Our goal today was to make it to Seattle. It wasn't a difficult goal. We knew it will be a lot of traffic near the city. I got fully loaded up with the gear. Windproof liner, fleece, my thermos top and bottom, using the BMW silk liner glove was awesome combination with the Atlantis glove. It was a seriously chilly morning, but I had no issues. Hard to imagine, I didn't get the fleece what it would be like, or even the sedici Duncan had. I would have survive without either, it would have just turn something awesome to a whole lots of suck. But alas it was good :)
Neat rock formations, so we stop, still on 101. All the bridge photos are via go pro, so it'll have to be uploaded later.
As we gone across the bridge, while at speed at 50 some miles an hour, I got shitted on by a seagull
"Dats the shit" Yermo said as I showed him. Hahahaha
As we putted along, we saw this sign for cape disappointment. It was a must see with a name like cape disappointment. We came and took a look.
As we rode out there was a nice littler stretch that reminded us of the dragon. Not disappointed at all.
Took forever for us to find something to eat, it was pretty rural. No Verizon service for the last 100 miles. I asked our hostess what cell service she uses, apparently they use US cellular.
A fews ways out on route 6 heading towards i5. We had to strip down our gears as the temperature rose 15 + degrees very quickly. It wasn't until we got to the gas station by i5 that I finally got service. I text Sid telling him I'm going to be late. He said ill hit traffic, and it'll more be like 6:30 before I arrive.
Finally got into Seattle. Around 6. Traffic was bad, but not terrible. We turn off at our first stop. I called Sid, and got the address, apparently I turn off too early, I should of kept on the interstate.
It wasn't until 7 when I got to Sids place. Nick soon show up after. Then we met Tom at la isla for some Puerto Rican food. It was awesome.
The guys were very generous and treated me for dinner. I look like I gain 10 lbs at the end of the day off the bike. Hahaha. Everyone aged well and looked to be in excellent health. Knowing we went to middle school together, grew up competing in tennis, hung out etc etc, and that we all are doing well made me really happy. It's not something everyone will be able to say after 10 years.
Since our eta was originally 4 pm and we didn't get into the city until 6:15, Yermo went looking for lodging on the upper part of the city, while I looked for Sids place. Everything was booked in the city. It was booked even when Yermo went to this comfort in, but just when he was about to walk out someone canceled. The room was available to him. It was good luck. Stupendous luck, much like most of the weather this trip. We road through crazy thunderstorm cells, only to pretty much miss it completely, like the sky parted the way for us. Maybe it was Yermo's luck all along and not mine. Either way I'm glad we had lodging.
At dinner, we talked a lot about people in this modern society. The digital age, and how people outside the city are so much kinder, the pace of life is slower. Less superficial and more effort to building that friendship. It is the same talk me and Yermo had as we cross the country.
I have not seen Nik and Sid for over a decade, I haven't seen Tom since he move to Seattle a few years back. We talked like it was yesterday, with no reservations, and no guard about our social status, or material wealth. There was a much stronger bond, before the information age. We lived it growing up. We had to adapt and work with one another. We had to define ourselves base on our ability to adapt not by identifying and celebrating our sense of uniqueness for being alive.
Sid took us out on his m3 across town. Apparently he has become a Motorsport enthusiast. Ironic, we would have so much in common after so many years.
Thank you Nik, Sid, and Tom for your hospitality in Seattle. I had a great time.