Vacaville to Sacramento

Yesterday we rode past Lake Solano early on our longest day yet. It was 68.5 miles to Bill's house. Due to the heat we got an early start. We had a very nice ride through the aptly named Pleasant Valley. Then out into the Central Valley for our first flat (mostly) day. The wind was not bad and we made good time to Davis. Every day folks have asked us about our trip and we have met many nice people. In Davis a woman who made the trip last year gave us some good tips. One was to eat at the Electro Lux Cafe in Baker, Nevada. Not to be missed she said. On the American River Bike Path, fatigue had set in and in a moment of sightseeing Belinda ran into the back of the dog cart and fell over. She is unhurt but a little sore. The dog cart did not fair so well, the impact broke a frame tube. We were able to continue with the application of a stick, baling wire, and duct tape (don't leave home without it). We called Bill, and he came down to the bike path to escort us to his house. We were so tired I don't think we could have found our way without his guidance. We will take a rest day (or two) here. Cumulative trip miles 245 and we're just getting the rhythm of the road. Here is Belinda on Tower Bridge at the crossing of the Sacramento River.

San Francisco to Vacaville

Today the best description is HOT! 100+ degrees!! Add headwinds and hills. We struggled. We fell short of the campground we had planned to stay at by 15 miles. We ended up in Vacaville at 6 pm. Under these conditions we are happy to be in the air conditioning with a pool outside our door. Did that dip in the pool feel good!

San Francisco

Well... What a day! The weather was beautiful, but the hills were formidable. We walked (pushed) our bikes up part of two hills, Devils Slide and Skyline Drive. Their names say it all. The views were fantastic! That made all the hard work worth it. We took a break at Ocean Beach and Dave struck up a conversation with a local bike rider (also named Dave, a professional musician)who was the nicest, kindest fellow. We enquired about the route, he looked at our maps, and said that we didn't want to go that way. Dave said follow me, and lead us (at loaded touring bike speed even though he was on a racing thoroughbred) to Crissy Field by the most gentle and scenic route through Golden Gate Park and the Presidio. It was one of those random acts of kindness that seem to happen to touring bicyclists and Dave will always be remembered fondly. We traversed the beautiful environs from Crissy Field to our hotel near Fisherman's wharf and checked in. Then came the challenge of getting two bikes, the trailer and Jack into a second floor room via elevator. We were lucky that the the elevator could accomodate a fully loaded touring bike and it only took four trips to get settled in our room. At the complimentary wine and beer happy hour Jack wanted to meet everyone. He was admired by quite a few of our fellow guests who knew and appreciated Jack Russell Terriers. Onto Sacramento, our next major destination via ferry to Vallejo.

Santa Cruz to Half Moon Bay

What a morning! Full of sunshine and windless, we headed out of Santa Cruz and up the coast on Highway 1. The surfers were out in abundance at each of the major surf spots. We pulled off at Ano Nuevo for lunch and could hear the elephant seals barking at the beach 1/2 mile away. After lunch we faced the inevitable when traveling north along the Pacific coast, a headwind. However, we are well acquainted with headwinds in the Salinas Valley and were not overwhelmed. Then came the climbs and the road went straight up, no turns, and no moderation of the grade. When it was all over we had 11 climbs and 53.6 miles under our belts. Into Half Moon Bay we wobbled, but soon recovered after showers, super burritos and beer. Tomorrow, Devil's slide and San Francisco.

First Day On the Road

We got away about 40 minutes later than planned.. not too bad. The day was clear but cool. Perfect for cycling. Once we got out of the Salinas Valley the wind was not a factor. We ate lunch on the banks of the Pajaro River, which had a lot of water in it, more than we expected this time of year. We had a surprise in Aptos. From a passing car there was some yelling and waving, the car pulled over ahead of us and it was our friends Ola Faus, her daughter Jessica, and Jessica's boyfriend. They just happened by at that time and Jessica recognized us by Belinda's pigtails. Well that was some fun. We continued on into Santa Cruz where we stayed with Dave's cousin Donna and her husband Rob. Donna is the historian in Dave's family so it is always interesting to visit with her. She and Rob are very gracious hosts, their hospitality made the perfect close to our first day on the road.

Well... tomorrow we leave, we depart, we become nomads for a big piece of the year. Let the good times roll...

Arroyo Seco Shakedown Cruise

Monday morning, April 28, Belinda and Jack are

ready to start out on our shakedown tour to

Arroyo Seco. It was a beautiful, cool but sunny

morning. We wanted to try out all our stuff, and

practice touring a little. A flurry of last minute

packing convinced us we needed a list. Out on the road we just flew along. A strong tail wind sent us spinning down River Road. We stopped and ate lunch under an oak at Hillside Vineyard. The wind blew us up Arroyo Seco Road. Once we were inside the canyon mouth the climbing got more serious and the day was getting warm. It was here we learned just how hard pulling the trailer

up hill would be. We stopped at Noggle's Place, the last store before the campground, and bought some beer. It sure tasted good! We hiked up Arroyo Seco Gorge Rd. on Tuesday. It was very pretty as everything is still green. The river still has a lot of water running that's just too cold for swimming yet. The ride home was NOT like our Monday ride. Wednesday the wind was in our face all the way home. It was so strong that often we had to peddle going down hill. Well... we made it home, had a good time, and learned a few things. Friday we were off to REI one last time.