Tuesday, October 9

I felt much better this morning and headed off Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel then down to the ocean.  I rode up the Great Highway and headed up Geary to the Palace fo the Legion of Honor.  It was pretty foggy up there but the sun was just creeping out behind them:

I headed down Lake to Arguello to California to Commonwealth.  The fog was clearing all over:

This is the view down Commonwealth with an emphasis on the brilliant blue sky:

I took Commonwealth to Euclid to Presido to Post.  This is the view looking east on Post towards Japantown:

I took Post to Kearny.  This is Kearny looking north:

Then I turned down Bush.  This is Bush looking east:

Then I took Bush to Sansome and into work.

Monday, October 9

I chowed down all day and was feeling better by the time I left work.  I rode Columbus to Fisherman's Wharf.  I got some great shorts of the fog rolling in:

I went over Fort Mason to Marina Blvd and then into the Presidio.  I got on Lincoln and went up to Immigrant Point.  The fog layer was very thin and you could see over and under it, which was neat:

I came out of the Presidio at 15th Ave and headed over to Golden Gate Park.  I entered the park at the Rose Garden and rode through the Music Concourse and left the park at 9th Ave and then I rode Judah into Parnassus to Belvedere to Carmel to Clayton to Corbett and the home.

Bike Mileage:
Today                            35.0
Week to date                 35.0
Month to date               400.4

Monday, October 8

I was feeling really crappy when I set off because of the monster day I'd had before so I picked a ride that was long but pretty flat.  I rode out Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel and then down to the ocean.  I headed up the great highway and rode into Golden Gate Park at the North Windmill.  I headed east on JFK.  The sun was just starting to come up when I got to Spreckels Lake and it was really foggy but the ducks didn't seem to mind:

I headed out of the park at the Rose Garden and headed on Cabrillo over to Arguello and then rode into the Presdio.  I rode through the Presidio and left through the Lombard Gate and made my way over to the Palace of Fine Arts which is always pretty....

I got on Beach and rode it to Marina Blvd then over Fort Mason, through Fisherman's Wharf, up Columbus and into work.

Sunday, October 7

I managed to get the dogs walked and out of the house by 8AM which was good because I had a big day planned.  I rode Corbett to Clayton to Frederick to Stanyon and into Golden Gate Park.  I came out of the Park at Arguello and took it into the Presidio and then Washington to Lincoln to the Golden Gate Bridge and then into Sausalito.  I rode through town and then got on the bike path at Mike's Bikes.  Did not stop to ogle Jeff, the hot GM at Mike's Bikes.  Sigh, maybe another day.  I took the bike path to Mill Valley and then rode over Camino Alto into Corte Madera.  Then, I continued onto to Ross and then Kentfield into San Anselmo and then Fairfax.  This is the view from Fairfax:  a perfect Fall day:

I headed off on Sir Francis Drake up over White's Hill.  This is the view from the top:

I came down into San Geronimo Valley and got on Nicasio Valley Road into Nicasio.  They had a pumkin patch with oodles of screaming children:

I continued on Nicasio Valley Road and noted the resevoir was getting very low.  Rain, please.

I turned on Point Reyes Petaluma road and started heading North.  I turned on Hicks Valley Road and then again on Wilson Hill Road.  This is a view from the top of Wilson Hill lookng down at a vineyard:

And another view looking north at the hills:

And one of me as well:

I continued on Wilson Hill into Chileno Valley road where I saw this bucolic bunch sunning themselves on a hillside:

I continued on Chileno Valley to Western and into Petaluma to Petaluma Blvd.  Petaluma is a farming town which is making the gradual transformation into a resort community.  The architecture reminds me of "The Big Valley" except with no Barbara Stanwick and no Linda Evans.  Which is good because one of them is dead and the other is dead in a sense.  There a lot of 1870's and 1880's buildings that are very finely detailed.  You don't see a whole lot of them in San Francisco because most of them burned in the 1906 fire.

 

  

I stopped at a park which was once warehouses but is slowly making the transformation to restaurants and condos.  This is a view towards downtown from there:

Amd a view of the groovy victorian Mansion across the river:

I had some lunch and then headed south on B street.  This is the rustic public library:

And another fantasitc Victorian.  I love Petaluma!

I took B to El Rose to D and then South where it turns into Point Reyes Petaluma Road.  This is the view looking south from the top of the hill:

I turned at Novato Blvd and headed towards Novato.  This is Stafford Lake which is really pretty:

I continued on Novato Blvd to S Novato Blvd and took that until it ended and then was on the 101 for a mile or so.  I got a little lost and had to ride around a bit, first to Bel Marin Keys and then to the College of Marin before I found my way south-- Alameda del Prado to a bike path along the freeway to Miller Creek to Las Gallinas.  Thanks to both the people who helped me find it!  I took Las Gallinas to Lucas Valley and then missed a turn and ended up at McKinnis Park.  D'Oh!  I found the bike route(Redwood Hwy) and followed that into Civic Center Drive and then to the beautiful Marin County Civic Center.  It's a gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright designed structure that you can read more about here.  I stopped and took a break so I got a bunch of pics:

From there I got on San Pedro and rode through China Camp State Park.  This may be the prettiest park in Marin.  I love it:

I came out in San Rafael and came into town on 3rd Street.  San Rafael is pretty new but there are remnants of it's Victorian past but you have to look pretty hard:

I got a little lost in San Rafael but eventually found my way back to San Anselmo.  From there I went to Ross, Coret Madera, back over Camino Alto into Mill Valley and then along the bike path into Sausalito, back over the bride and then Lincoln to Washington to Arguello into Golden Gate Park and then then JFK to Stanyon to Grattan to Belvedere to Carmel to Clayton to Corbett and then home.  It was a really long, really fun day but I was so glad to be home.  I beat Jeff home by about 10 minutes and we had dinner and I went to bed early.

Bike Mileage:
Today                            123.6(!!!)
Week to date                 349.6(!!!)

Saturday, October 6

I got up early and walked the dogs and then I hung out with our houseguest Eric and cleaned bikes for a couple of hours.  Then I locked my keys in the laundry room and had to find our neighbor upstairs to let me in.  See, I'm an idiot.  I finally headed out about 12:30 and I rode out 18th to Valencia into the Mission.  This building is in the mission at 26th or something like tha and it's unusual in that it doesn't seem like it was built for the lot that it's on and I think it was moved to it's present location.  The intersection is at a right angle (like the first floor), but the upper levels seem to have been built for an intersection at a different angle:

I continued on Valencia to Tiffany to 29th to San Jose to Wilder to Diamond to Moneterey to Circular to Marston and into City College.  I took this picture looking south at San Bruno mountain:

I headed out of City College and rode Phelan to Ocean to Harold to Hollway.  These beautiful homes are on Holloway just past Ashton:

I continued on Holloway into San Francisco State and then took Font to Lake Merced.  I looped around the lake and headed south on Skyline.  The weather was gorgeous!  I took this pictures south of the Olympic Country Club:

I got a shot of this United 777-200 headed off for somewhere:

Followed by a United 757:

I rode down Skyline to Millbrae Ave and then headed east to the park at the foot of Millbrae Ave.  I got a shot of one of SFO's famous parallel landings:

This is the salt marsh around SFO.  Tide was out which means eatin' time for birds:

Here's another United 757 taking off:

I headed of from the park and through the airport on McDonnell to South Airport.  This is a parking structure on South Airport at the 380 interchange.  I love it!  It seems like it's twisting and has a definite slanted feeling even though this pic is pretty much level.  So modern:

I continued on South Airport to Airport to Grand and into downtown South San Francisco.  Which is a totally cute little town.  You might get that when looking at the ginormous sign on San Bruno Mountain declaring it "The Industrial City", but there's a bunch of historic buildings and a cute, albeit sleepy, downtown area.  This restauant is on Grand St.  Goddamn it I thought I was the Ocean Queen:

This is the city hall a little further down the street.  It's not easy to photograph, but it's beautiful and very finely detailed:

 

The library is next to the city hall.  It's also very beautiful:

I took Walnut to Miller and contined west.  This church is under heavy restoration. The whole interior is new.  It looks to me like it might have burned:

The house across the street from it is getting a gentle expansion  by way of a raised roof line on the main facade.  I love the way they're doing it--  when it's finished you won't notice the addition at all.  I approve!

This Ted A320 was heading over South San Francisco:

I kept heading down Miller and eventually headed up towards Hillside Blvd.  This is the view looking up at San Bruno Mountain.  It's incredibly dry.  We really need some rain.

This tree made me laugh because it's bigger than the house!

I was lucky enough to catch a KLM 747-400 headed off for Amsterdam.  My favorite livery on one of my favorite aircraft.  An MD-11 would have been better, but I don't think they have a lot of them if any anymore and they certainly haven't been flying them here :<

This mural is painted on the side of school on Miller Ave.  How fabulous is this??  Yes, it may lack the artistic achievement or multilayered appeal of a San Francisco mural but you can't argue with a big white horse jumping over a mountain.  Why not a unicorn??  Ah, well you can't please everybody.

Here's another view of antenna covered San Bruno Mountain:

I headed over to Hillside and started riding past the many cemeteries of Colma.  These are from the Hoysun Cemetery:

There's even a Serbian Cemetery.  It's very Orhodoxilicious and the caretaker eyed me warily while I was taking pics:

  

Then I passed Cypress Lawn which is a little flashy for me.  I guess this is where the blinged out dead get interred:

.3

I tayed on Hillside all the way to Daly City to John Daly Blvd.  This diner is fantastic!  It's got so many angles!  All of the fabulous:

Can you believe how fabulous this thing is??

I took John Daly Blvd to Lake MErced Blvd and went around the lake and headed up on the Great Highway.  The Surf was CRAZY but that meant that some brave surfers were out to play:

Check out his guy.  Crazy!

Also a slew of surf loving dogs.  I wonder if Rufus would like the beach??

And here am I with the crazy waves behind me:

This is the view looking north at Marin Headlands:

I started out riding through Golden Gate Park but there was a HUGE Bluegrass festival going on so I got on Cabrillo as quickly as possible.  I went abck into the park at the Rose Garden which was lovely in the late afternoon sun:

As was I:

I came out of the park at 9th ave and rode Juday into Parnassus to Cole to Clayton to Corbett and home.

Bike Mileage:
Today                            44.8
Week to date                 226.4

Friday, October 5

I headed off after work Columbus to Fisherman's Wharf and then over Fort Mason to Marina Blvd.  This is the view back to Fort Mason:

I continued on Marina to Mason to Lincoln up in the Presidio.  I got on Washington and got this lovely view of the Marin Headlands from Immigrant Point:

I came out of the Presidio at 15th Ave (spooky hospital) and headed into Golden Gate Park.  I went through the Rose Garden and into the Music Concourse where construction on the new California Academy of Sciences Building continues:

They're also working on the stage are.  It's been under construction forever.  I hope that when it's done it reads "Welcome Joseph"

I came out of the park at 9th Ave and rode to Judah into Parnassus to Cole to Clayton to Corbett and then home.

Bike Mileage:
Today                            33.7
Week to date                 181.6

Friday, October 5

Happy Friday!  I was cold and dark when I set off this morning.  I rode Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel and down to the coast.  I rode up the Great Highway and headed into Golden Gate Park  I got this great shot of the sun rising behind the North Windmill:

And one of me with the beach behind me:

I headed into the park and followed JFK. The park is gorgeous in the morning:  quiet and beautiful:

I headed up JFK into the Rose Garden where I saw these beautiful pastel flowers.  So pretty!

I headed down 11th to Lake to Arguello into the Presidio out the Lombard Gate and then Greenwich to Polk to Broadway, through the Broadway tunnel (eeek!) and then Columbus into the Financial District.

I headed off after work Columbus to Fisherman's Wharf and then over Fort Mason into the Marina and then into the Presidio. I took this in Crissy Field looking West at the Golden Gate Bridge:

I rode throught the Presidio and came out at the spooky hospital and then 16th to Fulton and into Golden Gate Park at the Rose Garden.  I rode through the Music Councouorse, came out of the park at 9th ave and went Judah into Parnassus to Cole to Carmel to Clayton to Corbett and home.

Rufus had a play date with Sofi when I got home. I love her so much and he loves playing with her:

Here's me holding Studebaker a Keeshond puppy who is so sweet and so precious.  Rufus likes to play with him a lot too, but he's a lot smaller than Rufus.  I'd love a Keeshond some day, but they're a whole world of brushing:

David and Chris went out to dinner in the Castro and left Sofi with us for a while and she and Rufus continued to play until they came and picked her up.  Then they had a little dinner and Rufus fell fast asleep.  I didn't lock him up in the kennel because I figured he was too tired to destroy the house while I slept and he was perfect. 

Bike Mileage:
Today                            34.0
Week to date                 147.9

Thursday, October 4

It was cold and blustery this morning but gorgeous and clear so I wasn't complaining.  I went Corbett to Portola where I got a couple of great shorts of the dazzling sunrise:

I continued on Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel and then down to the ocean.  The surf was up but I didn't see any surfers, probably because it was still too dark.  I headed up the Great Highway and got a couple of shots of the Seal Rocks and the Cliff House at Balboa street:

I rode up to the Palace of the Legion of Honor which looks gorgeous in the morning sunlight:

As did I:

I took Lake to Clay to Fillmore (which was inexplicably filled with crazy drivers this morning) to Post and then into the Financial District.

Wednesday, September 3

I headed out after work 2nd to Howard.  The new Jollibee restaurant is open at 3rd and Howard.  I've never eaten at Jollibee but it seems like a very happy place.  They claim to be the Phillipines number 1 fast food chain on their website,  along with the claim that their chicken is both crispylicious and juicylicious.  Who can argue with that??

I took Howard to 11th to Harrison and headed for the mission where I came across this unbelievable fabulous mural.  It depicts the Carnival and it's an explosion of color and movement.  I love it:

 

 

 

 

It's from 1994 and it's concealed by trees so you can't see all of it at once and it's really hard to photgraph but it's spectacularily beautiful.  It was commissioned by Precita Eyes Mural Arts and they're evidently behind beautiful murals all over the city.  We're very lucky to have them.  This mural is so beautfiul it literally made my jaw drop and I think I like it even better than the technically superior Diego Rivera in the City College Theatre because of the strong conveyance of movement and the vivid, fantastic coloring. 

I continued up Harrison to Precita Park and then took Alabama up over Bernall HIll.  That hill is a killer and it required my granny gear.  I headed down to Cortlandt and then Elsie to Holly PAry to Murray down into Saint Mary's Park.  I rode through the park, which has a lively dog park in it by the way, and then headed over the footbridge over 280 and then took Cambridge up into McLaren Park, which is another really steep hill that required my granny gear again.  McLaren Park seems to be slowly getting nicer as the neighborhood around it improves:

I went up to the viewing area at the top of the hill and got some great shots of Bayview/Hunters Point:

And also some really pretty pics of the city:

I took Masnsell to Persia to Ocean up to City College for class.  This is a view south of the library with the fog rolling in behind it:

I had to leave class early to help Mr. Poe get ready for a business trip and took Foerster to Teresita to Evelyn to Portola to Corbett and home.  Fall is definitely here-- it was cold and blustery.

Bike Mileage:
Today                            39.1
Week to date                 113.9