have grown, but I spent more time  grinding slowly uphill  than I recall doing in 1961.
     Rendezvous'ed the second time at 5:00 in Raymond, wolfed down two DQ chili/cheese dogs and decided to add 15 miles to the day's run.  First half was into a stiff afternoon sea breeze, second half again hilly, but it put me 15 miles ahead of my planned itinerary.
     As there was no decent lodging in Raymond or South Bend, we motored down to Long Beach and checked into the Rodeway Inn.  Long Beach is Washington's only Pacific beach resort town, but the OB in summer it ain't.  We certainly did not need to email ahead for reservations, and finding a restaurant that stayed open past 8:00 PM was a problem. 
    
     AM Wednesday, June 22: Had a rough night.  Slept poorly in spite of fatigue, suffered one massive thigh cramp.  Today should be easier than yesterday.  Flat or close to it all the way to Seaside, Oregon. Prevailing winds are west clocking to NW as the day advances. We'll drive back north to yesterday's end point and plan to rendezvous at the north end of the magnificently arched bridge spanning the Columbia to Astoria, Oregon.  I do not plan to ride over it, even if it is permitted and possible to do so.  

     2011 bike #1:

     Make and model: 2010 Specialized Roubaix road bike.
     Weight: Bike - about 18 pounds
                 Gear - about one pound in seat bag, one pound in handlebar bag
     Gearing: nine-speed Sram Red cassette and shifter, double chain ring with very small inside ring, providing wide range
     Seat: after-market Selle San Marco Infiniti, men's

      Until this evening, likely from Cannon Beach, Oregon.
           --Bob