We started the morning with chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast again. The kids and I visited the Larrabee playground while Daisy did the camp dishes. We were expecting a relatively easy day into Bellingham. We had less than 15 miles to ride and we were carrying almost no food and very few snacks. We would say that our bikes were “light,” but you might still disagree.

There was very little morning traffic on Chuckanut so we didn’t bother with that first (southern) section of the interurban bike trail. We rolled into Fairhaven Park for a break at playground #2 for the day. We took the bike path along the water to Boulevard Park and stopped for a snack/lunch at Woods coffee. While H and I ordered the food, A and Daisy went down to look for creatures and shells at the edge of the water.

Our next stop was Trader Joe’s for snacks and dinner supplies. We were then ready to bike up Alabama Hill and pick up our car, repack it with all our stuff, and head back to Lopez Island on an evening ferry from Anacortes. While Daisy and I took turns stuffing all our equipment in our car (we’ve nicknamed it the “adventure Prius”), the kids enjoyed cooling off in a sprinkler. It was great to meet Andrea, our Home Exchange host, and have a few minutes to chat. (Thanks, Andrea, and family!) Finally we were all packed and ready to go. In the car, H had a bit of a melt down that forced us to look for a spot to stop and eat outside, but then she fell asleep before we found somewhere suitable and we decided to drive straight to the ferry terminal. (Toddlers!) Our ferry was 90 minutes late, but I don’t think the kids minded, since they got to play on the beach.

Our plan is to take a couple days on Lopez, and then explore some of the other islands in the San Juans. Although Daisy spent one summer working in Friday Harbor, I haven’t been to any of the other islands. Also, we will have a chance to see some Orcas from the ferry.