Total miles: 196

Getting ready to board the Ferry at Edmonds.

The Plan was to meet up with a few folks from Sport-Touring.net and ride from the Edmonds-Kingston ferry up to Sequim, were I would break off and go visit my father while they continued up to Hurricane ridge. I left right about 8:15 and meet up with the others at the Edmonds ferry terminal. If you have never rode a motorcycle on a Washington State Ferry, you are in for a treat. No waiting in lines, and you're first on and first off! Plus it's half the price of a cage. Yeah, way to go WSF! Going over we were the first on the boat, and received a great, if not a chilly view of the sound crossing. Nothing like the fresh sea air to revive the senses. Though it started out just over cast at home, there was a little drizzle at Edmonds. By the time we were underway, it stopped.
 

We departed the ferry and of course, somebody had to hit the first gas station we came to  so we gave up our first off the boat advantage.
Oh well, it wasn't a race, just a nice fall ride up the Olympic Peninsula.
 

We rode across the Hood Canal Floating bridge, which by the way seems to be in eternal construction mode. Didn't see any Trident Subs while crossing the bridge either. I think they come in to base submerged. We continued up through Port Gamble and Hwy 101 towards Port Angeles. The road is typical Washington two lane highway. Packs of cars make passing difficult and there are many speed zones (45-35-25) along the way as well. The scenery is also typical Washington green. Though there are a few  pull offs that afford excellent views of both Hood Canal and the Straits Of Juan de Fuca along the route.
 

I pulled off at Sequim, and the rest of the group went one about another 15 miles to the road up to Hurricane Ridge.

Sequim is a little town between Port Angeles and Dungeness Spit. Hwy 101 used to go right through town, but now bypasses the main drag. It has a large population of retirees, and is in what is referred to as the "rain shadow" of the Olympic mountains. As the typical storm out of the southwest passes over the mountains, it must dump it's payload of moisture, which creates an area on the other side of the mountain that is relatively dry. A rain shadow.
 

After a nice lunch with my father, I decided to take in the sights as I make  my way back to Kingston. I rode down to Dungeness Spit and looked out at the light house that warns ships of the sand bar and certain catastrophe. There where two large container ships moving in the Strait, giant gray silhouettes against the haze as they moved their cargo to and from places far away. Sea Gulls warming themselves on the rocks as the sun begin to peak through the clouds. Small boats in the bay. An absolutely gorgeous autumn day to be out on a motorcycle!
 

I made a few stops along the way to get some pictures, and then it was back across Puget Sound on the Ferry. I stopped to see a friend, woke her from her nap, chided her for not going out on a ride herself on such a fine day, and then it was back home. All and all a fun little ride, and another step to getting everything in order for next summers two week adventure!