Today was the big day!
I started it with oatmeal for breakfast and said goodbye to Grace as she was off early to work in one of the local hospitals. Patrick also works at another hospital but had the day off. He gave me a fig and apple grown from his garden as snacks and also rode with me for the first 28 miles up to the US 37 turning where he set off to Napa.
On the ride we came through 'American canyon' where the epicenter of the quake was a few nights ago. As Patrick and Grace both work in hospitals they told me an interesting statistic of night time earthquakes is that there will be a baby boom 9 months from now!
I paused for a moment before joining the 37 for a snack to eat. Yesterday's ride had tired my legs out somewhat so my body was demanding food more often. The US 37 was a busy stretch of road alongside the bay. I stayed on for 20 miles and had to dodge cones at one point along the shoulder. It took me around to the north Marin area where I stopped at 'Peets coffee & tea' for some lunch and wifi. I had to drop Anna a message to let her know I was 20 miles out!
Then it was the final push into San Fran! It seemed to take a lot longer as I had to wind my way along bike paths and smaller roads in order to avoid the (now definitely illegal) freeway! Some of the hills were insanely steep and I had to push hard to make it to the top, with the Golden Gate not coming into view until the very last of them.
I started to see a lot more bikes on the roads, mostly tourist tours on hire bikes that run down through the city hills and presumably get driven back. There were a few more fellow lycra clads too. Eventually the tips of the north tower of the bridge came into view, and what a magnificent view it was!
I paused at the north end for a couple of photos (there were going to be many!) and text Anna: "Ready?". I then met her at the very central point of the bridge with all cameras blazing! I had made it!
I couldn't help but smile and laugh, the extent of what I'd just accomplished hadn't quite sunk in, and still hasn't really! Anna gave me a medal engraved with 'Two Tyred Travels' and the dates which I will treasure, and we rode the second half of the bridge together.
After a few more photos, a slight detour via 'Fisherman's wharf' and walking up some steep hills, we made it to the 'Hayes Valley Inn' hotel and got settled in. In the evening we got a taxi back down to 'Fishermans wharf' where we found a fancy fish restaurant to splurge out on a celebration meal. A seafood mix including crab, mussels, clams and lobster was a delicious way to end this epic trip! We caught the tram, which was much cheaper, for the ride back up, and bought ice cream and 'Californian champagne' (I know, its a bit of an oxymoron!) on the short walk to the hotel.
What a fantastic trip, truely life changing and something I will never ever forget. Thank you to all my followers and supporters, you really have been what's made this journey what it is.
Miles today: 72.3
GRAND TOTAL MILES: 3290.4 !!!
I started it with oatmeal for breakfast and said goodbye to Grace as she was off early to work in one of the local hospitals. Patrick also works at another hospital but had the day off. He gave me a fig and apple grown from his garden as snacks and also rode with me for the first 28 miles up to the US 37 turning where he set off to Napa.
On the ride we came through 'American canyon' where the epicenter of the quake was a few nights ago. As Patrick and Grace both work in hospitals they told me an interesting statistic of night time earthquakes is that there will be a baby boom 9 months from now!
I paused for a moment before joining the 37 for a snack to eat. Yesterday's ride had tired my legs out somewhat so my body was demanding food more often. The US 37 was a busy stretch of road alongside the bay. I stayed on for 20 miles and had to dodge cones at one point along the shoulder. It took me around to the north Marin area where I stopped at 'Peets coffee & tea' for some lunch and wifi. I had to drop Anna a message to let her know I was 20 miles out!
Then it was the final push into San Fran! It seemed to take a lot longer as I had to wind my way along bike paths and smaller roads in order to avoid the (now definitely illegal) freeway! Some of the hills were insanely steep and I had to push hard to make it to the top, with the Golden Gate not coming into view until the very last of them.
I started to see a lot more bikes on the roads, mostly tourist tours on hire bikes that run down through the city hills and presumably get driven back. There were a few more fellow lycra clads too. Eventually the tips of the north tower of the bridge came into view, and what a magnificent view it was!
I paused at the north end for a couple of photos (there were going to be many!) and text Anna: "Ready?". I then met her at the very central point of the bridge with all cameras blazing! I had made it!
I couldn't help but smile and laugh, the extent of what I'd just accomplished hadn't quite sunk in, and still hasn't really! Anna gave me a medal engraved with 'Two Tyred Travels' and the dates which I will treasure, and we rode the second half of the bridge together.
After a few more photos, a slight detour via 'Fisherman's wharf' and walking up some steep hills, we made it to the 'Hayes Valley Inn' hotel and got settled in. In the evening we got a taxi back down to 'Fishermans wharf' where we found a fancy fish restaurant to splurge out on a celebration meal. A seafood mix including crab, mussels, clams and lobster was a delicious way to end this epic trip! We caught the tram, which was much cheaper, for the ride back up, and bought ice cream and 'Californian champagne' (I know, its a bit of an oxymoron!) on the short walk to the hotel.
What a fantastic trip, truely life changing and something I will never ever forget. Thank you to all my followers and supporters, you really have been what's made this journey what it is.
Miles today: 72.3
GRAND TOTAL MILES: 3290.4 !!!
Congratulations, Sam! You flew across the US at record speed, especially considering the headwinds in Wyoming and Nevada!
ReplyDeleteBob & Maggie of Pittsburgh
Thank you Bob and Maggie! I was so elated to see the Golden Gate Bridge, the smiles were stretched wide across my face! It still seems like a dream and its bizarre that I'm now in an office job so many miles away. I hope the postcard has reached you safely. Keep tandem-touring!
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