Short version: (longer post or link to my blog posts when I get time)
* From the train station** in Mount Vernon (Washington State), south to the Skagit State Wildlife area and then east into the hills to camp with friends for a few days and then to the NE back to Mount Vernon. First time bike-camping again after a 7 year hiatus off the bike. Very nice, good riding on pleasant country roads, a little light trail riding (fully loaded for tour mind you!) in the Wildlife Area and some birdwatching too. All my gear worked well, bike ran like a top. Satisfied, very happy (face hurt from smiling so much as I rode my laden bike away from the train station), re-addicted to touring!
* From the bus station (missed the train) in Olympia down to Lacey to renew my nursing license, back all the way across Oly to its NW tip to spend the night with friends. Next day about 85 miles from there to the ferry in Bremerton and then home from the ferry terminal. Tried to pack light and got it down to a single pannier (& minimalist camelback), but think I would prefer the load more balanced, and would like more room to portage home canned (jarred) items from roadside fruit stands. Got saddle sore on this one, and learned my denim shorts (baggy, black - not Daisy Dukes!) that I always wear riding (over my cycling bib) are unsuited for long rides. For 50 mile rides they've been fine, before I got to the 70 mile mark I discovered they had a rivet on the hip that was wearing a hole in me! Nice little abrasion at the belt-line. First time this year that I felt like I should be riding more (longer rides) to keep my rear-end tougher than the 7 miles each way to and from has work conditioned it. Looking forward to working in some longer day rides on my days off, got some more motivation for it!
* Sacramento to Clear Lake via Woodland, Winters, Lake Berryessa, Calistoga, to Kelseyville. Circa 145 miles that I spread over four days. One night at a friends (Woodland), one night camping (Lake Berryessa), one night in a hotel (Calistoga). Riding in the valley was nice, some of the mountainous stuff was great, some tough but rewarding, some unfit for cycling. Spent some miles walking up STEEP hills, sometimes with no shoulder on either side of the road and short sightlines for the fast moving cars on the twisty mountain roads. Won't be going there via that route again, and half convinced there isn't a good way for a bicycle to get to Kelseyville given how mountainous the area is. Rewarding trip, want to ride some parts of it more again sometime. Don't know how it would be getting there from the Calistoga side, but riding down from Berryessa to Calistoga was AWESOME! High speed twisty mountain road at 40-50 MPH while heavily laden for touring!
A few times I was happy that for my first "tour" outside of my home state was actually back to where I grew up and left 20 years ago. There were a few times where I knew I'd be checking the map more often, but I recognized or recalled much of the layout of the region. I'm REALLY hoping I can keep my 7 days on, 7 days off, schedule at work through next year so I can spend most of those days on 2-6 day bike camping trips while out of school for the summer.
* I'd still like to go from Kelso, Washington out to the Oregon coast (train to Kelso, spend the night with a friend, cycle to coast, camp with friends, catch a ride with them back to train station) before calling this years touring season to close, but it feels COLD out there to me already.
** Each trip began with an 8 mile ride from north Seattle, through traffic and over hilly terrain, fully loaded for touring to the train station. Always feels a little odd rolling with all my camping gear on the bike through my hometown, especially during commute times. Definitely get some odd looks, the presents that rode on the front deck for the early portions of it might have contributed to that though:
I, too, am loving this thread! Great idea!