The Awkward Pose

October 17, 2015 – Clouds, 65 degrees

Miles Today: 73

Miles to Date: 8,593

States to Date: 25

I took off today without knowing where I was going – on purpose. I didn’t try to figure my route in advance, Instead, I decided to follow the San Francisco Bay Trail signs and see how well they directed me. The result included both high points and missteps.

The Berkeley Bike Bridge over I-80 took me to a nice stretch of path along the water, and led directly to the Port of Oakland. It might not be good riding during the week, but on a Saturday morning I was the only vehicle in this immense world of cranes and containers.

I lost my way in Fruitvale and wound up back in Alameda; a lovely place but not on the way to anywhere. Finally, I righted myself and discovered the path through San Leandro. Much of the East Bay was salt flats which are being reclaimed as wetland. The bike path follows the barrier strip that separates the bay from the marsh. I met a group of birders who let me view birds loitering on old pier supports through powerful scopes.

I stayed on the route even when the path turned to gravel because it is so beautiful, but I was surprised how few people use it. I went for miles without seeing a soul. I did see one Mexican family building structures from driftwood and playing some invented game of cricket on the beach. The father said, “They wanted to go to Chucky Cheese, but I had a better idea.” They did appear to be having fun, and he saved fifty bucks.

Google maps routed me over the Route 84 bridge to Palo Alto, but bikes are not allowed on that toll bridge, so I stayed on the east side. After thirty miles of incredible riding I was dumped into suburbia through Hayward, Union City Fremont, and Newark. The area is simultaneously built up and empty. There were so few people about on a nice Saturday afternoon. I observed a few crowds at organized soccer games, and boot camp groups running around the many, many fitness centers; but miles of sidewalks lay vacant. Finally I saw students milling about outside Northwestern Polytechnic Institute. All Asian. In fact, ninety percent of the people I saw south of Oakland were Asian, both Indian and Chinese. Silicon Valley is an Eastern Brain Empire. The car dealers along the Auto Mile even advertise in multiple languages.

A series of bike paths led me around the southern tip of the bay. Again, trails on the crest of river levees. I missed a turn and wound up at the San Jose airport, but was able to find an alternate route that landed me at my host’s place in Santa Clara before dark set in. Nat and I enjoyed chili and salad and talk of semi-conductors and bicycles.

October 16, 2015 – Sun, 70 degrees

Miles Today: 29

Miles to Date: 8,520

States to Date: 25

My final day of pin balling around the Bay Area and talking more than pedaling. Still, I managed to cover a fair amount of ground.

I climbed out of The Richmond District to the high end of Market Street to visit the LGBT Center. Then passed the opulent symphony, opera and City Hall as I descended Van Ness to the Fort Mason District to visit Stewart Brand’s Long Now Foundation.

Their view of the future – 10,000 years – is really out there. I skirted the waterfront back to Embarcadero and took the BART one last time across the bay and cycled out to Alameda, a totally cool island town just beyond Oakland, where I met with Michael Sturtz, Director of Stanford’s Creative Ignition Lab. If you don’t know exactly what that means, don’t worry. I think Michael his freethinkers are still figuring it out.

Finally, I sped back up to Berkeley to stay with Lea Grundy, Chris Reiner and their family. We went to see The Martian, the first movie I’ve seen in my travels and an appropriate one considering my question.

October 15, 2015 – Sun, 70 degrees

Miles Today: 18

Miles to Date: 8,491

States to Date: 25 

Every so often, even cross-country cyclists need to deal with Activates of Daily Living. I spent most of my time today housekeeping: updating my bicycle accessories in person and arranging for some rehab work back home remotely. Still, my chores didn’t stop me from meeting interesting folks. Melissa Cistaro, author of Pieces of my Mother, shared a table with me at a busy Whole Foods for lunch. I also had a fascinating interview with Peter Shalek at Joyable, a start-up that provides Cognitive Behavior Therapy online.

After spending a few hours reviewing inspection reports for the work back in Cambridge, I blew pent up energy with a ride through Golden Gate Park to see the sun set over the ocean before settling in with my warmshowers hosts in The Richmond neighborhood of northwest San Francisco. Heidi and Martin’s 1916 craftsman gem is one of the most comfortable homes I’ve ever visited: a perfect blend of formal and informal spaces; simple but elegant details; and graceful proportion.

October 14, 2015 – Sun, 80 degrees

Miles Today: 37

Miles to Date: 8,473

States to Date: 25

East Bay day! I rode from Pleasant Hill through the leafy suburbs of Lafayette and Orinda, over the pass of Wildcat canyon, and down through UC Berkeley. I enjoyed the classic streets of craftsmen bungalows in route to the much revived city of Oakland.

I spent the day among ‘Townies’: visiting FEMA’s western headquarters; The Crucible, a crafts incubator that’s been instrumental in promoting the maker-movement; and Temple Tattoos.

It was after four by the time I finished talking to folks about tomorrow, so I took the BART back to Ed and Daphne’s house in Pleasant Hills where we enjoyed shish-ke-bob with their son Daniel and several of their friends. They have an incredible view of Mount Diablo from the top of their street.

October 13, 2015 – Sun, 90 degrees

Miles Today: 10

Miles to Date: 8,436

States to Date: 25

Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City began as newspaper stories about San Francisco, a place rich in variety and vignette. In just a few short hours today I chronicled a few of my own tales from this fascinating place.

I cycled down Haight Street, which may be faded but still has its place in counter-cultural lore.

I navigated The Wiggle, a bike route of lefts and rights that maintains a relatively flat grade in this city of monstrous hills.

I appreciated beautiful painted ladies …

and visited a few other ladies as well – at Good Vibrations, a female-positive local chain of sex shops.

I learned that politics is a social activity in this city, and that gardens don’t need soil.

I lunched at Salumeria in the emerging Mission District with Shannon Weber, an inspiring mother / social worker / artist whose loveyou2.org brings love and affirmation to people everywhere. She introduced me to kombucha, a locally fermented drink, though our barista told us that beet juice is the new rage.

I couldn’t resist stopping at Volute, a tech start-ups at Otherlab where they work with their garage door open. Amy was happy to tell me all about their innovative CNG tank prototype configurations.

By mid afternoon I was overwhelmed by the energy of the city – and it was ninety degrees outside. Intellectually, I know that weather is not climate, but it has been unseasonably warm wherever I’ve been for three months now. This man cannot pedal his way out of global warming. So, since I had to take BART to get to the East Bay anyway, I opted to train all the way to Pleasant Hill, a distant suburb where I had a long overdue reunion with my good college friend Ed and his wife Daphne. Boston has its charms, but I would happily give up a few of them for a subway as clean and efficient as I enjoyed today.

October 12, 2015 – Sun, 75 degrees

Miles Today: 44

Miles to Date: 8,426

States to Date: 25

I’ve only been to San Francisco once, 37 years ago, before the city was so affluent and before I was gay. The alliterative repetition of the adjective ‘so’ cannot be used here because no one would say that I am ‘so gay’. Some say I am ‘barely gay’. I figure I’m gay enough for me. Perhaps a week in San Francisco will nudge that meter. We’ll see.

My cycling today was more of a saunter – I took my sweet time getting to the city and settling into my time here. Although I left before seven when my host went off to work, I stopped en route to visit downtown San Raphael and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Marin Country Civic Center. The bike path goes through a cool former railroad tunnel. Then I lost my way in construction and detoured through Larkspur, a bucolic morsel of wealth. I climbed Alte Camino to reach the bike path through Mill Valley and savored Sausalito. All those great house boats and houses on the hills.

I was super excited to ride my bike over the Golden Gate Bridge, and apprehensive of the heights. Each expectation proved feeble. The bicycle and pedestrian traffic is huge; practically a parade. Ingoing bikes are to the far right of the trail, so I didn’t feel any height. Still, it’s an awesome bridge.

Once in the city, I loitered in The Presidio. I love the Palace of Fine Arts, the sole structure from the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Exhibit. It seems incredible that the event happened a century ago, and even more remarkable that the city orchestrated it less than a decade after the 1906 earthquake. Do we have any of the cultural chutzpah to pull anything like that off again, or is that sort of show relegated to totalitarian regimes? Regardless, all those columns and statues with no significance whatsoever enchanted me.

I stayed close the water, traversing Fisherman’s Wharf and the Embarcadero to visit the Autodesk gallery at One Market Street. As an architect I used Revit, Autodesk’s signature software. The gallery highlights a wide range of remarkable digital mapping applications, from customized prosthetics to a Biome car made from organic material that exhausts oxygen, to simple infant warmer for developing countries that have neonatal intensive care capabilities. Very cool stuff for a high-tech tomorrow.

Two interesting side bars. Everyone exercises here, and it is intense. Crossfit everyhwere, women boxing, pumped guys preparing for fitness competitions.

Also, amazing how they build into these hills. So much excavation and concrete.

Finally, I made my way up Market, through the Castro, and over to Golden Gate Park before heading to my host’s home for the evening. Tomorrow I begin interviews in earnest.

October 11, 2015 – Fog and Sun, 80 degrees

Miles Today: 51

Miles to Date: 8,382

States to Date: 25

Today was a time of sun and fog and sun and fog and sun again. When I left Bodega Bay the indications for sun were high, as was the surf. But within a few minutes I was enveloped in fog along California Highway 1 for ten miles. Visibility was adequate, and the cool sea breeze wonderful for cycling.

By the time I got to Tomales the sky cleared, the sun was bright, and the town was hopping with weekend tourists. I took several hours break and had a great visit with Abby, aka TrekkinLady, a young woman who has hiked the Pacific Coast Trail and Baja and is wrapping up a hike across Montana to Seattle followed by a cycling down the coast to San Diego.

Fog set back in once I was on the bike, and stayed with me to Marshall, where I turned inland. The road away from the coast was steep, but the wind was at my back and the fog dissipated as I climbed. This was my third day of traversing coastal mountains, and the most beautiful by far. I especially liked the long, slow descent into Novato. I find the bald brown hills with clumps of green against a crisp blue sky very satisfying. I actually feel nourished and full as I pass them rising around me.

A friend of a friend was a gracious host and had a completely unique response to my question. I still get new responses every day. They help keep me fresh.

October 10, 2015 – Sunny, 80 degrees

Miles Today: 33

Miles to Date: 8,331

States to Date: 25

Every so often I have a yen to see the ocean, and I am always glad to make the trip. Santa Rosa was foggy this morning, and my warmshowers family was great fun, so I lingered awhile and indulged in my hosts’ morning habits – a wheat grass pill and green smoothie laced with ginger followed by a cabbage/sauerkraut/avocado/flax oil salad. The children gobbled it up, and I found it pretty tasty myself. Aaron rode me out of town and got me on the bike path to Sebastopol.

Sebastopol is a hippie place gone upscale. How else can you describe a town whose main supermarket is Whole Foods? I stopped by the Luther Burbank experimental farm on the outskirts of town, and stopped by a wood lathe artist’s shop participating in Sonoma County Open Arts Festival. Continuing west, the scent of the sea grew strong, as did the wind.

I stopped by Wild Flour Bakery in Freestone, after at least four people recommended it. The place was packed at 3 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon, and for good reason. The cinnamon bun was a meal, and I got a loaf of fragrant bread to bring my evening’s host, who was the first person to tip me off to this wood fired gem.

Fueled by raw vegan energy and a giant baked sweet (a dietary conflict of the highest order) I began my serious climb to the coast along Bohemian Highway to Occidental. Coleman Valley Road is ten miles of cycling bliss with steep climbs, dark forests, and hairpin switchbacks that eventually lead to a broad heath of tall grass bent to the strong north wind. Jane Eyre would be at home here. I smelled the ocean for miles before I actually saw it. The road rose to false peak after false peak until, finally, the Pacific glistened before me. I descended to Highway One and had an hour to enjoy the surf crashing into Arch Rock. My host gave me a wonderful dinner and good conversation in exchange for one stipulation – no interviewing. I took a Saturday night vacation from conversing with a pad and pen in my hand.

October 9, 2015 – Sunny, 90 degrees

Miles Today: 35

Miles to Date: 8,298

States to Date: 25

Ah, California living. I loitered at my warmshowers host’s home until eleven. Lindy made such a wonderful breakfast, showed me terrific photos of other guests, and her dogs are so endearing. Eventually I did head out and took the scenic, though challenging, ride up Dry Creek Road and down (as in 12% grade down) Trilogy Road to the Sonoma Valley.

I am a useless person in wine country. I considered stopping at a vineyard, but just the idea of sipping wine on a hot sunny afternoon triggered a headache, so I enjoyed the scenery and cycled into Santa Rosa, which has some lovely historic homes.

My Santa Rosa hosts were quite unusual – a raw vegan family with five young children. I received a lovely gift basket of drawings from six-year-old Luna Bella and enjoyed reading to the others. After the children were in bed, Mariah, Aaron and I stayed up late discussing diet, life, and tomorrow.

October 8, 2015 – Sunny, 85 degrees

Miles Today: 71

Miles to Date: 8,263

States to Date: 25

Today was not fun. I was warned that Route 12 was terrible for cyclists. But even the naysayers didn’t offer alternatives. So, I struck out early and persevered.

The San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers collect all the other rivers in the Central Valley and come together to form the California Delta, a low-lying marsh. It’s a beautiful stretch.

Unfortunately, traffic is heavy and the shoulders sketchy. Nice and wide for several miles, then they disintegrate to nothing. Over one four-mile stretch I actually walked my bike along the bumpy and soft edge; there was no way to ride on the paved surface. Route 12 must be notorious for traffic deaths as it’s lined with signs about driving safe. Past Rio Vista there are yellow stanchions to ensure that no one passes. That also means no one can shift over to give me space. So, I wound up riding a stretch, then pulling over to let a line of traffic pass, then riding some more. Once again, the courteous and patient truck drivers impressed me. The guys in pick-up trucks – not so much.

Finally, the road widened and I pedaled the Solano County hills. I reached Fairfield, a hot and tawny town, by noon. After a long lunch break and many missed turns, I found the bike path that parallels I-80 east from town. I spent miles along wide boulevards in the exploding exurbs of San Francisco in an appalling new development with streets named ‘Business Center Drive’ and ‘Healthcare Court’. The entire area is so spread out and separately zoned it can only be accessed by car. Do we ever learn anything?

When I reached the I-680/I-80 interchange, under construction, all signs of the bike path disintegrated. I spent half an hour seeking a safe way back onto Route 12. Finally, I just sucked it up and went on I-80 for one exit before climbing out the valley.

At the top of the rise, the road spread out, the temperature dropped fifteen degrees, and the views were spectacular. Welcome to Napa! Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I could feel bad for the people trapped in their bumper-to-bumper traffic.

I rolled into Napa and spent a lovely evening with a warmshowers host and a few of her friends. A shower, a beer, homemade bread with cheese and grilled pork tacos can make a guy forget a harrowing day.