Day 3 Dungeness County Park (Sequim) to Salt Creek County Park

We started the day with a yummy breakfast at the Oak Table Café in Sequim. Here they served genuine German Pancakes, as well as all other kinds of breakfast goodness. Highly recommended. Also, free wi-fi, which allowed me to make the previous posting. The weather was again fantastic-sunny and mid to upper 70’s. Today’s ride would be almost entirely on the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) between Sequim and Port Angeles. Signage along the trail is kinda dodgy, but after a few fits and starts, we were able to follow the trail the entire way.
Riding on bike trails (or multi-purpose trails) like the ODT is not the fastest way to make miles, but this trail is worth the extra time. The route is through farmlands, across old railroad trestles, and along places where you could never get to in a car. Nor are bike paths always the safest way to go, as sometimes they are just glorified sidewalks that cross driveways-where car drivers aren’t looking for bikes or other trail users. We didn’t have any problems, but it does make me a little nervous zipping across driveways.
The ODT has some really fun sections-fast downhills with swoopy turns, followed by way-too-steep climbs (like 18 to 19%). But overall, a great trail.
Once in Port Angeles, we followed the waterfront for a while, then got a little lost out on Ediz Hook-a totally industrial area. We wandered around for a while, found our bearings , and had a cool drink at the Castaway, a place that had a cranky bartender, some friendly patrons, and Mac and Jack’s on tap. After chatting with the locals, we continued on through some neighborhoods in Port Angeles, and on to the night’s camp at Salt Creek. The riding was great on relatively good pavement, low traffic, and a sweet easterly tailwind that made us feel like heroes. We met Janet and Brew at camp, and enjoyed chicken and black bean burritos for dinner. There’s lots to explore and see here-tide pools, old WWII bunkers, and park-like settings to just relax and enjoy the view across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Vancouver Island-even some views that include Mt. Baker. We saw a whale spouting in Crescent Bay while we wandered around.