Although I wanted to have one more travel experience before settling in for winter, I wanted it to be low stress and uncomplicated. As luck (or internet shenanigans) would have it, an email from REI Adventures landed in my inbox at just the right time. A women-only three-night four-day cycling excursion caught my eye, but I soon realized those three nights would be . . . . camping, sleeping on the ground, in tents, with sketchy bathrooms, flashlights required, and all that. Hmmmmm. I hadn’t been camping in 30, maybe 35 years.
On the plus side, we wouldn’t be carrying gear on the bikes. We’d have two guides, one of whom would drive a van with gear, tents, sleeping pads, and whatnot. Also, the guides would procure and prepare all the meals, so this would be camping ‘lite’ for sure. But still – sleeping on the ground! Oof!
In the end I was won over by the assurance that this particular trip featured “elevated food and wine pairings.” Wine by the campfire! I was in.
Getting to the San Juan Islands can be complicated (flight to SeaTac, shuttle with transfer to ferry, or sea plane) so in the spirit of simplicity I decided to drive. It’s a fair ways, so I loaded up my iPod with audiobooks and podcasts and set out on a Tuesday morning. After a night in Salem, OR I made it to the Anacortes ferry terminal in time for the Wednesday 2pm ferry.
Our cycling group met up on Thursday morning to begin our adventure.
Our ages ranged from late thirties through early seventies (except our guides who were in their twenties) so most of us experienced some overnight aches, even with sleeping pads. All campgrounds had flush toilets and sinks, and we had showers at two of three campsites. We made do for the one without. It ended up being a great trip with fun women, great food and wine, and hey, the camping was do-able.
We finished up mid-day Sunday and took the ferry back from Orcas to Anacortes where we said our good-byes.
