This morning, I hit the road around nine thirty. There was a big day ahead (again), and I knew it. Towns are few and far between out here, and I’m certainly feeling the momentum that comes with physical travel.
Bicycle touring allows for a respectable amount of distance covered, but at a pace that one can really drink in the surroundings. I get hooked on the ever-changing landscapes and challenges.
I made my first, and only, prolonged stop in Colville. Upon entering, I checked Yelp for the best restaurant in town. The Colville Pour House popped up.
I spent about an hour in a chair relaxing, having a sandwich and a glass of kombucha. Above a refrigerator, I noticed a large “Buddy Board” with prepaid food and drinks - from friends, to friends. I’m sure that these exist all over (I don’t spend a lot of time in bars), but I hadn’t seen this system before. It seems better than a gift card.
Out of town, Aaron, a fellow bicycle tourist who Anders and I had first met in Omak, cycled up from behind.
We had a engaging chat. He’s cycled a number of the routes I have and, to my surprise, has the same model of bicycle. He had his front wheel rebuilt with a charging hub, something that is on my short list. He had been cycling for a good portion of the day, and I left him as he reached his destination, a bicycle only hostel.
I had a bit of a climb, then flat, then my last long, coasting drop of this trip. On the climb, I stopped to chat with two twenty-somethings who had cycled from New York. I congratulated them on this huge accomplishment. They were both in high spirits.
At about 7:45 PM, I entered Ione. There, I gave Porter’s Plaza Hotel a call. I was able to secure a cheap room ($60) just in time (the “office” closed at 8:00).
I have two more days of cycling before I reach Sandpoint, Idaho.
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