Seattle to Anacortes--First time touring

[kjmoon]

Hi!

This is my first time going bike touring and while I "think" I have a good list of equipment I'm having trouble figuring out bike routes to see the places I want to see.

I have an upcoming camping trip in the San Juan islands with a group of friends from Seattle. However, I want to attempt to bike up to Anacortes from Seattle and meet my friends there before we take the ferry to San Juan. However, I want to bike through and back Deception Pass and Whidbey Island!
Does anyone have any good routes or route planning techniques for this?

My main fear is that I'll follow Google maps and end up on a two lane road with no shoulder. The furthest I've ever biked was to Portland but that was through STP so I had a lot of other cyclists around me.

EDIT: Wow I just found the Pacific Coast route from Adventure Cycling  I might take the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton but any other good routes from Seattle to Anacortes? Or is the route from Bremerton worth the ferry ride over?

[CMajernik]

If you do decide to go to Anacortes via the Bremerton ferry (which I think would be the best way to get there) a better ACA map for you would be the Washington Parks #1 map. It has the same routing as the Pacific Coast Route between Bremerton and Anacortes, but also shows routes on Lopez, San Juan and Orcas islands. And this map has a loop route around the Olympic Peninsula if you want to do more bike touring in the future.

The map can be a bit confusing at first. Once you get to Bremerton you'll be on the Sound Alternate. You take that northward to Port Hadlock, where you will join the main route and continue north through Port Townsend to Whidby Island, over Deception Pass, and onto Anacortes.

[adventurepdx]

I have an upcoming camping trip in the San Juan islands with a group of friends from Seattle...I want to bike through and back Deception Pass and Whidbey Island! Does anyone have any good routes or route planning techniques for this? My main fear is that I'll follow Google maps and end up on a two lane road with no shoulder...

How set are you on riding the length of Whidbey? I found the riding on the south part of the island nice, but hilly. The main route (525) is not as hilly (I think) as the alternates and generally has a decent shoulder, but is fairly busy. The big thing, however, is figure out the route from Seattle to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal. You can use the Interurban Trail for some of it, but it's pretty disjointed north of Seattle, and seems to involve a lot of riding around freeways and humongous parking lots around malls.

If you want to avoid some of that, you can ferry across the sound from Seattle. You can ferry to Bremerton and pick up the Pacific Coast route that Carla mentions. When I rode up this way a couple years ago, I opted to ferry to Bainbridge instead and ride to Port Townsend. A lot of it is on pleasant and quiet (and rolling) country roads. But do to the geography of the area, there are a few "pinch points" like the shoulderless Agate Pass Bridge. (Hood Canal Bridge now has a decent shoulder.) And there are a few stretches of busy road, like 104. But overall I liked the ride. Here is the route:
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/3254650
There are a few campgrounds around Port Townsend (like Fort Worden, with a hiker/biker site) so it makes a convenient end of day.

From there, you can take the ferry to Keystone and then ride up to Anacortes. There are a few pinch points as well, like Deception Pass Bridge. But overall pretty nice (and hilly!)
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/3255996

As for your concern about "two lane roads with no shoulder", well, most of the roads you'd be using that are not state highways are going to be like that. But these roads tend to be on the quiet side. You usually only find shoulders on busier roads. For me, I prefer touring on quiet shoulderless roads than busier roads with shoulders, but everyone's different.

[erniegrillo]

If you are not opposed to taking a bus for a part of your journey,
Put your bike on the bus and take the bus to Mukilteo or Lynnwood.
Highway 525 is busy but has shoulders or bike lanes. Whidbey is
very hilly but the side roads on the east and west of the main road
are lightly traveled and the scenery is spectacular.
 Whidbey has some of the best scenery and best riding I've found.
A fee map of the island is available at the ferry terminal or from any real estate office.
Ft Ebby and Deception Pass have great camping. 

[indyfabz]

My main fear is that I'll follow Google maps and end up on a two lane road with no shoulder.

Nothing inherently wrong with that. I just finished a tour from VT to my home in Philly. Rode countless miles of two lane road with no shoulder. It all depends on the level of traffic.

In any event, many years ago I started two tours from Seattle to up to the Northern Tier route a bit east of Anacortes. Used the Bremmerton ferry and followed the ACA route north. Camped at Kitsap and the state park in Port Townsend. The latter is very nice.

[canalligators]

Hi!

This is my first time going bike touring and while I "think" I have a good list of equipment I'm having trouble figuring out bike routes to see the places I want to see.
...

Equipment is the easiest part.  Routing is the next harder part.  Don't forget about conditioning.  To test all three of these areas, I recommend you start out short and work your way up.  Do an overnight or weekend trip, and if possible a longer one, maybe a week.

[kjmoon]

Thanks so much all for the replies!

I bought myself the WA State Parks map from Adventure Cycling. Their route seems to differ from mine by taking Route 310 instead of going through Illahee. (https://www.strava.com/routes/6523085) Based on Google map street view, it seems that my route contains a bit more uphill and a lot less shoulder so I'll probably revise my route later this week to follow AC's map.

I cycle regularly and go on 50 mile rides every so often without much pain so I'm hoping I'll be well conditioned for this. However, with equipment, things get more challenging.

Furthermore, would one be able to do this ride within a day (for context 2 day STP, 100 miles each day, wasn't very difficult but it was extremely well supported)? I know I'll be missing out on some sights but I plan on heading up fast to meet friends at Anacortes and then ride my way back down camping at various locations.

Also, what foods do people carry?

[indyfabz]

I rarely carry any food other than snacks for the day and, in some cases, emergency pasta. Doesn't sound like you are going to be in areas where food supplies are infrequent. I try to shop as close as possible to the end of the day for dinner fixings and, if necessary, breakfast stuff.

[canalligators]

Cooking or not, those are the two schools of thought. 

Personnally, I don't cook while on tour.  This avoids carrying cooking equipment and the time spent cooking and cleaning up.  I do carry minimal utensils (spoon, cup, pocket knife) and buy food for the evening meal, usually at grocery stores.  We typically eat breakfasts in local restaurants; these meals are cheap and tasty; it's hard to mess up eggs and toast.

You'll also need to carry daytime snacks.  You can buy light and replenish these as you go. We've used packaged crackers & peanut butter and granola bars.  Additionally, I always carry emergency rations, at least a meal's worth.  I may not be much of a meal, but it will keep body and soul together for one night.

[Jed Smith]

If you choose to go to Anacortes via Bremerton Ferries, which I think would be the best way to get there, a better ACA map for you is the Washington Parks # 1 map.
แทงบอลสูงต่ำ
It has the same route as the Pacific Coast Route between Bremerton and Anacortes, but also shows routes on the islands of Lopez, San Juan and Orcas.
เล่นบอลสูงต่ำยังไง
And this map has a loop around the Olympic Peninsula if you want to bike more in the future.

The map may be a little confusing at first. When you get to Bremerton, you'll be on Sound Alternate.
แทงบอลสูงต่ำดีมั้ย
You go north to Port Hadlock, where you will join the main route and continue north through Port Townsend to Whidby Island, Over Deception Pass and to Anacortes.
แทงบอลสูงต่ำราคาดีที่สุด

[jamawani]

Ditto on hilly terrain on Whidbey - plus a good deal of traffic, esp. on weekends.
You mention this is your first tour - may not be the ideal starter course.
You need to have confidence riding in traffic and dealing with limited shoulders, at times.

The San Juans also are pretty hilly, but traffic is slower and drivers expect to encounter cyclists.
San Juan and Orcas have the most traffic, Lopez and Shaw are much quieter.

I remember the first time I tried riding fully loaded.
Even though I had cycled a zillion miles beforehand,
It was like getting on a wet spaghetti noodle.
Definitely get used to riding with weight.

[BikeliciousBabe]

3+ year old thread.

[PeteJack]

3+ year old thread.

Yes and adventurepdx's links are no good - probably why.

[adventurepdx]

3+ year old thread.

Yes and adventurepdx's links are no good - probably why.

Nope, the age of the thread has nothing to do with the badness of my links. There was an internal error with Ride With GPS that lost the data for those routes.

[PeteJack]

3+ year old thread.

Yes and adventurepdx's links are no good - probably why.

Nope, the age of the thread has nothing to do with the badness of my links. There was an internal error with Ride With GPS that lost the data for those routes.

Pity that, I was quite intereted in doing them.