Last weekend took us for the first time to the Olympic Peninsula for a two-day ridefest: The inaugural Tour de Lavender on Saturday, and the Ride the Hurricane up Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park on Sunday.

We’d initially planned to do the longer version of the Lavender ride, starting in Kingston after taking the ferry over from Edmonds (leaving the car in Edmonds), then riding the bikes to Sequim and then to the lavender farms in the area. But since we were staying over for two nights and wanted to explore a wide swath of the area, the logistical challenges of going car-free or even renting a car were massive. So, we chose to drive to Sequim, then do a 40-mile lavender ride. Short, sweet, scenic — and very nicely scented!

We saw a lot of animals admiring us along the roads,  and of course had to take their pictures. They included four kittens at some old traincars that a guy was converting into a restaurant; he’d acquired and hired them to be mousers. Very friendly. Very cute. And we very nearly took them home with us …

On the road from Kingston to Sequim

Here we found four kitties. This is either William or Wallace

Wallace or William in action

William (or Wallace) and one of his unnamed sisters

Wallace or William on alert

Kitty training to be mouser at railcars training to be a restaurant

More railcars

Nice wheels

Railcar detail

Railcar detail

A man and a crab

Llama wanting to join the ride

Nice man riding with two bikes while girlfriend shoots llama

Getting honey treats at a lavender farm

A good way to celebrate a birthday

Riders nicely accessorized for the Tour de Lavender

A couple of suburban deer.

Lunchtime in the front yard

Cow wanting to join the ride

A one-cow garage

Showing no respect for the dead

Cruising the graves, lookin’ for some greens

Random riders

More random riders

Lovely scenery

More lovely scenery

Lavender water, a treat from one of the lavender farms

Drying in the drying barn

Drying barn

Drying barn

A man, lavender, and lines

Lavender and lines

A portrait in lavender

Liked this scene a lot, obviously

King of the …

Textures

Probably the only time an NYCC jersey has been ridden with lavender in the back pocket

Enjoying the view

Sheep.

Old railroad bridge

Salmon as seen from the bridge

More salmon

Rest stop

Views!

A whole lotta lavender