SEQUIM — Now and again, Dan Abbott pedals his bike up Blue Mountain. He’s a devoted cyclist but has to fit his rides into his day jobs, which include running the George Washington Inn and the adjacent Washington Lavender farm with his wife, Janet.
Earlier this year, Abbott got together with a few friends to plan their answer to the Tour de France, the long bike ride that winds through France’s lavender region, Provence.
At last, the Tour de Lavender, with various routes suitable for families and hardcore cyclists, is set for this weekend.
But unlike its European counterpart, this is no race, Abbott said; the tour is of scenery, much of it in shades of purple.
The lavender circuits are paired with Ride the Hurricane, Sunday morning’s climb up to Hurricane Ridge Road above Port Angeles.
Together, they make a “Pedal-Powered Weekend” for dedicated cyclists.
“Ours is like Ride the Hurricane, but our hills are more spread out,” Tour de Lavender ride director Tom Coonelly quipped.
Details of this weekend’s rides — routes, registration, sites along the way — are at www.TourdeLavender.wordpress.com and at the Sequim Lavender Farmers Association office at 360-452-6300.
The lavender rides begin Saturday with a metric century — 100 kilometers, or 62.5 miles — starting in Kingston and then visiting lavender farms across the Dungeness Valley.
Cyclists will use the highways for part of the route, then turn onto Old Gardiner Road, Old Blyn Highway and other back roads, Coonelly said.
The shorter, adjustable “family fun ride” can be done Saturday, Sunday or both.
That circuit can be up to 35 miles, with stopovers at several lavender farms.
Registration for the family ride is $35 per person, including a T-shirt, water bottle and lavender souvenir. The starting point is the Sequim unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula, 400 W. Fir St., which will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Registration for the longer ride is $50, including a cyclist’s cap, water bottle and souvenir at Village Green Park, 12850 Dulay Road N.E. in Kingston. Registration will be open at the park from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday.
For those who want to take on Ride the Hurricane, bus transportation will be available, Coonelly said. Cyclists should inquire about this when signing up for the Tour de Lavender.
It’s hard to say why this whole thing hasn’t been done before, Coonelly added.
“When you think about it, everything you need for just a really pleasant ride is here.”
The Olympic Discovery Trail, which winds through part of Sequim and the Dungeness Valley, provides access to country roads and lavender farms, he said.
The Tour de Lavender is happening not a moment too soon, said Scott Nagel, president of the Sequim Lavender Farmers Association, host of the ride.
The farmers are poised for harvest, Nagel said. Their herbs bloomed a bit early this year, he added.
Some had blooms well before Lavender Weekend on July 19-21 that included farm tours, festivals and fairs hosted by both the farmers association and the Sequim Lavender Growers Association.
More than 120 cyclists have registered for the rides, Abbott added. That’s 70 people and counting for the Kingston-to-Sequim route, and 50 for the family ride.
A small army of avid cyclists is making the events happen.
The Spoke Folk, Women on Wheels and Easy Riders, all of which are riding groups and frequent pedalers on the Olympic Discovery Trail, are among the sponsors.
To reach them, visit www.OlympicDiscoveryTrail.com and use the “Planning” and “Bike Groups” links.
Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
