| Progressive Dinner Ride - 6-26-2010 |
Progressive Dinner Ride - 6-26-2010 |
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We met at Bob’s and headed out just about 9:45. Those attending included Laurie, Robert, Patrick, Kem, Don, Roy and John G. The first leg of our ride went up Old Highway 99. Watch out for that deer. Then we went under I-5 where we made a right onto West Lake Samish Drive. It was a bit overcast, but warmer than recent Saturdays. We rode by the homes on the West side of the lake and over the bridge by the park entrance. We followed North Lake Samish Drive back across I-5 and then on to Yew Street Road. It’s not just a street, it’s a road. Over the hill and down to Lakeway Drive in Bellingham. We arrive at John G’s home for the spread of breakfast beverages and muffins. John G’s daughter Laura was busy putting out all of the items as we arrived. We sipped our drinks and enjoyed our muffins. The sun was coming out. Some members in the group enjoyed the ride along the west side of the lake since they had not been down that road before. John G hoped to share some more new places with the group. Next we head off to ride up the hill to Western Washington University and the Arboretum tower. It was a short 100 yard walk from the parking area. Along the way the group enjoyed looking at a tunnel carved through rock and earth. We climbed the 5 flights of stairs to the top. We had a sweeping view of Bellingham Bay and the surrounding area. This was a new stop for everyone. Laurie went down below to get a photo of the group while looking up. As she was going down, John G could not resist the temptation to get the tower to sway to and fro. This was a creepy sensation that should not be missed. We made the sort walk back to the bikes and headed out through the campus. Our next leg took us through downtown Bellingham and along the shores of Bellingham Bay on the way to Lummi Island. Some of the group had not been on that road before. No one had been on the 5 minute ferry to Lummi Island. We’ll save that for a future ride. We blew by all of the fireworks stands on the reservation and pulled in the Shell by the Silver Reef Casino for a rest stop. Our beverage rental was due. Next we headed North through a series of lefts and rights that led to Birch Bay State Park, Birch Bay and finally Semiahmoo Spit. Some of the group had never been to Birch Bay and almost none had been to Semiahmoo. It was a treat to see some new roads. We stopped for a view through the free telescope to see some harbor seals on a floating dock. We pointed at landmarks like Point Roberts, Blaine and the spot where Mt Baker probably was through the haze. It was sunny everywhere except by Mt Baker by now. We wound our way to Birch Bay-Lynden Road and found Lynden. We did a quick stop to see how everyone was doing with gas and the need for food. Everyone was getting hungry so we went straight back to John G’s for the early dinner meal. Watch out for the two deer trying to cross Alabama while we were going up and over the top. Laura put out the spread while John G BBQed the chicken. We enjoyed salad, pasta and chicken breast. Some put the chicken on buns for a sandwich. Do you have any Grey Poupon? Why yes, we do. We listened to John’s mix CD over dinner and talked about the ride. Good times. Finally we were off to Laurie and Robert’s for dessert. As we went out of John G’s neighborhood we had to go by some deer that were enjoying some leaves from an apple tree. We pressed on through Lake Whatcom Blvd as we went by 2 more deer. As soon as we arrive Robert has the campfire blazing. Laurie brings our the cookies, cup cakes and ingredients for s’mores, yum. We talked until around 8:30 before dispersing back to our homes. Thanks everyone for a terrific day. I personally saw 1 more deer on Lake Whatcom Blvd as it hurdled my front fender. Lucky for me that my brakes worked well and I had on my yellow lenses. I was starting to get a bit relaxed and sleepy right up until that moment. As I arrived at home I was thinking, gee, what a great day. Regards, John G We hope you enjoy the photos below... |
