It was the last day of my holiday in
San Francisco and my bottom had not been on a bike for the duration.
Friend and host, Tim Singleton, himself a very keen cyclist, who
clocks up a few hundred cycling miles (it's miles in San Fran, not
kilometres) per week suggested that I may like to join him on a ride.
It was a public holiday (Columbus Day)
which meant we didn't have to encounter too much traffic on the
roads. The majority of roads in San Francisco have a bike lane
which separates cyclists from cars, even so it can be a bit daunting
riding alongside cars in busy traffic. I had to be especially
careful and remember that I had to cycle on the right-hand side of
the road and not the left. We travelled along Ocean Avenue to Sloat
Avenue and then onto the Great Highway which is a walking/cycling
track and so no traffic (sign of relief from Sandra). A good track
with the ocean in view, rolling surf and wet suited surfers. This
rather funky neighbourhood is popular with the young surfer and
hippie 'in-crowd'.
We ran out of track eventually and back
on the road for a short time until we came to Golden Gate Park. The
roads in the park were closed to traffic because of the public
holiday and the fact that there was a huge clean-up in progress after
the three day music event in the park, the 'Hardly Strictly Blue
Grass' music festival. We were three of the 750,000 people in
attendance. This
three-day free festival brings together over 90 leading and emerging
musical groups gearing up to stomp, pick, twang, whistle, fiddle and
sing their way into the welcoming ears of the thousands of
attendees. There were six stages to choose from and the likes of Emmy
Lou Harris, Elvis Costello, The Chieftains, Tribute Band to Warren
Helman (the founder of this yearly event who passed away last year)
and many more. The Blue Angels, the Navy's elite demonstration
air show team, regularly roared overhead in formation as part of
Fleet Week celebrations.
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| Grooving in Golden Gate Park |
We
passed Murphy's Windmill and a picturesque waterfall amidst the flora
of the park. The route was pretty steep in places, after the flat
terrain of Bribie Island. Sandra found this aspect of the ride quite
challenging.
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| Murphy's Windmill |
Eventually we left the park and found our way to the Vela Rouge Cafe, great little coffee shop with a bike theme (see photos). There was a hugely long limo parked outside that had seen better days. Apparently, the owner lives in the limo and regularly gets moved on by the police. The cost of moving it must be horrendous, surely he must only get about one mile to the gallon.
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| Vela Rouge Cafe |
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| Sandra outside the cafe. (Note the bike racks) |
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| Tim and Sandra outside the cafe |
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| The Limo (Home to Somebody) |
Thus
refreshed we retraced bike wheels to home, a return trip of 17.34
miles (apx 27 kilometres) which doesn't sound too taxing – but it
must be observed that the majority of this ride was pretty hilly.
A
most enjoyable ride.
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