SEQUIM — Visitors to Sequim were treated to a two-wheeled tour as part of the annual Sister City visit.
Each September, the Sequim Sister City Association (SSCA) hosts students and chaperones from the sister city in Shiso, Japan.
This is the 27th year the association has hosted visitors from Shiso, formerly named Yamasaki.
This year’s visit was from Sept. 20-24.
While the 10 students spend their stay with their host families, association members entertain the chaperones.
This year, two of the chaperones were bicyclists and sought to offer a tour of the Sequim area on bikes. Because none of the association members were experienced cyclists, they sent out phone calls and emails and, within days, friends of association members offered to ride with the Japanese chaperones.
Thanks to help from Ken Stringer of the Olympic Peninsula Bicycle Alliance and the Women on Wheels, several locals participated in hosting the ride. The association also praised Ben’s Bikes for recommendations for cyclists and for helping with rental helmets and bikes.
Eleven Sequim cyclists escorted Takashi Asada, principal of Haga Junior High School, and Toshihiro Kamei of the Shiso Board of Education, on a two-and-a-half-hour tour on the Sequim area, that included the Olympic Discovery Trail, Railroad Bridge Park, the Voice of America Road to the Dungeness Spit and a ride past the Olympic Game Farm.
“Sequim is a generous and caring community,” said Laura Dubois, SSCA treasurer and bike ride organizer.
“Many people stepped up to help us out and share their love of biking and Sequim with our Shiso guests.”
The Sequim Sister City Association meets on the second Thursday of the month at the Civic Center Burkett Community Room, 152 W. Cedar St.
For more information about the association, call 360-670-9092 or email to sequimsistercityassn@gmail.com.
