Day 8 Fourteen Miles

November 12th, today was a return trip back to my car. Cool temps and a little moisture greeted
my ride,  nothing to major and it packed the gravel trail down which made for a consistent surface. I stopped at Pioneer Coffee Roasting Co. in Cle Elum Wa for a Eggnog Latte and a breakfast burrito. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, easy to reach by bike which is true of most small towns.

Day 7 Fourteen Miles

November 11th Happy Veterans Day. I drove 85 miles to the town of Cle Elum Washington, my goal was to ride 14 or so miles on the John Wayne Trail or the Iron Horse State Park which its also called. The trail follows the former roadbed of the Chicago , Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific Railroad for 300 miles from North Bend to Tekoa Washington which is on the Idaho border.

I camped along the Yakima River on a spot that I found a few years ago. I carried overnight gear and enough food for 1 dinner and breakfast. I saw quite a few Mule Deer and had about 50 wild Turkeys
roost in some Ponderosa Pines up the hill from me. A nice fire was built and the darkness came early on this November day. It was warm for this time of year and some rain fell during the night. I brewed up some camp coffee and enjoyed it as my dinner was getting ready. This would have been a perfect ride if I did it about 3 weeks earlier as the trees would have been all in color but October was very wet. It was a great short trip and just what I needed to get away from all the recent craziness of the stupid political BS.

Day 6 Four Miles

Sunday November 6th, I rode down the hill to a drive up coffee stand which is in an Industrial Park adjacent to a gas station. Nothing fancy here just a quick trip for a Vanilla Latte and a seat on a bench overlooking the Tacoma Waterfront. The coffee was so-so but the peaceful view made it just right.

Day 5 Fifty Miles

Friday Nov 4th, the weekend forecast was for lots of rain and today promised sun, so I decided to stay home from work and go for a ride along the Foothills trail from home out to South Prairie.
It was a great ride with commanding views of Mt Rainier and the fading colors of fall as my constant companions.

I stopped at Jumpstart Espresso in the little town of South Prairie which is on the way to Mt Rainier National Park. I ordered a Egg nog Latte with hot buttered rum and nutmeg which was perfect to round out a beautiful fall day. The Foothills trail goes 30 miles and will someday link the city of Tacoma Wa to Mt Rainier .Bike friendly yes and is easy to access via the trail.

Day 4 Thirteen Miles

Sunday Oct 30th I needed to hit the local hardware store so a bike ride with a coffee stop was in order. The weather was a little wet but a short ride was doable. Sumner was the target town and Homestead Brew Coffee Stand completed the trip. I ordered a cappuccino and brought a homemade breakfast sandwich to munch on.

Local coffee roaster Dillanos provides the beans for a lot of local businesses. Being Homestead is a drive up its not super bike friendly but its an easy in and out and I rode over to a picnic bench to enjoy my coffee.

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Day 3, Twenty Two Miles

Friday Oct 28th, after a week of rain Friday arrived with sun in the forecast I set off in search of clean roads and hot coffee. The target for today was Auburn and the Green River Cyclery and Busted Bike Café. This unique shop opened in 2014 and filled a void in Auburn which has been lacking a bike shop for some time. The owners Josef and Kyla have provided a much needed haven for local cyclists and other customers as well.

I ordered a 12oz Mexican mocha and shared stories with the owners and another rider who was enjoying a beer. The conversation was about the bad encounters we have all had with impatient drivers. I would rate this shop as very cyclist friendly and they also serve food, beer and wine.

 
 

Day 2, Eight Miles

October 20th I decided to leave work early, I went home and jumped on my bike and rode 8 miles to downtown Puyallup to meet my wife for coffee at Anthem coffee shop. I ordered up a cappuccino and what seemed like a long time my cup arrived.

Little did we know but the local police had arrived to roust a homeless guy that was harassing the clients, this part of the state has a real problem with homeless individuals and I see it first hand on my bike commute along the Interurban trail. Lots of litter and drug use seems to be the norm. I have been using the same route since the early 1990's and have never witnessed so much disregard for open space.

Ok enough of that, the coffee was good and the atmosphere friendly with food and micro beers also on the menu. Anthem seems to be the  hangout for the local high school and it also abuts the city park which draws in families as well.
 
Bike friendly I would say yes because its easy to ride up to but I wouldn't leave my bike unattended for a second unless it was securely locked up. The sun came out and made for a nice afternoon ride.