Day 1 began with family giving us (myself, Adam, Josh S., and Josh B.) an energetic send off as we boarded the Coho to Victoria, Canada. Thank you Blackball Ferries for comping our rides. Once we arrived, we were moved to the front of the line which got us through customs quickly, and we were able to start putting miles on the chair/bikes.
Navigating through downtown Victoria presented our biggest challenge of the day trying to find the start of the Galloping Goose trail. Once on the trail, it was smooth sailing all the way to Sidney. Some highlights along the road included multiple honor-system produce stands, very large and happy (rolling in mud) pigs, a very impressive remote control airplane show, and a tasty lunch at Harvest Road Farm to Table Grill.
Along the trail we met many friendly people interested in our journey and also eager to share knowledge about the trail and specific points along the way to keep an eye out for. Once in Sidney we met a local woman, Mary Lynn and her dog Gracie and spent time talking about the ride and why we are here. She was very sweet and wished us luck on our journey as we said goodbye. A few minutes later she returned with a generous cash donation.
After lunch and a quick tour around Sidney, we headed to the ferry dock to get ready for our ride to Anacortes. While waiting for the ferry we met a woman from France who told us of her brother’s injury and how he has stayed active in his chair. She also gave us a cash donation and wished us a safe trip.
After the two and half hour ferry ride we arrived in Anacortes. We were met with a very warm welcome at Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery where we had a nice dinner and some samplers. You would think we were rockstars. The owner gave a significant contribution to our dinner bill and gave the riders free shirts which will be on display as we ride tomorrow. Something else that made dinner and beer taste extra special was a surprise visit from our friends and trivia teammates Terry and Tammy for Port Angeles.
It’s late, and tomorrow is going to be twice as long in miles. Southward from here.
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