Pedal On My Wayward Son

Dean and Angie at Lewis and Clark State Park 

Me, starting out this morning 

After a delicious breakfast provided by Pastor Scott I rode with Angie and Dean to our next destination, Castle Rock, Washington. Today was a very short day of only 45 miles of rolling terrain. Angie is a very strong cyclist and actually races. However, today she was content to ride with two older guys. I really enjoy the mind set of this PAC group. People aren’t racing and are taking their time to sightsee and enjoy each other’s company. It was only late in the ride that the scenery began to change. We were 20 miles from Mt. St. Helens but we decided not to ride the extra miles. I had been there in 1995, but I’m sure the rebirth of the mountain and park has progressed to a point that I wouldn’t recognize what I saw back then. We rode a number of very lightly traveled roads that always make cycling more pleasant. I didn’t take many pictures but some people enjoyed many of the political signs on people’s property and stopped to take pictures. I haven’t seen a Hispanic person since I left Seattle but the rural residents of Washington sure seem ready for the invasion. Sorry, I didn’t mean to get political. Tonight we’re staying in a church in Castle Rock. It’s very comfortable but not quite like last night. There’s a number of rules and no meals provided. I know, I’m sounding spoiled and I should be very grateful for not having to sleep outside. Tonight I’m sitting in a little wine tasting bar called the ‘Wine Down Dog” writing this blog. Many evenings on these rides I go off on my own to find a quiet place to write. I truly enjoy these types of evenings. Tomorrow we head to Astoria, Oregon. We’ve heard great things about this town and we’re all excited to have a service day there.