Southern to Northern Washington

Yep...it's been awhile...but we've been up in the Cascade Mountains, and there just isn't any reception up there! (See #128 Camping from the website "Stuff White People Like").
... Lots of things! Lots of things to write!

So, we'll bring you up-to-date past to present. Don't try to read this all in one sitting... you're eyes might roll up in your head.

FT. LEWIS TO TACOMA

Never. Again.
Good riddance, Ft. Lewis.
I'm sure there are people who know how to get around/enter/leave this 25 square mile Army-Air Force base without circling endlessly... but WE are not those people. And we didn't find any of those people. We decided Monday to try to meet up with one of David's HS friends, Joshua (Hey Josh!). Problem was, Josh was working until an indiscriminate time, and couldn't sponsor us into the base until he got off.

Even better, Google has no idea how things work inside the base because it's classified information...so... yeah. Just go ahead and TRY to take a left on that non-existent road, Mr. Google. Mmm-hmm...didn't work, did it? Ok, now why don't you try to go AAAAAAALL the way around and enter through one of the gates, like you suggest. Oh, they'll shoot you if you enter without a sponsor? Oh, I'm sorry that you went 10 miles out of your way... maybe you could...oh, no, that wouldn't work either, would it?

Josh didn't know when he got off work...it could be as early as 5. We got in at 2:30, went to a coffee shop, and waited. Coffee shop closed at 8. We left, biked aimlessly until it was pitch black outside (9:45), and then decided our worst option was continuing to try to find a way into base in the dark (I am like a ninja on my bike...all in black). So, we camped out on the corner of nothing and nothing, and waited. and waited. It was cold. I was wrapped in our Amtrak blanket and looked like a giant burrito. Intermittently, David's tire and my tire were losing air.

At 11:15, a car stopped by and asked if we needed any help...a ride...a place to stay...a truck to carry the bikes somewhere. But, this was the exact time Josh called to say he was off, and was locating a truck to pick us up. I thanked the car, and waved them on. At 11:30, Josh called to say he couldn't find a truck. At THAT moment, the same car drove back... with freshly boiled water in travel mugs, and a basket of hot chocolate/cider/tea options. "We saw you shivering... we figured we could at least bring you something to warm you while you waited". Holy cow. They CAME BACK after I waved them on. Not only that, they went and got their truck, drove us to the base, went with Josh to get a pass to be sponsored through... then waited for ANOTHER pass after the one we had wasn't adequate... it was past 12:45am before Eric and Stephanie were able to go home. They were going to help us if it was the last thing they did...The Heiber's--Eric, Justine, and Stephanie... make the book as some of the most kind and helpful people I've ever met.

What we DID experience inside the base was fun... staying up until 2 chatting with Josh and his wife, Jackie (who'll be having a baby in September!)... eating at "The Homestead", getting a late start to riding, and just generally enjoying being...somewhere not on a corner.

All in all, entering and leaving Ft. Lewis, David and I added at least 40 miles to the trip. Leaving, we circled on the same Goodwill...I kid you not...FIVE times (over the spanse of 4 hours). Disheartening? Yes...especially when we were trying to make it to Seattle.
BUT.
(...isn't there always a BUT)... because we couldn't make it out of Ft. Labyrinth, we ended up on Todd and Hannah Morr's doorstep. I forgot how much I love their family--with the addition of a baby who has serious Zoolander hair. Their 1 1/2 yr old, Olivia, was such a ball of joy...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmk, so I understand why Mom and Dad want grandkids. 'Cause...I kinda want a little Olivia too. Alissa? Get on that, will you? Hannah's mom was visiting; obviously loving being there, being a grandma and mom, and loving us in the process. She made us breakfast in the morning and chatted with us about life. I was thankful we were there at the same time she was. Speaking of grandparents...I got to see the work my Grandpa did in the basement of the Morr's! Excellent!

Even more (ah ah ah... even Morr...I kill myself), it was the first time David has really sat down with Todd and Hannah, and heard about their ministry. In the process of talking with them, we realized that our church in Chicago HAS to have connections to Soma and Acts 29. Guess what? I emailed our pastor, and it does! Todd passionately laid out how missional communities express what we're biblically called to in practical ways. Our church in Chicago has started training people to start their own missional communities, and we are praying that we can be a part of that when we get back.

Tacoma was a huge surprise for me. For some reason, I had it in my head that it was... dirty? Run down? Not so. I think, that of all the cities we've been to, Tacoma is among my favorites. It's Peoria on steroids... on the Puget Sound. Clean, but gritty. Old and new. Dad, you'd like Tacoma. I think I even like Tacoma better than Seattle... David and I had a 'date' for under $10. We split a Subway footlong, grabbed a pint of ice-cream, mouse-trapped it to my pannier rack, and rode down the steepest, bumpiest hill ever. I hear "HONK HONK", turn around, and see our grocery bag and napkins everywhere...the ice cream had bumped off the rack. Thankfully, (because who likes to lose their ice-cream?), the pint was un-affected. We rode to Tacoma's Old Town, and ate ice cream over-looking the Sound. Pretty fun.

SEATTLE TO SEDRO-WOOLEY
Not unusually, our time in Seattle centered around food. We realized we hadn't had seafood on the coast , and we tried to remedy that once we made it to Seattle. Although we missed out on the fish-tossing at Pike's Place market, we went down to the Piers and had some Fish + Chips, chowder and...ice cream (I know... not seafood...). Mmmm mmm. Afterwards, we climbed some San-Fran sized hills up to David Monk's place on Capitol Hill. We found David on warmshowers.org... again, just a really great experience. While we waited for him outside of the condo, David was able to fix our bikes... I worked on the Ft. Lewis part of the blog, and we were ready-set by the time he got home. We'll have to upload the views from his condo... you can see the expanse of downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, and the Sound (that's a lot of S's). Pretty stinking cool.

Nimrod Gil had told us about a restaurant on the Pier where they give you an apron and hammer, and dump a pile of seafood on the table in front of you. This sounded like the kind of experience we were looking for, so we rode back down the giant hill with D. Monk, passed the original Starbucks, and landed in our seats, aprons on and hammers poised. David's friend, Aaron, another bicyclist, also showed up for dinner. In the middle of talking about why we believe the Bible is true, and why Aaron doesn't, I CRUNCHED down on some grit in a clam. Is this a sign to shut up? Seriously hurt my tooth...but there's probably no better way to crack a tooth than eating seafood in Seattle. I wondered for a few days whether or not I should see a dentist, but the sensitivity has gone down, and I think I'm ok. Thenagain, I broke my arm a couple years ago and thought I was fine...probably not the best judge. We climbed back up the David's house, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Dave said he'd like to show us to the path that was on our Google-map instructions (THANK YOU). It was about 4 miles away. 40 miles later, Dave was still riding with us. "I don't have class until 4:00, so I'll just keep my eye on the time"...he turned around at 42 miles, which means he rode 84 miles that day. And then went to his Grad class. We rode about 92, but still... seriously! A random 84 mile bike ride? He didn't pack a lunch, but we had plenty to share...and the riding was great... just...crazy him!

We've decided not to trust when people tell us that camping is free. It's not. ever. Just after we had set up our tent in the "free" campsite in Sedro-Wooley (where we could FINALLY...450 miles later switch from da Google to da Adventure Cycling), when a man came to collect $10. $10 could buy Birthday ice cream at DQ...and then some. So, we packed up a tent, found Senora, who was ok with us setting up a tent in her yard, and bought some Birthday ice cream.

I'm going to save the rest of the last couple days for another post... hopefully can finish soon... I've just been typing for two hours and am bored of myself.