My Wonderful Day in Seattle

So I get my panniers and bags filled and add some P clips to my racks so the panniers are locked down in every direction and I test ride this loaded Red Mule 

That's the Minauro handlebar extender with my Cateye headlight and a camera mount on it. 

And the Red Mule feels heavy but smooth like a 72 Lincoln Continental. 

I'm basically a blubbering idiot at this point cause I've been up since 2:30 this morning and I just about missed my flight then flew halfway across the US and end up in the 
COOLEST BIKE SHOP ON EARTH....

And people are asking me about my tour and Mannie just keeps saying...

"You're gonna freeze your ass off on Mt Shasta!"

And I'm thinking "Where's Mt Shasta?"

And Mannie gives me a map of Seattle and says...

"You know - you really oughta stick around a day or two and see Seattle - it's a beautiful city with really friendly people."

And he tells me about his favorite Mexican Food Restaurant and a couple of coffee shops a la Amsterdam and I'm thinking.....

Maybe I will stick around and do a Tour of Seattle.  

And then I head up the road and into Angle Lake Park - 

So I continue up the road and get checked into the Super 8. 

and I unload everything in the room and head up Industrial Blvd which is an up and down road of 7 - 8% grades to Mannie's recommendation...

And I knock out a plate of pork carnitas sided with 4 jalapenos torreados and then finish my flan and tall cup of coffee and it's 10:30 pm central time and the sun is still shining and I keep drinking more coffee cause I don't want this day to end. 

And the Plan has changed....

And this is just the First Day....

Of the Rest of My Life....

And Man - What a First Day!

And it's been 1 great big continuous run-on sentence just like this post. 

So I'm caffeined up and I'm gonna ride down to Des Moines - a little community on the Puget Sound - and there I'm gonna smoke me about 2 bowls full of pipe tobacco, watch the sun set over Puget Sound and reflect on this ....

Grand 1st Day of my Pacific Coast Tour.