Days 20-22: Down the Coast and Over the Bridge

Three more days of great riding. Well, maybe 2 days of hard riding as one day got fogged out after just 11 miles, leading me to take a ride with the SAG.

Riding

Day 20: 79 miles, 5627 elevation (2 wheeees, lots of ughs)

Day 20 had a little bit of everything. First, I got off course. As my friend Chris said, it was a good place to get off course, as it took me into a beautiful forest. That said, it added 10 miles to an already long day. I think I got distracted chatting with Joe and Malasue (spelling?), and then ended up not making a turn. I figured it out. Today also had the first major wind influences, and they were not in my favor. I faced headwinds of 25-30 mph. Add those to an already long day with lots of climbs, and you end up with a day where you couldn't wipe a smile off my face if you tried.

We ended at a hotel with a view. However, after eating dinner, we thought the sky looked unpromising for a sunset. And then, only when I happened to get something from the car, did we realize it was the best sunset yet. The photo below is from the front yard of the hotel.

Day 21: 11 miles, 1332 elevation (no wheeees, 2 ughs, fog slowed me down)

The ride started promisingly with blue skies and light traffic. There was a hard climb to start the day, and then the fog rolled in. I began to feel unsafe. Fortunately, about that time, Chris drove up and I hopped into the car. We drove to Bodega Bay and Bodega, where the Alfred Hitchcock classic, "The Birds," was filmed. We ate at The Birds Cafe (quite tasty food and good coffee. It was still foggy there, so I called it a day. I could have ridden the last 35 of the planned 59 miles to Point Reyes Station, but at that point, I had lost the commitment.

The bonus was that Chris and I had a great time visiting Point Reyes National Seashore, including some hikes to barking seals and their lighthouse. Did you know that this lighthouse is the windiest and foggiest on the West Coast? 1 out of every three days the winds exceed 40 mph, reaching "90-100 mph" one day earlier this year.

Chris running from the church, fearing those birds.

Remember all those kids running from the schoolhouse while being attacked by birds? This is the schoolhouse (now a private residence).

The Cypress Tunnel on Point Reyes.

Point Reyes Lighthouse.

Day 22: 71 miles, 4101 elevation (no wheeees, 2 ughs, too much traffic on downhills)

What a great riding day. Again, more of the diversity that makes up this great country of ours. I started of Point Reyes Station and was soon climbing Mount Tamalpais. I learned a lot about Marin County. There is so much on this side of the Bridge. There are lots of forests and some nice towns, from Lagunitas to Larkspur to Sausalito.

As I approached the Golden Gate Bridge, I met my friend (and one of my first MBA students, from Emory University), Edward. He now lives in San Francisco and came over to meet me. He guided me over the Golden Gate Bridge into the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. Did you know that Park is bigger than Central Park in New York? I didn't know that, but Edward did. We had a nice time catching up and going for a ride.

After that I made my way down to Half Moon Bay. It had its moments of narrow shoulders and speedy cars, but was mostly pretty safe.

What did Chris do?

Chris found herself enjoying some of her old stomping grounds. We both enjoyed a pleasant walk along the coastline. Chris really loves Mendocino, which has been her favorite stop so far. She loved the quaintness of the Joshua Grindall Inn and its breakfast (I had to leave early to get on the road). She talked to shopkeepers and other locals to learn more about how the town has changed in the last 40 years.

Downtown Mendocino

On the day I was “fogged out,” we spent the time together—those moments already captured earlier.

Today, Chris explored some other memories. She found her first apartment building in San Rafael, the church she attended (Mission San Rafael Arcangel) and one of her old customers, a camera store Seawood Camera that still exists today! Back then it was named The Photo Shop. Later, in Novato, she found what had become of her largest camera store -Old Town Photo-is now a women's clothing store. She had a nice time chatting with the saleswomen who remembered the store.

Seawood Photo in San Rafael.

Great to see there are still some great camera stores.