Fort Bragg - San Francisco Total cycled = 1105 miles

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Sunday 26th September 2010.

San Francisco, San Francisco, so cool we named it twice..... What a city. We're loving our time here. The weather's been hot and sunny which always helps and our hotel room is fantastic.

We didn't have anything booked when we arrived in the city on Friday afternoon so once we'd cycled over the Golden Gate Bridge we found a cafe off the beaten track and checked out hotels on the net.
I'd already done some research a few days earlier in Gualala and had my eye on a few hotels. When I checked the prices on Friday my prefered choice was offering 20%!o(MISSING)ff for a 3 or 4 night stay. It was too good to miss so we booked it online. By sheer coincidence we were only about 1.5 miles away and after a celebratery beer we got back on the bikes and started cycling through the streets of San Francisco.

Half way there we pulled over to check the map to make sure we were on the right road. No sooner had we stopped and we heard a shout from the other side of the road.. 'Hey, you two. You ok? You need any help?". When we looked over there was two officers from the San Francisco Police Department in their patrol car, traffic stopped behind them on the main shopping street in San Fran just checking we were ok..
I was loving it already..

We pulled up to our hotel and the concierge came over to help. After directing us through the foyer (bikes in tow) the bellboy came over, unloaded our panniers and told us once we'd checked in he'd bring them to the room. 10/10..

I'd requested as high a room as possible so when we were offered floor 11 or floor 25 the choice was obvious. However the receptionist then added that room 1101 (floor 11) was a junior suite, the only one on the floor like it. Not wanting to back track too quickly I said we'd have a look at room 1101 and if we didn't like it we'd go and see the room on floor 25.
We loved it. I had my clothes in the wardrobe and was half way through my shower when the receptionist phoned to ask how it was.. There was a God after all - not that you'd have thought it a couple of nights earlier..........

Wednesday 22nd September - Gualala - Bodega Dunes 50 miles.

We eventually left our hotel in Gualala and headed off towards San Fran with the dread in the back of my mind that I had two days camping ahead of me.
We couldn't have chosen a better day to make the move. The sun was shining, the air was warm and we had a strong tailwind.
The views along the Mendicino Coastline were stunning and 20 miles into our ride we hit the 1,000 mile marker. As we entered Sonoma County we wondered if we'd seen the best. How wrong. The views got better and better and despite some steep hills, the cycling was easy having had a few days rest.

We cycled into Bodega Dunes Campsite.. Ouch.... Down to earth with a bump! We set up camp, had a shower and went to bed at 7.30pm. There's not much more you can you do when it's pitch black, you're camping in a primitive campsite and you can't sit outside as you get bitten to bits.

So, as we settled down to a game of eye spy I drifted off to sleep..

Not for long... I could hear something outside. A scratching sort of sound.. David's used to the routine now so tried to tell me it was leaves falling on the tent. No way! It was something out there..
After some huffing and puffing he got the torch and shone it outside. Sure enough there's 4 sets of eyes staring back at him!!
The racoons had found the food that Aaron, the young american cyclist who was camping next to us, had put inside the bear/racoon proof box opposite our tent and they were having a field day with his jar of peanut butter.
Needless to say I didn't sleep that night.

Thursday 23rd September - Bodega Dunes - Samuel P Taylor State Park - 41 miles.

Another great day for cycling. Rolling hills, lovely towns and warm, sunny weather. What more could you ask for except a hotel room at the end of the day? No such luck. Samuel P Taylor State Park was a dark campsite being in the shadow of the Redwoods.

I went straight to the shower block to check out how clean they were and left David registering with the park ranger.
On our way to the hiker-biker area David informed me what the ranger had just told him. "We don't have any critters here.." Phew, I might just get to sleep.. "Except... chipmunks and black tailed deer. Oh and the campsite is over-run with racoons..." Noooooooooooo!!

David chose the most level pitch he could find which happened to be inside a circle of 5 redwoods. We set up and went for a shower. Things always seem better after a shower, even it is a freezing cold one that's ate your quarters.

Walking back to the tent I was mentally preparing myself for the night ahead.
All of that went out of the window when my hankies, pens, critter clicker and bite relief cream were littered all over the place.. The racoons had invaded the porch of the tent, rummaged through my bar bag (the bag that sits on my handlebars) and it was nowhere to be seen.. After 10 minutes of hunting for it David eventually found it covered in mud in the ferns leaves 50 yards away..

To top it off, the following morning when we got up the tent was covered, literally covered, in bird poo. The 5 redwoods we pitched under were home to a family of hawks and they'd been pooing on the tent all night. I'd heard them doing it but David assured me it was just leaves falling on the tent..
Friday 24th September - Sam Taylor - San Francisco - 35 miles....

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Comments

[Lilian n mam]

been looking at your photos n comments about san fran cisco absolutely fab wish we were there ....AMAZING....can't wait to see next blog n photos ....enjoy the next stage of your travels....take care love ...Mam n Lilian xxx

[claire and david robb]

Private Campground
Hi you two.. Sitting in a cafe in Carmel.. We're trying to find a private campground so we can update the blog tonight (Friday).. Keep watching...