Grand Mound, Cowlitz and Chehalis
Today was a nice day of cycling roughly parallel to the I-5 corridor. I started following the drainage for the Cowlitz River. This had a few short hills and went via settlements of Castle Rock and Vader. After a gradual climb via Winlock, I went down and followed the Chehalis valley. This was a flatter area and had towns of Chehalis and Centralia. It was both more populated and had more agriculture than the Cowlitz which had more forests. It was nice to have a dry and sunny day again.
![](http://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153505_5435.jpg)
Started following the Cowlitz River. Trees are losing leaves and turning colors here.
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153507_7091.jpg)
Castle Rock and a brief stop at the Four Corners.
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153509_9492.jpg)
Lots of trees in this area.
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153510_0769.jpg)
The Vader post office, all of it.
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153513_3102.jpg)
Winlock claims the world’s largest egg.
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153515_5261.jpg)
While these are everywhere, I always associate the Pacific Northwest with these really small coffee guts
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153517_7431.jpg)
The route through Chehalis and Centralia was a mix of little roads and some frontage roads including this trail.
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153519_9614.jpg)
Larger roads had striped bike paths.
![](https://mvermeulen.org/gone2look4america/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/Resize_20231012_153520_0807.jpg)
Not my hotel but there is a water park in Grand Mound.
Overall a nice ride through a variety of roads and past small towns and good weather again.