Tour De Lopez pt. 3: After the Ride

Mona, the camel on San Juan Island.











Adirondacks and a spectacular view. Perfect for after the ride.











The Tour De Lopez ride was capped off with an incredible lunch, then we ambled our way back to the ferry that would return us to San Juan Island. We managed to hit a home run with this place, and I would absolutely come back! The Juniper Lane Guest House in Friday Harbor is a fairly new place and very affordable. There are only a handful of guest rooms, and a great common area with a fully equipped kitchen and enough books to keep you happy.

We brought back some stuff from Kings Market to round off our post-ride appetites, and discovered a couple of adirondack chairs out behind the Inn with a flat-out incredible evening view. It was a good time to sit back, talk about our families and jobs, and watch the daylight wane. Night came soon enough, and sleep came easy.

A brisk early Sunday morning ride led us down to Roche Harbor in time to be among the first folks to catch breakfast when the Lime Kiln Cafe on the marina opened up. Great food, great coffee, super riding conditions. Steve-O looked around and found the boat of his dreams, now he just needs to convince Mrs. Steve-O that it’s worth spending their whole retirement to get it. He convinced me, but I don’t really count.

On the return ride, I was happy that Mona the camel was out for Steve-O to see. She’s no doubt the most famous animal on the islands, as evidenced by the number of vehicles that use the turnout so passers-by can get a closer look. Seeing a camel is just so unexpected, but there’s always been a little quirkiness to the San Juans.

I brought up the idea of returning to Tour De Lopez this coming April. Long pause from Steve-O...”Let’s bring a car this time.” The nerve!