Last night, I was so excited that I only slept five hours. This combined with my need to pick up a few more items before heading out meant I wanted to keep my first ride short today (safety first!), but more on that later.

The day started with a welcome text message from Leo asking whether we could grab breakfast before I left. Leo has been kind enough to let me rent a room in his house during the time since I returned to Seattle. He also rides motorcycles and understands the passion behind it. It also means he has ample space and all the necessary tools that allowed me to prepare for my trip — thanks, Leo!

We both had an omelet at Café Solstice, a good way to start a day of riding:

Obligatory selfie in front of Leo’s house:

I must have walked by this locksmith (yes, the one behind the Mystery Coke Machine) dozens and dozens of times while living on Capitol Hill but I never had a need for it until today when I was looking for a mechanism to lock my helmet and suit to my bike. Unfortunately, they didn’t have either, but I decided to make a copy of my ignition key just in case. Believe it or not, that didn’t require any paperwork and cost me just $4 and change:

When I went downtown switch from AT&T to a Verizon Unlimited plan (which might come in handy when blogging on the road), I ran into this gentleman. Robert is homeless and suffers from diabetes. He’s also nifty in how he figured out how to make free phone calls on Starbuck’s WiFi using Facebook Messenger. He recommended me to visit the East Beach in Santa Barbara on my way to LA and who knows, maybe we’ll even run into each other when he goes there on May 17:

Shaniece said I should keep my trusting attitude towards strangers but also listen to my gut in case the situation calls for it. Therefore, I picked something up at the Army Surplus Store that I hope I’ll never have to use (but rather have and not use than the other way around):

Time to pack my bike for the last time in Seattle:

I decided not to rush (safety first!) and catch a later ferry which turned out to be packed with commuters on motorcycles. Tim (left) also got his license last summer. He has only missed six days of riding since January — impressive! Brent (center) shared his experience of owning an Aerostich for 12 years (it also leaks in the crotch):

Heaven on a ferry:

Mike saw my bike (he has a BMW R1200GSA) and chatted me up on the ferry. He shared his passion for offroading and also happens to have picked up the same set of soft bags from Mosko Moto. In fact, he was such an early adopter that his 40L duffle bag is missing the pass through for cam buckles under the tent pole compartment (bummer!):

Originally, I planned to ride to Port Angeles, but luckily I hadn’t booked any accommodations because two people on the ferry recommended I go to the much more picturesque Port Townsend instead. After a beautiful ride in the sunshine, I arrived in Port Townsend around 7pm; my first stop on this journey. It was just in time for the Golden Hour and I decided to stay in a motel to catch up on some much needed sleep so I can feel fresh for exploring the Olympic Peninsula tomorrow. But before I did, I spent a bit of time taking some photos around the town and also fly my drone by the waterfront.

Suspicious seagull acting suspicious:

Port Townsend from above (my first aerial photos from this trip):

Impressions from around town:

This is what you do when you are hungry and all the places in town are closed, including the highly recommended pizza place at the water front. All you need is a coffee maker, a pack of freeze dried Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken, and 20 minutes:

Bon appétit et bonne nuit, tout le monde!