Lopez Island Biking Day:
34.00 miles, 1845 ft ascent, 5 hrs. 48 min.
Daily Drena: Side by Side
A dappled sunlit morning greeted us from within our tent. We wandered over to the outdoor kitchen to make our simple breakfasts of oatmeal and bananas and enjoyed them while relaxing on our deck (we tried the sunlit field, but it was just too warm). We relaxed for a brief time, then were off on our adventure across the island.
Our first stop, just down the road, was Lopez Village, the only town on the island. It had a row containing a cafe, art gallery, bakery, and bookshop, so we had to stop and poke around. Unfortunately, you need to get here earlier than we did (around 10:30am), for the fresh cinnamon rolls, as people outside were happily munching on them, but they were all out at the counter.
We made our way down the western coast to the south, finding some amazing views along the way. We weren’t quite hungry enough to eat an entire box of raspberries, however, so we went without although they looked delicious. We stopped at a point just south of Richardson where there used to be a general store (per a 1992 guide book we found at the B&B), but it was no longer in operation, but there was still a beautiful view to take in.
Next up was a hike to Iceberg Point. Again, we ran afoul of private property everywhere, but they allow folks to walk through to the point along the road (but no bicycling, heaven forbid!). It was a lovely, albeit fast-paced hike, as we didn’t expect to have to hike quite as far. Lorena spotted a seal off the point as well, popping its head above the water for a brief time, but still no signs of orcas.
Having made it to the southernmost portion of the island, it was time to turn around and head back north. Lopez definitely earns its title as a bike friendly island, as the traffic is quite low and there are lovely country lanes the length of the island. We only had to get on the “busy” Center Rd for 2-3 miles and only a handful of cars passed during that time. We ended up stopping for a brief time at Spencer Spit State Park in the northeast. It is a unique triangular shape of land that sticks out into the ocean which is formed where both northerly and southerly currents and winds meet, eroding the cliffs in each direction and transporting the sands eroded into this landmass. Ironically, Deanna and Chase will be here next week for some clamming!
We had pretty perfect timing for the ferry this time, as we arrived with just enough time to change out of biking shoes and shorts, before clambering aboard for the last time. We packed up the bikes at the car and headed on out to La Connor for our evening. We were both starving, so after quick showers, headed out and grabbed some dinner on the riverside and then called it an early night.
