THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011
Vancouver, BC to Tacoma, Washington
200.7 miles/200.7 miles


0.0 Miles and Packed Up

I set a goal to leave at 5pm today, so got to the office (happily, a 5-minute walk) at 6am to get the million and one things on a $200 million hospital that needed my attention prior to departure - you know, that elusive "guilt free" type of leaving.  As noted yesterday, I packed last night, gave it all a test strap down to the bike, then went to bed early, and didn't watch the news.

I walked to the office and a colleague, who watched the Stanley Cup final last night, came in just after me, and described the utter chaos that flared up after the game.  What is it about a sports mentality that justifies destruction, whether your team wins or not?  A sad reflection on a great and beautiful city we have called home for two years.  The scene looked a bit like a war zone in Iraq; this is the "freedom," we want others to emulate?

I left the office around 3:45pm, walked home, had a quick sandwich (half a sandwich, actually - I was anxious to be off), packed the bike up, drove out of the parkade (Canadian for parking garage), pulled in front of the building entrance, set the odometer to 0000.00,and Rachel took the above photo and the photo below.

 

Rachel and Joe

Then, at 4:55pm, I took off in a blaze of first gear traffic - rush hour!  Well, sort of rush hour; long-time Vancouverites think the traffic is "horrendous" but, clearly, they've never been in New York, Boston or L.A. traffic.  Of course, when you just want to get on the road, it's a pain, though better Vancouver traffic at the end of the day than Seattle traffic in the morning if I had left tomorrow morning. 

Anyway, I finally made it the 25 miles or so to the border crossing, got through that scrutiny - "Take off the helmet," Where are you going," etc., etc. - and, finally, hit the open road.  The trip to Seattle - 150 miles - is a pleasant enough ride through farm country, with the sweet smell of manure entering my nostrils for many miles, the edge of the Puget Sound occasionally in sight to the right, and the distant islands visible in the clear evening sky.  At one point, I rode under 50 or so hawks whirling about at tree-top height, directly over the highway.

Fortunately, the weather was clear, unusual of late, and I welcomed the change.  Just before I left for home, a colleague, who I joined on a short trip to Vancouver Island last summer, came into the office; he just returned a few days ago from a similar trip - 3,000 miles to Utah and back, with a couple of friends.  When they left Vancouver, they rode in driving rain - not a pleasant way to start! - then, encountered snow at various passes in Utah and Idaho.  Summer is a few days away!  Isn't it?

As nice as the countryside is, I am riding Interstate 5, the major freeway from San Diego to Vancouver (the very same road that Al gets on when he sets out for Placerville Friday morning at 10am), the means of getting to Dale and Myanna's place as quickly as possible, from which point we will start the real trip that motorcyclists look forward to - twisting, empty roads, with great scenery and good company.  For now, I weather the traffic, with the BFTs (Big F _ _ _ _ _ g Trucks), increasingly crowded together as I neared Seattle.  The nature of cities is that there is heavy traffic at virtually all hours, greatly worsening in the morning and evening in the great, mad rush to get to work and home, respectively.

At 9:45, I finally pulled into Mike Lafo's driveway, happy to get the kinks out, rev up the bike and get started on The Big Motorcycle Adventure.  Unfortuntely, Mike, a fireman, is on duty tonight, so I don't get the pleasure of his company on this trip.

Sweet dreams!