Tuesday, February 18, 2014

San Francisco-Biking to Sausalito

Leave it to the boyfriend to come back into my everyday life and fill it with outdoor adventures. Yeah, I attempted a small hike on Mt. Tamalpais my second weekend here, but it was pretty much a fail due to freezing rain and fog. I grew pretty content staying within the city, chillin at multiple cafes, sippin' on delicious brews (yes, I really really really love GOOD beer-okay?), lunch dating with girlfriends at trendy spots around town, and admittedly-being this comfortable is making me squishy. Last weekend the sun came out and the man was eager, and so I put on the Northface and Nikes and outside we went!

After a very romantic and delectable seafood dinner at The Mission Street Oyster Bar (I super recommend this place!!) the night before, we headed out late Saturday morning to the Creamery for coffee and then rented bikes when we reached The Bike Hut. $25 each bike for the whole day! We thought it would be a good idea to get bikes at the end of the Embarcadero but next time I would rent from the Fisherman's Wharf end because there was a ridiculous amount of foot traffic to dodge passing Pier 39. 

We dropped by Ghirardelli Square, the famous SF chocolate factory for a free sample (seasalt carmel all month it seems!) and continued biking towards the Golden Gate Bridge. It was easy to follow the bike paths, they were clearly marked and when they broke off we just followed other bikers. It was flat all the way until we reached the Golden Gate viewpoint, after we passed the Marina. Beautiful, sorority/fraternity alums really do live and thrive on the outside park gyms out there. We followed the signs to go over the Golden Gate Bridge (free for bikes, yay!) and it was so cold and windy!!! I was focused on going at pace with the other cyclists without getting blown away so much that I didn't really take time to soak in the views. I saw the suicide help phone booths though!

Crossing the bridge lead us to Sausalito, a charming little coastal town brimming with other tourists and cyclists for the weekend. I thought the place was, eeeeh. Just one walking street loaded with cafes and gift shops. We were so hungry, the boyfriend and I sat down at the first decent looking cafe (Sausalito Bakery and Cafe), that I will not be returning to-but I'll save my comments for Yelp. We caught the 3pm ferry back over the Fisherman's Wharf on a packed boat but made it back in time to return our bikes. 

This trip was definitely about enjoying the views and fresh air cycling over, not so much the weather or place where we ended. Still, a wonderful day spent and exercise for the day, check!

"Life is a journey, not a destination." -Ralph Waldo Emerson