Canada to Mexico day 3

I want to give a quick update, but I don't know how to sum up my day quickly. 😆 It was very eventful. I started my day nice and early. I was up at 6 and on the road by 8:00. I will get quicker in camp once I get used to the new routine. The first 30 miles of my day was really great. After crossing the Hood Canal Bridge I realized I had almost ridden my entire 36 mile route for the day before noon, so I decided to change my plans and go another 20 miles or so. I decided to head toward Bremerton. As I was going through Poulsbo I got a flat tire. In 2015 I went over 1,000 miles before getting a flat tire. Oh well. Getting a flat on a loaded touring bike is a little more involved than a regular bike. First off I have 40 pounds of gear on my bike, so it makes for a dangerous flat. Luckily I was going up hill slowly. I had to unload everything off of Hank and get the tire fixed. I got it all off but couldn't for the life of me find what caused the flat. That can be a problem. Without knowing what caused the flat I could repair it only to get another flat down the road. Luckily I didn't. About 10 miles down the road after fixing it I was thinking how nice it would be to come across a bike shop. Well, as luck would have it I stumbled across the Silverdale REI! I couldn't believe my eyes. I pulled right in there and rolled Hank right into the bike shop in REI. I met some really cool people and learned a lot about tubes, tires, and bike maintenance. I told them all about my ride and I did a little shopping too. It turned out to be a great day after all! Since I changed my route I ended up getting a hotel tonight. Today really drained me. I was on my bike, repairing, or in REI for over 9 hours today. The last thing I wanted to do was set up camp and cook dinner. One of the reasons I pushed myself for an extra 20 miles today is because I am trying to beat a crazy heat wave that is coming. I have it all figured out now. I will update everyone tomorrow. I need rest!

Long day, but fun!

Hood Canal Bridge. It was a fun and beautiful ride. 

Hank with a flat tire. 

Hank in REI