San Francisco, CA (Greenbrae, CA) to Tomales, CA
Distance: 58.92 miles
Time: 4:09:09
Max Speed: 40.3 mph
Average Speed 14.2 mph
A day like today is impossible to describe without being incredibly cliche, and even then, I do not believe that would accurately convey what an amazing ride we had today. To begin, Mike Glass got Safeway to donate all their day-old baked goods, which was enough to fill the backseat and trunk of the Matrix to the roof with bread, baguettes, muffins, cakes, an garbage bag full of assorted donuts, and other assorted baked goods and pastries. When he showed up, it was definitely a sight to be seen, everyone crowding around and stuffing their faces. We will be set for a while on all the goodies he got us, assuming they do not spoil before we can eat them all.
It was sad leaving San Francisco and our hosts. The city treated us incredibly well and the people were amazing, and I will miss it there very much. However, the ride out of the Bay Area was the most incredible, awe-inspiring ride I have ever done on a bike, mountain or road. After some riding through the suburbs of beautiful Marin County, we began to climb what seemed to be a short hill. We had been joined by many local cyclists as we approached, so we figured it was a popular route, which made us excited. Oleg and and I were riding together and there was another, older cyclist behind us on a nice old Bianchi, so Oleg and I wanted to beat him and were climbing pretty hard to stay ahead of him. Eventually, we began to run out of steam as the climb was much longer and much more challenging than we had anticipated, and the other cyclist passed us with ease, exchanging a few words as we tried to huff out a greeting.
We finally reached a flat strip, after a couple heart-racing descents, which was atop a dam over-looking a beautiful reservoir surrounded by trees. We were no more than 50 miles out of downtown San Francisco, and here we were in what seemed to be the middle of the woods. There were no cars, there was no noise; there was only us, the local cyclists, the road, and the beauty that surrounded us. Could this have been heaven? We paused here to chat with some of the local cyclists and they were all very nice and impressed by what we were doing. We caught up with the guy on the Bianchi who had passed us, and he gave us a tip for an alternative, much better route than the one we had planned. He told us there would be more climbing involved, but it was completely worth it. When we told him how amazing the ride was, he told us we hadn't reached the "fun part" yet, and that the climbing got more intense too. Oh boy!
These cyclists were certainly right. Just after the dam, we encountered an even steeper climb, with some killer switchbacks thrown in. Mike Glass was driving the trailer, and we came up to him at one point, with a flat tire, trying to pump it up with a bike pump. He did not seem too happy about that, but there was not much we could do to help, so we rode on. What we had thought would be a nice, relaxing ride along the beach had turned out to be one hell of a climb, but the scenery was almost as breath-taking as the climbing, and soon the ride would get even better.
We reached the fork in the road that we had been told about, and found out that the left fork that we had been told to take was apparently the stretch of road where the most car commercials in America have been filmed because it is a winding, hilly stretch along a hill-top ridge with a view of the ocean to the side, San Francisco to the other, and rolling hills all around. So, Oleg and I continued on with the left fork as planned. That was the best decision I have ever made. The road was incredible! It was the best experience I have ever had on a road, by any means, and will probably remain that way for a while, though who knows what this trip has in store for us ahead.
We did some more climbing, somewhat up and down for a little wide, with some incredible views where we just had to stop to take pictures and could not believe what we were seeing. The weather was gorgeous for us all day as well, right around 75-80 degrees, mostly sunny, and completely fog free. Absolutely perfect! Oleg and I could only guess that this must have been close to, if not the area where Gary Fisher and his friends basically invented the sport of mountain biking. We came to a parking lot full of cars with bike racks, which seemed to be a good sign as people probably parked at the top to ride down the descent, or somewhere around there. Needless to say, this was a bit of an ego boost as we had just climbed what many people chose to drive instead.
From there, the road hugged the hills, winding in and out, descending all the way to the little beach town of Stinson Beach, somewhat of a sleepy beach getaway on Highway 1. Oleg and I probably averaged around 38-40 mph on this stretch, as we were passing cars in turns marked 20 mph going 30-35 mph, having the time of our lives. Even on the straight stretches, the cars could not keep up with us as we had so much more speed in the corners. I was yelling at the top of my lungs with joy and excitement as if I were on the most amazing roller coaster ever. I told Oleg at one point that if I died on that road, I would be ok with that. As we pulled into town, a car pulled up next to us and exclaimed "Wow, you guys were really flying back there!" All I could do was smile because I think my face was stuck in the biggest grin ever for quite a while.
And, as if the ride was not spectacular enough already, we were rewarded at the bottom with the beach! This was really our first time on the trip to be on the beach of the Pacific Ocean (we only really saw the bay in San Fran, and the Pacific from the Golden Gate). We made it to the West Coast! We went to the first beach we saw and took off our shoes and carried our bikes through the sand trails out to the beach, lounging on the beach and putting our feet in the water for a while. After not too long, Elyse, Peyton, and Estrin found the some beach, and we were all frolicking and taking pictures on the beach together in celebration. We had not yet had a rest stop yet, and after all the climbing and playing on the beach for a while, we found we were hungry, so we headed back to town and found a little snack stand and had some burgers, clam chowder, fries, and such and laid around, debating whether or not to take a nap. We eventually decided against it and got back to riding.
The remainder of the ride was fairly uneventful, but beautiful as we rode on Highway 1, the famous Pacific Coast Highway, hugging the hills and flirting with the ocean the entire way. I am assuming this will continue for at least a week, if not two, and I could not be more excited! The weather is so much cooler here because of the ocean, and I hope we are finished with the heat for the summer. We did not have any rest stops the rest of the day as the drivers had lost track of most of the riders because everyone had gone off to do their own thing. Oleg and I began to hurt pretty bad and had to stop once or twice as we were bonking pretty hard. By the time we reached the church here in Tomales, we were completely beat. But, our hosts had a wonderful spread of food laid out for us, and lasagna was to come later. Most everyone who had beaten us there was already asleep, so Oleg and I had a snack and promptly fell asleep. It was wonderful.
Later, we enjoyed the lasagna for dinner with synthesizer-themed music selections to aid the digestion. Northern California is incredibly beautiful. I honestly do not really know where we are going for the next few days, but I do not really care. I will just follow the coastline until it stops. Hopefully traffic, and especially wind will not be too bad.
Peace and Love,
Descending Miggy
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Day 29-Three Fog Free Days in San Francisco? Unheard of!
Rest day numer dos in the Golden City
After a bit of a crazy night in Berkele, we were off to a late start this morning, waking up at 10:30, by far the latest of any day on the trip thus far. We were greeted once again by an incredible spread of homemade, mostly organic breakfast foods, including homemade granola that was to die for, and more fresh fruit than I could imagine. God, I love California. The members of the Marin Rowing Association have been absolutely incredible hosts, having us here for three nights and taking such amazing care of us has been a blessing!
We took our time getting ready for the day and figuring out what to do before finally taking the van to the north side of the Golden Gate, where we parked and walked across into the city. From there, I walked a few miles to the nearest bus station, hopped on a bus, and rode it to the nearest BART station, where I took the BART under the bay to Berkeley.
Once in Berkeley, I met up with Onita, a high school friend who now goes to school in Berkeley. We ate at a delicious restaurant named Slurp on Telegraph Avenue that my mom and I ate at during my first visit to Berkeley. They make all their own noodles and the prices are fairly cheap, though some may not agree with me on the delicious factor. Oh well. After eating, we walked around the town a bit as Onita gave me a tour and showed me where she lives before I ended up up at a coffee house to use the internet.
Afterwards, Onita's boyfriend ever so graciously gave me a ride back to the boathouse, where I am currently. As everyone has been arriving back tonight from their various adventures around San Francisco, it feels weird because we were apart for no more than 48 hours, but after being together non-stop for the past month, it feels like we were separated for a week. Everyone seems well rested, rejuvenated, and ready to get back on our bikes and back to work. I think this stop has been just what we needed.
Tomorrow we ride to Tomales, CA as we embark on what seems like a whole new leg of the trip. I had every city until San Francisco memorized for the most part, and now I do not know where we go after tomorrow even, but I am not too concerned. It truly feels like an adventure! We will be on Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for a while beginning tomorrow, snaking along the gorgeous Northern California Coast. Then, we will ride Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast, which I know from experience, is spectacular! The next couple of weeks could be the best of the trip!
Peace and Love,
Master Miguel
After a bit of a crazy night in Berkele, we were off to a late start this morning, waking up at 10:30, by far the latest of any day on the trip thus far. We were greeted once again by an incredible spread of homemade, mostly organic breakfast foods, including homemade granola that was to die for, and more fresh fruit than I could imagine. God, I love California. The members of the Marin Rowing Association have been absolutely incredible hosts, having us here for three nights and taking such amazing care of us has been a blessing!
We took our time getting ready for the day and figuring out what to do before finally taking the van to the north side of the Golden Gate, where we parked and walked across into the city. From there, I walked a few miles to the nearest bus station, hopped on a bus, and rode it to the nearest BART station, where I took the BART under the bay to Berkeley.
Once in Berkeley, I met up with Onita, a high school friend who now goes to school in Berkeley. We ate at a delicious restaurant named Slurp on Telegraph Avenue that my mom and I ate at during my first visit to Berkeley. They make all their own noodles and the prices are fairly cheap, though some may not agree with me on the delicious factor. Oh well. After eating, we walked around the town a bit as Onita gave me a tour and showed me where she lives before I ended up up at a coffee house to use the internet.
Afterwards, Onita's boyfriend ever so graciously gave me a ride back to the boathouse, where I am currently. As everyone has been arriving back tonight from their various adventures around San Francisco, it feels weird because we were apart for no more than 48 hours, but after being together non-stop for the past month, it feels like we were separated for a week. Everyone seems well rested, rejuvenated, and ready to get back on our bikes and back to work. I think this stop has been just what we needed.
Tomorrow we ride to Tomales, CA as we embark on what seems like a whole new leg of the trip. I had every city until San Francisco memorized for the most part, and now I do not know where we go after tomorrow even, but I am not too concerned. It truly feels like an adventure! We will be on Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for a while beginning tomorrow, snaking along the gorgeous Northern California Coast. Then, we will ride Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast, which I know from experience, is spectacular! The next couple of weeks could be the best of the trip!
Peace and Love,
Master Miguel
Day 28-A Gorgeous Day Off by the Bay (Area)
Day off numero uno in San Francisco
After running into some last-minute issues loading all the bikes into the trailer this morning, Elyse and I were off to Dublin a little later than expected. We made it though, and not too long after we had hoped. We figured out a system with the awesome staff of the Dublin Cyclery and left the trailer with them for the day. We needed to get one of our Specialized pumps fixed by an authorized Specialized dealer, and Dublin Cyclery is not one, but the owner had a friend who owned another shop not far from where we were who was in face a Specialized dealer. And, thus we were off.
We arrived at the Livermore Cyclery and looked around for a bit as we had somewhat of a shopping list given to us by other riders. Eventually, we began speaking with Mr. Chuck Richey, the Assistant Manager of the store about what we were doing. As it turns out, he was a former pro cyclist and cancer survivor himself. Unfortunately, it was cancer and the treatment to beat it that had cut his cycling career short but he was fortunate enough to come out a survivor and was very touched by what we are doing and had much that he wished to talk with us about. It was very touching to meet and speak with him and I wish I could have spent all day listening to his stories. Just meeting him was inspiring and another reminder of the fact that we are doing something important, but to make the deal even sweeter, he gave us a huge help on all the items we needed to purchase from him and saved the team a great deal of money. We had to buy things like a new helmet for Darlene, due to her mishap yesterday, a new saddle for Peyton, gloves, warmers, etc, and Mr. Richey was more help than I could have ever hoped to just "run in" to. It kind of makes you think that sometimes seemingly random events are perhaps not so random after all and were really meant to be. Either way, this trip means more to me every day.
Once we finished up our business at the bike shop, we were off for a short visit with the Hydes. It was great seeing all of them, albeit much too short of a visit. But, a short visit is better than no visit, and hopefully I will be back out this way sometime soon as I love the area and it is always great visiting with old friends. We tried to get the oil changed on the van at several places in Benicia, but everywhere we went was either closed or too busy to see us today. No bueno. We had to return to Dublin not too long after our arrival in Benicia to pick up the bikes before the shop closed, and by the time we got there Mr. Tyler and his staff had finished everything and were ready for us to check out and be on our way. What a magnificent job they did for us! Vitek had written a note on his bike that said "bike needs to be made faster" so they had strapped some sports drink mix to his handlebars and given us several cases of this Revenge Sport drink, in the flavours of Lemon Venom and Orange Oasis. So, they went well out of their way to help us!
On our way back to the boat house, we received a call from Peyton saying she and some of the teammates were in Chinatown and wanted to know if we could pick them up and give them a ride back to the boathouse. Luckily, we were right at the point where we had to either exit to go over the Oakland Bay Bridge or continue on straight to Marin County, so we headed into the city to pick them up.
Yesterday, I said I hoped I never had to maneuver the van and trailer through a city like San Francisco. Well, my worst fear came true! Driving that rig through the city was frightening and times and downright insane at others, and not one of my best decisions. Now I know why there were street signs saying no trucks/trailers... Oops... But, we made it safely, bikes, riders, and all back to the boat house! I believer we are going to a co-op party in Berkeley hosted by a friend of Shelley's tonight, though I am not sure. Tomorrow I hope to spend some time in Berkeley as I have only ever been there once but loved it and have been wanting to go back ever since. So, until, then... Toodles!
Peace and Love,
Trailer Tito
After running into some last-minute issues loading all the bikes into the trailer this morning, Elyse and I were off to Dublin a little later than expected. We made it though, and not too long after we had hoped. We figured out a system with the awesome staff of the Dublin Cyclery and left the trailer with them for the day. We needed to get one of our Specialized pumps fixed by an authorized Specialized dealer, and Dublin Cyclery is not one, but the owner had a friend who owned another shop not far from where we were who was in face a Specialized dealer. And, thus we were off.
We arrived at the Livermore Cyclery and looked around for a bit as we had somewhat of a shopping list given to us by other riders. Eventually, we began speaking with Mr. Chuck Richey, the Assistant Manager of the store about what we were doing. As it turns out, he was a former pro cyclist and cancer survivor himself. Unfortunately, it was cancer and the treatment to beat it that had cut his cycling career short but he was fortunate enough to come out a survivor and was very touched by what we are doing and had much that he wished to talk with us about. It was very touching to meet and speak with him and I wish I could have spent all day listening to his stories. Just meeting him was inspiring and another reminder of the fact that we are doing something important, but to make the deal even sweeter, he gave us a huge help on all the items we needed to purchase from him and saved the team a great deal of money. We had to buy things like a new helmet for Darlene, due to her mishap yesterday, a new saddle for Peyton, gloves, warmers, etc, and Mr. Richey was more help than I could have ever hoped to just "run in" to. It kind of makes you think that sometimes seemingly random events are perhaps not so random after all and were really meant to be. Either way, this trip means more to me every day.
Once we finished up our business at the bike shop, we were off for a short visit with the Hydes. It was great seeing all of them, albeit much too short of a visit. But, a short visit is better than no visit, and hopefully I will be back out this way sometime soon as I love the area and it is always great visiting with old friends. We tried to get the oil changed on the van at several places in Benicia, but everywhere we went was either closed or too busy to see us today. No bueno. We had to return to Dublin not too long after our arrival in Benicia to pick up the bikes before the shop closed, and by the time we got there Mr. Tyler and his staff had finished everything and were ready for us to check out and be on our way. What a magnificent job they did for us! Vitek had written a note on his bike that said "bike needs to be made faster" so they had strapped some sports drink mix to his handlebars and given us several cases of this Revenge Sport drink, in the flavours of Lemon Venom and Orange Oasis. So, they went well out of their way to help us!
On our way back to the boat house, we received a call from Peyton saying she and some of the teammates were in Chinatown and wanted to know if we could pick them up and give them a ride back to the boathouse. Luckily, we were right at the point where we had to either exit to go over the Oakland Bay Bridge or continue on straight to Marin County, so we headed into the city to pick them up.
Yesterday, I said I hoped I never had to maneuver the van and trailer through a city like San Francisco. Well, my worst fear came true! Driving that rig through the city was frightening and times and downright insane at others, and not one of my best decisions. Now I know why there were street signs saying no trucks/trailers... Oops... But, we made it safely, bikes, riders, and all back to the boat house! I believer we are going to a co-op party in Berkeley hosted by a friend of Shelley's tonight, though I am not sure. Tomorrow I hope to spend some time in Berkeley as I have only ever been there once but loved it and have been wanting to go back ever since. So, until, then... Toodles!
Peace and Love,
Trailer Tito
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Day 27-Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair
Manteca, CA to San Francisco, CA
Distance: 85.79 miles
Time: 6:51:15
Max Speed: 33.4 mph
Average Speed: 12.5 mph
There was certainly excitement in the air this morning when we awoke, knowing there was only one more day of pedaling between us and such an iconic city. I think everyone has their own reason to love San Francisco, but there is no one person on the team who dislikes the city, so far as I can tell.
It was apparent that we were approaching a large metropolitan area as we rode today. The first half of the day was spent on small, two-lane highways, snaking through endless agricultural fields that seemed as though they could feed an entire state. And there were more fields than we could even see. It is definitely a very fertile area. But, these were not like fields we have seen before on this trip, such as our last days in Texas. These fields were very neatly structured, fitting together like Tetris blocks with irrigation ditches slithering along the boundaries, leaving no earth unused. There was also moderate traffic on these roads, a considerable amount of which was 18-wheelers, so there was not much opportunity for conversation as we rode single file. One of the most peculiar sights we saw was a field bordered by several canon-like contraptions attached to propane tanks which would rotate and "fire" periodically, making a loud bang like an explosion. Vitek and I could not figure out what the purpose of these contraptions was. My only guess is that they are used to scare off birds. I suppose they would be slightly more effective than the old overalls-wearing scarecrow. At one point, we also rode by a peach orchard, at which time we stopped to sample the fruit. I have never tasted a sweeter, juicier, more delicious peach in my life. It may just have been the best piece of fruit I have ever had. Admittedly, we sampled a few, and packed our jersey pockets with a few for the road. They were so juicy, it got all over our hands, faces, and jersies, but it was definitely worth it.
We did not want to deal with the hassle of riding through the East Bay Area at rush hour to into the city itself, so we had decided last night to take the BART into the city. Our plan worked out quite well, except for an adventure that Peyton had while trying to meet us at the BART station in Walnut Creek. She had managed to get the van stuck in an apartment complex a block or two from the station and Vitek and I had to go give her a hand getting it unstuck. Otherwise, Peyton did an incredible job navigating the Bay Area and San Fran itself, which is no small feat with a 15 passenger van and trailer as large as ours. I hope I never have to do something like that, so many, many props to Peyton. In a similar situation as I was yesterday, Peyton was the only driver today going into San Francisco, which must have been one hundred times as hard as my solo drive day. My hat, or rather peanut butter hat, is off to you!
Once we got off the BART in the city itself, we rode to Fisherman's Wharf to get to a bite to eat. There was quite a large group of us, around half of the team, and we all enjoyed some delicious seafood before the rest of the team met up with us at our chosen lunch spot. The weather was absolutely perfect by the way. I was able to see both the Golden Gate and Alcatraz perfectly, neither of which I had witnessed first hand on my previous trips to San Francisco. We could not have asked for better conditions.
We split up once again, this time into smaller groups, and my group (consisting of Elyse, Vitek, Elyor, Shelley, Rambeau, and myself) went to a little beach on the north side of the city at the base of the Golden Gate to enjoy the view and take pictures. All the while, we basked in the gorgeous weather and our triumph of reaching the West Coast by bicycle! From there, we crossed the Golden Gate heading north into Marin County, which probably took us upwards of an hour due to the countless stops we made on the bridge to take pictures and enjoy the view. My greatest sense of accomplishment on the trip thus far was definitely while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on the same bike that had carried me there all the way from the Best City in Texas. Knowing I had made it this far just felt and still does feel incredible.
On the other side of the bridge, there was much confusion as to where exactly we were supposed to go and we had to talk to about four different people, some more than once, before finding our way somewhat. Luckily, as we were trying to find our way at a corner, we met an awesome commuter cyclist who happened to live near our destination at the Marin Rowing Association Clubhouse. Thank you very, very, very much Matthew! Without your help, we may very well have still been trying to find our way!
We were greeted at the clubhouse by smiling faces and an amazing spread of delicious foods, another rockstar welcoming that felt undeserved, but ever so wonderful. As if it were not a given, our stay in San Francisco should be awesome.
When we arrived, we found out that Darlene had gotten a little to friendly with a pole in the middle of one of the bike paths we traveled en route to the Clubhouse and had cracked her helmet and ended up in the helmet. Luckily, she is alright, just a little shaken up and I think a bit embarrassed, and she is back with us at this time.
Tomorrow I will be taking all the team's bikes to a bike shop in Dublin, CA, a suburb of San Francisco, where they are ever-so-graciously doing some much needed bike maintenance for us. I also plan on visiting the Hydes out in Benicia, CA, some old family friends from El Paso who I have known since 1st grade. After that, who knows what this magical city will have in store for us!
Peace and Love,
Golden Gate Tito
Distance: 85.79 miles
Time: 6:51:15
Max Speed: 33.4 mph
Average Speed: 12.5 mph
There was certainly excitement in the air this morning when we awoke, knowing there was only one more day of pedaling between us and such an iconic city. I think everyone has their own reason to love San Francisco, but there is no one person on the team who dislikes the city, so far as I can tell.
It was apparent that we were approaching a large metropolitan area as we rode today. The first half of the day was spent on small, two-lane highways, snaking through endless agricultural fields that seemed as though they could feed an entire state. And there were more fields than we could even see. It is definitely a very fertile area. But, these were not like fields we have seen before on this trip, such as our last days in Texas. These fields were very neatly structured, fitting together like Tetris blocks with irrigation ditches slithering along the boundaries, leaving no earth unused. There was also moderate traffic on these roads, a considerable amount of which was 18-wheelers, so there was not much opportunity for conversation as we rode single file. One of the most peculiar sights we saw was a field bordered by several canon-like contraptions attached to propane tanks which would rotate and "fire" periodically, making a loud bang like an explosion. Vitek and I could not figure out what the purpose of these contraptions was. My only guess is that they are used to scare off birds. I suppose they would be slightly more effective than the old overalls-wearing scarecrow. At one point, we also rode by a peach orchard, at which time we stopped to sample the fruit. I have never tasted a sweeter, juicier, more delicious peach in my life. It may just have been the best piece of fruit I have ever had. Admittedly, we sampled a few, and packed our jersey pockets with a few for the road. They were so juicy, it got all over our hands, faces, and jersies, but it was definitely worth it.
We did not want to deal with the hassle of riding through the East Bay Area at rush hour to into the city itself, so we had decided last night to take the BART into the city. Our plan worked out quite well, except for an adventure that Peyton had while trying to meet us at the BART station in Walnut Creek. She had managed to get the van stuck in an apartment complex a block or two from the station and Vitek and I had to go give her a hand getting it unstuck. Otherwise, Peyton did an incredible job navigating the Bay Area and San Fran itself, which is no small feat with a 15 passenger van and trailer as large as ours. I hope I never have to do something like that, so many, many props to Peyton. In a similar situation as I was yesterday, Peyton was the only driver today going into San Francisco, which must have been one hundred times as hard as my solo drive day. My hat, or rather peanut butter hat, is off to you!
Once we got off the BART in the city itself, we rode to Fisherman's Wharf to get to a bite to eat. There was quite a large group of us, around half of the team, and we all enjoyed some delicious seafood before the rest of the team met up with us at our chosen lunch spot. The weather was absolutely perfect by the way. I was able to see both the Golden Gate and Alcatraz perfectly, neither of which I had witnessed first hand on my previous trips to San Francisco. We could not have asked for better conditions.
We split up once again, this time into smaller groups, and my group (consisting of Elyse, Vitek, Elyor, Shelley, Rambeau, and myself) went to a little beach on the north side of the city at the base of the Golden Gate to enjoy the view and take pictures. All the while, we basked in the gorgeous weather and our triumph of reaching the West Coast by bicycle! From there, we crossed the Golden Gate heading north into Marin County, which probably took us upwards of an hour due to the countless stops we made on the bridge to take pictures and enjoy the view. My greatest sense of accomplishment on the trip thus far was definitely while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on the same bike that had carried me there all the way from the Best City in Texas. Knowing I had made it this far just felt and still does feel incredible.
On the other side of the bridge, there was much confusion as to where exactly we were supposed to go and we had to talk to about four different people, some more than once, before finding our way somewhat. Luckily, as we were trying to find our way at a corner, we met an awesome commuter cyclist who happened to live near our destination at the Marin Rowing Association Clubhouse. Thank you very, very, very much Matthew! Without your help, we may very well have still been trying to find our way!
We were greeted at the clubhouse by smiling faces and an amazing spread of delicious foods, another rockstar welcoming that felt undeserved, but ever so wonderful. As if it were not a given, our stay in San Francisco should be awesome.
When we arrived, we found out that Darlene had gotten a little to friendly with a pole in the middle of one of the bike paths we traveled en route to the Clubhouse and had cracked her helmet and ended up in the helmet. Luckily, she is alright, just a little shaken up and I think a bit embarrassed, and she is back with us at this time.
Tomorrow I will be taking all the team's bikes to a bike shop in Dublin, CA, a suburb of San Francisco, where they are ever-so-graciously doing some much needed bike maintenance for us. I also plan on visiting the Hydes out in Benicia, CA, some old family friends from El Paso who I have known since 1st grade. After that, who knows what this magical city will have in store for us!
Peace and Love,
Golden Gate Tito
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