To Tiburon (and back)

Last Saturday Eric and I did two things we have never done before: hired a babysitter during the day and rode our bikes to Tiburon and then took the ferry back.

We made a list of all the things we want to do before we leave San Francisco (this is a different list from all the things we have to do before we leave San Francisco, like pack). One of those things was doing the "wiggle" which is biking along the least hilly path from the Mission to Golden Gate Park. This was the first portion of our ride out to Tiburon with our friends Julie and Adam.

It was an adventure-filled ride to be sure. The Mission was sunny but by the time we were in the Presidio winding our way toward the Golden Gate Bridge we were in thick fog. We got to see a piece by Andy Goldsworthy that Julie calls "The Spike" though its official name is "The Spire."

The bridge, which usually has one side dedicated to bikers and the other for pedestrians, had one side closed creating an uncomfortable forced integation of walkers and bikers on the bridge. Just when we got to the point where more people coming from the San Francisco side decided they had walked far enough, the people from the Marin side started appearing. It was pretty frustrating, to be honest, but I tried to remember that we were having fun.

Once across the bridge the sun started to reappear and we had a great time cruising through Sausalito. Then we missed a turn somewhere and rather than taking the scenic bike path along the water we rode for a bit on a highway trying not to breathe too much. This unintended shortcut cut off about 5 miles of the 20 mile trip, which was somewhat disappointing and probably the best decision we made all day.

We did manage to get back on the bike path and were cruising along again when Eric, in the lead, suddenly screeched to a halt. Wild blackberries. We dropped our bikes and braved the thorns and the bees for a few sun-warmed berries.

We arrived in Tiburon about 4:20 (yes, thank goodness for that shortcut!) and decided to reward ourselves with ice cream before heading over to the ferry. Ice cream in hand, we ambled over to the ferry only to discover that they limit the number of bikes that can go and it is all about getting in line early. We were the very last bikes on the boat. The people after us were very disappointed to learn that they had to wait for the 6:25 ferry and somehow cutting it that close made the boat ride feel extra special.

And now it is time to focus on the list of things we have to do before we leave in a week and a half.