Since the starting point of this ride is just 11 miles from home, I decided to start from home directly (and cut short the last few miles at the end). It started out to be a cool/cloudy day, but Sun opened up after a couple of hours. Although I have ridden parts of this route a few times, the route was planned to avoid all the highways, and so I had an opportunity to learn about some of the nearby interior (and quiter) routes. It was very scenic.
This is also my first century where I did not get into that "zone" that I usually get into after about 80 miles. Today, my legs felt strong and so I was able maintain decent cadence till the end. Overall, a good training ride for next month's STP (Seattle to Portland) ride.