We had the same Best Western formula breakfast this morning. It was close to what I have at home except there was no fresh melons. Our gruppo, which now included Greg, left around 8:30. It was cloudy and cool. We did not read our route sheet close enough so we had a little mixup when we reached the shore in Oak Harbor. After riding on the wrong streets and turning back, Helga was able to get us on the correct path leading us out of town on a trail. If we had turned our route sheets over, we would have found a map with the route clearly shown.

​ We were now riding on the Whidbey Island rollers. There were lots of short hills and very few flat spots. When we reached Coupeville, we stopped at the Knead and Feed Bakery. Roy and Helga had been there before and recommended it. I had a huge cinnamon roll and a cappuccino. It filled me up and gave me a boost.

​ We continued on our route which put us inland past small farms and through light forests. We eventually reached the Greenbank Farm and the Whidbey Pies and Cafe for lunch. Even though we were not very hungry, the thought of pies made us stop and go in. I had a yummy half grilled cheese sandwich and some tasty boysenberry pie. It was a good thing that we had another 25 miles to go.

​ Continuing along the western edge of the island, we passed more small farms and more light forests. Then we crossed the island and stopped in the small picturesque town of Langley for a rest.

A Boy and His Dog Watching the Bay

Roy and Greg Watching Our Bikes

As we were leaving Langley, Greg had a flat tire. We all stopped to help him and really struggled to get his rear wheel back onto his bike. Time was running by quickly and we were afraid that we would be late to the ferry to Mukilteo. We finally discovered that a special spacer on his axle was on the wrong side of his drops. Once we squared that away, we were off to the ferry. We should not have worried because most of the tour group was standing around waiting. The boat arrived shortly after I arrived at the dock. Not only was the timing perfect, but the ferry ride was free for cyclists.

The large Mukilteo Ferry was only about 1/4 full and the ride was short. We barely had time to use the restroom before it was time to disembark in Mukilteo. The Silver Cloud Inn was next to the ferry dock so it was an easy walk and an easier ride to get to it. Happy Hour was in our ride directors' room. After it was over, almost all of the group walked up the hill to a local restaurant. I decided to go solo to Ivars where I had a delicious crab louie with very fresh Dungeness crab. Today was the opening of crab season and I enjoyed watching crabbers tossing their chicken baited crab pots from the peir in front of the restaurant. I didn't see too many crabs being pulled back. I suspect that the turbulance from the ferry's propellers would push them away.