| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 599.1 | I can help | JETSAM::HANAUER | Mike... Bicycle~to~Ice~Cream | Tue Apr 12 1988 13:27 | 7 |
| I did the exact areas you reference in 1986 in a 3 week trip.
Hotels, camping and hostels. Great trip.
Contact me by phone dtn 223-5991 for more info. A conversation
would be better than mail.
~Mike
|
| 599.2 | A few tips. | BANZAI::SPIRO | | Mon Apr 18 1988 09:31 | 17 |
| I also biked through those areas in a Seattle to San Fransisco tour in 1979.
It's fantastic!
We camped out most of the time. Washington has alot of state campgrounds.
Canada has nice provincial parks. Victoria is a nice little place, good bars.
The Olympic peninsula is magnificent. I'd suggest that if you really want to
experience the rain forest you should take a few day hikes into the forest. I
forget the names but there are some specially marked locations (Hoh?) that are
really neat.
Definitely stop at the San Juan Islands and if you want to get away from the
crowds try Shaw Island. You can get to it on the local ferry (the Vachon?)
from Orcas Island (which is packed). Shaw Island only allows cars for locals.
The ferry is operated by some nuns who have a convent on the island. They also
run the local grocery store.
-peter
|
| 599.3 | Answering my own questions... | MEMV03::FLANNERY | Bob | Wed Oct 12 1988 14:10 | 74 |
| The trip was a success - lots of memories, islands, water, islands,
friends, water, sun, more islands, more friends, more water...
Pacific NW people have to be among the most friendly and welcoming people
in the world, even at the end of tourist season.
Mike Hanauer and Thom Iverson provided lots of helpful information.
I've compiled some annotated lists of places to write to, if you're
interested in travelling to 'Cyclists' heaven.' They'll follow in
further replies.
I've semi-logically clumped them together in the following categories:
-Chamber of Commerce-type organizations
-Transportation companies in the Pacific NW
-Groups of interest in the area
-Sources of maps
-Places to see and stay
The first week was spent cycling from Seattle down to the Vashon
Island Ferry; then out to Manchester State CG, Bremerton (got royally
lost out there), and over to Bainbridge Island. My freewheel ground
itself into uselessness, about 10 miles after the last bicycle shop
in Silverdale (yucky suburbia in the country). I was able to buy
the only spare freewheel in Poulsbo, designed to fit a mountain
bike.
From then on, I was able to backpedal up 60 degree hills without
the slightest effort. I'm keeping it on for commuting around Boston.
Because of the terrain, there are few roads on the Peninsula. The
ones I travelled had a good amount of traffic, much of it 10 wheelers.
The Bikecentennial map was helpful, but not quite up to date in
the city areas. The lack of street signs in Bremerton combined
with the lack of street names on the map made navigation difficult.
The ferry ride on the Princess Marguerite to Victoria has got to
be a trip into yesteryear. It's a magnificent old ship. Canadians
are still more tolerant of smokers than the US is, so there were
few non-smoking areas - none in the main dining room and other food
areas. Being on the bike every day made me more sensitive to smoke
than usual. It was funny when whales and orcas passed by; you could
feel the ship shift on its keel as everyone rushed to get a peak.
Victoria's a nice walkable city. Good cycling routes, and lots of
blackberries all around the city in August. Favorite tourist places
were Parliament and the British Columbia Museum (Natural History) I
joined up with a friend and cycled to Butchart Gardens, then went over
to Lopez and Orcas Islands.
Lopez is very rural. It won't get too developed because its water
supply is very small. The campgrounds on the island don't provide
showers, although spigots are available. There is a pay shower
in the village of Lopez, however.
When we got to the southern tip of the island, my friend asked for
a glass of water at 'the' store. He was told that their well had run
dry, but that he could buy a bottle of Perrier. Reminded me of
the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner: "water, water all around, but
not a drop to drink..."
Orcas Island is big and magnificent. It, too, has water problems,
though not as severe as Lopez. Moran State Park hosts Mt.
Constitution. As I was headed into the park, a cyclist passed by
and said we just 'had' to climb Constitution. Well, 2409' of climbing
later, we found out it was well worth it, even if everything was
aching. The view to Mt. Baker was spectacular. The ride down was
incredible, complete with overheated wheel rims at the bottom.
Well, there's plenty to do and see. Hopefully the following notes
will help you find what you need. I'm going back again
next summer, this time to Vancouver, BC. The best time of year has got
to be the last two weeks of August. It's still warm, the days are
long, crowds are small, and everything is still open.
|
| 599.4 | Tourism agencies | MEMV03::FLANNERY | Bob | Wed Oct 12 1988 14:16 | 58 |
|
These are addresses for tourist agencies in the Pacific NW, current
as of the summer of 1988. I found that asking for specific information
narrowed down the amount of material sent (ex: do you have information
on campgrounds, B&B's, museums, and bicycling in xyz area?).
1. Tourism BC
PO Box C-34971
Seattle, WA 98124-1971
1-800-663-6000
-info on cycling, parks, B&B's, road maps, parks guide.
-good: "How do you do cycling in British Columbia?" booklet
-good: "How do you do hosteling in British Columbia?" booklet.
2. Victoria Visitors Info Centre
812 Wharf St.
Victoria BC V8W 1T3
-info on Victoria tourism and attractions
-free Victoria map
3. Seattle-King County Convention and Visitors Bureau
1815 7th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
4. Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce
2437 Sims Way
Port Townsend, WA 98368
-info on old port town on Olympic peninsula: cycling,
accomodations, parks, museums, etc.
5. Anacortes Chamber of Commerce
1319 Commercial Avenue
Anacortes WA 98221
-info on major ferry port north of Seattle - access to
San Juan islands and Sidney, BC (near Victoria)
6. Seattle Visitors Bureau
206-447-7273
7. Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce
166 Winslow Way East
Winslow, WA 98110
-info on scenic rural island 30 mins west of Seattle via ferry.
-suggestion: ferry to Winslow from Seattle for brunch, cycle
around, then ferry back to Seattle. Winslow is walk-able, too.
-nice cycling all around the island, though the main N-S road
is heavily travelled.
8. Olympic Peninsula Travel Assoc.
PO Box 625
Port Angeles, WA 98362-0112
-info on major Olympic peninsula areas
-cycling isn't great in the eastern peninsula area, as there are few
roads, so the ones that exist tend to get a lot of industrial and
tourist traffic, esp. near Bremerton. I didn't get out to the west
coast of the peninsula. Southeast of Bremerton wasn't bad,
though.
|
| 599.5 | Transportation companies | MEMV03::FLANNERY | Bob | Wed Oct 12 1988 14:18 | 97 |
| This is a list of transportation agencies in the Pacific Northwest:
Note: 1st class postage to Canada from the US costs more than domestic
(.30 in 1988 for a letter). The USPO returned my letters with
insufficient postage.
1. BC Ferries (BC Ferry Corp)
1112 Fort St
Victoria, BC V8V 4V2
604-386-3431 7AM - 10PM daily (Pacific time)
-Routes include:
.Vancouver - Victoria
.Vancouver - Nanaimo
.Inside Passage and Queen Charlotte Islands (NW of
Vancouver Is.)
.Southern Gulf Islands (near Victoria)
.Northern Gulf Islands (between Vancouver Is. and mainland)
-The company has dail service schedules for each of the above routes.
-Cycling is very popular in all of the mentionned islands.
-Vancouver Island is where Victoria is. Vancouver itself is on
the mainland.
2. George Massey Tunnel bike/rider shuttle
-bikes prohibited in this tunnel near Vancouver.
-604-277-2115.
-call for schedule of shuttles.
-shuttle runs May - Sep.
3. Deas Island Tunnel bike/rider shuttle - Vancouver
-bikes prohibited during peak traffic hours.
-shuttle runs May - Sep.
-604-277-2115 (same as George Massey).
4. VIA/Rail Canada Inc.
1150 Station St.
Vancouver, BC V6A 2X7
1-800-665-8630 - fares and reservations
-Vancouver BC/Prince Rupert to eastern points.
5. Black Ball Transport, Inc.
106 Surrey Bldg.
Bellevue, WA 98004
206-622-2222
-Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria
-1988: $5.50/passenger one way
-1988: $2.40/bicycle one way
-4 sailing RT each day summer
-1 hr 35 min OW crossing
-No advance reservations
6. BC Steamship Co.
390 Belleville St.
Victoria, BC V8V ???
604-386-6731 reservations
604-386-1124 information
-Ferry from Seattle to Victoria (Pier 69 in Seattle)
-Princess Marguerite or Vancouver Island Princess - the
Marguerite is an elegant 1940's ferry that actually runs
faster than the newer Vancouver Is. princess.
-Approx crossing time OW for both is 4.5 hours
-Reservations suggested only for cars, but it's good to purchase
tickets in advance to avoid lines.
-Princess M. leaves Seattle in the AM and leaves Victoria in the PM
-Island Princess leaves Victoria in the AM and leaves Seattle in
the PM.
-BC Steamship Co. was purchased by a Swedish firm this summer (88)
and they are planning to start an all night cruise from Seattle to
Victoria, with sleeping accomodations (i.e. make a 4.5 hour cruise
into a 10 hour one).
7. Washington State Ferries
Pier 52
Seattle, WA 98104
-Routes include:
.Seattle to Bremerton or Winslow
.Edmonds to Kingston (n. of Seattle)
.Pt. Defiance to Tahlequah
.Fauntleroy (W. Seattle) to Vashon Is. to Southworth
(Olympic Peninsula)
.Mukilteo - Clinton (n. of Seattle)
.Port Townsend - Clinton (Olympic Peninsula)
.Anacortes - various San Juan Islands - Sidney BC (Canada)
-Ferry schedule includes info on fares, bikes, kayaks, etc.
-Reservations not usually needed or taken, except on San Juan
islands ferries (for cars).
-Tickets should be bought in advance, but can usually be obtained
just before sailing at each dock.
-decent food service available on most ferries.
-they are very used to cyclists.
8. Evergreen Trailways
666 Stewart St.
Seattle, WA 98101
206-464-6400
-Seattle - Victoria via San Juan Islands
-I did not check on how whether they accept bikes.
|
| 599.6 | Groups of interest to Bicyclists | MEMV03::FLANNERY | Bob | Wed Oct 12 1988 14:20 | 75 |
| These are miscellaneous groups in the Pacific NW that would have some
information for touring cyclists. These are _not_ recommendations --
as with everything, 'Caveat Emptor!' before committing money.
Note: Postage to Canada from the states is usually .05 more than US domestic
postage. The USPO will often return letters with insufficient
postage.
1. Bicycling Association of British Columbia
1200 Hornby St.
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2E2
604-669-BIKE
-very helpful group
2. Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing
Parks and Outdoor Recreation Div
1610 Indian River Drive
N. Vancouver, BC V7G 1L3
604-929-1291
3. "Camping British Columbia" package
c/o British Columbia Parks
Ministry of Environment and Parks
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X5
4. American Youth Hostels/Seattle, WA 206-281-7306
5. Cascade Bike Club hotline 206-522-BIKE
Seattle area bike club with Washington State info
6. Bicycle Adventures
PO Box 7875
Olympia, WA 98507
206-786-0989
-Pac NW and other tours
7. Bikecentennial
PO Box 8308
Missoula, MT 59807
406-721-1776
-Pac NW and other tours, maps, books, gear
-they sell to members at a discount
8. Puget Sound Cyclist
105 W. John St.
Seattle, WA 98119
206-286-8566
-9 issue Feb - Nov subscription is $12, payable in advance
-good source of info and stories on cycling in Seattle Region
9. Kootenay Mtn Bike Tours
Box 867
Nelson, BC V1L 6A5
604-354-4371
-Okanogan and Gulf Island backroad tours
-also have 'heli-skiing'
10. Lifestyles Adventure Co.
Box 681
Whistler, BC V0N 1B0
604-932-4264
-mountain bike and touring bike tours in SW BC
11. Northwest Bicycle Touring Society
6166 92nd Ave SE
Mercer Island, WA 98040 (just east of Seattle)
206-938-3322
12. Pacific Crest Bicycle Tours
2722 Alki Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
206-938-3322
-mountain bike and touring trips
|
| 599.7 | Map sources for Pac NW | MEMV03::FLANNERY | Bob | Wed Oct 12 1988 14:23 | 77 |
| The following are sources of maps of interest to cyclists in the Pacific
Northwest. I have commented on the ones I used; other descriptions are
from various catalogs: 'Caveat Emptor!'
1. Touring Exchange
PO Box 265
Port Townsend, WA 98368
206-385-0667
-route map catalog is $3.00
2. 15 Rides on San Juan Island
Lee McEnerny and Henry Kuherm
PO Box 1784
Friday Harbor, WA 98???
206-378-4852
-15 rides for $4.00, postpaid
3. Mountain Equipment Co-op
428 W. 8th Ave
Vancouver, BC V54 1N9
604-872-7141
4. World Wide Books and Maps
736 Granville St.
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1G3
603-687-3320
5. Seattle Bicycling Guidemap
Seattle Engineering Department
900 Municipal Building
Seattle, WA 98104
-map costs .60 postpaid
-available in most Seattle bike shops
-lays out best cycling areas and 6 loops in Seattle
-should also get a street map, as this doesn't show all streets
6. "Evergreen Country" map
Kroll Map Company
2700 3rd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
-$3.75 plus 1.00 tax and postage
-Olympia to Vancouver
7. "Washington State Bike Map and Freeway Guide"
Washington State DOT
Public Affairs Office
Transportation Building KF-01
Olympia, WA 98504
-$.50 postpaid
-describes bike laws and restrictions for state
-helpful for trip planning, but not for navigating
8. Bikecentennial
Cartography Dept.
PO Box 8308
Missoula, MT 59807
-cycling maps for long haul trips (e.g. east-west coast,
Pac NW to Pac SW).
-accurate in rural areas; need to verify in urban areas where
roads and routing change more frequently - I missed a
few roads in the Bremerton area where new patterns were being
installed.
-Pac NW uses the 'BC to California Bike Route - Section 1 --
Vancouver, BC to Astoria, OR'
-discount for members
9. Bicycling Association of British Columbia
1200 Hornby St
Vancouver BC V6Z 2E2
604-669-BIKE
-"The City Cyclists' Best Companion"
-$3.95 Canadian currency (1988: +/- $.80 C = $1.00 US)
10. In Victoria, Coles Books was a good source of tourist info and maps
I don't have an address or phone number, but they are downtown,
and were very helpful.
|
| 599.8 | Places to go, people to see! | MEMV03::FLANNERY | Bob | Wed Oct 12 1988 14:43 | 145 |
| This is a selective and arbitrary listing of places to visit or
stay at.
1. Doe Bay Village Resort
PO Box 121
Olga, WA 98279 (Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands)
206-376-2291
-friends recommended this, though I couldn't get there
-guidebook indicated vegetarian community
-mineral baths and cedar sauna
-offer seakayaking tours to see orcas; $25 1/2 day tour..
-on SE side of Orcas, maybe 25 _hilly_ miles from the ferry.
2. Washington State Parks:
Spencer Spit State Park (Lopez Island)
Manchester State Park (Manchester, east of Bremerton
Fay Bainbridge State Park (Bainbridge Is., west of Seattle)
-high quality state parks
-$7.50 standard site fee (prepared for tent trailer or trailer,
hookups extra) - 1988 rate
-$3.00 primitive site fee (tents - primitive varies; in some
areas, it only means you have to walk to water and
showers) - 1988 rate
-reservations are usually NOT accepted at WA state parks -
first come, first served. I had no trouble finding midweek
sites the last two weeks of Aug; I wasn't camping on the weekends.
3. Hummel Haven Bicycle Camp
Rte 2 Box 3940
Lopez, WA 98261
-many people like this bicycles-only place; I thought it was
dumpy, compared to Spencer Spit State Park -- close to the
center island road.
-note that most places on Lopez, including this and Spencer, do
not offer showers due to the chronic water shortage. Showers
are available across from the marina in Lopez village. Ask
around to figure out where they are ($.25 for 1.6 minutes is
typical shower fee for the islands).
-$2.50 per person per night.
4. Battery Street Guest House
670 Battery St.
Victoria, BC
604-385-4632
-located at Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, about a 10 minute
walk from Parliament;
-one of the least expensive B&B's found - $53 Canadian for two
persons, two beds per night; 1988.
-Owner Pamela Verduyn keeps the place homey and simple (you won't
find tons of antiques; just plain accomodations) to keep the
costs down.
-Lots of peaches available from trees in the yard in August!
-Cash or check; no charges.
-Beacon Hill park adjoins Puget sound.
-popular with cyclists.
5. Butchart Gardens
Box 4010
Postal Station A
Victoria, BC V8X 3X4
604-652-4422
-15 miles NW of Victoria
-adults $8.00 Canadian 1988
-secure bicycle parking area
-incredible gardens and service on a par with Disney -- everything
to keep the guests happy.
-reasonably priced food and gifts.
-despite the hords of blue-haired tennies, it's worth the trip!
6. Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
7150 Clear Water Lane K4-11
Olympia, WA 98504
-have map and directory of state parks - excellent system
7. US Forest Service
PO Box 2288
Olympia, WA 98507
206-753-9534
-very helpful with trip questions, campground info, etc.
8. Olympic National Park
600 East Park
Port Angeles, WA 98362
206-452-4501 x230
-Olympia looks like a wonderful place to mountain bike, but
I am under the impression that it's prohibited; check it out.
-they provide a map and info on park attractions.
-Park Service is more stringent in rules and regs than Forest
Service.
9. Underground Seattle Tour
Pioneer Sq. in Seattle
-Awarded the 'Tackiest Tour in the US' distinction by the NY
Times, this walking tour brings the visitor through the musty
and damp 'old' city that lies under the streets of Seattle.
It is definitely worth the trip, as it gives a flavor of what
Seattle was like in its early days.
10. Bumbershoot
Seattle City Center
-Each Labor Day weekend, the site of the '62 world's fair is
transformed into an Arts festival, complete with music, shows,
art, movies, and tons of people. Despite having nationally
known performing artists, it retains a small town 'crazy days'
feel.
-The trip up the adjoining Space Needle is worth it. Sunsets
are spectacular over the Olympics. Remember, August is usually
dry. Otherwise, 'The Bluest Guys You've Ever Seen Are in
Seattle...' What would you expect from a place where the
state bird is the common slug? (just kidding :-) )
11. Burke-Gilman Trail and Sammamish Trail
-These are two wonderful bike-only trails which traverse the west
and east regions of Lake Washington, respectively. Avoid them
on weekends, as they attract crowds. However, weekdays are
wonderful.
-The Seattle bicycling map (see maps reply) shows the Burke Gilman
Route. The book, 'Bicycling the Backroads around Puget Sound'
(referenced elsewhere) has a good map of the Sammamish Trail.
The latter finishes in Redmond.
-It's possible to make a huge loop, going out along the B-G, and
then returning via the Sammamish. There are plans to build a
connect between the two, but in the meantime, about 4 miles of
sharing the road with cars is necessary. At the end in Redmond,
stick to the river before heading south and west to Bellevue, then west
to the I-90 bridge (bike path on bridge). Cross over to Mercer
Island, then back to Seattle. A new I-90 bridge was under
construction, so the bike path was being relocated fairly often.
Watch the bike path for glass and other tire-eaters. I lost
a new Kevlar tire there.
13. Sea-Tac Airport and bike paths
-again, reference the Seattle Engineering Dept bike map - it's
got the best routes.
-Seattle is used to handling bikes. The bike path to the city
begins in the airport parking garage, and goes out along service
roads that aren't too heavily travelled. If your destination
is Seattle, I suggest choosing a route which heads toward West
Seattle from the airport. The roads east go through Rainier
Valley, which can be a little dangerous as well as crowded
with trucks and cars.
-It takes about 2 hours to cycle to/from the airport at a 15mph
pace. Although the route looks very flat on a map, rest assured
that hardly no place in Seattle is flat for long...
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