Wednesday, May 15, 1996
Day 4
Coulee City, Washington to Davenport, Washington
Today's Miles: 63
Cumulative Miles for the Tour: 251
Degree of Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Rolling Farmland to Lightly Forested Areas
Letty, Linda and the girls having a coffee klatch
Steamboat Restaurant in "downtown" Coulee City.
Sometimes it's just best to sit and listen. How else would I learn that if you have a salt intake problem and need more salt in your diet, all you need to do is eat two pickles a day. This home grown knowledge was imparted to me as I was setting up my laptop in the Steamboat Restaurant in Coulee City. There was a table full of local women having their morning cup of coffee, discussing whatever came to mind.
Linda, the proud owner of the restaurant, sat us all down to a breakfast of ham, eggs, hashbrowns, toast, coffee, juice and pancakes as large as the black iron skillet they were cooked in. Oh, man, what a carbo load way to start the day. If you're passing through Coulee City, stop in and have breakfast with Linda and the girls. You might learn something you never knew you needed.
My welcoming committee at Coulee Elementary School
One of the things I enjoy doing the most is showing up at the local schools unannounced and talking to some of the kids about what we are doing with the bike trip and the internet. Everyone is very excited and has welcomed with us with unreserved enthusiasm. A special thanks goes to Katie and Stuart in Coulee City for introducing us to the kids and then referring me to Almira School, 20 miles down the road.
My favorite video game group from Coulee Middle School
The ride from Coulee City starts with a short climb out of the Grand Coulee Canyon, headed east toward Almira. The vistas along this section of the road so vast as to be incomprehensible. Rolling farmlands are topped with horizontal rows of hills in the background topped with huge cumulus clouds. It's been thirty years since I've seen clouds as well defined as these...the kind that you can see different images depending upon how open your mind is to the interpretation.
The "Adam Iobst Fanclub" at Almira School
The computer class at Almira was fun to talk to. I got asked several questions that I hadn't heard before..."Do you wash you're clothes?" Yes I do. About every two or three days, but I did bring enough fresh clothes to last four days. "Are you gay?" No, not every male from San Francisco is gay. Some of us just like to have an earring or two for style. "How old is Adam and is he married?" Adam is 21 years old and definitely available. Maybe we should start a page just for Adam with all the attention he is getting. I'm thinking about taking him along with me to the next school where I stop.
Lunch in Almira was an adventure. I asked the kids, "Where's the best place to get something to eat?" There were two places in town, Bubba's and the cafe at the hotel. I was told that Bubba's was expensive, so if I wanted to get something cheap, I'd have to go to the hotel.I pulled up to the hotel and realized I only had $4.00 in cash with me on the bike. I was the only one in the place as I walked in. I asked the owner if there was anything she could do for me for four bucks. She said sure, sit down and she'd bring me the daily special...a ham and cheese sandwich on a roll with a side of green salad.I went to the bathroom to clean up and had the shock of the day. There was a white bucket under the sink with a nicely printed, handwritten sign that said, "Please puke in here. Thanks", signed with a nice smilely face. I looked in the mirror...then looked down at the bucket again and thought, "What????". When I walked out of the bathroom, I saw that a bar was sharing the same bathroom as the cafe. OK, I can handle that. I wouldn't be using the puke bucket, today. What a relief.The ride from Almira to Davenport, about 40 miles, is unrelenting, rolling, perfectly cultivated fields. I was raised in the farm belt of the Mississippi Delta, but the land there is flat as a board. The hills in mid-Washington make it possible to see every inch of the land. It's a beautiful countryside that feeds into a lightly forested area right before entering Davenport.We setup camp at the Black Bear Motel on the far side of Davenport. Sharon was cordial enough to fix us up with a room, supply is with towels and amenities for 8 and a space on the side lawn to set up our tents. This is the type of hospitality we have been treated with all across the state. Washington has been a pretty amazing place. We'll be headed into Idaho in one more day, but this has been four of the most enjoyable days days I've every had biking.Mark Miller
May 15, 1996
Some of the other people on the trip wanted to add their thoughts to the journal, so here's a different perspective from Joann, Adam and Dave.
Even though we were in Coulee City yesterday, which calls itself "The Friendliest City in the West", in my opinion a strong contender for that title is Davenport, Washington, which today has shown us the ultimate in hospitality.
First, the lady at the Visitors' Center went all out to help us find a place to camp. Then, Sharon at the Black Bear Motel welcomed us with open arms, allowed our campers to set up tents for a minimal fee and brought us a plate of homemade cookies. Later, Sherry at the Cresport Deli downtown made pizzas to our order, even to putting cheese on only one side of a pizza to accommodate our member who didn't want cheese.
Thank you Davenporters! We won't forget you and we hope to see you all again next year.
Joann Blair
Ok here is the situation...I'm now in the eastern part of Washington. We just finished day four and boy was it a nice trip! I'll be dreaming of these down hills for a while. My 45.8 mph from yesterday is still my personal high, although I'm still trying to reach my goal of 50. Today was much slower. I decided to take more time to look around and notice the landscape. Well, my bed calls. Another day of biking awaits.
Adam Iobst
It's the eve of day 4 and as I "relax" in my tent contemplating the many events that have taken place during the last four days of our cross-country tour, I couldn't be happier with the way the participants have jelled together so quickly. They have taken a genuine interest and active roll in working together for the common good of the group. It's as if we have know each other "four scores" instead of four days! If this continuity continues throughout the trip, and I feel strongly that it will, the Bike America '96 group will be the "textbook group" that future tours will be compared too.
Today, Mark stopped off at three schools while pedaling between Coulee City and Davenport to show the students our internet website. Needless to say, he was a big hit and the kids were very excited. The possibilities of spreading the Bike America "word" are endless. I hope each of you reading this journal are having a great time "joining" our tour this year.
Dave Blair
Bike America Tours
dblair@wtp.net
1-800-738-7271