Humboldt County

I've been in Humboldt County for about two weeks now. Rose and I travelled through a gorgeous old growth Redwood forest; we arrived to an area named the lost coast. It is rather hidden from most tourists and drifters. That is a nice touch.

Right now, I am sending a message from Arcata, CA. Rose has left for Santa Rosa; I spoke with her and she has arrived safely, where she will be working on an Organic Farm. As for myself, I will be heading back to the lost coast, where I will work on a different farm for a couple weeks. After that, I will be heading on my bicycle down the west coast towards San Francisco.

Will keep posting.

Lots of love.

Ray

Pictures

Ashland, OR and beyond

Here I am in Ashland, OR. This place has been home for the last two weeks; and what a pleasant inspiring home it has been.

Rose and I arrived here spontaneously. Due to time restraints, and cold weather, we had taken the Amtrak train from Seattle, WA after doing a short tour around northern Washington. The train arrived in Klamath Falls, home of the E3 Live lake…well it was a late arrival. 10:30 at night to be exact, and I had to do some adjustments to our bicycles, after being boxed up, before we could go anywhere. Not that we knew where we would be going. Well, synchronicity has a pleasant way of working out. After the bicycles adjustments, a woman who overheard us earlier suggested that we put our bikes in the back of her friend’s truck and head off for Ashland, OR. So that sums up our arrival here in Ashland.

This place has been really rewarding; we were blessed with a free space at the Wellsprings Centre, a wonderful non-profit hotspring in Ashland. They put us up in a large tee-pee, out of the rain, and gave us an additional week of free services…ie. Hotspring, pool and sauna usage. Incredible!

At the centre, we became friends with a handful of people. Cranston is a traveling copper and silver jeweler who was staying in his RV. We met him in the Springs the first evening, and he has been teaching Rose his trade; lately he has gifted us a space to sleep in his van.

It’s been wet here as of late…even large hail has fallen. It’s actually colder here than Victoria…I hadn’t realized that. Being outside and cold at times sure strengthens the body and mind. Needless to say, we intend to travel further south. The roads are not ideal for cycling into California …IE. We are right beside the number 5 highway…oh just now out the window I see snow on the mountain. Yeeps…

We have three potential ride options that could get us from here to California. One guy is going to LA, another friend is going to Santa Cruz and Cranston will eventually be going to Sedona, Arizona. One ride will take us to Ukiah very soon; that is my plan. There are some WWOOF opportunities there, many permaculture institutes, as well as intentional communities. I am excited.

We will do another post as the adventure begins to unfold more.

Thanks everyone who may read this.

Lots of Love,

Ray

Attention and Apologies

I am running out of computer time, and appolagize. There are a lot of interesting events that I would love to write in greater detail. Perhaps, in the next few days, I will summarize some of the better experiences.

I just want to put a plug out to all my friends, and family who check this out. I appreciate all of you.

Lots of love,

Ray

The First Week

Saltspring Island, BC

The morning was clear, and our focus was blinding. Having our bicycles fully loaded, Rose and I set forth from the Saltspring home. It was an exciting moment. With smiles on our faces, we hopped on our awkwardly weighted bikes. Everything seemed possible. The adventure was about to begin. However, there was one problem; we hadn't given ourselves much time to catch our first ferry to Sydney. Indeed, it was not a great way to start a long distance trip. Little did we know that we were in for an abrupt shake up within only short minutes from our launch.

Saltspring’s roads bend and curve. They are filled with amazing beauty, but an amass of rolling hills. Rose took the lead as we veered right onto our first corner. And as we turned onto the busy narrow road with a steep embankment bellow, I watched in horror to see her bicycle start to sway uncontrollably. Suddenly, she hit hard onto her left side; the bike had crashed. Immediately, Cars whipped past her, only inches from where she lay. We pulled to the side, and crouched together.

There were a few early lessons to learn right off the start. First, always check the balance of your’ gear…and never assume that a bicycle rack is properly mounted. Secondly, always give yourself enough time to reach your’ destination peacefully. Needless to say, we became extremely alert and careful on the road from then on.

Sydney, Victoria

We arrived in Sydney and made a visit to the nearest bicycle shop. The news wasn’t great; Rose’s bike would cost too much to upgrade, and we needed to move further south before the new fall weather set in. Immediately, we looked over craigslist and decided to put her bike up for sale. The next evening a miracle happened. Oak Cycles in Victoria was hosting a bicycle swap. Perfect! It didn’t take long until her bike sold and we were heading across the Washington border. May I also add that Dale warmly welcomed us into her home and we had a pleasant dinner together.

Whidbey Island, WA

Whidbey Island was incredibly beautiful. The people were, dare I say friendlier than most Vancouver Islanders and the weather was immaculately sunny. We were in luck. Our prior understanding of Washington State was immediately incorrect. Victorian homes littered the landscape, and farmlands with ocean views were abundant. Traffic was minimal, and cyclists were warmly welcomed. It was very pleasant.

Crossing into Anacortes

Sept. 24th

Crossing the American border was a lot easy than expected. Apparently terrorists don’t ride bicycles. Even so, I did get a cardio workout just standing there. As it turned out, we had only 5 minutes to ketch the last ferry of the evening and silly Ray couldn’t find his passport buried in his 4 bicycle bags. After the sweat formed on my brow, I finally found it. Needless to say, I know where my passport is now.

About to enter Washington

Hello is anybody out there. If so, this is brief.

Rose and I are still on Saltspring Island. We have had a wonderful few days around the gorgeous and sunny island.

Today didn't go as planned. We need to downsize some possessions and get a professional to properly tighten Rose's front bicycle rack. Tomorrow, we will be in Victoria and perhaps even Anacortes, WA.

Will post some exciting stories and pictures as they come.

Our Route V

Driving Directions from San Francisco, CA to San Diego, CA

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Our Route IV

Driving Directions from Crescent City, CA to San Francisco, CA

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Our Route III

Driving Directions from Astoria, OR to Crescent City, CA

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Our Route II

Driving Directions from Tokeland, WA to Astoria, OR

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Our Route I

Driving Directions from Saltspring Island, BC CA to Tokeland, WA

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Ray-Yana Century Ride

Friday, the 13th of September will be the day that I participate in a 100mile bicycle ride throughout the Comox Valley; my mission is to raise money for YANA [You Are Not Alone].

This organization holds a special place in my heart. You see, for most who are unaware, I was born premature, which complicated things in my family just a little bit. Spending months and months in incubation at Vancouver Children's Hospital was no sweet off my back; but for my family, particularly my mom, being able to visit from Courtenay regularly was financially not possible. It was YANA who gave financial assistance for my family during this trying time.

In short, I feel YANA is an important organization in the Comox Valley. And they deserve financial support. If not for fellow Valley donars, YANA would probably not exist.

So please, if you agree that this organization deserves your'attention, you can send me an email, rlawake@gmail.com or call me at 250-331-0604. The money I collect will be given to YANA.

Directly bellow, you will see all the bicycle routes that will be ridden to reach the 100mile goal.