Homecoming 2021, Day 1, June 16

Day 1; June 16; 63 miles from Bellingham WA to Canada border and back; Total Mileage: 63

That's Canada on the horizon

My Pacific Coast tour got off to a slow start today, largely because I got lost several times trying to find my way from the Bellingham WA bike shop that reassembled my bicycle to the Canada border. 

The bike reassembly cost $149.46, more than twice as much as I have been charged for the same service previously.

The shop’s mechanic also unsuccessfully attempted to sell me a new chain that was clearly unnecessary. I had just installed a new chain on the bike before I shipped it.

But the bike as reassembled performed admirably, getting me to the border and back to my Bellingham hotel room. And I couldn’t have asked for more delightful weather for this 63-mile shakedown ride, which was mostly intended for a photo-op. It was sunny and breezy with temperatures ranging from the high 60s to the low 70s.

As it turned out, Bellingham has more than its fair share of homeless persons. At the recommendation of one local resident, I steered clear of one of the town’s wooded bike paths, because the resident said the homeless camp alongside it and sometimes harass passersby.

I stopped at the Bellingham REI on my way back to the hotel to purchase fuel canisters and a small tube of chain lube. 

The store seems to be in a nice part of town. But even so, a saleswoman recommended that I park my bike inside the store while I shopped to make sure nothing was stolen.

Tomorrow I continue south. The weather will be sublime again, according to the forecast. But I won’t decide whether to ride a long or short day until I see how I feel in the morning.

With any luck, I’ll be back in San Diego by the third week of July.

The Coachman Inn, where I stayed for the first two nights of this adventure, was very nice for the price: $65 per night before all the add-ons and taxes that brought it up to about $75 per night.

The complimentary breakfast included bananas and other fresh fruit, and the motel’s managers were friendly and accommodating.