Cult, Seattle and Washington, USA

We reach the Lower 48 states of the USA in Port Angeles, Washington, by ferry from Victoria, Vancouver Island. We head to Seattle, then continue south, and by chance, we end up in a cult.

Olympic Peninsula

A week of doing nothing was good, but it was finally time to leave again. Naomi's US visa had expired, and she could now apply for a new one. We left Sydney and cycled the 30 km to the ferry, mostly on rail trails. We didn't see anything else in Victoria but bought a coffee to spend our remaining Canadian money.

Before we were allowed to board, we had our first passport check. Naomi had to argue for a long time to get a new visa, but it worked out. I had no problem with my B2 visa. During the 90-minute ferry ride, we also crossed the same latitude as my hometown of Munich. From now on, we'll only be traveling further south.

We continued along the Olympic-Pacific Cycle Route for another 100 km to the next campsite. This was necessary to catch the earlier ferry the following day. The cycle path was quite hilly, but eventually we were back on the highway with one last long climb. Before arriving at the campsite just before sunset, we stopped for ice cream at the gas station across the street. We then pitched our tents in the dark and cooked pasta for dinner.

Seattle, Seahawks and Patriots

We woke up early and headed straight to the Bainbridge Island ferry so we could spend the day in the city. The ferry took us directly to downtown Seattle in beautiful weather. We not only cruised right past the skyline, but we also saw Mount Rainier, snow-covered and towering above everything. There were also many NFL Seahawks fans on board, crossing over for the season opener against the Patriots. The tickets were a bit too expensive for me (over €300). Naomi also had a short interview with the former governor of Washington, who was also traveling by bicycle.

We visited Pike Market with its first Starbucks, saw the Space Needle, and listened to the concert in front of the stadium. Afterwards, we went to see Tisa and Willy, whom we had met two weeks earlier on one of the ferries along the Golden Coast. They were about 20 km south, but it was quite a hilly drive. We were able to shower, watch the football game, were treated to a fantastic meal, and enjoy the Seahawks' victory with fireworks at Lake Washington. Thank you both so much!

Cult, rail trails and South Washington

I was woken early by the wind chimes, so we were back on the road early. We cycled over 50 km to escape the metropolitan area, mostly on cycle paths and later on former railway lines. Unfortunately, there was nothing suitable for camping or wild camping for about 100 km that day. So we continued on, hoping to find a park in a small town. Before cycling the last few meters there, we treated ourselves to a good burger. Unfortunately, we then discovered that camping wasn't allowed there. So we rolled on for another 3 km in the dark and pitched our tents again in the dark on an access road to high-voltage power lines. That was the first time I'd ever needed a rear light.

Traffic wasn't the problem that night, but the trains that rumbled past every half hour, blaring their horns. So, first thing in the morning, we looked for a Warmshowers host for the evening so we could get a good night's sleep. We found a spiritual community within a reasonable day's drive. We were hoping to find hippies, but first, we needed coffee and hot chocolate. After that, we continued at a leisurely pace, following a rail trail gently uphill, until I needed my lunch break after 50 km of gravel. From there, it was on asphalt until we arrived in Raymond a bit early. To kill some time, we also treated ourselves to a Dairy Queen ice cream sundae.

As we drove the last few meters to our host's house, we didn't suspect anything. Upon arrival, we found a farm where 30 people lived. A few more arrived later, who lived on the other side of the bay. We received a warm welcome and were invited to a celebration that evening. But before it started, we had a shower. Everyone gathered in a room, and it began with group singing. The men were all dressed very similarly and had the same hairstyle. The women were also dressed festively. We were told that they were 10 days away from Yom Kippur and that preparations were beginning. Therefore, there was no dancing; instead, the five men talked for over an hour about how to live better together as a community. They went quite off-topic, and Naomi and I wondered afterward what the point of it all was. In the end, we prayed together.

Since it was the day after the new moon, everyone gathered outside to see the crescent, but it was too cloudy. We also had the meaning of the moon and other natural phenomena explained to us from a religious perspective. Afterward, we ceremoniously ate salmon we had caught ourselves from Alaska. As someone who doesn't eat fish, I ate it anyway due to a lack of alternatives. At least we were sitting at a table with a father who had traveled extensively and his family of eight children. He told us about his time in Patagonia and the Caribbean. They couldn't make heads or tails of my job (IT).

To Oregon

We spent the night on mattresses in a tent in the barn. It was very comfortable, but we were woken early by the commotion. We were also invited to the next party in the morning and breakfast afterward, but we made a quick exit. To really wake up, we were already sitting in McDonald's for coffee before 9 a.m. Afterward, we took a leisurely ride up and down the hills to Astoria, Oregon. To get to Oregon, you have to cross the 5-kilometer-long Astoria Bridge. It only has a 50-centimeter-wide shoulder, and it was very dirty. Naomi was pulled into the road by the slipstream from a passing RV, but thankfully, she wasn't hurt. As we later learned, there's also a shuttle bus that takes cyclists across for free once a day in the afternoon.

We didn't visit Astoria, but instead fled the rain towards the campsite. However, the rain caught up with us on the second bridge leading west out of Astoria. I quickly put on my rain jacket on the bridge, but it was heavier than expected. Soaked to the bone, we sat for an hour in a fast-food restaurant to dry off. There we also had time to Google where we had spent the previous night: at the Twelve Tribes cult. Afterwards, we walked a few more kilometers to the hiker and biker campsite, where we were dry again.

Conclusion

It was really great to be back on the road. We crossed Washington quickly. If we hadn't been going to Seattle, I'd heard many good things about cycling west from Port Angeles, following the coast, instead of heading east like we did.

Furthermore, it was a very interesting experience to accidentally end up in a cult. I never would have thought I'd end up somewhere like that.

Next week we'll continue with Oregon. Since I crossed through the states so quickly, I'll cover them in shorter, more frequent blog posts.

And now, visible only to my sponsors, a picture of my pizza from San Francisco. Thank you all so much 😊