OMG it has been a whole month since I wrote in my blog last. Well, a lot has happened. We are in the midst of redecorating our kitchen, family room and living room. We have the help of a decorator, Becky. She recommended we paint the LR, FR and kitchen walls a sand color with two focal walls a moss green color. The painters finished a week ago and it looks really nice. What started all this was the fact that we needed better lighting. So, we picked a bunch of new light fixtures and had an electrician come in and get rid of our ugly fluorescent box in the kitchen and then he put up all the new fixtures. We have mini-pendant lights in the kitchen bar area and two hanging fixtures in the kitchen. The dining table has two new small chandeliers overhanging and then there are two new fixtures in the living area. I am in charge of making valences for all the windows. The fabric is tres chic at $45/yard! No room for errors. So, I have a new sewing machine I am trying to learn how to use. It is a long story but the short of it is that I brought my old machine in for repair and they lost the machine and so they offered me a new Janome for free. I didn't like the one they offered me so I asked for the next model higher and I would pay $150.00. They agreed to this and a lot of other things transpired but I have a new machine. I am making mock valences to practice for the real thing. And something else is new. For the first time I sold something on Craigslist. I sold my old bike for $400.00 to a woman about my size. I had a tons of offers and some wanted to buy it sight unseen. We might try and sell Andy's old Trek frame and I will probably sell my old sewing machine once I get the hang of the new one. This coming weekend we are going to Santa Rosa to ride in Levi's Granfondo bike ride. Since I haven't been cycling much I will ride the 36 mile route and Andy will ride the 100 mile route. There is a lot of build-up and excitment for this bike ride. People are coming from all over to ride in it and a lot of famous people are riding in it. Well, that's it for now. Have a good "till the next time" I write period.
clyde
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tour de Organics
Hi all,
I got back from my weekend with the Bella Fiore ladies yesterday. There were 17 of us riding in the Tour de Organics. It was a real mellow ride because it had 6 rest stops for 65 miles of riding! That meant every 10 miles there was a rest stop! All the rest stops had delicious gourmet organic fruits. The rest stops were: Food for Thought, Middleton Farm, Dry Creek Peach (lunch stop where they had some kind of veggie sandwich that was good), Love Farms, Golden Nectar Farm, Gabriel Farm. I began riding with the fast girls but then after the second or third rest stop I was spit off the back on a descent . I always seem to lose on the descents because I don't have enough body mass and speed power to keep up. So, then I road alone for a long time because I was faster then the slower girls. I guess I will always be in the in-between section unless I get faster. So, it was a lot of fun. I don't have pictures but if you look at my Facebook account I have some posted from Krissy, another Bella Fiore rider. It went by so fast it didn't seem like 65 miles with all the rest stops. We rented a house in the countryside near Sebastopol, which is fairly near Santa Rosa. It was a great house to rent for a lot of people. I got a bed to myself even though I told people I had room for one more (it was a queen ). There was a hot tub so I enjoyed that after dinner after the bike ride. We played bingo the first night and I won twice so I got to pick a prize of a real colorful scarf and then I picked my own gift of a bottle of wine. I didn't play but they all were playing a very fun game I think called Bananagrams. It is just like scrabble but a little more exciting. In retrospect, I wished I had played because it looked like fun but I was either socializing or looking at magazines. We had pasta with grilled chicken the first night and build your own taco with shrimp and chicken the second night. We also had a quinea (sp??) blackbean salad that was delicious. It was Diana Boswell's 50th birthday on Saturday so we had a cake and decorations all over the place. We paid for her entry and rental fee for the weekend for a birthday gift. It was a lot of fun. I haven't done something really social like that with a bunch of gal friends in I think forever (or, when I was 8). So, I came home Monday and picked up Maggie from the kennel. Andy meanwhile had left early Monday on a flight to Seattle. He went for a meeting with Microsoft folks. We are supposed to be having our whole backyard landscaped and I thought they were to start today but it looks like they won't start until Thursday. We are getting new grass and a zillion new plants and a flowering cherry tree. We might be going to Tahoe this weekend. That's it for me. Hope you have a good week.
Clyde
I got back from my weekend with the Bella Fiore ladies yesterday. There were 17 of us riding in the Tour de Organics. It was a real mellow ride because it had 6 rest stops for 65 miles of riding! That meant every 10 miles there was a rest stop! All the rest stops had delicious gourmet organic fruits. The rest stops were: Food for Thought, Middleton Farm, Dry Creek Peach (lunch stop where they had some kind of veggie sandwich that was good), Love Farms, Golden Nectar Farm, Gabriel Farm. I began riding with the fast girls but then after the second or third rest stop I was spit off the back on a descent . I always seem to lose on the descents because I don't have enough body mass and speed power to keep up. So, then I road alone for a long time because I was faster then the slower girls. I guess I will always be in the in-between section unless I get faster. So, it was a lot of fun. I don't have pictures but if you look at my Facebook account I have some posted from Krissy, another Bella Fiore rider. It went by so fast it didn't seem like 65 miles with all the rest stops. We rented a house in the countryside near Sebastopol, which is fairly near Santa Rosa. It was a great house to rent for a lot of people. I got a bed to myself even though I told people I had room for one more (it was a queen ). There was a hot tub so I enjoyed that after dinner after the bike ride. We played bingo the first night and I won twice so I got to pick a prize of a real colorful scarf and then I picked my own gift of a bottle of wine. I didn't play but they all were playing a very fun game I think called Bananagrams. It is just like scrabble but a little more exciting. In retrospect, I wished I had played because it looked like fun but I was either socializing or looking at magazines. We had pasta with grilled chicken the first night and build your own taco with shrimp and chicken the second night. We also had a quinea (sp??) blackbean salad that was delicious. It was Diana Boswell's 50th birthday on Saturday so we had a cake and decorations all over the place. We paid for her entry and rental fee for the weekend for a birthday gift. It was a lot of fun. I haven't done something really social like that with a bunch of gal friends in I think forever (or, when I was 8). So, I came home Monday and picked up Maggie from the kennel. Andy meanwhile had left early Monday on a flight to Seattle. He went for a meeting with Microsoft folks. We are supposed to be having our whole backyard landscaped and I thought they were to start today but it looks like they won't start until Thursday. We are getting new grass and a zillion new plants and a flowering cherry tree. We might be going to Tahoe this weekend. That's it for me. Hope you have a good week.
Clyde
Saturday, July 25, 2009
July Ends
Hi all,
Well July is almost over. Boo hoo, summer is going by so fast. This will be a short entry because not much is going on. I had a rest week as far as running goes so I didn't do much there. I also didn't bike that much. And I ate too much. So, you know what that means. Yes, the pounds are piling on. I really need to get back into more cycling especially since on August 16 I am riding in the Tour de Organics. It should be fun. A bunch of Bella Fiore girls are riding so we are renting a house in Sebastopol for 2 nights during the weekend we ride. I am looking forward to it. But I need to be putting more miles in to get ready. Today I have book club so that should be fun. We are reading Rosewater and Soda Bread. It is about 3 Iranian women who move to Ireland and open a cafe there. It is a great book. So Chris is hosting and since she lives way out there I am riding with Maeve since she knows how to get there. Nothing else is really new. We are interviewing people for two tasks. We need better lighting in our kitchen and family room. We also want advice on how to improve the look of our general living area in the house (family room, dining room, living room). We also are interviewing people to do some landscaping work in the back yard. So, sometime in the future I will have to do the old babysit Maggie thing so she is not too upset while work is being done. Not the most enjoyable task because I don't have as much freedom to bike ride and run when I am taking care of Maggie. Nothing else eally new. Hope your days are going well.
Clyde
Well July is almost over. Boo hoo, summer is going by so fast. This will be a short entry because not much is going on. I had a rest week as far as running goes so I didn't do much there. I also didn't bike that much. And I ate too much. So, you know what that means. Yes, the pounds are piling on. I really need to get back into more cycling especially since on August 16 I am riding in the Tour de Organics. It should be fun. A bunch of Bella Fiore girls are riding so we are renting a house in Sebastopol for 2 nights during the weekend we ride. I am looking forward to it. But I need to be putting more miles in to get ready. Today I have book club so that should be fun. We are reading Rosewater and Soda Bread. It is about 3 Iranian women who move to Ireland and open a cafe there. It is a great book. So Chris is hosting and since she lives way out there I am riding with Maeve since she knows how to get there. Nothing else is really new. We are interviewing people for two tasks. We need better lighting in our kitchen and family room. We also want advice on how to improve the look of our general living area in the house (family room, dining room, living room). We also are interviewing people to do some landscaping work in the back yard. So, sometime in the future I will have to do the old babysit Maggie thing so she is not too upset while work is being done. Not the most enjoyable task because I don't have as much freedom to bike ride and run when I am taking care of Maggie. Nothing else eally new. Hope your days are going well.
Clyde
Friday, July 10, 2009
Fighting Laziness
Hi all,
Well this week has been the week of new furniture and appliances. Andy and I decided to upgrade our appliances to stainless steel so we bought a new refrigerator and a new dishwasher. We also wanted to fix up the guest bedroom so that it had matching furniture instead of the hodge-podge of furniture we had. So, we looked around and found a nice bedroom set at Scandinavian Designs. It is very pretty . It is white with a topping and edging in oak. The drawers are especially made well and have an assisted closing mechanism. So, we had to clear out the bedroom of all the old stuff and have Salvation Army take it away. That happened Tuesday morning. It is pretty easy to have it hauled away. You just scheedule a pick-up online. Then Wed. morning they came and installed the dishwasher. In the afternoon the refrigerator was delivered and then Thursday morning the bedroom furniture was delivered and set up. We have to put up the mirror ourselves because it involves the wall and they won't do anything that involves house materials. Because the bed had slats you don't need the boxspring so I am now trying to have Salvation Army pick that up also. So far they haven't come today but I scheduled it just yesterday. I hope that it time enough in advance.
Another thing which is new is that I have a new goal of running in the California International Marathon which is in Sacramento on Sun. Dec 6. I would like to run the marathon in 4 hours or less. My best time ever was 4hours 20 minutes. And that was when I was faster. I am now very slow. To assist me in my efforts I have enlisted the help of Julie Fingar as a coach. She has won many ultramarathon runs and she owns FITTORUN, a coaching business. I have met with her once and she has set me up with a schedule a month at a time. So far, I am 2 weeks into the schedule. I am sore today because I did speed workouts on Wed. at the track. She charges $125.00 a month so it is a splurge for me. I plan to focus more on running and a little less on biking until the marathon is over and then I will focus more on cycling again. Unless, of course, I do well and make the cut-off time in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon! Then I will be training for that.
Nothing much else is new. Andy got new wheels and a new cluster for his Felt. He wanted more gears so he could perform better for Levi Leipheimer's Granfondo ride in October. We are both planning to ride. Andy will do the GrandFondo (100miles) and I will do the Mediofondo (65 miles). We will do this in celebration of Andy's birthday (oct. 12) since it will be a weekend away. The ride takes place in Sonoma County and starts in Santa Rosa. Coleman Valley Road will be part of the ride. Deja vu. We did this as part of Sierra to the Sea.
I'll sign off now. Have a good weekend. Clyde
Well this week has been the week of new furniture and appliances. Andy and I decided to upgrade our appliances to stainless steel so we bought a new refrigerator and a new dishwasher. We also wanted to fix up the guest bedroom so that it had matching furniture instead of the hodge-podge of furniture we had. So, we looked around and found a nice bedroom set at Scandinavian Designs. It is very pretty . It is white with a topping and edging in oak. The drawers are especially made well and have an assisted closing mechanism. So, we had to clear out the bedroom of all the old stuff and have Salvation Army take it away. That happened Tuesday morning. It is pretty easy to have it hauled away. You just scheedule a pick-up online. Then Wed. morning they came and installed the dishwasher. In the afternoon the refrigerator was delivered and then Thursday morning the bedroom furniture was delivered and set up. We have to put up the mirror ourselves because it involves the wall and they won't do anything that involves house materials. Because the bed had slats you don't need the boxspring so I am now trying to have Salvation Army pick that up also. So far they haven't come today but I scheduled it just yesterday. I hope that it time enough in advance.
Another thing which is new is that I have a new goal of running in the California International Marathon which is in Sacramento on Sun. Dec 6. I would like to run the marathon in 4 hours or less. My best time ever was 4hours 20 minutes. And that was when I was faster. I am now very slow. To assist me in my efforts I have enlisted the help of Julie Fingar as a coach. She has won many ultramarathon runs and she owns FITTORUN, a coaching business. I have met with her once and she has set me up with a schedule a month at a time. So far, I am 2 weeks into the schedule. I am sore today because I did speed workouts on Wed. at the track. She charges $125.00 a month so it is a splurge for me. I plan to focus more on running and a little less on biking until the marathon is over and then I will focus more on cycling again. Unless, of course, I do well and make the cut-off time in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon! Then I will be training for that.
Nothing much else is new. Andy got new wheels and a new cluster for his Felt. He wanted more gears so he could perform better for Levi Leipheimer's Granfondo ride in October. We are both planning to ride. Andy will do the GrandFondo (100miles) and I will do the Mediofondo (65 miles). We will do this in celebration of Andy's birthday (oct. 12) since it will be a weekend away. The ride takes place in Sonoma County and starts in Santa Rosa. Coleman Valley Road will be part of the ride. Deja vu. We did this as part of Sierra to the Sea.
I'll sign off now. Have a good weekend. Clyde
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sierra To The Sea
Hi all,
I wrote in a journal while I was on Sierra to the Sea so I will now transfer it into my blog.
Day 1-June 20, Saturday. Trip to Bear Valley, Tent Set-up, Bike Set-up
We got up this morning at 0600, thanks to the hotel wake-up call. We showered, ate breakfast. I had a huge bowl of oatmeal which I didn't finish. We brought our bags and boxed bikes to where they loaded them on trucks. We headed off in buses to Bear Valley. We stopped in Angel's Camp for lunch. We met a couple, Kary and Larry from Fort Collins, CO! They are part of a group of 7 from Fort Collins. We will have to meet them all. The bus driver didn't take a left turn to go on Highway 4 to Bear Valley. We went wrong for about 15 miles and then turned around and headed in the right direction. We arrived in Bear Valley shortly before 2 pm. The bike truck hadn't arrived yet so we set up our tent. Since there wasn't much space on the rocky dirt we chose to set up the small red pimple tent on the concrete of the parking lot. Then we went to the main road and took some pictures of the Bear Valley entrance. We saw the bike truck arrive so we went back to the camping area. Andy put the bikes together and we road tested them around the roads nearby. They seemed to ride fine. After we set-up our clothes for the morning we headed to the bar for a beer. We had registered and checked our route maps and drank our beeer. I went back to the tent and got my journal and now I am writing. Dinner is in 10 minutes.
Day 2- June 21, Sunday. Bear Valley to Jackson
As I write this I am in Jackson at St. Sava Mission, sitting by the pool. Our day went well today. My computer shows 74 miles, 5100 ft of climbing and a ride time of 5 hours 10 minutes. There was a lot of climbing but I was prepared for it, I guess becuase things felt OK with me. We rode into camp and set-up the big tent. We have the biggest tent in the camp. We joked that it was our McMansion. The big tent was nice in that there are many ways to hang up sweaty clothing. We set-up the tent and then took showers. After that, Andy found that they were selling beer on draft for $2.00. We each bought one and then split one. We walked down the road to the entrance to the mission and took photos. We went back to the pool and Andy went in. We are waiting for dinner at 6pm.
Day 3- June 22, Monday. Jackson to the Ryde Hotel
We left Jackson at 7:30 am. Along the way we came across a rider who was being put on stretcher and there were CHP present. She went down on an inside turn just before the town of Sutter Creek. We heard later at the first rest stop that she hit gravel and went down. We didn't know if she had been hit by a car or what. It was nice to hear that she only hit gravel. A car impact would have been deadly. We heard later at dinner that she suffered a pretty bad concussion and was being held at the hospital. Her husband was at dinner and Andy found that interesting. Why wasn't he with her? Our first stop was at Lake Comanche. Gradually after that point, we went more into windy areas. So, for much of the ride we were riding in the wind. For the most part it seemed to be a crosswind but there was a fair amount in our faces. The second rest stop was at Woodbridge Winery near Lodi. I discovered pretzel bites which are pretzel squares with peanut butter inside. We took a few photos, ate some more and then were on our way again. The wind was a struggle and we were tired. Our next rest stop was after the "erector set" bridge, 4 miles out from Ryde. Andy wanted some real food so we stopped at a little mart and he bought a potato tri-tip steak burrito. We sat and he ate his burrito. Then we were on our way. We arrived at the Ryde Hotel before 2:30 (kind of like yesterday). We set up the red pimple tent because it was windy and the big tent does not do as well in the wind. We later found that the tents were so tight together it was good we set-up the smaller tent. We showered at some dedicated rooms at the Ryde Hotel. Right now I am writing in the shade (precious commodity, shade in this hot camp ground) on the front patio of the hotel. I plan to hunt down our sagged gear from Rest Stop 1 and then get a wine at the hotel bar. We went down to the hotel dock by the delta and took some pictures.
Day 4 June 23, Tuesday, Ryde Hotel to Lake Solano
So we arrived at Lake Solano at 1:41 but we did less miles...59 miles. It was a good day. The windmill farm was great. Andy took a picture of me in front of the windmill farm. The wind was OK the whole ride. We really didn't get ant true head wind. There was a moderate wind the whole way and nothing too terrible. I was afraid it was going to be hellacious. Our second rest stop was Keating Park. It was pretty hot by that point and it seemed like everyone was riding into the park but no one was leaving. We grazed on Nacho chips and jelly beans. Andy added in oreo cookies. We left and then headed for Lake Solano. Once we got in camp we set up the tent in shady spot. Unfortunately our bags (which were so heavy I could no longer carry mine beyond less than a 100 feet. Besides I was now worried about throwing my back out from the strain so I waited for Andy to take the other strap and help me) were far away from the chosen camp site. We set-up the big tent and then showered. My shower had cool water. After we showered we went to the mart on the the corner and bought beer and chips. Food for the gods! After we walked back to our camp site, we drank some beer and ate some chips. Then we gathered our beer and camera and walked down to Lake Solano which looks more like a river. We gathered with our Sierra to the Sea riders and while I wrote in my journal Andy ventured out into the COLD water of the lake. We enjoyed talking with the others by the lake. That's it for now. Dinner tonight is catered by the Buckhorn Restaurant in Winters. The best! Rumor has it we will be having barbecued ribs. Muy delicioso. They cater the breakfast also which will have some egg dishes and waffles! PS- Today was our 8th anniverary of our church wedding.
Day 5 June 24, Wednesday Lake Solano to Calistoga
We left Lake Solano after having an incredible beakfast of fruit ( I went for honeydew melon), red potatoes, cheese omelet and waffles. There was also oatmeal but I didn't have any of that. It was muy delicioso! After we started riding I realized I forgot to put my route sheet on my bike. Dummy! So, after about 4 miles into riding we climbed Cardiac Hill which really wasn't too bad because I was in my middle chain ring the whole time. Not like Sheep Ranch Road where I was in my baby ring. When I reached Monticello Dam I took some pictures. Someone lost their route sheet so I got lucky and took it. Although the roads were well marked, you really need a route sheet because if you need to be sagged the cell phone numbers are on the sheet. The first rest stop was at 21.1 miles at Turtle Rock. I wasn't really hungry but I thought I should eat something so I ate 2 oreo cookies. We filled our water bottles and were on our way again. We rode for awhile and eventually got onto Lower Chiles Road and Pope Valley Road and it was obvious we were now in wine country with vineyards all around. Our next rest stop was Pope Valley store where many people stopped to eat popsicles. In the heat, boy did these taste good! We then made a photo op stop at Hubcap Ranch. There was another Sierra to the Sea rider there so we had her take our photo amongst all the hubcaps. We turned back on the road and got on Ink Grade Road. I had Andy take my photo for Bella Fiore purposes, and then we were on our way up the hill. It wasn't that bad of a climb, it is just long-about 4.2 miles. I stayed in my middle chain ring again so it wasn't that bad. At the top of the grade was Rest Stop 2. They had sort of a chex mix offered so I ate some of that. It hit the spot. Carbs with salt, just what I needed. The next part of the ride was a long descent down Cottage Road and Deer Park Road. They were well paved though so it was a nice descent. There was a route change because of road construction so we turned onto Silverado Trail and took that all the way into Calistoga. Both Andy and I agreed later that the Silverado Trail seemed never-ending at the end of the day. When we got to Calistoga we found the fairgounds where people were going to camp but we couldn't find the hotel so we stopped and asked a man for directions. We found the hotel and checked in. We brought our bikes into the rooms even though they officially have a no bikes in the room policy. The staff at Sierra to the Sea said it was more of a "don't ask don't tell" policy. We luxuriously took warm showers. I discovered to my consternation that I had developed welts all around my thigh area where the band of my bike shorts went. I showed Andy and he reminded my of my reaction to a set of band aids I used once on my shoulder. Maybe the bike short band was made of the same material? So, I put ointment on them and planned to ride with the band turned up to the outside in future rides. I was amazed with how angry-looking the skin was yet how I didn't feel a thing! After we showered we walked into town and had a beer at the microbrewerey and also split a Caesar Salad. We walked back toward the hotel (Best Western Stevenson Manor) and looked in a few art shops. We were scoping out restaurants for dinner and planned to eat at Bosko's or Checker's for pizza. We asked at the front desk and they said both were equally good. We made our way back to the hotel and now I sit writing in my journal poolside while Andy naps.
Day 6 June 25, Thursday, Calistoga to Duncans Mill (Casini Ranch)
We had set the alarms for 6:00am so that is when we got up. We dressed and dropped our bags outside near the hotel lobby. We ate breakfast at the hotel since they had a pretty plentiful set-up. I had a bowl of cereal and half a bagel. We headed out of town on the main drag turned right and were on our way. We stopped at Jimtown Store and Andy bought a cornbread blueberry muffin which was delicious. While we were there a car club of old woodies went by so I took a few photos. After that we stopped at Rest Stop 1 which was Passalaqua Winery. After that we traveled on a road which I remembered well because it led to a pretty rest stop we took in past years. In past years we bought sandwiches at the Dry Creek Store near Passalaqua Winery and road to the Madrona Manor and ate the sandwiches in the grove of trees in the back. Madrona Manor is a restaurant on a small hill with a nice grove of trees in the back. We went up to the grove for old times and took a pictures of the backs of our bikes showing our nametags as we had done in previoius years. The next rest stop was Rest Stop 2 which was the Moshin Winery. I did a little wine tasting there so I could buy a bottle of wine for our wine and cheese party which was to be at 5:30. I tasted a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay. The Chardonnay was far superior but so was its price-they wanted $38.00 a bottle. So, I went frugal and bought the Sauvignon Blanc which was $17.00. I also bought a corkscrew as a souveigner. The wine was stored by the clerk with the other bottles Sierra to the Sea people bought and they would be sagged to Casini Ranch. So, at 58 miles we entered Casini Ranch. The conditions were very cool with a wind. After we set-up our red pimple tent (we chose the red pimple tent because it is better in the wind), we showered and changed into cold-weather clothes. That meant jeans, an underlayer, a long-sleeve shirt and a fleece jacket for me. We walked to the little store in the campground and bought a 7up and potato chips and Andy bought a microwave burrito and a chocolate milk. We went back to the tent and we are now inside where it is warmer. Andy is napping while I write in my journal.
Day 7 June 26, Friday, Duncans Mill to Olema
There wasn't a formal breakfast this morning. Oops, before I forget I need to mention the activities of last night. We had a wine and cheese party where we shared the wine from Moshin that I bought. It was fun and I gorged on cauliflower florets with dip and drank a lot of wine. Dinner was barbecued chicken and vegetable lasagna. After dinner they had a talent show and Miguel performed as Arnold Swartzenegger. The show was hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Most of the skits were Sierra to the Sea lyrics set to old TV show songs like Gilligan's Island. Andy and I really enjoyed ourselves. So, back to this morning. There was a brown bag breakfast where they provided a bagel, yogurt and banana. We ate part of our breakfast since we planned to stop at Howard's cafe in Occidental not too far into the ride. When we stopped both of us did not feel like big breakfasts so we split a big bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar (this is now turning into my favorite breakfast). Then we powered up Coleman Valley Road which leads to the coast. The vistas at the top where beautiful. When we got to the coast we had a picture of ourselves taken with the backdrop of the ocean and the rocks at the coastal edge. We road along the coast awhile and then the road turned inland. We stopped at the only rest stop of the day at Valley Ford. I ate a little pastry bite and two raspberry newtons. We took off a few layers and put them in the sag wagon. We were off again. The next stop we made was Tomales Bakery and deli. Andy bought a mocha and I bought a Snapple lemonade and ate a Cliff Bar. We were on our way again. The next stop we made was Point Reyes Station which was just two miles from camp. Andy ate a Big Mama meatball sandwich. Then we were off to camp. After arriving in camp, we set-up our red pimple tent, showered and then went up the road to the deli to get some beer. We are sitting at a barbecue table in the shade right now and I am writing in my journal while Andy reads his book. Next day is the last day!
Day 8, June 27, Saturday Olema to Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park
This was our last day. We left Olema after a good breakfast of eggs, hash browns and bagels. The riding was mostly near coastal but you couldn't see the ocean. We got to Stinson Beach and right at the end of town was the Mt. Tamalpais Road off to your left. It was a good climb to the Pan Toll Station=3.6 miles. I did well though. I was in my middle chain ring the whole time. There was a crowd of Sierra to the Sea'ers at the Pan Toll Station when I got there. I met up with Andy and we filled our water bottles. Then we took the descent down into Mill Valley. It was a nice descent with pretty smooth pavement. Not like Sheep Shit Road as Andy calls it. Along the way we had to stop twice because the Dipsea Trail Running Race was on and they had flagmen waving them across the road. I took a few pictures. Next we were in Mill Valley and then proceeded on a bike trail that took you to Sausalito. We stopped at a Starbucks in Sausalito for coffee and a slice of lemon loaf. We met and talked to a man who lived in Sausalito who had 3 cute terrier type dogs. He was amazed we road over Mt. Tam. He said he doesn't even like driving that road. We were on our way again and saw some spectacular vistas of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Depending upon where you were you could see the 2 towers of the bridge or saw fog streaming through. Of course, I took some pictures. We were on our way again and had to climb the hill to get on the bridge. I had to use may baby chain ring at that point. So, there was a total 0f 3 times where I needed to use by baby chain ring on the whole trip: Sheep Ranch Road (I used it the whole way), just at the last bit on Coleman Valley Road and on the trail up to the Golden Gate Bridge. We crossed the bridge and that was scary. The west side is dedicated to bicyclists only and there is just enough room for cyclists going south and cyclists going north. We were warned by Miguel that there are a lot of people with rental bikes that don't know what they are doing and can be dangerous. I was very cautious, went slow and practically came to a stop when I came to areas where you had to go around a pole. We proceeded on the trail at the end which goes under the bridge and then goes by the Visitors Center. We made our way through part of the city, eventually getting to Golden Gate Park. We made our way to Lindley Meadow. We were done! the end! According to our route sheet we went 417 miles on the whole tour. For the last day I had 37.44 miles and 3053 feet of climbing. They had a nice picnic for us and then we waited for the buses to arrive and for them to load our bikes onto the truck. We had arranged with Miguel, Hector and Rafel to NOT pack our bikes in boxes and have them wrapped in blankets like everyone else. Yeah! We didn't have to take our bikes apart and then put them back together at home. The buses arrived and we were on our way back to San Jose. Lucky enough for some reason they put my bike on top of the sag van instead of the big truck. Maybe because it was new? Anyway, because of this I got my bike right away and we waited for the truck to arrive to get Andy's bike. We went to the Holiday Inn bar and split a beer. Just as we finished we heard the bike truck had arrived. We collected Andy's bike and packed the car. We had to put the duffel bags in vertically because they were so big. We headed home (by the way the temperature was 100 degrees, thank god we didn't have to ride in that!) We stopped at the In-N-Out in Tracy for a burger and fries. We arrived home safely. Nothing at home was amiss and we went to bed at 10pm. Late for us considering on the tour we were in bed by nine every night. It is now Sunday at 6:30 pm as I write this. Now I am logging off. We had a great trip-no flats, no mechanicals, perfect weather, not too much wind where it could have been windy and great food, great people and our bodies held up! We have decided to do the tour next year, also.
I wrote in a journal while I was on Sierra to the Sea so I will now transfer it into my blog.
Day 1-June 20, Saturday. Trip to Bear Valley, Tent Set-up, Bike Set-up
We got up this morning at 0600, thanks to the hotel wake-up call. We showered, ate breakfast. I had a huge bowl of oatmeal which I didn't finish. We brought our bags and boxed bikes to where they loaded them on trucks. We headed off in buses to Bear Valley. We stopped in Angel's Camp for lunch. We met a couple, Kary and Larry from Fort Collins, CO! They are part of a group of 7 from Fort Collins. We will have to meet them all. The bus driver didn't take a left turn to go on Highway 4 to Bear Valley. We went wrong for about 15 miles and then turned around and headed in the right direction. We arrived in Bear Valley shortly before 2 pm. The bike truck hadn't arrived yet so we set up our tent. Since there wasn't much space on the rocky dirt we chose to set up the small red pimple tent on the concrete of the parking lot. Then we went to the main road and took some pictures of the Bear Valley entrance. We saw the bike truck arrive so we went back to the camping area. Andy put the bikes together and we road tested them around the roads nearby. They seemed to ride fine. After we set-up our clothes for the morning we headed to the bar for a beer. We had registered and checked our route maps and drank our beeer. I went back to the tent and got my journal and now I am writing. Dinner is in 10 minutes.
Day 2- June 21, Sunday. Bear Valley to Jackson
As I write this I am in Jackson at St. Sava Mission, sitting by the pool. Our day went well today. My computer shows 74 miles, 5100 ft of climbing and a ride time of 5 hours 10 minutes. There was a lot of climbing but I was prepared for it, I guess becuase things felt OK with me. We rode into camp and set-up the big tent. We have the biggest tent in the camp. We joked that it was our McMansion. The big tent was nice in that there are many ways to hang up sweaty clothing. We set-up the tent and then took showers. After that, Andy found that they were selling beer on draft for $2.00. We each bought one and then split one. We walked down the road to the entrance to the mission and took photos. We went back to the pool and Andy went in. We are waiting for dinner at 6pm.
Day 3- June 22, Monday. Jackson to the Ryde Hotel
We left Jackson at 7:30 am. Along the way we came across a rider who was being put on stretcher and there were CHP present. She went down on an inside turn just before the town of Sutter Creek. We heard later at the first rest stop that she hit gravel and went down. We didn't know if she had been hit by a car or what. It was nice to hear that she only hit gravel. A car impact would have been deadly. We heard later at dinner that she suffered a pretty bad concussion and was being held at the hospital. Her husband was at dinner and Andy found that interesting. Why wasn't he with her? Our first stop was at Lake Comanche. Gradually after that point, we went more into windy areas. So, for much of the ride we were riding in the wind. For the most part it seemed to be a crosswind but there was a fair amount in our faces. The second rest stop was at Woodbridge Winery near Lodi. I discovered pretzel bites which are pretzel squares with peanut butter inside. We took a few photos, ate some more and then were on our way again. The wind was a struggle and we were tired. Our next rest stop was after the "erector set" bridge, 4 miles out from Ryde. Andy wanted some real food so we stopped at a little mart and he bought a potato tri-tip steak burrito. We sat and he ate his burrito. Then we were on our way. We arrived at the Ryde Hotel before 2:30 (kind of like yesterday). We set up the red pimple tent because it was windy and the big tent does not do as well in the wind. We later found that the tents were so tight together it was good we set-up the smaller tent. We showered at some dedicated rooms at the Ryde Hotel. Right now I am writing in the shade (precious commodity, shade in this hot camp ground) on the front patio of the hotel. I plan to hunt down our sagged gear from Rest Stop 1 and then get a wine at the hotel bar. We went down to the hotel dock by the delta and took some pictures.
Day 4 June 23, Tuesday, Ryde Hotel to Lake Solano
So we arrived at Lake Solano at 1:41 but we did less miles...59 miles. It was a good day. The windmill farm was great. Andy took a picture of me in front of the windmill farm. The wind was OK the whole ride. We really didn't get ant true head wind. There was a moderate wind the whole way and nothing too terrible. I was afraid it was going to be hellacious. Our second rest stop was Keating Park. It was pretty hot by that point and it seemed like everyone was riding into the park but no one was leaving. We grazed on Nacho chips and jelly beans. Andy added in oreo cookies. We left and then headed for Lake Solano. Once we got in camp we set up the tent in shady spot. Unfortunately our bags (which were so heavy I could no longer carry mine beyond less than a 100 feet. Besides I was now worried about throwing my back out from the strain so I waited for Andy to take the other strap and help me) were far away from the chosen camp site. We set-up the big tent and then showered. My shower had cool water. After we showered we went to the mart on the the corner and bought beer and chips. Food for the gods! After we walked back to our camp site, we drank some beer and ate some chips. Then we gathered our beer and camera and walked down to Lake Solano which looks more like a river. We gathered with our Sierra to the Sea riders and while I wrote in my journal Andy ventured out into the COLD water of the lake. We enjoyed talking with the others by the lake. That's it for now. Dinner tonight is catered by the Buckhorn Restaurant in Winters. The best! Rumor has it we will be having barbecued ribs. Muy delicioso. They cater the breakfast also which will have some egg dishes and waffles! PS- Today was our 8th anniverary of our church wedding.
Day 5 June 24, Wednesday Lake Solano to Calistoga
We left Lake Solano after having an incredible beakfast of fruit ( I went for honeydew melon), red potatoes, cheese omelet and waffles. There was also oatmeal but I didn't have any of that. It was muy delicioso! After we started riding I realized I forgot to put my route sheet on my bike. Dummy! So, after about 4 miles into riding we climbed Cardiac Hill which really wasn't too bad because I was in my middle chain ring the whole time. Not like Sheep Ranch Road where I was in my baby ring. When I reached Monticello Dam I took some pictures. Someone lost their route sheet so I got lucky and took it. Although the roads were well marked, you really need a route sheet because if you need to be sagged the cell phone numbers are on the sheet. The first rest stop was at 21.1 miles at Turtle Rock. I wasn't really hungry but I thought I should eat something so I ate 2 oreo cookies. We filled our water bottles and were on our way again. We rode for awhile and eventually got onto Lower Chiles Road and Pope Valley Road and it was obvious we were now in wine country with vineyards all around. Our next rest stop was Pope Valley store where many people stopped to eat popsicles. In the heat, boy did these taste good! We then made a photo op stop at Hubcap Ranch. There was another Sierra to the Sea rider there so we had her take our photo amongst all the hubcaps. We turned back on the road and got on Ink Grade Road. I had Andy take my photo for Bella Fiore purposes, and then we were on our way up the hill. It wasn't that bad of a climb, it is just long-about 4.2 miles. I stayed in my middle chain ring again so it wasn't that bad. At the top of the grade was Rest Stop 2. They had sort of a chex mix offered so I ate some of that. It hit the spot. Carbs with salt, just what I needed. The next part of the ride was a long descent down Cottage Road and Deer Park Road. They were well paved though so it was a nice descent. There was a route change because of road construction so we turned onto Silverado Trail and took that all the way into Calistoga. Both Andy and I agreed later that the Silverado Trail seemed never-ending at the end of the day. When we got to Calistoga we found the fairgounds where people were going to camp but we couldn't find the hotel so we stopped and asked a man for directions. We found the hotel and checked in. We brought our bikes into the rooms even though they officially have a no bikes in the room policy. The staff at Sierra to the Sea said it was more of a "don't ask don't tell" policy. We luxuriously took warm showers. I discovered to my consternation that I had developed welts all around my thigh area where the band of my bike shorts went. I showed Andy and he reminded my of my reaction to a set of band aids I used once on my shoulder. Maybe the bike short band was made of the same material? So, I put ointment on them and planned to ride with the band turned up to the outside in future rides. I was amazed with how angry-looking the skin was yet how I didn't feel a thing! After we showered we walked into town and had a beer at the microbrewerey and also split a Caesar Salad. We walked back toward the hotel (Best Western Stevenson Manor) and looked in a few art shops. We were scoping out restaurants for dinner and planned to eat at Bosko's or Checker's for pizza. We asked at the front desk and they said both were equally good. We made our way back to the hotel and now I sit writing in my journal poolside while Andy naps.
Day 6 June 25, Thursday, Calistoga to Duncans Mill (Casini Ranch)
We had set the alarms for 6:00am so that is when we got up. We dressed and dropped our bags outside near the hotel lobby. We ate breakfast at the hotel since they had a pretty plentiful set-up. I had a bowl of cereal and half a bagel. We headed out of town on the main drag turned right and were on our way. We stopped at Jimtown Store and Andy bought a cornbread blueberry muffin which was delicious. While we were there a car club of old woodies went by so I took a few photos. After that we stopped at Rest Stop 1 which was Passalaqua Winery. After that we traveled on a road which I remembered well because it led to a pretty rest stop we took in past years. In past years we bought sandwiches at the Dry Creek Store near Passalaqua Winery and road to the Madrona Manor and ate the sandwiches in the grove of trees in the back. Madrona Manor is a restaurant on a small hill with a nice grove of trees in the back. We went up to the grove for old times and took a pictures of the backs of our bikes showing our nametags as we had done in previoius years. The next rest stop was Rest Stop 2 which was the Moshin Winery. I did a little wine tasting there so I could buy a bottle of wine for our wine and cheese party which was to be at 5:30. I tasted a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay. The Chardonnay was far superior but so was its price-they wanted $38.00 a bottle. So, I went frugal and bought the Sauvignon Blanc which was $17.00. I also bought a corkscrew as a souveigner. The wine was stored by the clerk with the other bottles Sierra to the Sea people bought and they would be sagged to Casini Ranch. So, at 58 miles we entered Casini Ranch. The conditions were very cool with a wind. After we set-up our red pimple tent (we chose the red pimple tent because it is better in the wind), we showered and changed into cold-weather clothes. That meant jeans, an underlayer, a long-sleeve shirt and a fleece jacket for me. We walked to the little store in the campground and bought a 7up and potato chips and Andy bought a microwave burrito and a chocolate milk. We went back to the tent and we are now inside where it is warmer. Andy is napping while I write in my journal.
Day 7 June 26, Friday, Duncans Mill to Olema
There wasn't a formal breakfast this morning. Oops, before I forget I need to mention the activities of last night. We had a wine and cheese party where we shared the wine from Moshin that I bought. It was fun and I gorged on cauliflower florets with dip and drank a lot of wine. Dinner was barbecued chicken and vegetable lasagna. After dinner they had a talent show and Miguel performed as Arnold Swartzenegger. The show was hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Most of the skits were Sierra to the Sea lyrics set to old TV show songs like Gilligan's Island. Andy and I really enjoyed ourselves. So, back to this morning. There was a brown bag breakfast where they provided a bagel, yogurt and banana. We ate part of our breakfast since we planned to stop at Howard's cafe in Occidental not too far into the ride. When we stopped both of us did not feel like big breakfasts so we split a big bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar (this is now turning into my favorite breakfast). Then we powered up Coleman Valley Road which leads to the coast. The vistas at the top where beautiful. When we got to the coast we had a picture of ourselves taken with the backdrop of the ocean and the rocks at the coastal edge. We road along the coast awhile and then the road turned inland. We stopped at the only rest stop of the day at Valley Ford. I ate a little pastry bite and two raspberry newtons. We took off a few layers and put them in the sag wagon. We were off again. The next stop we made was Tomales Bakery and deli. Andy bought a mocha and I bought a Snapple lemonade and ate a Cliff Bar. We were on our way again. The next stop we made was Point Reyes Station which was just two miles from camp. Andy ate a Big Mama meatball sandwich. Then we were off to camp. After arriving in camp, we set-up our red pimple tent, showered and then went up the road to the deli to get some beer. We are sitting at a barbecue table in the shade right now and I am writing in my journal while Andy reads his book. Next day is the last day!
Day 8, June 27, Saturday Olema to Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park
This was our last day. We left Olema after a good breakfast of eggs, hash browns and bagels. The riding was mostly near coastal but you couldn't see the ocean. We got to Stinson Beach and right at the end of town was the Mt. Tamalpais Road off to your left. It was a good climb to the Pan Toll Station=3.6 miles. I did well though. I was in my middle chain ring the whole time. There was a crowd of Sierra to the Sea'ers at the Pan Toll Station when I got there. I met up with Andy and we filled our water bottles. Then we took the descent down into Mill Valley. It was a nice descent with pretty smooth pavement. Not like Sheep Shit Road as Andy calls it. Along the way we had to stop twice because the Dipsea Trail Running Race was on and they had flagmen waving them across the road. I took a few pictures. Next we were in Mill Valley and then proceeded on a bike trail that took you to Sausalito. We stopped at a Starbucks in Sausalito for coffee and a slice of lemon loaf. We met and talked to a man who lived in Sausalito who had 3 cute terrier type dogs. He was amazed we road over Mt. Tam. He said he doesn't even like driving that road. We were on our way again and saw some spectacular vistas of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Depending upon where you were you could see the 2 towers of the bridge or saw fog streaming through. Of course, I took some pictures. We were on our way again and had to climb the hill to get on the bridge. I had to use may baby chain ring at that point. So, there was a total 0f 3 times where I needed to use by baby chain ring on the whole trip: Sheep Ranch Road (I used it the whole way), just at the last bit on Coleman Valley Road and on the trail up to the Golden Gate Bridge. We crossed the bridge and that was scary. The west side is dedicated to bicyclists only and there is just enough room for cyclists going south and cyclists going north. We were warned by Miguel that there are a lot of people with rental bikes that don't know what they are doing and can be dangerous. I was very cautious, went slow and practically came to a stop when I came to areas where you had to go around a pole. We proceeded on the trail at the end which goes under the bridge and then goes by the Visitors Center. We made our way through part of the city, eventually getting to Golden Gate Park. We made our way to Lindley Meadow. We were done! the end! According to our route sheet we went 417 miles on the whole tour. For the last day I had 37.44 miles and 3053 feet of climbing. They had a nice picnic for us and then we waited for the buses to arrive and for them to load our bikes onto the truck. We had arranged with Miguel, Hector and Rafel to NOT pack our bikes in boxes and have them wrapped in blankets like everyone else. Yeah! We didn't have to take our bikes apart and then put them back together at home. The buses arrived and we were on our way back to San Jose. Lucky enough for some reason they put my bike on top of the sag van instead of the big truck. Maybe because it was new? Anyway, because of this I got my bike right away and we waited for the truck to arrive to get Andy's bike. We went to the Holiday Inn bar and split a beer. Just as we finished we heard the bike truck had arrived. We collected Andy's bike and packed the car. We had to put the duffel bags in vertically because they were so big. We headed home (by the way the temperature was 100 degrees, thank god we didn't have to ride in that!) We stopped at the In-N-Out in Tracy for a burger and fries. We arrived home safely. Nothing at home was amiss and we went to bed at 10pm. Late for us considering on the tour we were in bed by nine every night. It is now Sunday at 6:30 pm as I write this. Now I am logging off. We had a great trip-no flats, no mechanicals, perfect weather, not too much wind where it could have been windy and great food, great people and our bodies held up! We have decided to do the tour next year, also.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Ready To Go
Hi all,
Well the bags are packed and we're ready to go. Last night we took apart the bikes and packed them in bike boxes. No divets or bruises this time. It went pretty well and I think we packed things so they wouldn't be damaged. We packed our gear yesterday also and that was an adventure. Because we are bringing a second tent things are quite cramped.. Don't laugh. The last time we went on S2TS a couple had forgot to bring a tent and borrowed the extra one we brought. So, luckily I thought there might be a problem so I went to REI and bought another duffle bag. It isn't as big. A Large instead of XXXLarge. With the third duffle bag we were able to get everything in our bags but there is no extra room. I took Maggie for a walk and then showered and then we brought her to the kennel. She is pretty good about going but you should see her when I pick her up at the end. She is ballisto-excited. We will leave for San Jose at noon. We stay at the hotel for the night and then head up to Bear Valley in a bus leaving at 8:30am. Tonight we will eat at Andy's favorite Chinese restaurant, 456. Well, you won't hear from me again until I get back. I packed a journal book so hopefully I will write in it. Have a good week everyone.
Clyde
Well the bags are packed and we're ready to go. Last night we took apart the bikes and packed them in bike boxes. No divets or bruises this time. It went pretty well and I think we packed things so they wouldn't be damaged. We packed our gear yesterday also and that was an adventure. Because we are bringing a second tent things are quite cramped.. Don't laugh. The last time we went on S2TS a couple had forgot to bring a tent and borrowed the extra one we brought. So, luckily I thought there might be a problem so I went to REI and bought another duffle bag. It isn't as big. A Large instead of XXXLarge. With the third duffle bag we were able to get everything in our bags but there is no extra room. I took Maggie for a walk and then showered and then we brought her to the kennel. She is pretty good about going but you should see her when I pick her up at the end. She is ballisto-excited. We will leave for San Jose at noon. We stay at the hotel for the night and then head up to Bear Valley in a bus leaving at 8:30am. Tonight we will eat at Andy's favorite Chinese restaurant, 456. Well, you won't hear from me again until I get back. I packed a journal book so hopefully I will write in it. Have a good week everyone.
Clyde
Monday, June 15, 2009
Almost there
Hi all,
Sierra to the Sea is getting close. We head to the Bay Area on Friday after dropping Maggie off at the kennel and packing the car. We did the 90 miler ride we were planning to do on Saturday. We rode from home to Beal's Point, went on the bike trail to Discovery Park in Sacramento and then headed back. Technically it was 88.68 miles but why quibble about 2 less miles. It went OK .I felt pretty strong actually. I thought the hills on Roseville Parkway would kill me on the way home but I was pretty strong. One thing I discovered is that the tongue in my right bike shoe rubs and presses on my foot . A little bump developed there. I think it has something to do with the way I sometimes rotate my foot inward when pushing hard. Anyway I think I found a solution that I will use on The Sierra to the Sea Tour. I will use one of those open pads they have for bunions. I have a bunch of them leftover from when I had a problem with my toes when running a lot way back when. I did a test ride with it on on Sunday and it seemed to work. We did a test run of using the tent on Saturday night but Andy ended up being the only one who slept out in the tent. We tried to get Maggie to sleep with us out there and had her pillow and everything but she just wasn't in to it. She hung outside the tent and wouldn't come in except initially to lick my face all over the place when we were in our sleeping bags. Since she was a no go I slept inside on the bed as usual with Maggie and Andy slept outside in the tent. Today is our first wedding anniversary (civil wedding), so we have been married nine years and have been together since 1995. It seems like just yesterday. We don't have anything special planned but I bought some pulled pork for dinner and we will have that with noodles and salad. Our second wedding anniversary (Catholic wedding) is June 23 so we will celebrate that one in Calistoga. I was supposed to run today but I guess I am still resting since Saturday's ride although I feel totally recovered. I'll probably write once before I leave and then at this moment I have intentions to write in a journal but we'll see what happens. Have a good week.
Clyde
Sierra to the Sea is getting close. We head to the Bay Area on Friday after dropping Maggie off at the kennel and packing the car. We did the 90 miler ride we were planning to do on Saturday. We rode from home to Beal's Point, went on the bike trail to Discovery Park in Sacramento and then headed back. Technically it was 88.68 miles but why quibble about 2 less miles. It went OK .I felt pretty strong actually. I thought the hills on Roseville Parkway would kill me on the way home but I was pretty strong. One thing I discovered is that the tongue in my right bike shoe rubs and presses on my foot . A little bump developed there. I think it has something to do with the way I sometimes rotate my foot inward when pushing hard. Anyway I think I found a solution that I will use on The Sierra to the Sea Tour. I will use one of those open pads they have for bunions. I have a bunch of them leftover from when I had a problem with my toes when running a lot way back when. I did a test ride with it on on Sunday and it seemed to work. We did a test run of using the tent on Saturday night but Andy ended up being the only one who slept out in the tent. We tried to get Maggie to sleep with us out there and had her pillow and everything but she just wasn't in to it. She hung outside the tent and wouldn't come in except initially to lick my face all over the place when we were in our sleeping bags. Since she was a no go I slept inside on the bed as usual with Maggie and Andy slept outside in the tent. Today is our first wedding anniversary (civil wedding), so we have been married nine years and have been together since 1995. It seems like just yesterday. We don't have anything special planned but I bought some pulled pork for dinner and we will have that with noodles and salad. Our second wedding anniversary (Catholic wedding) is June 23 so we will celebrate that one in Calistoga. I was supposed to run today but I guess I am still resting since Saturday's ride although I feel totally recovered. I'll probably write once before I leave and then at this moment I have intentions to write in a journal but we'll see what happens. Have a good week.
Clyde
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