Day 89 Potholes State Park to Wenatchee

Monday 16th August
Daily mileage 80miles Average Speed 12.8mph Ride Time 6hr14min
Total Mileage 3711

We packed up swiftly this morning partly due to mosquito’s and partly due to the incentive of hot coffee in the gas station so we managed to make it there for 6.30am and on the road by 7am. We headed toward Quincy via the back roads which was 45 miles away. We had no real idea of where we were going but we just kept heading North then West the North then West until we came across the town. The wind was not too strong and the roads were not too hilly so by the time we made it into town we could not feel our bums as we had hardly got off the saddle.
In Quincy we stopped at a supermarket for air con and a rest when we saw a sign for 91 degrees Fahrenheit at noon so it was only going to get hotter. Therefore, reluctantly we got on the saddle to attempt to get the remaining miles done before the hottest part of the day. We were greeted by an amazingly scenic route where the road dropped in elevation through a massive canyon and as we dropped the temperature rose. The road was lined with fields of mint, onions, apple trees and pear trees. We passed through Trinidad and had a brief stop in Rock Island for an ice cream before we completed the second section of the day where our ride took us another 35miles into Wenatchee.
5 miles out of Wenatchee we found a bike path that took us on a pedestrian bridge over the Columbia River and into town where we picked up Roger and Helen’s very detailed directions to their house which is on a hill, so the last 3 miles or so were terribly difficult after a long day! We finally arrived about 4pm and pushed the bikes up the steepest driveway ever. We met Roger, Helen and their two daughters Andrea and Aubryn and of course their dog Cricket who we had originally met a few days earlier on the road in a rest stop.
We sat and chatted and enjoyed a lovely dinner and rested all evening. We have felt extremely comfortable here in your lovely home since the moment we arrived so thank you so very much for your kind hospitality and family welcome. According to Google we only have 140 miles to Seattle, its just a shame the cascade mountains are on the way! However, a momentous occasion happened today where we saw our first sign for Seattle! How exciting, the finishing line is in sight!