mandag 16. juni 2014

Day 4: Riding the interstate


116.6 km

Today I got up at 7am feeling a bit more rested than the previous days. I walked over to the reception for "breakfast" consisting of dried out cakes and hard boiled eggs.

Since this was a Sunday, the town was quiet and I cruised out of under a cloudy sky and with a slight tailwind in my back. 

Due to lack of suitable alternatives, I had to get on the interstate freeway from Sunnyside and follow it all the way to Pasco. The route was relatively flat with some minor climbs and I managed to get the first 70 km done by 12 o'clock. Although the interstate roads are trafficked they let you plow through the countryside in short time, even on a bike. 




Even though the scenery was beautiful, I didn't feel like I got to enjoy it that much because of the high-speed traffic passing by and the fact that I had to concentrate on navigating through glass and debris on the wide freeway shoulder. 

When I got to Pasco, I stopped at a Walmart and bought some brown rice, beans and vegetables that I planned to cook on my stove later, and after asking for directions several times, and making a wrong turn, I managed to find my way out of the city and to a less trafficked road. 

Feeling pretty tired and low on energy I asked a couple of guys - wearing suits and ties and carrying a book in their hands - if they knew a spot to camp for the night. They told me about a nice place called Charbonneau park about 16 km down the road. The guys were Mormons traveling for two months around the area each year to "spread the word of our heavenly father". They were eager to tell me about their faith and what a "truly awesome book" they tried to get me to buy. Even though I am not a very religious man I stood there politely listening to them since they had just given what I at the moment considered life saving information. 

I rolled into Charbonneau park at about 4 pm to find a beautiful recreation area by the Snake river. Here I pitched my tent, took a shower and  cooked a delicious meal and enjoyed the evening. 



1 kommentar:

  1. Det er turen sin, det! Tommel opp, og heia, heia! Og ta vare på øyeblikkene...

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