California – Day 3: Round the Bay by Bike and Boat
Epic day. Whole family rented bikes from Golden Gate park (15 minutes walk away).

7 old but well maintained mountain bikes plus a tandem.
We headed north from the park through the quiet streets. Well marked cycle routes and very little traffic. Stiff climb up to the Presidio, rewarded by great view of Alacatraz and the bay.

Then a couple of miles or smooth tarmac winding round the top of the hill before dropping down to the Golden Gate bridge. The bridge loomed out of the mist quite spookily.

We crossed it on the dedicated cycle path on the west side. Easy cycling apart from the stream of invective from the lycra-clad locals on their super-bikes. I know we were being tourists and stopping for photos but I have never encountered such rudeness.


The railings for the most part are only hip high and it’s a long way down!
On the other side we had a minor hiccough as the tandem punctured. Fortunately the bike company had a couple of bikes chained up at the view point.
From the bridge to Sausalito was quite up and down, and at one point we got caught up in a massive peloton of a guided tour. Sausalito itself was pleasant. Hugely busy and obviously a real honey pot. Fish and chips for lunch and then we decided to be brave and to aim to take the bikes back to where we started, rather than drop them off there.
The first part of the homeward leg was the boat trip to the Ferry building. The queues for the ferry were huge and the first boat was too full but we were first on the next one. The ride was fantastic though – amazing views on all sides and we sailed right up to Alcatraz.



Off the ferry we headed back on the 45 minute ride back to Golden Gate park. Cycling in a party of nine through downtown San Francisco was a little hairy, but made possible by the very well marked cycle lanes everywhere. Quite something though to be surrounded by all those tall buildings and people and just sailing on through. Getting to the park meant climbing, which everyone coped with really well. A great way to see the streets and sights.

After a quick turnaround dinner was at Nopalito, a few blocks away. Quite simply the best Mexican meal I’ve ever had. Everything freshly made and with some really interesting dishes. Ended the day wandering back through trendy Inner Sunset, stopping off for Ice Cream rolls at a hipster pop-up.
