This was the first bike ride for 2012 and it almost was the ‘ride that never was’. Hoody decided it was high time for Koody and Newbie to experience the wonderful scenery of fields of tulips in La Conner. We would combine this with the Fir Island ride and knock off 2 stones at once.
The plan – Koody and Newbie would make the 4 and a bit hour drive from Portland and Hoody (minus Olde Dutch) would drive from Vancouver (about 2 hours, give or take the border crossing) and we’d meet at Pioneer Park. The pre-arranged time – 11am. But the morning of, Koody and Hoody connected and Koody confessed that his and Newbie’s mechanical skills were lacking. They couldn’t figure out how to install their new bike rack on the car. So 12 noon was the new agreed upon time.Hoody arrives near La Conner at 10:45 and stops at the mall to get some cash. Koody and Newbie, meanwhile, phone Hoody shortly thereafter to say they are in La Conner. Yikes – Hoody is immediately on her way, figuring she is only 15 minutes from the rendezvous point. So let’s do that figuring again – one highway exit so jammed with tourists to see the tulips that it is impossible to get off, opt for another exit further along, weaving country roads lacking adequate road signs, using maps that are lacking road names, 3 stops to ask for directions, 7 or 8 texts back and forth ($1/minute for Hoody), and finally almost driving past the parking lot in a rush to where my BB’s are waiting – I hear my namesake which saved me. We connect and the ride is definitely on.
So one hour later from Koody’s “we are here”, Hoody out of breath, with the ‘natives’ restless and starved, we decide our first order of business is food. So the ride is off temporarily while we ‘fill our engines’.
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And check out the snazzy new car to go with the bike rack – another pride and joy and newbie member of the family. It’s a hybrid with all the bells and whistles.
A tourist obliges us with our traditional starting group photo at mile 0 and then it’s on to lunch in La Conner at the Nell Thorn restaurant.
We decided to wait for a seat on the outdoor patio (the biking being detained a bit more) and eventually enjoyed a decidedly delicious lunch with some sun and tulips to put us in a festive mood. Waiting to pay for our bill slowed us down even more – Are we ever going to get those rears in gear on the bikes?
Yes – we are finally off! Heading east out of town on Morris Street, Koody spots an old relic – traditional style gas pumps with a not too traditional price. At least not the 20 cents/gallon that Hoody remembers from childhood. Hoody is much more interested in the milkshake that is for sale, except there is currently no room in the ‘tank’ having just finished lunch.
We take the first roundabout duly noting the marker in the centre hailing Louisa Ann Conner, whom the town is named after. We head north on Laconner-Whitney Rd and east on McLean Rd to ‘Tulip Town’. But not before a chance to see a field of bright yellow daffodils to catch our fancy. Their season has just about faded but we are still finding a few ‘late bloomers’ amongst us. There is also the wonderful view of Mt. Baker and the surrounding farm land area (not as peaceful and quiet as the 11 other months of the year when there is no festival and traffic jams) but still enjoyable enough that the mind can wander..JPG)
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And then of course, there are the fields of tulips. Such an amazing array and display of colour. From a distance, the colours seem to stretch to the horizon and beyond. Up close, we enjoy the individuality of each blossom. And then there’s the photo-op – in front of the tulips, behind the tulips, beside the tulips, smelling the tulips, parking near the tulips. The only thing we didn’t do was ‘tip toe through the tulips’, although if we had a ukulele with us I’m sure we would have been bounding through the rows, belting out a Tiny Tim classic. And yes, Newbie found a weed (no not that weed!) and managed to transform the bane of all lawns into an object d’ art..JPG)
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Having our fill of tulips, it’s time to ‘pick’ up the bike route to Fir Island and discover what adventure awaits us along the way. We head south along Best Rd, with Hoody, Koody and Newbie enjoying a leisurely pace. The colonial houses, weather worn barns and abandoned structures lend a country charm to the ride..JPG)
We pass the Rexville Grocery on our left, a bit of a landmark according to our book. Apparently there are gourmet foods to be had and picnic lunches to be bought. You can even rent the store after hours for that special occasion. Hoody decides to give the store a pass instead of exploring what’s inside – based on an outside first impression. That and the sign for their art show – a misnomer? From across the road the canvases looked a bit touchy, feely as in black velveteen canvas. We’ll leave it at that for now knowing full well Hoody’s 4-eyes could be totally in error.
On we go – up over the bridge spanning the Skagit River and then a left on to Moore Rd – finally escaping the traffic. Our route takes us along the Skagit River, but the view is obscured from the high levees that protect the area from occasional flooding. The ‘No Trespassing’ is a bit of a deterrent but it’s the sense that this is NRA land that keeps us from really poking around too much..JPG)
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Newbie is clearly not enjoying the gravel road given his bike is strictly meant for pavement. In a flash he is way ahead of the pack but his neon jacket is never quite out of our sight. Hoody and Koody, meanwhile, stop to take a ‘ride around the world’, stopping briefly in Malaysia before making our way back to Skagit Country again. Did we forget? – there was that jaunt in Peru to check out the llamas.
We catch up to Newbie at the Fir-Conway Lutheran Church. The roots of the church date back to 1888 when the congregation worshipped in a local school house. The current structure was built in 1917 with additions since that time. The ‘Wizard’ in the parking lot seems to be the latest addition, working its magic of welcome relief.
And then in the blink of an eye Newbie is on his way with Hoody and Koody lagging behind again.
It’s the signs that have now caught our fancy. Or maybe we’re just courteous riders that share the road with the local traffic. Whatever the reason, we are thoroughly enjoying the agricultural humor.
Until the NRA pops up again and we feel like fair game.
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So we skedaddle west than north on Fir Island Rd, eventually hooking up with Newbie at the bridge. It’s a mild uphill climb on Best Rd and then Newbie is off into the wind – as in gale force head wind – leaving Hoody and Koody chugging along. Well maybe not Koody but Hoody sure struggled. Either it is legs that haven’t recovered from a day of ‘boot camp’ or it’s an aging bicycle that now needs to be replaced.
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We eventually roll into town with Newbie sunning himself on a bench, waiting for the lackeys. We finish our day with a coffee and sweets at the Calico Cupboard. Biking back to the cars, we have time for a quick peek at the Magnus Anderson Cabin. It’s a batchelor pad, akin to studio apartments today. Then it’s time for the BB’s to hang up the bikes and head for home, with promises to ‘hit the pavement’ together again in July.
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