On Sept 6th, we rode 21 miles from my house to the train station in downtown Seattle. We took the Amtrak to Centralia, arriving at about 4 PM. I was impressed with how well the Amtrak conductors handled our bicycles and made sure we collected them from the baggage car when we reached Centralia. We stayed in the Peppermill Express Inn that night; they let us store our bicycles indoors in their laundry room.
Right across the street from the Peppermill Inn was the Hash Centralia. We ate dinner the night before, and on the morning of this day, Sept 7, we returned for big breakfasts to fuel up for the day's ride. We retrieved our bicycles from the inn, checked out and started riding - the adventure had begun.
Leaving Centralia on some backroads required some climbing - Ramone's altimeter recorded 2500' of elevation this day, which was more than I expected, and more than Google maps (1688') predicted.
We rode on the Jackson Highway for a good stretch down to the town of Toledo; it had a wide shoulder and was not hilly. I wondered if we were on the route taken by the annual Seattle to Portland (STP) ride that happens over one weekend each summer. I have always intended to do that ride, but have never signed up for it.
We spotted a Space Age A&W, so had to stopped for giant rootbeer floats. Right after leaving the A&W, I got a flat tire. This was significant, because Ramone had bet all of us that he would have fewer flat tires than us. (I think Lance won this competition, I don't recall him getting a single flat).
The little town of Castle Rock had a nice bike trail that looped us all the way around their town.
The Air B-n-B where we stayed in Longview was at the stop of a very steep hill. I didn't relish the idea of riding back down into Longview for dinner, and then climbing back up again, so when Keith suggested that we get pizza delivered, I thought he was a genius.
Route of our ride from Centralia 56.9 miles, 1686' elevation gain to Longview
