Day 1 enroute to Eugene, OR

I left Seattle at 2pm and 3.5 hours later, traffic was so goddamned awful, I'd not done even 100 miles, so I stopped in Vader at Country Kitchen restaurant to eat something and unkink my knees. It's the sort of overdone country twee that you find everywhere in the US, down to the country music on the audio system.
I try to avoid Seattle traffic on a Friday afternoon but sometimes you have no choice. I'll find somewhere to camp between here and Eugene. It's a pity I can't count on Alaskan long summer nights this far south. But packing the car again with hiking, biking and camping gear felt normal. I'm working an Adventure Cycling bike trip on the Oregon coast for the next week. I hope it's as lovely as September 2014, when I first rode it. Three years ago, I was a different person. I remind myself as frequently as I can just how far I've come since then. Actually, it feels good to be on the move again.