Our great adventure began smoothly. Helen drove Betsy and our boxed bikes to the airport. I took the bus (no room in the car) and met them curbside. We thanked Helen and checked our bikes ($75 each). After security we lounged at the gate and departed for Seattle on time. We landed early after an uneventful flight. I dragged the boxed bikes down to the airporter area, while Betsy dragged the panniers. We ate sandwiches Betsy made at home. At 2:30, we boarded a bus and headed north thru heavy traffic. Even in the HOV lane we moved slowly. Our tepid pace plus frequent stops caused us to arrive at Ferndale, our bus destination, 50 minutes late at 6:20 pm. We set about removing packing materials from our bikes then put them together. Alas, our pump failed and much of the air in Betsy’s tires escaped. He bike was unrideable. She wheeled her bike 2 blocks to a truck stop, and managed to get some but not enough air in her tires. Given the late hour and our hungry stomachs, we opted to rent a room at the Super 8 next to the truck stop. We bought food dined on food from Subway and ate in our motel room (see photo) overlooking a fleet of idling 18-wheelers. Our first did not end as planned. Tomorrow we’ll get her tires filled and buy a new pump and be on our way south.
