I got up early and found it to be a blustery and rainy day, the last day of my tour.  I hurried to pack the tent and gear so it would not get too wet.  I was ready to roll by 8AM and commenced my 50-mile ride home after donning my foul weather riding gear.

The plan is to find my way to the Boundary Bay Dyke Trail, which is several miles from the camp, and avoid most of the highway traffic to reach White Rock by going of-road.  It is a 15 mile long flat, gravel path which rims nearly the entire northwestern side of Boundary Bay, running from Tsawwassen into Delta and concluding in Surrey at Mud Bay Park.  The wetlands along the trail provide a good habitat for birds of all types. Along the way you might see eagles, snowy owls, herons, ducks, and migrating birds depending on the time of year.  Along the way, one will see remnants of pilings from oyster farming operations which was discontinued in the 1960s. The trail is used by farm tractors, horses, bike riders and hikers.  The trail winds through Boundary Bay Regional Park.  It is definitely the way to go when riding between the ferry terminal and White Rock.

I arrived at the border crossing and passed up a big line-up of cars to enter the special processing area for walkers and bike riders.  In a few minutes, I was on my way to Blaine to take a break and have a bite to eat.  I stopped at the Seaside Cafe and Bakery in Blaine and enjoyed a latte, and breakfast wrap.

From the cafe, I took Portal Way and Vista Drive to Ferndale.  I rode down the old Pacific Highway to Bellingham which parallels Interstate 5.  It ended at Bakerview near the airport and from there it was familiar territory to the finish line.

Today, the clouds gathered and threatened to rain.  I figured it would be best to take a two-loonie shower (eight minutes) and pack up camp as soon as possible so the tent would not get wet if the rains came.   Before departing at 10:00AM, I made some strong French press coffee on my Jetboil. 

The downhill ride to Ganges was exhilarating ... I had to use my breaks judiciously to maintain control going downhill with 300 pounds of loaded bike weight and rider weight.  The other reason for breaking is because the roads on the islands have rough patches, bumps, and gravelly areas.  I restrict my top speed going down steep hills to 25-30 miles per hour, or even less on rough  roads.

The three-hour ride to Tsawwaassen which cost $9.50 made stops at Pender, Mayne and Galiano.  With the arrival time of 7PM, it was fortunate there was a camping area within a 30-minute bike ride.  Parkcanada RV Park is located in Tsawwassen, 20 minutes by bike from the ferry terminal, which serves Victoria, Nanaimo and the beautiful Gulf Islands. It is more like a parking lot for RVs than a campground.  It has a tent area with picnic tables.  It's main attraction for a biker is that it is near to the ferry terminal.

The ferry to Saltspring was delayed by over an hour making for a mid-afternoon arrival at Long Harbor.   It changed the itinerary to a shorter bike ride that day.  Before heading to camp, I rode to the island's biggest city, Ganges.  The Long Harbor Road is hilly with longer rolling sections and several steep grades to climb.  Just before entering Ganges, there is a short segment to ride on the Fulford-Ganges Road, a heavily trafficked roadway.

As I rode into Ganges, I passed a big marina on the left and soon was in the center of the city.  I spent several hours at the TJ Beans coffeehouse to catch on my blog.  It turned out that it was an excellent choice ... good coffee, good sandwiches, and fast Wi-Fi.  The central area of Ganges was jammed with cars and people.  Saltspring Island is the biggest and busiest in the Gulf Islands chain.

At 6:30PM, I picked a bento box to-go at  Arrigato Sushi and headed along the busy Fulford-Ganges Road to the Mowhinna Creek Campground.  It was brutal climb up a steep hill to get to it.  It was a small basic campground which can accommodate RVs and tents.  It has a children's play area but no store or any other frills.  The cheapest tent sites were $22.  The showers and bathrooms were clean.  After eating the teriyaki chicken, I sat down on the bench near the office to charge my tablet and to watch a few YouTube clips.  The proprietor lady popped out the door and said, "Love, you can't watch videos and movies here because our Internet bandwidth is very low and I can't download our email."  I replied, "Yes, I noticed that."

Orcas Island was a challenge as there was a hill to climb around every corner.  It is the hilliest of the San Juans for biking but interesting features.   Some day riders without panniers on their bike take the steep ride to the peak on Mount Constitution Road. There are three good options for bikers staying overnight:  tenting in Moran State Park, Doe Bay Resort, and the Golden Tree Hostel in Eastsound.  My favorite was Doe Bay.

On the return trip to the Orcas Ferry Terminal, I took an alternate route via Crow Valley Road which was  much quieter than the main island route, Orcas Road.   It took me by the nautical village of West Sound, home to a nice marina and the Orcas Island Yacht Club.

When I arrived at the terminal to catch my 10:40AM ferry, it was already crowded with cars in line, walk-ons, bikers, and a group kids, presumably from a camping trip.  The trip over to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island was only 40 minutes.  It is the second largest island in the San Juan chain and the most populous.

I rode to the Wayfarer's Rest Hostel, where I spent the night.  After picking a bunk in the dormitory, it was time to find a good cafe.  I went to one the cleaning lady of the hostel recommended, the Bean Cafe on First street.  It turned to be a good one with fast Wi-Fi.  The plan was to do some sightseeing in Friday Harbor and to find a laundry for washing very sweaty riding wear. Sunshine Laundry on Nichols Street was just three blocks from the hostel.  Tomorrow, I will ride around the periphery of San Juan Island.

I got up early on July 30 to prepare for the circle of San Juan Island in a counterclockwise direction.  The route to Roche Harbor was on a good cycling road, Roche Harbor Road, with moderate to small shoulder and light traffic. About four miles out of Friday Harbor, passed by the San Juan Winery (open from 11AM to 5PM).  Slightly further, I stopped to check out the Lakedale Resort which offers family oriented camping with options for tent sites, glamping, log cabins and lodge accommodations. There is even a retro Airstream available to rent.  The facility is surrounded  by Fish Hook Lake. Hiker-biker tent sites are $37 per night.

Roche Harbor on the Northwest side of the island was my next stop.  The harbor is a hub of tourist activity.  The marina harbor provides one of the better protected anchorages in the islands. The harbor is surrounded on the east side by San Juan Island, on the north side by Pearl Island, and on the west and south sides by Henry Island. Most of the harbor is 35 to 45 feet deep. Roche Harbor has a small airport used primarily by local residents. Roche Harbor was named in honor of Richard Roche, who served under British Captain Henry Kellett in 1846 and Captain James Charles Prevost in 1857–60.

The resort was formerly a company town surrounding the Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company, which was incorporated in 1886. Lime production was a major industry and revenue source for a corporation run by John S. McMillin, whose ashes are buried in a large mausoleum nearby. 

The focal point of the resort is the historic Hotel de Haro. The hotel is the landmark lodging venue for visitors.  Hotel de Haro was built in 1887 as lodging for McMillin’s customers, while they visited Roche Harbor to negotiate lime purchases. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt, a friend of McMillin, visited Roche Harbor and stayed in room 2A, now known as the Presidential Suite. The hotel has undergone renovations in recent years and remains a favorite accommodation option for village visitors.

Watch the boats come and go in the harbor while enjoying family-friendly fare at the Lime Kiln Café. The café serves breakfast and lunch year round, as well as dinner during the busy summer months. You’ll find a variety of meal options at the café, including famous Roche Harbor Donuts, cheeseburgers, fish and chips and more.  It is the go-to place for breakfast. Rated 4 out of 5 by Yelp reviewers.  Free Wi-Fi is available in the harbor area.

Leaving Roche Harbor, some may want to stop at the Sculpture Park.  Eventually, I made my way to West Valley Road and West Side Road.  The West side of the Island is much hillier.  I diverted off the planned route to visit Snug Harbor Resort, a complex of cabins and lodge in a very quaint marine setting with a small marina.  Boaters beware -- deep keel boats will have trouble navigating to this shallow bay.

On the way to Lime Kiln State Park, I checked out the only public camping area on the island managed by the county.  San Juan County Park was a pleasant surprise ... nice tent sites on the bluff overlooking the ocean.  Hiker-biker tent sites are $10 per night.  No showers at this camp.  Orcas whale watching from this location is a bonus.

Lime Kiln Point State Park is popular among the locals for sighting Orca killer whales.  These majestic animals hang out and pass by this area.  This 36-acre Washington state park is considered one of the best places in the world to view wild orcas from a land-based facility.  Due to the unique  properties of the site, visitors on the shore can be within 20 feet of whales jumping out of the water (breaching). The park was the site of lime kilns beginning in 1860, and one kiln has been restored as a public exhibit.  On the day I visited, the whales were sighted at another locale by the island.

The 35-mile ride wrapped up the day as I returned to the hostel at 5PM. and I had to get ready for the next day's ferry to Sidney, Vanvouver Island and the start of exploration of the lower Gulf Islands by bike.

After primitive camping in Moran State Park, it was time to ride to Doe Bay Resort, a new age retreat with spa.  The facility offers yoga, massage, workshops, and accommodations: cabins, lodges, yurts, RV spaces and tenting sites.  There is even a tree house nearing end of construction suitable for a couple who wants to sleep among trees.  This was the  third time I visited Doe Bay.  The  resort underwent major changes in the last decade. The property was up for sale in 2002 and was in much need of major care. The property was going to be broken up and sold as separate parcels, until Seattle entrepreneur Joe Brotherton, and his wife Maureen, bought the property in 2003.  

The Doe Bay Café, along with the Doe Bay Garden, has become an eco-friendly gourmet restaurant, offering fresh and healthy “seed-to-table” cuisine that is getting national attention and delighting “foodies” from near and far.  Their cuisine mantra seems to be "less is more" when it comes to portions and some diners complain about that -- especially considering their menu tends to be pricey.  The plating is done artistically, colorfully, and with flower petals.

I was assigned the Minke camping spot, just big enough for a small bike tent and the bay views were a bonus.  For future travelers, the Seal Landing is one of the best small tent spots with bay views and a picnic table.  One of the best ocean view yurts is the Orcas Yurt.

One of the best features of the compound is the clothes-optional spa area.  It features three outdoor hot tubs, a dry sauna, outdoor shower and an on-site bathroom.  Massage in one of  their on-site treatment studios, is available.

During the late 1960s and through the 70s, what is now Doe Bay Resort & Retreat was called the Polarity Institute, a center for Polarity Therapy, an alternative energy medicine system that was developed in the 1940s by Dr. Randolph Stone, an Austrian immigrant from Wisconsin.   Although the doctor was not in residence at Doe Bay, a group of followers touted his holistic medical techniques and the use of “complementary forces” of energy through touch, talk therapy, nutrition and other means, to heal the body. Many saw Doe Bay as a ‘hippie haven,’ where people from all over the world would visit, and there was a close-knit, small community.

For a history of Doe Bay, click here.

After stopping at the Island Grocery Store to provision with salad, banana and a roast beef sandwich, I made the short hilly ride to Moran State Park.   On the way, I diverted to visit Rosario Resort to have beer and catch up on my trip notes.

Robert Moran, the benefactor responsible for the park coming into existence, was shipbuilder and a mayor of Seattle. Following his mayoral service, Moran devoted all his efforts to his shipbuilding business and, in 1904, climaxed his career with his shipyard's launch of the USS Nebraska, Washington State's only battleship. He was told in 1905 that he had one year to live, and retreated to Orcas Island, where he built the Moran Mansion—surrounded at that time by 7,800 acres of land—that is now the centerpiece of Rosario Resort.  He built two identical houses for his children so they wouldn't argue who got which one. Moran spent the remainder of his life in retirement on Orcas Island. In 1916, he had a 132-foot yacht built called the Sanwan, though the ship saw little use.   Influenced by chance encounters with conservationist John Muir, he donated 2,700 acres of Rosario to the state of Washington for preservation, which became Moran State Park in 1921.  The Civilian Conservation Corps, one of many federal work programs during the Great Depression, built many of the park's trails, roads, bridges, and buildings during the 1930s.

 It has a big campground area with North, Mid, and South camping sectors along Cascade Lake.  After some difficulty, I found the primitive camping area reserved for bikers and hikers.  It is located south of the South camping area, turn left on Mt. Constitution Rd., after a few hundred feet, it is on the left side of the road.  Two outhouses, several picnic tables, and a rain shelter structure mark the spot.

On this particular day, six tents were set up, some doing bike tours of the island.  I did a hike to several small waterfalls before turning in for the night.  The park offers hiking on 38 miles of hiking trails, biking on 11 miles of trails, horseback riding on 6 miles of trails, boating, and camping.