Day 1. The first 60 miles are now complete. Only 3,600 more to go! Father Hilton ends his first day with lots of rain yet upbeat spirits and a positive outlook.
HELLO FROM ANACORTES!
I flew from Denver to Seattle yesterday morning, loaded my crated bike and gear into a rental car and for two hours drove through the rain to the resort town of Anacortes and the gateway to San Juan Islands National Park. I pray the rain isn't a sign of things to come!
Bill and Cindy Mahre are old friends who live in Yakima and they drove all the way to help launch me on my adventure. Thanks Bill and Cindy! Yesterday afternoon we assembled my bike and then had a wonderful seafood dinner together overlooking the harbor and watching the boats come and go. Quite a change of scenery for a Colorado boy used to the mountains.
We also checked out the beach where I'll this morning dip the wheel of my bike into the surf. I don't know who started it, but it's an old tradition for cyclists crossing the Country to start their trip with the rear wheel in the Pacific and end with the front in the Atlantic. I love tradition, so what better way to begin.
There's a Catholic church here in town that's absolutely beautiful. I met some of the parishioners yesterday and they welcomed the pastor of Saint Mary's in Aspen to their community of Saint Mary's in Anacortes. They're meeting me at the beach at 8:00 this morning in order to send me off with their love and prayers. What a great way to start a journey!
Speaking of starting. Time to pack my bags and head to the the beach ....
Love,
Fr. John Hilton
Day 1: The Church of Saint Mary in Anacortes. An absolutely beautiful restoration completed in 2005.