A Ride Full of Surprises: From Olympia to Portland

Our last leg of Washington was full of the unexpected. In a good way, too.

After we left the Skoolie, we took the Olympia bikeways out of town. And the 22 miles of car-free forested canopy along the Chehalis Western Trail was the perfect way to do it.

It rained on us. All. Day. Long.

During the downpour, we ran into a super-friendly rider who recommended a place for us to grab shelter and free water. There was also the added bonus of art to check out. It’s called the Monarch Sculpture Park. The park is located in South Thurston County and is totally free of charge. Here’s a quick sampling of the garden.

After 40 miles, we rolled into Centralia, Washington, and took care of some essentials. Like laundry.

We met an older couple there who had just moved to the area from San Diego. They gave us strange looks at first, but quickly warmed up to us. They asked a million questions about our bikes and had some great stories of their own and shared one about a neighbor who rode the Southern Tier. Cortney and I appreciated their curiosity and we wished each other well.

The things you learn about people in laundromats.

We stayed at the local Olympic Club Hotel. It’s part of the McMenamins empire that looms large in the Pacific Northwest. They dabble in a bit of everything but mainly take over old hotels, schools, and buildings of historic significance, and retrofit them into funky brew pubs and cool gathering places—all while keeping the history of the place alive and well.

Pretty cool.

Apparently, the Olympic Club used to be an old-timey gambling place and legendary bath house. Not sure why Cortney thought that would be the perfect place for my birthday celebration, but a nice dinner and beer worked out great!

The next morning, Cortney took me out for a big beautiful birthday breakfast to get us fueled up for our ride to Castle Rock. After tons of rain, we enjoyed a beautiful 40-mile day of really nice rolling hills without a lot of traffic. We pedaled along country roads through a lot of small scenic towns like Napavine, Winlock, and Vader. There were lovely views of the mountains the whole way and we were able to see Mt. Rainier several times. It was Cortney’s favorite day of riding so far. So fun.

Once we landed in Castle Rock, OR, we grabbed some groceries and headed to our camp. All the usual camping options were full, but fortunately we were able to secure one through Hipcamp. Our host Angie and her family own 30+ acres along the Cowlitz River. She met us at the gate to the property and gave us a ride in her truck, set us up with firewood, and took us to our spot. We had the place to ourselves—it was awesome.

The next morning, we had a short 15-mile ride into Longview. This would be our last day in Washington.

The weather was fabulous. The ride was quick and easy. And the best part? My brother picked us up in Longview. Longview is one of the last towns before you hit the Columbia River. To save us from pedaling over an unfriendly cycling bridge—and to get more time to visit—M made the drive to pick us up. (“Best Brother of the Year Award” right there!)

We met at Ashtown Brewery. The library wasn’t on M’s list of approved pickup locations, so a brewery it was! The owner came out to chat with us and told us where we could store our loaded bikes. He was super cool and had the most glorious viking-esque beard. (Wish I had a picture to share.)

Again, HUGE THANK YOU to M. You’re the best! Love you, brother.

So grateful for this special time. We are really looking forward to visiting with all of our family in Portland.

-Erik