We decided on a short day after the Washington Pass. Partly this was because our legs still felt some of the aches brought on by cycling in chilly rain for miles, partly because the temperature at Nehalem took ages to warm up in the morning since it's in a deep mountain valley - and we had to get some breakfast before setting off. It felt like autumn in the campsite at 10am, until the sun managed to heave itself above the mountains and heat us to operating temperature. People were driving around looking for a vacant site by about 10am. We set off to Marblemount, initially, where we ate a great deal of carbohydrate - banana cake and chocolate. At that point I felt ready to cycle at full speed. Then we did a dappled and quiet road to Rockport, a delight to cycle along (south of the Skagit River so avoiding the busy 20 to the north), and ate a late lunch sitting by the river admiring the beached old ferry that was in use here before they built the bridge about 60 years ago. We saw a road cyclist on the dappled backroad - this has been so rare that it's worth noting.
Tansy, the herb, grows wild in large clumps alongside the road as in the foreground of the valley photo. The leaves have got a gorgeous smell when crushed and the tea was an old remedy for various illnesses (Miss Marple recommends it in the Agatha Christie whodunnits). I would be wary of internal application. Then along the busy 20 to Concrete - the Portland Cement Company was the big local employer.... It's quite a nice looking quiet town and not particularly concrete in construction. An early film of Leonardo Di Caprio was partly filmed here - I think I can just remember it from the 90s - This Boy's Life - all about coping with a step dad, and a portrait of childhood friendship. Then on to the KOA which has charged us the modest sum of about $27 to tent camp (yes, an odd way of putting it to us Brits - but in the USA a camper can be a huge great caravan and they don't seem to ever use the word caravanning....).
There is a kettle and microwave so tea and potentially hot food (this transam business certainly makes you appreciate your own kitchen, I long to do my favourite recipes). And there is a small swimming pool at a tepid temperature which, after a shower to remove all the things that stuck to us while cycling, we've swum in. We should reach Anacortes, the official end of the transam, tomorrow - though after that we have to get down to Seattle via various islands in Puget Sound. We are here.